I've done similar conversions BUT MAKE SURE you put a etched metal tag on the replacement NON stock rear axle so future owners will know what you've done.
Cool thing with RUclips, is you can document a build the whole step of the way in this kinda stuff. If someone buys it from you, they can watch the video to see exactly what you did and with what.
Drove a 53 Plymouth Cranbrook in high school. 55 mph was pretty much top speed. Back in '53 most people traveled locally since the interstate highway system was just beginning. These cars served their purpose for the times.
well i noticed the my 68 charger g-code 727 automatic transmission 3.2 gear 26~tire didn't like 70 mph much less 50mph or more aka 90 mph ( my tic-toc doesn't work reliably yet but my guess with the old setup was 3to4.5 k RPM@60 mph 1/2 drive one way = 17mpg but i kinda was worrying about blowing up the engine or transmission with that much speed and endurance as 5 ish rpm was red line or close enough to it ) so i did a chevy manual 6/7 speed swap ( TR6070 ) as i wanted .42 OD but didn't want to be bothered by computer 💻 TCM and having to reprogram it even know im doing a high end/modern EFI conversion engine is the same 1960's-70's just updated and hemi/stoker kit swap My extended family said the same thing as you "we really didn't drive on the freeway before 1980 " and from what I gathered was a sub 20 mile round trip or less ( aka the same ish as a horse 🐎 ride or carriage ) and in the 70's the 🇺🇸 government had the 55 mph and the lazy bean counters are most car company's discouraging driving above 45 ish MPH intel about the mid 80's or mid 1990's
People forget that we lived in a 55mph world without Interstates for a long, long time. Even after we got the Interstates, it was still 55mph thanks to Jimmy Carter. Heck, the Cannonball Ball Run is an actual coast to coast race, and it started out in the 70's as a protest to the 55mph speed limits. Back then there wasn't any point in making "production" cars that could do 80mph for hours on end, because you couldn't legally do that.
This really puts Duesenburgs into perspective. They were proven to cruise at 120 mph effortlessly in the late 1920s-early 1930s at a time when the fastest cars from the rest of America could barely do 60.
Indeed, they where ahead in time, only things like Alfa Romeos where doing those speeds, most of cars will be stuck to 40 max speed lol, 60 was for the lucky ones haha
I think the rear end ratio on those monsters was something in the low 2’s, they could definitely take long steps out on the highway. Supposedly they’ll pull from idle like a big bore diesel in a modern big truck.
@@J.R.in_WV and to think that duesenberg also had a mechanical ABS brake system was absolutely astonishing in 1928 to 35. There was a switch on the dash that altered brake pedal pressure for wet, snow, and dry. And yes, hydraulic drums all round. They also had the supercharged straight 8s with upwards of 320hp!!! The standard models had 268 or so. But godly torque. The cars could exceed 60mph easily in 2nd gear and still had 3rd to crack 100mph after! And the build quality is actually superb on a duesenberg. I've have seen and actually been in a few different duesenbergs and the one that stood out was an absolutely original 1932 rumble seat roadster. And the owner still drives it around and just services it. Original leather seating and carpet and it looked good after 80 plus years. Even the engine was not a complete oilfield disaster, dusty with small drips but unrestored!! Certainly one of the best cars one could have bought back in the day, more so than rolls Royce or Bentley though they where hand built masterpieces as well
I'm 57. Hard to believe those postwar car are all "antiques". A "seventy year-old car" when I was a teenager was a brass-era car. Now they are likely to have OHV V8s, automatic trans and air conditioning. Heck, ALL the muscle cars are over 50. To me, 50 year old cars should have running boards!
I’m 51, cars of the 50s like this were long gone from the salty Ohio roads when I was a kid in the 70s-80s. So a 60s car has always been an old car to me and anything older positively ancient
@@robertwhall same here, in Michigan when growing up in the 70's the 60's cars seemed old already as they had mostly rusted away already. it was a big deal in HS even to have an early 70's car in decent shape, less than a 60's or 50's car. I drove a '78 Buick to school and it was old already for me. (1986-1988)
@@richardbaumgart2454 I know, right! I'm 48, born in 1973, and 1960s cars seemed old when I was a kid. I drove an 11 year old 1978 Ford Pinto to school in 1989 and it was one of the oldest cars in the parking lot. Today nobody would look twice if you drive around in a 20 year old 2002 car. That being said, it makes me feel old to see early 90s and 1980s cars driving around with "Collector" or "Vintage" license plates, but they're over 25 years old and qualify. Makes me feel old.
@@reallyrandomrides1296 i am ten years younger than you and it seems simply weird to me seeing 90's cars as classics already when these were the nice modern cars of my child and teen years. I remember the Mercedes 190E and W124 being new and nice when i was 4 or 5 and seeing one in good shape takes me back to those years.
@@reallyrandomrides1296 That reminds me of my junior (1987) year i had a friend that was a senior that got burnt to a crisp and his friend that was driving was killed in a Pinto rear end collision fire. And another friend the same year almost got killed in a Mustang II Cobra, had major brain damage from spinning on a wet road and hitting a driveway concrete tile backwards one rainy night.
This takes me back. My first car was a '51 Plymouth almost the same color with only 35,000 miles. A friend's father found it, stored on blocks in someone's backyard, and I grabbed it for $75. I got it when I was 16, just before my senior year in high school. The summer after my first year in college, I drove that car all the way to Mexico, all around the country, and back to New York. But I had no problem with getting up to highway speeds, including 80mph on those open flat roads in east Texas. The engine was a flathead six with a 3-speed stick shift on the column. Don't know the horsepower or gear ratios, but it didn't have the speed problem you're describing. I'm a little surprised at that. The cars that I remember from that era had plenty of power (and we didn't all drive on two-lane country roads). Thanks for that trip down memory lane and all your good sense on mechanics and auto repairs.
Same here. Had a 1953 Plymouth as a junior in high school. The six was a good engine mfg’ed from 1937 to 1959! Mine would do 80 mph or a little better. I was so proud of it even if it was a 4-door sedan with primer spots on the green paint.
Just a friendly suggestion Car Wizard, but I'd have a custom driveline made for it. It will save you a lot of head ache down the road. Also if you have the manual trans bell housing, a T5 from an 80's S10 chevy pickup is easily adapted to it to give you OD, using a clutch pack for an Astro Van. If you find one from the 2.8L V6 trucks they are gear matched for that I6, and really cheap because no one wants them. It's a bit of work, but makes them a dream to drive. Hope that helps Car Wizard.
@@brianweinstein8792 Unfortunately yeas, but the S10 puts it in a good spot for the seat. The only way around that is to use an automatic (like an early non-electronic 700r4) but the Flatty I6 doesn't do well with an automatic in my experience. Takes what little Hp & Torque you have just to spin the transmission leaving you with nothing to move the car.
Nice solution. I remember 30s cars like your great great grandma that had lower ratio diffs in them to handle the highway speeds of the 50s when you could cruise at up to 70 at times. I hitched a ride with such a modified car in the late 50s and doing 60 on the Meritt Parkway in Connecticut which was much more pleasant with the quieter long legged arrangement. In the 70s I put an lower ratio diff in a mid size Holden Torana with a 186 cid six for running Western Australian country roads at 110 mph (70 MPH) economically and quietly. I’ve had other tall geared cars here in Oz that I remember fondly and even my current Toyota Echo has an overdrive 5 speed manual which makes it semi civilised at 110 kph.
Great content and yes, your steps were understandable. 30K miles, incredible. Astounding the Explorer wheel bolt circle matches the original wheels. Year I was born. PS. one of the things I admire about you Dave is your eclectic taste in automobiles. To me, when a person has this depth of appreciation, it is a reflection of their range of understanding.
Agreed. Kinda like Jay Leno and his love of things like steam powered cars, early electrics, and oddball cars. He often states how he will hold off on completely restoring a car for various reasons. And at the same time, given his level of wealth, he also owns stuff like the McLaren F1 and vintage Bugattis
There's an actual market for buying old cars, where the chassis, interior, trimmings and body are fine, but the mechanics of the car are shot and would be extremely expensive to fix and/or replace. So they just use more modern parts, that fit and sell the car as modified. They are safer to drive, cheaper to run, even more cheaper to fix and more reliable. Top Gear (UK) had a couple of segments on this business model years ago.
@@gtametro yep UK soil is acidic, we shove tons of salt on our roads when it gets cold out and the country is extremely damp. Which is prime rust and rot conditions.
You pretty much summed up what I do.... lol. But it's a tough business and you have to be really careful, or you'll get upside down in them REALLY quick. The key to it all, is build "drivers" not "rippers". If someone wants a "ripper" they can do that after they buy it and drive it away.
As a person that details too much, I respect how you didn't go and clean and paint everything up. A person other than a 50's Plymouth expert peeking underneath, or in the car behind will never know anything had ever been done, the explorer axle patina matches the Savoy chassis perfectly! Happy lower rev motoring Wizard!
