Thread: 49 Plymouth, ?? engine, 3 speed

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What was the original engine in this type of car? I have the chance to pick up this car for $100 tomorrow. Car is complete but has no engine. I figure since it is all original at the moment I will put in the same engine that was in it originally.
Can anyone help me in what engine goes in this.
Here is a pic of the car as it sits now.

Thanks for the link Tech, I knew someone here would be able to find something for me, I couldn't find crap. Maybe I was just looking for the wrong things.

It looks like hot rod material to me. The flathead 6 that came in it wasn't very impressive. Chrysler Corp. made a lot of great engines From the Hemi down to the 318. Any one of the V8s they made would be a better choice. Originality is overrated. It would be worth more with a Hemi and a custom paint job.
Either way you should buy it. You can't lose at that price even if you lose interest and resell it to one of us guys.
Go get it.
AL

Hey Joker, Hope you reconsider the flathead motor, A 340 or 360 with a 4 speed would sure be sweet in there. If you want your $100.oo back, let me know. I'm just one state south of you!!!!

Tech
Ford 9in or Dana?

Thanks guys, I was thinking original motor or close to it for now, cheapest way to get it on the road again. then as I get the money and parts switch it to a more powerful motor, tranny and rearend. Right now money is a little tight with another daughter on the way, so I have had to put the touring car off to the side and get something that will be cheaper to get on the road and this is the one.
But thanks for the ideas I will keep you posted on the progress and post pics when I get the car home.

Hey Joker----A Gem

Whatever your plans & desires for the present, as Tech. says a SLEEPER in the future. Collect a lot of green stamps with that baby.
Yes - you'd even have that lil old lady from Pasadna waving her purse!
Good luck.

Thanks Walt, I do want to make it into a sleeper in a few years when my sons old enough to work on it with me. But for now I just want to throw paint on it and get it on the road for the annual Buggies n Blues car show here this summer.
But I do want to put a hemi in it after awhile, this will be an all Mopar car when I am done. I just don't think chevy or ford would be a good combo in a ply

Thanks guys, I was thinking original motor or close to it for now, cheapest way to get it on the road again.

Hrmmm... A boneyard 318 with a 904 Tflite would probably be cheaper than getting an original flathead six for it. Toss in a valve job and a new timing chain and you will be back on the road cheap.

THanks Lord, but around here they want $500 for a boneyard anything, when I was looking at replacing the motor in my 84 ElDorado they wanted $700 for the engine and it wasn't even guaranteed to run or be good. And trannies are just as expensive. I was thinking if I could find an engine that would bolt up to the 3 speed already in it, I could at least drive it this summer then spend next winter on a new engine tranny and dana rearend.
But thanks for the tip, I will keep that in mind when I am looking around also and see which is actually cheaper.

Well I just talked to the guy selling it, He said they got about 5" of new snow so I won't be able to pick it up today. Looking at hopefully getting it next weekend if we get some warm weather again to melt this crap down again. Oh well I guess I can wait another week since I won't be able to do much on it with the new snow anyways.

I must be a cheap mofo because I won't pay over 250 bucks for a run of the mill smallblock anything.

Yeah me too, I gave up a 4 speed tranny because I wasn't going to pay more than 300 and he wanted 400 for it. To me a junkyard engine should cost only 100, since they buy the cars for $75 and part the doors alone for 50-75 a piece.

If you want to go with a original motor you will have alot of years to pick from,the motors are basicly the same from the late 30s to around 1960,the dodge and plymouth motors are the same and were used in cars untill 1959 and I think in the trucks untill 1960 and maybe a little longer in the power wagon. The chrysler and desoto motors will work but they are a couple of inches longer and the radiator will need to be moved some,if you can find a 53 to 54 dodge with the baby hemi that motor should bolt up,those motors use the flathead six type motor mount in the front and rear of the motor and the six was the standard motor the baby hemi should bolt in the 49 frame. The 49 to 54 chassis were possibly the same and I think the baby hemis came with either a fluid drive or a 3 speed. A local junkyard has quite a few 46 to 52 dodge cars and trucks and plymouths but they have been sitting there a long time. Jeff

Thanks Jeff, I really appreciate all that info, now I know what to look for as I am searching

If you can find someone updating their old mopar you could get it on the road for cheap,I can kick my self in the rear as I missed two baby hemis about 20 years ago. One was stuck but complete and could have been bought for 50 dollars and one of the idiots I had with me when I looked at it went blabbing about the 50 dollar hemi and two weeks later it was gone,the other was sitting in a junkyard from 1963 to 83 and it was not stuck and a few weeks later I seen the car jacked up with tires under the wheels and the motor and trans gone. Oh well hope you find a good motor and trans. Jeff