Yes, totally! If it weren't for the modern lift, you could change the color mode to black and white, add a vintage style filter and it could pass as being from the mid century times.
I ran across this problem with my 85 K10 Chevy. I had three 12 bolt rear axles that were all just junk. Looking at the prices of rebuilding it, I was going to be into a poorly designed rear axle for possibly thousands of dollars and it would have still been completely stock. So I found a more modern 14 bolt, same gear ratio rear axle out of a newer truck for 350 bucks thanks to a good local junkyard. A good service, some new wheel bearings because why not, someone had just done the brakes before I got it, and a new coat of paint. I have an axle that's 3 times better than that factory 12 bolt at a third of the price. Excellent work as always Wizard, Glad you love that beautiful car
I absolutely love this car!! It symbolizes the 50’s perfectly.My Grandma drove a 49 Desoto up until 1964. Lots of similar features on both cars.In 56 a neighbor bought a New Plymouth Plaza. The lowest trim level. People were way more practical back then.Thanks for the videos. I love all of your videos, keep ‘em coming
It's nice to see someone restore a Mopar that's not a popular collector/classic car. I've had my 53 Plymouth Cranbrook coupe for over 20 years. Far from stock, it's evolved into a fast drag and drive ride. You can follow my progress on the 53 Plymouth channel. The 1st version was completed in 2007. The current version is a complete remodel. Enjoy the process, and thanks for sharing!
As Scott from ColdWar Motors says: “ It’s rare and no one cares.” It’s best to keep the old gal moving, don’t worry about making it a museum piece! As always, great, thoughtful, well presented video! Golf claps all around for you and Mrs. Car Wizard!
Back when I was younger and dumber I loved old cars and I still do. Financial realities meant I had to break the habit when I retired. I owned Packards, Hudsons, and a Chrysler Windsor. Many of my contemporaries were old school who viewed modification as sin. I never shared that view as I did not like tow trucks. Keeping stock made sense with some vehicles in order to maintain resale value. I did most of my own work. I learned a lot, not necessarily for the better. Radiators and brakes were the source of nervous moments when brakes faded and radiators boiled over. Today old car owners have resources not available 25 years ago. No axle swap outs, aluminum radiators or disc conversions were reasonably available. The old guys use to whine that they don't make them the way they use to. To that I say I glad that they don't. Your Plymouth is a jewel and the last of the wear a hat in the car upright cabins. The Chrysler and the Hudson were trustworthy, the Packard was elegant but I always had a feeling she had her eye on an owner who could support in the manner she deserved. Grandpa's car is perfect for trips to pickup takeout or just to sit in and reminisce. Smart upgrade, I never like those Bendix brakes anyway!
Yup, you made a great choice! Did basically the same mod to my 59 Lark when the stock Dana 44 got tired. An 80's Ranger rearend was a touch narrower which allows for some wider tires, 3.54 ratio and some Mustang disc brakes bolted right up.
For anyone learning things, watch out with the 'screw the brake fittings together to see if they fit' thing - there is a metric size and an SAE size that are so close they will thread together but not tighten enough to seal. From memory, it's an SAE male that fits inside a metric female, so that wouldn't be applicable to the Wizard's very not-metric car unless someone's already done a parts-swaparoo on the brake system. If you find yourself in that situation, adapter fittings exist but are a total pain to find, or if you're making the hard lines (or can remake one end), there's nothing wrong with putting an SAE fitting on one end and a metric on the other - they use the same diameter pipe anyway.
What year did Ford totally comit to Metric on this? I've come across this a lot with early 90's late 80's when you had metric on some, & SAE on others. God I hated those cross over years for that.
A word to the wise: Clean, sand, and paint the differential cover. Ford dif covers tend to rust through from the outside. I learned about this the hard way on my F150 when it leaked out all the differential lube.
Back in 1968 I had a 1955 Plymouth Savoy. It had a Flathead V-8 with a manual overdrive. Very nice cruiser, would quietly hum down the highway at 80 MPH all day long. It did not handle all that well, even compared to other cars of that era, rode a little high, but in a straight line it rode like being on a cloud. I was broke all the time back in those days, one of the nicest cars I had back then. I paid $500 for it and sold it about a year and a half later for $400. Bought a 1954 Chevy pickup.
*At the end of the day, these beautiful cars are meant to be driven; enjoy them while you're hear and allow the next person to enjoy driving it as well.*
This! A thousand times this!!! I'll never have the kind of money to buy concourse level cars but I have collected comics and a few other things. It was never about what it might be worth someday; it was just about what it was worth to me today. If you want museum pieces, buy paintings or sculptures; cars are meant to be driven!
A numerically higher gear ratio such as your 3.90 is referred to as a "Low" gear ratio, the lower the numerical gear ratio such as 3.27 is referred to as a "Higher" gear ratio. Basically, the lower the gear ratio number, the "higher" the gearing.
I recall JC Whitney used to sell a manual that gave cross references about swapping parts. Stuff like what bell housing would fit which engine, transmission, differentials, etc.
I've a 50 DeSoto which mechanically about the same as this. I put in a F-150 axle from an 07. It got me LSD, disk brakes, and a 3.27 ratio. With a new V8 up from and an A727 trans it worked out great.
I have a suspicion that 65mph was problematic moreso due to the bent axle rather than the gear ratio. My 53 business coupe will cruises comfortably at 60, 65 is top end of that but not unreasonable. Anyway, love your coverage on this car and am excited to see more. Nice score on the explorer axle and good info to have incase I have trouble with mine. Curious if you'll address the pesky exhaust leak these get at the heat riser flapper shaft.
good choice. this is the go to rear-end for a lot of hot rods. cheaper than a nine-inch, plentiful in the junkyards, plenty strong even for a hotrod, and they can come with a limited slip. looks like the old inline 6 makes power all the way to 4500rpm, so it can definitely go faster, but having the longer gears will be good for it.
Hi Wizard,,,good idea changing ratio's but you could have gone lower still. I have 22 old Mopars, many with the flat six, the last one I did(48 dodge) I used 2.56 ratio with the fluid drive. On the highway it does 75 at 1850rpm & 24mpg. Those flat sixes have tons of torque under 2grand. I have some with 3.08, 2.73& 2.56 ratio. I also have overdrives in stock, standard & fuild drive. I find em at swap meets & auctions for$25-$100, you have to search for em but their out there. Cheers
From Leo: That looks like a fun project. I am old enough that we had a '55 Plymouth as the family car. Getting to speed is one problem, but the brakes were not even adequate to stop the weak engine from the factory. I had a lot of close calls as a wayward youth. Cool car, but ALL the running gear is not up to the task for modern roadways.
I had a 52' Chrysler Windsor Deluxe and it was all original and cruised very nicely at 65 miles an hour no changes to anything. Gives you a perspective on the difference of a Plymouth and a Chrysler back then. What an enjoyable car it was too . A well engineered car.
Thanks, great Chrysler…..interestingly, I do remember a lot of GARAGE / Mech@nic/CAR TALKS(* since 1960 for me):: Overdrives Add, gears, conversions/ bigger rims / Manuel ps trans only 1840-69s.. My Rural areas had lots of driving to factories 40-60;miles away, uograding *mandatory for many vehicles, lot of Garages changed out gears, Trans if no Overdrive’s, or high gears.. Interestingly, a cousin, Uncles changed out Rear ends, Dodges & Chevy gears, etc. ( 1959, & 1963 ?).. …..
Love the content and the video but as a journeyman welder with over 20 years of experience I can tell you that those welds on the spring mount will break. Those need to be ground out, then take a buffing wheel/wire wheel to at least 1/2” beyond the weld zone, clean it all as best as possible. Then wipe it down with acetone, wait an hour and weld it up. Please redo those welds.
Thank you Wizard and Mrs. Not terrorizing the high seas this weekend? Leno had a Great early 50s Plymouth Suburban. Great size/shape car. Sadly they do not make them like that - updated (disk brakes, anti-lock, 8 sp trans). Old style axle vs. CV joints.
Our family car was a 1954 Plymouth Bevedere 4 door sedan. A lovely creamy yellow with a white roof, and matching interior. We took several long road trips in this car. It could cruise nicely at highway speeds, but not much power for passing. It had the interesting HI Drive transmission which would have been OK except for the fact that a major oil seal would burst just about every year and the cost to repair this transmission leak was too much for my father to bear, so we did not keep this car for as long as we might have.
Aaaaaaaaaaaaaargh! My OCD is in overdrive. Make some new hard brake lines which don't look like spaghetti. Please. Oh, also, I'm with you. Changing the axle is a no-brainer. I'm in the UK and there's a long-term magazine here called Custom Car. Many years ago the then Editor was of the opinion that Hot Rods should only use period parts. He hated front discs on '32 Fords. "They should use finned drums." He also hated radial tyres on Hot Rods. Someone wrote in and said Hot Rodding was about upgrading cars and using the best parts available. He said that if the guys back in the 1940s & 1950s had access to discs and radials, they would have used them. Only an aficionado of those Plymouths would even know that axle wasn't original. You are keeping a beautiful old car on the road, which is much more environmentally friendly than throwing it away/recycling it, and buying some miserable new Korean hatchback. I've got a '55 Chevy which is a replica of the car from the film 'Two Lane Blacktop'. It's got a Ford 9 inch rear end in it. Am I bothered about having a Ford axle in a Chevy? Nope. - I love your videos Wizard. You have the patience of a saint with Hoovie. 👍
I think with these older cars you could do a video of just why these cars had so little power and were geared this way. I think it is insane how prices have risen, maybe a factor of Covid and no money coming in and supply and demand? Here in NZ part prices are high, which makes buying / selling / maintaining a car a real problem for a working class person. I can only appreciate what you can do in your position, as always I follow what you do with interest.
Wonderful car. Much more interesting than some of the more common stuff and in nice shape. I wonder how it will perform around town with that new axle ratio and no overdrive transmission. I haven't been to this channel in a while and it's interesting to see the Olds is still around. And a Studebaker Lark too!
I had a 68 Mercedes that had skid plates, a 4 speed and a rally package with 4.6 gears! I found a set of 3.27 gears from an automatic V8 car. It took me nearly 2 years to find all of the parts to change over that swing axle to the taller ratio. What a difficult project! It worked out great, making the car so much better to drive. I would have welcomed such an easy swap as using an Explorer axle!
Wizard my very first car in 1968 (Yes I'm old) was a 1952 Plymouth Suburban it had 200,000 miles on it leaked a quart of oil every other day. I paid $25 for it I ordered a rebuilt engine which because it was a flat head included the head. after 3 weeks in my parents garage I finally got the engine in it. I couldn't get it started couldn't figure out what I had done wrong. My friend and I pushed it up and down my street with my moms 1962 Chevy still wouldn't run. Across the street was an old mechanic he said to push it onto his pad in the back. Not an hour later he came back laughing his ass off. It ended up I had put the distributor in 180' the wrong way. Used that car for the rest of my high school days loved it sold it for $400 and look back now thinking why didn't I just keep it!
In order to have that kind of wisdom at that age, to know to just keep that car, one would need a DeLorean, going oh, I don't know, maybe 88 mph? Great Scott!
That is the way to go. I have a 1953 Bel Air 4-door with a 4.3 V6, Turbo350 automatic with a '57 Chevy back axle (4.11 gears- it came out of an automatic), add in a brake booster and it was a nice driving around town rig. A highway cruiser it was not; for long trips I took something else. Your Savoy is much nicer than mine but fun is fun. Enjoy.
An automatic 57 would not have come standard with 4.11 gears. The owner probably swapped it in for faster acceleration. With an automatic, you should have somewhere between 3.3 to 3.5 gears.
The Borg Warner R11 overdrive was a popular OEM option on those Plymouths. The P15-D24 site is the place to go for these cars. Langdon's Stovebolt sold a kit to adapt a T-5 five speed to these motors. The 8 cylinder Chryslers had a 3.54:1 axle ratio. I have two of the BG overdrives, they show up cheap now and then. George Asche in Venus PA used to be the person to overhaul the overdrive but George must be about 90 years old, but I think his son can do that work too. George used these cars as daily drivers. Usually what happens with sustained higher speed driving is the exhaust valves burn, but if you stop every hour or so they can handle cross country treks. When the motor is in good shape and the oil level is okay they aren't known for throwing rods (the long stroke of the 230 is about the same as the Cummins 6BT diesel and its rpm range is similarly low) - the lack of sound deadening material makes the 230 sound like they are coming apart so most drivers will back off. Another nice upgrade is a front disk brake swap. It is good that this '54 Plymouth is not equipped with the
My mom used to drive her 1950 Dodge Coronet on the Pennsylvania Turnpike way back in 1957 at 75 MPH with no problem. It had the 230.2 CID/103 horsepower flathead 6-cylinder engine.
I daily Drive a 2001 1.9 na diesel with 64 hp, It can do GPS 90mph and Cruise at 65 comfy. This low hp cars are more than enough for normal use, but companyies want to sell dialed jo cars.
This is very cool CW! Nice work. I have a 49 Buick Super that seems to handle highway speeds fine, but my '36 Buick Special screams at 50mph. I know back in the day there used to be overdrive units for these. Talk about engine wear. I think it has 4.44 ratio in the rear according to the book. Not many highways back in the 30's so that wasn't an issue.
Replacing a 3.90 axle with a 3.27 will reduce RPM about 16%. That should help some. Better brakes and unbent parts are a plus. You referred to the old axle as having a “higher” ratio. Yes, 3.90 is numerically higher than 3.27. However, 3.90 is considered a “lower” gear, just as low gear in a transmission requires more engine RPM to achieve a certain speed. It looks like that 6 volt setting on your battery charger is getting quite a bit of use these days.
he can also use larger diameter tires..low end torque though with all these mods will suffer..still trying to figure out why he didnt want to go with disc brakes in the back, is it that much more work vs drums?
@@lutomson3496 you don't want better brakes in the rear than in the front. if the rears lock up you do a 180.... also master cylinder may need to change, and by the time you upgrade the fronts to disk brakes you have spent more money than he is willing to throw at at cheap cruiser. Larger diameter tires do also solve the gearing issue, but they would have to be MUCH larger. At that point they look weird, weigh more, which affects handling and braking negatively. unsprung weight, rotational mass, etc. better gear ratio only affects the rpms and speed, nothing else.
@@lutomson3496 i looked at the stock tire size: 6.70 15 bias plies, good luck finding any tires with a larger diameter than those that will still fit the stock wheels.
A friend of mine did an LS Swap on his '37 Buick Coupe. He has a 700R4 transmission in it, and a Ford Explorer rear end in it. The car looks completely stock inside and out and even uses the stock gauges. Plus everything is reversible back to stock if he ever wants to do it. But if left stock it would have basically been just a parade car that he couldn't use.
The sad truth is parts are drying up for all brands. Either unavailable or $$$ so high only a dog can hear it. I had this conundrum on my 54 Nash Ambassador. Try to fix a 200k mile drive-train or upgrade. I upgraded to a 350 sbc, turbo 350 hydramatic, Ford 8" (2.79:1) diff. I did have to redefine the word "shoehorn" to get it all to fit but the end result exceeded expectations. The final thing that convinced me this was a good decision was when I bought the water pump. The parts store had it in stock, USA made and about $25 out the door. 😀
@@dionrau5580 I know. I tried to keep it as "American" as possible, or at least non-chinese. If the pump were made in China I wouldn't have bought it. I was in manufacturing before retirement so I can understand the low price on the pump. It comes down to the fact the thing has been in production for 60 years. Essentially no changes except the seal technology is far better nowadays.
The ones who owned the old parts figured, incorrectly, that everyone would keep buying old, exact replacement parts. OOPS, I hope those excessively expensive parts are EDIBLE.
I once owned a 54 Plymouth that was a near twin to this car (same colors, but a 2 door sedan) and yes, " acceleration " was bordering on terrifyingly slow in the late 60s.
Hello from Australia Wizard - my mother had a rhd pale green 55 Plymouth Cranbrook with a bottle green roof a pretty fancy car for Ausin those days- very similar car thanks brings back a lot of memories of picnics going to school etc
Dodge and Ford wheels will interchange. Some of the 50’s cars have a left hand thread on the driver’s side. FYI. My dad’s 56 Ford had a mechanical overdrive, 312 engine and three on the columns. 22 mpg at 80 mph on west Texas highways.
I was born in 1953 and still think I'm in my late 20's 🙂 and have a 2 year old grandson. What amazes me about the wheels fitting the new axle is that the car has 5 studs. Most cars then would have had 3 or 4
My grandma has stories about family first car which was a Model T. As far modify the car I think it is good choice to modify the car like that. It makes so it can been driven on modern roads
@Car Wizard For the exhaust, since you're taking it down anyway, you should go ahead and spend a little there for future "don't ever have to think about again in my life" peace of mind AND if sold in the future it becomes a selling point. Stainless. You know I'm right. I think it pays for itself just in the peace of mind aspect. Nothing radical, just what it takes to get the job done.
@@beezertwelvewashingbeard8703 If you'll re-read my post you will notice that I never mentioned either. The point was the long term life of the car and not having to worry about that portion of it ever.
@@steadfastneasy26 unlike me and you he knows when its okay to go cheap. I have the same outlook and ohh whoops now I'm 5000 over budget on the rebuild. 😂
@@jasbirsmith299 Not all. I like cheap too but I also seek value. In this case the "do it once" aspect is valuable, not to mention it being a selling point.
My '77 Cutlass 'S' had a 2.41:1 Limited Slip (Positraction) rear end. It could cruise at highway speeds all day with the 3-speed automatic, but couldn't break the tires loose unless you floored it going around a corner. Needless to say, I didn't win too many stoplight drag races....
As Jay Leno always says, there's nothing wrong with modifying a car as long as you make it better and maintain the original look. Or something to that effect it was that he said. Anyways, he's done that with a lot of cars at his shop, as we've all seen! I think this mod was a great idea, especially given the circumstances at hand. It's less stress on the engine, and it will help bring it further into the 21st century without any structural changes. This is not something that is going to be visible to the naked eye. Drum brakes are perfectly fine on this car as well, I don't really see the need to change them to discs. Especially since it's not going to be driven all that hard on a regular basis like you're typical hot rod. That would be the only reason to really do that sort of an upgrade IMO. I think this should be an awesome car when it's done. Looking forward to the completion of this project soon.
I grew up with this era of cars here in Australia. We had a lot of American cars here in the 1950's. I'm really looking forward to more videos on the Plymouth and those other old girls in the back of the shop.
In Australia back in the 50s and 60s, small little British Leyland motors could barely survive with long gravel roads, high speeds and heat. They'd literally need a rebuild every 50,000 miles. These cars could barely do 55mph and had tiny brakes. In the 60s cars got a lot better with wider tyres, better detergent oils and larger 200' motors that could hang at 70mph all day long. You still see old Leyland cars in the outback with Holden red inline 6 motors still in them.
I have been watching your show for a long time! I am curious as to what your work colleague would think of anyone that was born in 1922! That was my mum! Sadly mum passed away in September 27th 2019 aged 95! Mum talked to me about the cars she remembered back as a kid! Those were old! Keep up the wonderful work you do and I hope you and Mrs Wizard have a happy Christmas! :)
As long as you're replacing the whole rear axle, why not use the handbrake on the new axle too and get rid of that unreliable driveshaft handbrake? You could probably route a cable directly from the brake handle inside the car to the new axle. BTW ... My 1950 Plymouth DeLuxe (flat-head 6 cylinder) that I owned in ~1962 had no problem keeping up with traffic at 65 or 70 MPH.
@@brysonshires9742 Not true. Jack up one rear wheel with that drive shaft brake applied and the car will roll right away. (That's the voice of experience from owning one.) (Oh. I forgot. They don't have any hills to roll down in Kansas.)
I put a 3.08 in a 70 Camaro and it was perfect with a Muncie 4 speed for modern highway speeds. People thought I was nuts but the 350 would still burn tires with that gear, so it was all good for me.
Kinda funny how a more modern Ford part fits so perfectly for a 54 Plymouth, almost bolts right in. And I agree, you would have to be a real stickler for originality to repair that old rear end, thats for some people, but for me, originality counts on what you can see, not on what you can't, transmission, suspension, brakes, rear ends, just makes sense to replace all that with more modern stuff to make it more drivable
The issue with welds is penetration and can corrosion weaken those welds? I’d want a continuous weld after tacking it. Nice swap should do well and make brakes easier to replace
Good point, but he's not likely to daily drive this classic car through snow storms and salt covered roads or even in rain. I see it as a nice, fair weather car.
Especially since Chrysler products had pressed on rear drums in those days which required a puller to remove. That is the reason for the castle nut and cotter pin at the end of the axle shaft.
Can we see how it drives in a future video? I'd very much like to see how it runs with this Ford Explorer axle, preferably at highway speed. That's fantastic being able to turn to a 1990s vehicle to keep a classic on the road. I have known for years you can fit Ford rims on a Chrysler.
Ford exploder 8.8 is a common upgrade for YJ wranglers as well when people start running larger tires. Although, the disc brake version is preferred for that application.
I'd say it's not a bad or "value-decreasing" mod nor even worry about ruining the originality if it is a commonly done 'mod by many others and more so if it is a sought after mod that most people know it will fix a factory issue with the vehicle, any upgrade like that is welcome if it improves driving and reliability and preserve engine life. (*Northstar V8 upgraded head bolts for example....)
A great axle swap, unbelievably easy. but I'm much older than you (in my 70s). We forget these days that we drove down the highway back in in the day with engines revving like hell at 60mph. I drove pre-war Fords at 60mph everywhere. Sure the engines didn't last like today's engines, but they didn't throw rods either unless they were pretty stuffed. And to be fair, we'd just go to the junkyard and pick up another engine and toss it in on the weekend.
My first car was a 54 Chevy Bel-Aire Sport Coupe with a 235 6 cyl. motor-it would run all day at 60 mph without any problem, I had it when interstate 40 between Memphis and Little Rock was completed, it had no problem at all running interstate speeds...
8.8s are great axle swaps. Durable for most applications and common. If you get lucky find the LS tag indicating it's a limited slip rear end. Replace those clutches with heavy duty (carbon fiber is not worth it) and it's a sporty rear end!
I know this is a budget build, which appeals to the masses of vintage car enthusiasts. Kinda makes me want a car like this now! But if money was no object, this would be a cool car to do a restomod "Derelict" style like Jonathan Ward does. I could see him swapping in a modern Hemi Charger drivetrain, cleverly disguised air conditioning, modern radio, original window cranks repurposed as power window switches, etc.
Drove my '55 Plymouth Plaza back and forth to freshman year at college about 20 highway miles each way... it was pretty shaky. Did great on the older routes though where 45 mph was average.
True but when you think about it, overall we're still driving 120 year old technology. It's still an internal combustion engine using gasoline as the fuel and lead acid batteries. There have been refinements over those years but take a modern engine block and set it next to one from a Model T and they look very similar.
The THIRD option at least as far as car shows goes is to trailer it--that is if you want to keep it stock, but still drive it around (at least around town and at car shows).
I've done similar conversions BUT MAKE SURE you put a etched metal tag on the replacement NON stock rear axle so future owners will know what you've done.
great idea
Cool thing with RUclips, is you can document a build the whole step of the way in this kinda stuff. If someone buys it from you, they can watch the video to see exactly what you did and with what.
Drove a 53 Plymouth Cranbrook in high school. 55 mph was pretty much top speed. Back in '53 most people traveled locally since the interstate highway system was just beginning. These cars served their purpose for the times.
My older sister by 15 years drove a 53 Cranbrook too. My Dad had a 50 Dodge Meadowbrook back then too. Yeah, the world was much slower back then.
I had a 52 buick with a danaflow it would do 112 115 mph just take 3 days to get there
well i noticed the my 68 charger g-code 727 automatic transmission 3.2 gear 26~tire didn't like 70 mph much less 50mph or more aka 90 mph ( my tic-toc doesn't work reliably yet but my guess with the old setup was 3to4.5 k RPM@60 mph 1/2 drive one way = 17mpg but i kinda was worrying about blowing up the engine or transmission with that much speed and endurance as 5 ish rpm was red line or close enough to it ) so i did a chevy manual 6/7 speed swap ( TR6070 ) as i wanted .42 OD but didn't want to be bothered by computer 💻 TCM and having to reprogram it even know im doing a high end/modern EFI conversion engine is the same 1960's-70's just updated and hemi/stoker kit swap
My extended family said the same thing as you "we really didn't drive on the freeway before 1980 " and from what I gathered was a sub 20 mile round trip or less ( aka the same ish as a horse 🐎 ride or carriage ) and in the 70's the 🇺🇸 government had the 55 mph and the lazy bean counters are most car company's discouraging driving above 45 ish MPH intel about the mid 80's or mid 1990's
@@richardprice5978 mi
People forget that we lived in a 55mph world without Interstates for a long, long time. Even after we got the Interstates, it was still 55mph thanks to Jimmy Carter. Heck, the Cannonball Ball Run is an actual coast to coast race, and it started out in the 70's as a protest to the 55mph speed limits. Back then there wasn't any point in making "production" cars that could do 80mph for hours on end, because you couldn't legally do that.
A thoughtful compromise between period authenticity and modern usability. The engine isn't powerful but it's smooth and quiet. Thumbs up!
This really puts Duesenburgs into perspective. They were proven to cruise at 120 mph effortlessly in the late 1920s-early 1930s at a time when the fastest cars from the rest of America could barely do 60.
Basically the super cars of their time.
Indeed, they where ahead in time, only things like Alfa Romeos where doing those speeds, most of cars will be stuck to 40 max speed lol, 60 was for the lucky ones haha
All dusys were made in 28
I think the rear end ratio on those monsters was something in the low 2’s, they could definitely take long steps out on the highway. Supposedly they’ll pull from idle like a big bore diesel in a modern big truck.
@@J.R.in_WV and to think that duesenberg also had a mechanical ABS brake system was absolutely astonishing in 1928 to 35. There was a switch on the dash that altered brake pedal pressure for wet, snow, and dry. And yes, hydraulic drums all round. They also had the supercharged straight 8s with upwards of 320hp!!! The standard models had 268 or so. But godly torque. The cars could exceed 60mph easily in 2nd gear and still had 3rd to crack 100mph after! And the build quality is actually superb on a duesenberg. I've have seen and actually been in a few different duesenbergs and the one that stood out was an absolutely original 1932 rumble seat roadster. And the owner still drives it around and just services it. Original leather seating and carpet and it looked good after 80 plus years. Even the engine was not a complete oilfield disaster, dusty with small drips but unrestored!! Certainly one of the best cars one could have bought back in the day, more so than rolls Royce or Bentley though they where hand built masterpieces as well
It's like the Cubans did since the 60's. Use whatever they can to keep the cars running.
Wondering if the Cubans would like that rear Diff
I'm 57. Hard to believe those postwar car are all "antiques". A "seventy year-old car" when I was a teenager was a brass-era car. Now they are likely to have OHV V8s, automatic trans and air conditioning. Heck, ALL the muscle cars are over 50. To me, 50 year old cars should have running boards!
I’m 51, cars of the 50s like this were long gone from the salty Ohio roads when I was a kid in the 70s-80s. So a 60s car has always been an old car to me and anything older positively ancient
@@robertwhall same here, in Michigan when growing up in the 70's the 60's cars seemed old already as they had mostly rusted away already. it was a big deal in HS even to have an early 70's car in decent shape, less than a 60's or 50's car. I drove a '78 Buick to school and it was old already for me. (1986-1988)
@@richardbaumgart2454 I know, right! I'm 48, born in 1973, and 1960s cars seemed old when I was a kid. I drove an 11 year old 1978 Ford Pinto to school in 1989 and it was one of the oldest cars in the parking lot. Today nobody would look twice if you drive around in a 20 year old 2002 car. That being said, it makes me feel old to see early 90s and 1980s cars driving around with "Collector" or "Vintage" license plates, but they're over 25 years old and qualify. Makes me feel old.
@@reallyrandomrides1296 i am ten years younger than you and it seems simply weird to me seeing 90's cars as classics already when these were the nice modern cars of my child and teen years. I remember the Mercedes 190E and W124 being new and nice when i was 4 or 5 and seeing one in good shape takes me back to those years.
@@reallyrandomrides1296 That reminds me of my junior (1987) year i had a friend that was a senior that got burnt to a crisp and his friend that was driving was killed in a Pinto rear end collision fire. And another friend the same year almost got killed in a Mustang II Cobra, had major brain damage from spinning on a wet road and hitting a driveway concrete tile backwards one rainy night.
This takes me back. My first car was a '51 Plymouth almost the same color with only 35,000 miles. A friend's father found it, stored on blocks in someone's backyard, and I grabbed it for $75. I got it when I was 16, just before my senior year in high school. The summer after my first year in college, I drove that car all the way to Mexico, all around the country, and back to New York. But I had no problem with getting up to highway speeds, including 80mph on those open flat roads in east Texas.
The engine was a flathead six with a 3-speed stick shift on the column. Don't know the horsepower or gear ratios, but it didn't have the speed problem you're describing. I'm a little surprised at that. The cars that I remember from that era had plenty of power (and we didn't all drive on two-lane country roads). Thanks for that trip down memory lane and all your good sense on mechanics and auto repairs.
Same here. Had a 1953 Plymouth as a junior in high school. The six was a good engine mfg’ed from 1937 to 1959! Mine would do 80 mph or a little better. I was so proud of it even if it was a 4-door sedan with primer spots on the green paint.
Just a friendly suggestion Car Wizard, but I'd have a custom driveline made for it. It will save you a lot of head ache down the road. Also if you have the manual trans bell housing, a T5 from an 80's S10 chevy pickup is easily adapted to it to give you OD, using a clutch pack for an Astro Van. If you find one from the 2.8L V6 trucks they are gear matched for that I6, and really cheap because no one wants them. It's a bit of work, but makes them a dream to drive. Hope that helps Car Wizard.
A truck T5 has lower first gears than a car will need. You would want a Mustang or Camaro or a AMC Concord T5
Is a hole in the floor mandatory for a t5?
@@brianweinstein8792 Unfortunately yeas, but the S10 puts it in a good spot for the seat. The only way around that is to use an automatic (like an early non-electronic 700r4) but the Flatty I6 doesn't do well with an automatic in my experience. Takes what little Hp & Torque you have just to spin the transmission leaving you with nothing to move the car.
@@brianweinstein8792 yes
The whole point was that the car just isn't worth that much to begin with, so there is no point in spending big bucks on it.
Nice solution. I remember 30s cars like your great great grandma that had lower ratio diffs in them to handle the highway speeds of the 50s when you could cruise at up to 70 at times. I hitched a ride with such a modified car in the late 50s and doing 60 on the Meritt Parkway in Connecticut which was much more pleasant with the quieter long legged arrangement. In the 70s I put an lower ratio diff in a mid size Holden Torana with a 186 cid six for running Western Australian country roads at 110 mph (70 MPH) economically and quietly. I’ve had other tall geared cars here in Oz that I remember fondly and even my current Toyota Echo has an overdrive 5 speed manual which makes it semi civilised at 110 kph.
Great content and yes, your steps were understandable. 30K miles, incredible. Astounding the Explorer wheel bolt circle matches the original wheels. Year I was born.
PS. one of the things I admire about you Dave is your eclectic taste in automobiles. To me, when a person has this depth of appreciation, it is a reflection of their range of understanding.
Agreed. Kinda like Jay Leno and his love of things like steam powered cars, early electrics, and oddball cars. He often states how he will hold off on completely restoring a car for various reasons. And at the same time, given his level of wealth, he also owns stuff like the McLaren F1 and vintage Bugattis
It hurt my back just to watch him pick up that rear axle.....
Great video!
There's an actual market for buying old cars, where the chassis, interior, trimmings and body are fine, but the mechanics of the car are shot and would be extremely expensive to fix and/or replace. So they just use more modern parts, that fit and sell the car as modified. They are safer to drive, cheaper to run, even more cheaper to fix and more reliable. Top Gear (UK) had a couple of segments on this business model years ago.
its finding them thats the issue, especially on the UK, most classics the main issue is rot
WOW!!! Talk about late to the party!
WOW!!! Talk about late to the party!
@@gtametro yep UK soil is acidic, we shove tons of salt on our roads when it gets cold out and the country is extremely damp. Which is prime rust and rot conditions.
You pretty much summed up what I do.... lol. But it's a tough business and you have to be really careful, or you'll get upside down in them REALLY quick. The key to it all, is build "drivers" not "rippers". If someone wants a "ripper" they can do that after they buy it and drive it away.
As a person that details too much, I respect how you didn't go and clean and paint everything up. A person other than a 50's Plymouth expert peeking underneath, or in the car behind will never know anything had ever been done, the explorer axle patina matches the Savoy chassis perfectly! Happy lower rev motoring Wizard!
Hey Wizard & Mrs Wizard, it looks like your shop is in a time warp with the Savoy, the Oldsmobile & the Studebaker, very very cool!!! 👍👍😎
Yes, totally! If it weren't for the modern lift, you could change the color mode to black and white, add a vintage style filter and it could pass as being from the mid century times.
I ran across this problem with my 85 K10 Chevy. I had three 12 bolt rear axles that were all just junk. Looking at the prices of rebuilding it, I was going to be into a poorly designed rear axle for possibly thousands of dollars and it would have still been completely stock. So I found a more modern 14 bolt, same gear ratio rear axle out of a newer truck for 350 bucks thanks to a good local junkyard. A good service, some new wheel bearings because why not, someone had just done the brakes before I got it, and a new coat of paint. I have an axle that's 3 times better than that factory 12 bolt at a third of the price. Excellent work as always Wizard, Glad you love that beautiful car
I absolutely love this car!! It symbolizes the 50’s perfectly.My Grandma drove a 49 Desoto up until 1964. Lots of similar features on both cars.In 56 a neighbor bought a New Plymouth Plaza. The lowest trim level. People were way more practical back then.Thanks for the videos. I love all of your videos, keep ‘em coming
It's nice to see someone restore a Mopar that's not a popular collector/classic car. I've had my 53 Plymouth Cranbrook coupe for over 20 years. Far from stock, it's evolved into a fast drag and drive ride. You can follow my progress on the 53 Plymouth channel. The 1st version was completed in 2007. The current version is a complete remodel. Enjoy the process, and thanks for sharing!
There are also Gearvendors overdrive kit to keep the stock driivetrain but those are also expensive starting at 1500 minimum.
As Scott from ColdWar Motors says: “ It’s rare and no one cares.” It’s best to keep the old gal moving, don’t worry about making it a museum piece! As always, great, thoughtful, well presented video! Golf claps all around for you and Mrs. Car Wizard!
Next episode: Adaptive cruise, ABS, AC, rear camera, infotainment, On Star, heated seats, power heated mirrors, cup holders, and keyless entry.
Back when I was younger and dumber I loved old cars and I still do. Financial realities meant I had to break the habit when I retired. I owned Packards, Hudsons, and a Chrysler Windsor. Many of my contemporaries were old school who viewed modification as sin. I never shared that view as I did not like tow trucks. Keeping stock made sense with some vehicles in order to maintain resale value. I did most of my own work. I learned a lot, not necessarily for the better. Radiators and brakes were the source of nervous moments when brakes faded and radiators boiled over. Today old car owners have resources not available 25 years ago. No axle swap outs, aluminum radiators or disc conversions were reasonably available. The old guys use to whine that they don't make them the way they use to. To that I say I glad that they don't.
Your Plymouth is a jewel and the last of the wear a hat in the car upright cabins. The Chrysler and the Hudson were trustworthy, the Packard was elegant but I always had a feeling she had her eye on an owner who could support in the manner she deserved. Grandpa's car is perfect for trips to pickup takeout or just to sit in and reminisce. Smart upgrade, I never like those Bendix brakes anyway!
Don't forget to make a video on the drive test, highway included.
Yup, you made a great choice!
Did basically the same mod to my 59 Lark when the stock Dana 44 got tired. An 80's Ranger rearend was a touch narrower which allows for some wider tires, 3.54 ratio and some Mustang disc brakes bolted right up.
For anyone learning things, watch out with the 'screw the brake fittings together to see if they fit' thing - there is a metric size and an SAE size that are so close they will thread together but not tighten enough to seal. From memory, it's an SAE male that fits inside a metric female, so that wouldn't be applicable to the Wizard's very not-metric car unless someone's already done a parts-swaparoo on the brake system.
If you find yourself in that situation, adapter fittings exist but are a total pain to find, or if you're making the hard lines (or can remake one end), there's nothing wrong with putting an SAE fitting on one end and a metric on the other - they use the same diameter pipe anyway.
What year did Ford totally comit to Metric on this? I've come across this a lot with early 90's late 80's when you had metric on some, & SAE on others. God I hated those cross over years for that.
A word to the wise: Clean, sand, and paint the differential cover. Ford dif covers tend to rust through from the outside. I learned about this the hard way on my F150 when it leaked out all the differential lube.
Back in 1968 I had a 1955 Plymouth Savoy. It had a Flathead V-8 with a manual overdrive. Very nice cruiser, would quietly hum down the highway at 80 MPH all day long. It did not handle all that well, even compared to other cars of that era, rode a little high, but in a straight line it rode like being on a cloud. I was broke all the time back in those days, one of the nicest cars I had back then. I paid $500 for it and sold it about a year and a half later for $400. Bought a 1954 Chevy pickup.
*At the end of the day, these beautiful cars are meant to be driven; enjoy them while you're hear and allow the next person to enjoy driving it as well.*
This! A thousand times this!!! I'll never have the kind of money to buy concourse level cars but I have collected comics and a few other things. It was never about what it might be worth someday; it was just about what it was worth to me today. If you want museum pieces, buy paintings or sculptures; cars are meant to be driven!
A numerically higher gear ratio such as your 3.90 is referred to as a "Low" gear ratio, the lower the numerical gear ratio such as 3.27 is referred to as a "Higher" gear ratio. Basically, the lower the gear ratio number, the "higher" the gearing.
Just swap low/high with slow/fast, respectively. Or imagine the rear cassette on a bicycle. Smaller the sprocket the faster it goes.
@@jamesd4846 Yes, that is best.
That's just amazing that the Ford rear axle is a near plug-in replacement for the original. Almost as amazing is that you found that out!
I recall JC Whitney used to sell a manual that gave cross references about swapping parts. Stuff like what bell housing would fit which engine, transmission, differentials, etc.
He could have found and used authetic MoPar parts from the A body, F body or M body.
@@828enigma6 Coincidence sometimes work for us.
I've a 50 DeSoto which mechanically about the same as this. I put in a F-150 axle from an 07. It got me LSD, disk brakes, and a 3.27 ratio. With a new V8 up from and an A727 trans it worked out great.
I have a suspicion that 65mph was problematic moreso due to the bent axle rather than the gear ratio. My 53 business coupe will cruises comfortably at 60, 65 is top end of that but not unreasonable. Anyway, love your coverage on this car and am excited to see more. Nice score on the explorer axle and good info to have incase I have trouble with mine. Curious if you'll address the pesky exhaust leak these get at the heat riser flapper shaft.
He might have had the ratio that was standard of Overdrive cars.
Time marches on. All my Caddy's with 472 and 500's are becoming more and more difficult to find parts for
Imagine some of the ones that had the 331 and hydromatic 4 speed auto in them. There is a reason for "Restomods".
That camera work is SMOOTH.
God job Mrs. Wizard!
The good news with all of the leaks on the transmission is that disasembly should be really easy as they are all lubricated.
good choice. this is the go to rear-end for a lot of hot rods. cheaper than a nine-inch, plentiful in the junkyards, plenty strong even for a hotrod, and they can come with a limited slip. looks like the old inline 6 makes power all the way to 4500rpm, so it can definitely go faster, but having the longer gears will be good for it.
Hi Wizard,,,good idea changing ratio's but you could have gone lower still. I have 22 old Mopars, many with the flat six, the last one I did(48 dodge) I used 2.56 ratio with the fluid drive. On the highway it does 75 at 1850rpm & 24mpg. Those flat sixes have tons of torque under 2grand. I have some with 3.08, 2.73& 2.56 ratio. I also have overdrives in stock, standard & fuild drive. I find em at swap meets & auctions for$25-$100, you have to search for em but their out there. Cheers
From Leo: That looks like a fun project. I am old enough that we had a '55 Plymouth as the family car. Getting to speed is one problem, but the brakes were not even adequate to stop the weak engine from the factory. I had a lot of close calls as a wayward youth. Cool car, but ALL the running gear is not up to the task for modern roadways.
I had a 52' Chrysler Windsor Deluxe and it was all original and cruised very nicely at 65 miles an hour no changes to anything. Gives you a perspective on the difference of a Plymouth and a Chrysler back then. What an enjoyable car it was too . A well engineered car.
Thanks, great Chrysler…..interestingly, I do remember a lot of GARAGE / Mech@nic/CAR TALKS(* since 1960 for me):: Overdrives Add, gears, conversions/ bigger rims / Manuel ps trans only 1840-69s.. My Rural areas had lots of driving to factories 40-60;miles away, uograding *mandatory for many vehicles, lot of Garages changed out gears, Trans if no Overdrive’s, or high gears.. Interestingly, a cousin, Uncles changed out Rear ends, Dodges & Chevy gears, etc. ( 1959, & 1963 ?).. …..
Love the content and the video but as a journeyman welder with over 20 years of experience I can tell you that those welds on the spring mount will break. Those need to be ground out, then take a buffing wheel/wire wheel to at least 1/2” beyond the weld zone, clean it all as best as possible. Then wipe it down with acetone, wait an hour and weld it up. Please redo those welds.
I'm not a welder, but I recognized it to be a learner's turkey crap welding. Ya gotta give it to him he tried, now Dave has to correct him.
I just love these old cars. I always love cheap fixes that match up with perfection. I have a 53 buick I am about to start working on.
A lot more work to swap a rear in a Buick.
@@CR7659 Yup. Torque tube....
Thanks guys for all your content!
Fun episode!😎
My father's 1st new car was a 53 Plymouth Cambridge. As I recall, driving to Pennsylvania from the Chicago area I don't think we ever went over 55 mph
The roads of the day were not only to slow to go 70, they had ticket hungry cops at every city limit, if not waiting at the county line.
The speed limit in TX then was 55-day, 45 night. My ‘53 Plymouth I had in 1961-63 would go over 70.
Thank you Wizard and Mrs. Not terrorizing the high seas this weekend? Leno had a Great early 50s Plymouth Suburban. Great size/shape car. Sadly they do not make them like that - updated (disk brakes, anti-lock, 8 sp trans). Old style axle vs. CV joints.
Our family car was a 1954 Plymouth Bevedere 4 door sedan. A lovely creamy yellow with a white roof, and matching interior. We took several long road trips in this car. It could cruise nicely at highway speeds, but not much power for passing. It had the interesting HI Drive transmission which would have been OK except for the fact that a major oil seal would burst just about every year and the cost to repair this transmission leak was too much for my father to bear, so we did not keep this car for as long as we might have.
Aaaaaaaaaaaaaargh! My OCD is in overdrive. Make some new hard brake lines which don't look like spaghetti. Please.
Oh, also, I'm with you. Changing the axle is a no-brainer.
I'm in the UK and there's a long-term magazine here called Custom Car. Many years ago the then Editor was of the opinion that Hot Rods should only use period parts. He hated front discs on '32 Fords. "They should use finned drums." He also hated radial tyres on Hot Rods.
Someone wrote in and said Hot Rodding was about upgrading cars and using the best parts available. He said that if the guys back in the 1940s & 1950s had access to discs and radials, they would have used them.
Only an aficionado of those Plymouths would even know that axle wasn't original.
You are keeping a beautiful old car on the road, which is much more environmentally friendly than throwing it away/recycling it, and buying some miserable new Korean hatchback.
I've got a '55 Chevy which is a replica of the car from the film 'Two Lane Blacktop'. It's got a Ford 9 inch rear end in it. Am I bothered about having a Ford axle in a Chevy?
Nope.
- I love your videos Wizard. You have the patience of a saint with Hoovie. 👍
I think with these older cars you could do a video of just why these cars had so little power and were geared this way. I think it is insane how prices have risen, maybe a factor of Covid and no money coming in and supply and demand? Here in NZ part prices are high, which makes buying / selling / maintaining a car a real problem for a working class person. I can only appreciate what you can do in your position, as always I follow what you do with interest.
Wonderful car. Much more interesting than some of the more common stuff and in nice shape. I wonder how it will perform around town with that new axle ratio and no overdrive transmission. I haven't been to this channel in a while and it's interesting to see the Olds is still around. And a Studebaker Lark too!
I had a 68 Mercedes that had skid plates, a 4 speed and a rally package with 4.6 gears! I found a set of 3.27 gears from an automatic V8 car. It took me nearly 2 years to find all of the parts to change over that swing axle to the taller ratio. What a difficult project! It worked out great, making the car so much better to drive. I would have welcomed such an easy swap as using an Explorer axle!
Great thing to have great grandma keep up with traffic
Wizard my very first car in 1968 (Yes I'm old) was a 1952 Plymouth Suburban it had 200,000 miles on it leaked a quart of oil every other day. I paid $25 for it I ordered a rebuilt engine which because it was a flat head included the head. after 3 weeks in my parents garage I finally got the engine in it. I couldn't get it started couldn't figure out what I had done wrong. My friend and I pushed it up and down my street with my moms 1962 Chevy still wouldn't run. Across the street was an old mechanic he said to push it onto his pad in the back. Not an hour later he came back laughing his ass off. It ended up I had put the distributor in 180' the wrong way. Used that car for the rest of my high school days loved it sold it for $400 and look back now thinking why didn't I just keep it!
In order to have that kind of wisdom at that age, to know to just keep that car, one would need a DeLorean, going oh, I don't know, maybe 88 mph? Great Scott!
When that car was new there was no interstate highways
They were designed to run at 50 mph on a two lane roads
That is the way to go.
I have a 1953 Bel Air 4-door with a 4.3 V6, Turbo350 automatic with a '57 Chevy back axle (4.11 gears- it came out of an automatic), add in a brake booster and it was a nice driving around town rig. A highway cruiser it was not; for long trips I took something else. Your Savoy is much nicer than mine but fun is fun. Enjoy.
An automatic 57 would not have come standard with 4.11 gears. The owner probably swapped it in for faster acceleration. With an automatic, you should have somewhere between 3.3 to 3.5 gears.
@@jamesbosworth4191 Thank you. I hate it when I get bad information and pass it along.
The Borg Warner R11 overdrive was a popular OEM option on those Plymouths. The P15-D24 site is the place to go for these cars. Langdon's Stovebolt sold a kit to adapt a T-5 five speed to these motors. The 8 cylinder Chryslers had a 3.54:1 axle ratio. I have two of the BG overdrives, they show up cheap now and then. George Asche in Venus PA used to be the person to overhaul the overdrive but George must be about 90 years old, but I think his son can do that work too. George used these cars as daily drivers. Usually what happens with sustained higher speed driving is the exhaust valves burn, but if you stop every hour or so they can handle cross country treks. When the motor is in good shape and the oil level is okay they aren't known for throwing rods (the long stroke of the 230 is about the same as the Cummins 6BT diesel and its rpm range is similarly low) - the lack of sound deadening material makes the 230 sound like they are coming apart so most drivers will back off. Another nice upgrade is a front disk brake swap. It is good that this '54 Plymouth is not equipped with the
I can't get $500 for a Ford overdrive, I'd be shocked if a Plymouth one brought that much.
My mom used to drive her 1950 Dodge Coronet on the Pennsylvania Turnpike way back in 1957 at 75 MPH with no problem. It had the 230.2 CID/103 horsepower flathead 6-cylinder engine.
I daily Drive a 2001 1.9 na diesel with 64 hp, It can do GPS 90mph and Cruise at 65 comfy.
This low hp cars are more than enough for normal use, but companyies want to sell dialed jo cars.
This is very cool CW! Nice work. I have a 49 Buick Super that seems to handle highway speeds fine, but my '36 Buick Special screams at 50mph. I know back in the day there used to be overdrive units for these. Talk about engine wear. I think it has 4.44 ratio in the rear according to the book. Not many highways back in the 30's so that wasn't an issue.
Replacing a 3.90 axle with a 3.27 will reduce RPM about 16%. That should help some. Better brakes and unbent parts are a plus.
You referred to the old axle as having a “higher” ratio. Yes, 3.90 is numerically higher than 3.27. However, 3.90 is considered a “lower” gear, just as low gear in a transmission requires more engine RPM to achieve a certain speed.
It looks like that 6 volt setting on your battery charger is getting quite a bit of use these days.
he can also use larger diameter tires..low end torque though with all these mods will suffer..still trying to figure out why he didnt want to go with disc brakes in the back, is it that much more work vs drums?
@@lutomson3496 you don't want better brakes in the rear than in the front. if the rears lock up you do a 180.... also master cylinder may need to change, and by the time you upgrade the fronts to disk brakes you have spent more money than he is willing to throw at at cheap cruiser. Larger diameter tires do also solve the gearing issue, but they would have to be MUCH larger. At that point they look weird, weigh more, which affects handling and braking negatively. unsprung weight, rotational mass, etc. better gear ratio only affects the rpms and speed, nothing else.
@@lutomson3496 i looked at the stock tire size: 6.70 15 bias plies, good luck finding any tires with a larger diameter than those that will still fit the stock wheels.
A friend of mine did an LS Swap on his '37 Buick Coupe. He has a 700R4 transmission in it, and a Ford Explorer rear end in it. The car looks completely stock inside and out and even uses the stock gauges. Plus everything is reversible back to stock if he ever wants to do it. But if left stock it would have basically been just a parade car that he couldn't use.
“The downfall is the the parts, $300, $500, $1000, crazy expensive”
Hoovie’s cars : “Hold my beer!”
@Dominick hate to tell you but it's a pretty common line
Why do you think Wizard hit Hoovie's head with a magazine and said "Bad, bad Hoovie"?
Jay Leno: "We don't talk about cost."
What else am I going to spend my money on!
@@terry94131 Some compare cost VS benefit, choose from there.
Proof that you don't need to buy one of those fancy foreign cars to spend $15,000 on a rear end.
You don't even need a car to spend $15k on some tail...:D
The sad truth is parts are drying up for all brands. Either unavailable or $$$ so high only a dog can hear it. I had this conundrum on my 54 Nash Ambassador. Try to fix a 200k mile drive-train or upgrade. I upgraded to a 350 sbc, turbo 350 hydramatic, Ford 8" (2.79:1) diff. I did have to redefine the word "shoehorn" to get it all to fit but the end result exceeded expectations.
The final thing that convinced me this was a good decision was when I bought the water pump. The parts store had it in stock, USA made and about $25 out the door. 😀
How long ago was it when you got the water pump?
@@dionrau5580
4 years ago.
@@Iconoclasher getting harder to USA stuff around here these days.
@@dionrau5580
I know. I tried to keep it as "American" as possible, or at least non-chinese. If the pump were made in China I wouldn't have bought it.
I was in manufacturing before retirement so I can understand the low price on the pump. It comes down to the fact the thing has been in production for 60 years. Essentially no changes except the seal technology is far better nowadays.
The ones who owned the old parts figured, incorrectly, that everyone would keep buying old, exact replacement parts. OOPS, I hope those excessively expensive parts are EDIBLE.
My 1949 Chrysler cruises at 70 with no issues, stock fluid drive transmission
This is such a great example of cross reference the parts catalog and a healthy group of Car Nerds!!
You might be able to cruise at 55 or 60 mph, but you're going to need a calendar to measure how long it will take to go that fast.
LS swap will solve the problem lol
So?
Laura Halliday Agreed! There’s something oddly pleasing about getting a vintage car up to speed.
I once owned a 54 Plymouth that was a near twin to this car (same colors, but a 2 door sedan) and yes, " acceleration " was bordering on terrifyingly slow in the late 60s.
So no change to low speed performance then? :)
Hello from Australia Wizard - my mother had a rhd pale green 55 Plymouth Cranbrook with a bottle green roof a pretty fancy car for Ausin those days- very similar car thanks brings back a lot of memories of picnics going to school etc
Dodge and Ford wheels will interchange. Some of the 50’s cars have a left hand thread on the driver’s side. FYI.
My dad’s 56 Ford had a mechanical overdrive, 312 engine and three on the columns. 22 mpg at 80 mph on west Texas highways.
I was born in 1953 and still think I'm in my late 20's 🙂 and have a 2 year old grandson.
What amazes me about the wheels fitting the new axle is that the car has 5 studs. Most cars then would have had 3 or 4
My grandma has stories about family first car which was a Model T. As far modify the car I think it is good choice to modify the car like that. It makes so it can been driven on modern roads
@Car Wizard
For the exhaust, since you're taking it down anyway, you should go ahead and spend a little there for future "don't ever have to think about again in my life" peace of mind AND if sold in the future it becomes a selling point. Stainless. You know I'm right. I think it pays for itself just in the peace of mind aspect. Nothing radical, just what it takes to get the job done.
I doubt he'll be daily driving this in snow and rain.
@@beezertwelvewashingbeard8703
If you'll re-read my post you will notice that I never mentioned either. The point was the long term life of the car and not having to worry about that portion of it ever.
@@steadfastneasy26 unlike me and you he knows when its okay to go cheap. I have the same outlook and ohh whoops now I'm 5000 over budget on the rebuild. 😂
@@jasbirsmith299
Not all. I like cheap too but I also seek value. In this case the "do it once" aspect is valuable, not to mention it being a selling point.
My '77 Cutlass 'S' had a 2.41:1 Limited Slip (Positraction) rear end. It could cruise at highway speeds all day with the 3-speed automatic, but couldn't break the tires loose unless you floored it going around a corner. Needless to say, I didn't win too many stoplight drag races....
As Jay Leno always says, there's nothing wrong with modifying a car as long as you make it better and maintain the original look. Or something to that effect it was that he said. Anyways, he's done that with a lot of cars at his shop, as we've all seen! I think this mod was a great idea, especially given the circumstances at hand. It's less stress on the engine, and it will help bring it further into the 21st century without any structural changes. This is not something that is going to be visible to the naked eye. Drum brakes are perfectly fine on this car as well, I don't really see the need to change them to discs. Especially since it's not going to be driven all that hard on a regular basis like you're typical hot rod. That would be the only reason to really do that sort of an upgrade IMO. I think this should be an awesome car when it's done. Looking forward to the completion of this project soon.
They don't call you the Wizard for nothing. love your show and sound advice, my mom always said if it works then do it.
You might want to revisit those perch welds. A continuous bead would be stronger.
I grew up with this era of cars here in Australia. We had a lot of American cars here in the 1950's. I'm really looking forward to more videos on the Plymouth and those other old girls in the back of the shop.
Lifting like that is really bad for your back, good strength there though!
In Australia back in the 50s and 60s, small little British Leyland motors could barely survive with long gravel roads, high speeds and heat. They'd literally need a rebuild every 50,000 miles. These cars could barely do 55mph and had tiny brakes. In the 60s cars got a lot better with wider tyres, better detergent oils and larger 200' motors that could hang at 70mph all day long. You still see old Leyland cars in the outback with Holden red inline 6 motors still in them.
I have been watching your show for a long time! I am curious as to what your work colleague would think of anyone that was born in 1922! That was my mum! Sadly mum passed away in September 27th 2019 aged 95! Mum talked to me about the cars she remembered back as a kid! Those were old! Keep up the wonderful work you do and I hope you and Mrs Wizard have a happy Christmas! :)
thats nice,but back then they did not no better bro... great video,thanks for sharing!! thumb's up
As long as you're replacing the whole rear axle, why not use the handbrake on the new axle too and get rid of that unreliable driveshaft handbrake? You could probably route a cable directly from the brake handle inside the car to the new axle.
BTW ... My 1950 Plymouth DeLuxe (flat-head 6 cylinder) that I owned in ~1962 had no problem keeping up with traffic at 65 or 70 MPH.
Except a driveshaft break has more leverage
@@brysonshires9742 Not true. Jack up one rear wheel with that drive shaft brake applied and the car will roll right away.
(That's the voice of experience from owning one.)
(Oh. I forgot. They don't have any hills to roll down in Kansas.)
@@jeffgolden253 you're right. Only unloaded tho. Under normal driving it applies pressure to both axles
Lift with the legs Wizard! Loved the video!
My fave mechanic on RUclips. If I was closer I'd go to your shop.
I put a 3.08 in a 70 Camaro and it was perfect with a Muncie 4 speed for modern highway speeds. People thought I was nuts but the 350 would still burn tires with that gear, so it was all good for me.
Nice. What rpm are you at 70mph?
@@vw5056 about 2100
Kinda funny how a more modern Ford part fits so perfectly for a 54 Plymouth, almost bolts right in. And I agree, you would have to be a real stickler for originality to repair that old rear end, thats for some people, but for me, originality counts on what you can see, not on what you can't, transmission, suspension, brakes, rear ends, just makes sense to replace all that with more modern stuff to make it more drivable
The issue with welds is penetration and can corrosion weaken those welds? I’d want a continuous weld after tacking it. Nice swap should do well and make brakes easier to replace
Good point, but he's not likely to daily drive this classic car through snow storms and salt covered roads or even in rain. I see it as a nice, fair weather car.
Especially since Chrysler products had pressed on rear drums in those days which required a puller to remove. That is the reason for the castle nut and cotter pin at the end of the axle shaft.
Can we see how it drives in a future video? I'd very much like to see how it runs with this Ford Explorer axle, preferably at highway speed. That's fantastic being able to turn to a 1990s vehicle to keep a classic on the road. I have known for years you can fit Ford rims on a Chrysler.
Ford exploder 8.8 is a common upgrade for YJ wranglers as well when people start running larger tires. Although, the disc brake version is preferred for that application.
I'd say it's not a bad or "value-decreasing" mod nor even worry about ruining the originality if it is a commonly done 'mod by many others and more so if it is a sought after mod that most people know it will fix a factory issue with the vehicle, any upgrade like that is welcome if it improves driving and reliability and preserve engine life.
(*Northstar V8 upgraded head bolts for example....)
A great axle swap, unbelievably easy. but I'm much older than you (in my 70s). We forget these days that we drove down the highway back in in the day with engines revving like hell at 60mph. I drove pre-war Fords at 60mph everywhere. Sure the engines didn't last like today's engines, but they didn't throw rods either unless they were pretty stuffed. And to be fair, we'd just go to the junkyard and pick up another engine and toss it in on the weekend.
My first car was a 54 Chevy Bel-Aire Sport Coupe with a 235 6 cyl. motor-it would run all day at 60 mph without any problem, I had it when interstate 40 between Memphis and Little Rock was completed, it had no problem at all running interstate speeds...
Love the car and the care that she has had !!
Sure like seeing more and more old classic American cars on the channel !!!
8.8s are great axle swaps. Durable for most applications and common. If you get lucky find the LS tag indicating it's a limited slip rear end. Replace those clutches with heavy duty (carbon fiber is not worth it) and it's a sporty rear end!
I know this is a budget build, which appeals to the masses of vintage car enthusiasts. Kinda makes me want a car like this now! But if money was no object, this would be a cool car to do a restomod "Derelict" style like Jonathan Ward does. I could see him swapping in a modern Hemi Charger drivetrain, cleverly disguised air conditioning, modern radio, original window cranks repurposed as power window switches, etc.
The Explorer 8.8 is the best rear diff for the money. It's the chevy small block of rearends and what I threw under my jeep with no regrets
This is a good update; I've replaced the original 4 speed gearbox of my '76 Passat B1 for a 5 speed overdriven!
Drove my '55 Plymouth Plaza back and forth to freshman year at college about 20 highway miles each way... it was pretty shaky. Did great on the older routes though where 45 mph was average.
Man Ford made a damn fortune on those 90's Exploders. 40 year old technology under that fancy high riding SUV body.
True but when you think about it, overall we're still driving 120 year old technology. It's still an internal combustion engine using gasoline as the fuel and lead acid batteries. There have been refinements over those years but take a modern engine block and set it next to one from a Model T and they look very similar.
The THIRD option at least as far as car shows goes is to trailer it--that is if you want to keep it stock, but still drive it around (at least around town and at car shows).
You might consider swapping the wheel studs on the left front to r/h threads and ditch the lefties.....
Excellent segment please do more like it, and please follow this one closely very interesting..
Wow that's amazing. That is a good swap you got there.