Thread: 1937 Plymouth 5 Window Coupe

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Spent some time in the shop again this weekend. I was able to get most of the exhaust routed and installed. I still need to determine where I plan on exiting the car. Not sure whether it will be out the back or behind the rear wheels. My plan it to get the body back on the frame so I can check out the best possible path.

I spent quite a bit of time trying to keep this exhaust at high up as I could. I didn't want it hanging down below the frame a lot so I spent the extra time on snaking it thru the frame. In the end I am pretty happy with the way it turned out. It is all mounted in rubber and it ended up really solid.

I ended up with the shorty headers from Speedway. They fit up nicely. I even ended up with the "H" pipe based on recommendations I received here. Thanks guys I learned something new that day on how important one is.



After much discussion and many, many, many hours or YouTube videos and countless other hours of research I ended up with the DynoMax mufflers. Can't wait until I can get this thing started so I can hear what what my decision sounds like. Until then I will just have to wait and we all now how much fun waiting its.....



I also ended up using the Blue Exhaust Hanger Grommets from Summit Racing (only $3.00 each). They seem to work really well with my fabricated brackets.







I really tried hard to keep the exhaust up high as possible. In the the lowest point on the exhaust system is the "H pipe which only hangs down a couple inches, which is still as high as the front end.



The balance of the exhaust I was able to keep high and up in the frame. I didn't to have things rub when going in and out of parking lots.





After I finished up on the exhaust I was able to get the front nose cone mounted on the frame just to see how it would look.



My radiator also showed up now too. I picked one an aluminum 3 core unit, but that is a project for another day.

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It looks very nice. Like most everything you do... 8-)

Lots of work yet to do. Won't be long and I will be starting on the body work. Not sure my thoughts on that yet. I enjoy working in the garage with my spare time but not really sure if I enjoy the body work much..... Haha. Anyways it has to get done so I don't have any other choice but to get with it.

On a side note I did sweet talk my wife in buying me an early Christmas gift this weekend. I ordered a new two post lift for my shop on Sunday. Should be here in 7 to 10 days. I am super excited because I have I have always wanted one. Surprisingly it wasn't that difficult to convince her I needed one.

I just explained to her how that it would be nice to have one but I could probably get by without it. I then explained to her how I really don't need it anyways. I can always just pile up the milk crates and use the 4x4's like I did last time to hold that heavy steel body in the air while I worked underneath it. I also told her it is mostly pretty safe as long as you don't accidentally kick or bump the crates.....

Guess she is not done with me yet cause she told me to just order up what I wanted..... Go figure....

I do believe I got very lucky this time with my wife. Second time is a charm right

We have a standing joke around our house. I tell everyone that after my divorce I put an ad out that said "Wanted women with a garage, please send photo of garage" Well I have been married going on seven years this time.

And in case you are wondering it was a very nice photo......

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It's all looking awsome and going together nice and your going to love that hoist. I would hire the body work done if you don't love to do it. I hate it but thought I'd save some money and do it myself but you'd be surprised how quick 10 yrs of "when you have time" pass by and then your sick of it and bring it to the body shop anyway. I didn't save anything when I think of all my screw ups and how much the body shop's hourly rate went up in those ten years when I did finally bring it to them.

I put in a secondhand two post hoist about six months ago.
It's the sort of thing that if you don't have it you don't really miss it.
But once you've got one it's surprising how often you use it.

Due to illness the brother-in-law of a mate of mine had to sell his business not long after he'd installed a new four post hoist.
So he offered the near new hoist to Pete at book value. Pete grabbed it! But then what to do with his (fairly) old two post?
So he offered it to me for $150.
And I grabbed it too! Couldn't get my wallet out quickly enough.
It cost me $900 to get it installed and certified; but it was still a bargain.
So it's legal for 3.5 tons for the next five years, when it will have to be recertified.

Originally Posted by 53 Chevy5

It's all looking awsome and going together nice and your going to love that hoist. I would hire the body work done if you don't love to do it. I hate it but thought I'd save some money and do it myself but you'd be surprised how quick 10 yrs of "when you have time" pass by and then your sick of it and bring it to the body shop anyway. I didn't save anything when I think of all my screw ups and how much the body shop's hourly rate went up in those ten years when I did finally bring it to them.

I would love to hire the body work done, but something inside me (some kind of sickness I'm guessing) won't let me do it. For some strange reason I want to try do everything I possibly can on this build myself. The time I spend in my garage is very relaxing to me and I really enjoy it. I already know that I won't try painting it myself but my hope is to do most of the body work through primer then hand it over to someone to fix what I started and spray the color. Time will tell but that is my intentions for now.

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Originally Posted by johnboy

I put in a secondhand two post hoist about six months ago.
It's the sort of thing that if you don't have it you don't really miss it.
But once you've got one it's surprising how often you use it.

Due to illness the brother-in-law of a mate of mine had to sell his business not long after he'd installed a new four post hoist.
So he offered the near new hoist to Pete at book value. Pete grabbed it! But then what to do with his (fairly) old two post?
So he offered it to me for $150.
And I grabbed it too! Couldn't get my wallet out quickly enough.
It cost me $900 to get it installed and certified; but it was still a bargain.
So it's legal for 3.5 tons for the next five years, when it will have to be recertified.

I am very excited about it too. I know that it will be great once I have it. I will do the install myself so the cost will be minimal for me. Since this is only my home shop, nothing has to be certified here. I'm guess the only additional cost for me will be the cost of the electrical wire from the panel to the hoist. All of the fasteners/anchors come with this unit.

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Wow, you're making great progress on your car! I really like the exhaust routing and I have the same bushings to use on my 40. You definitely will like your hoist. I miss mine weekly and have had thoughts of getting another one.

very interesting build. I too have a 37 plymouth 5 window coupe that i'm building as well. Just finishing up the mounting of the body to the chassis then onto the wiring and interior over this winter ( i Live in Canada). then should be ready for
paint in the early spring and final assembly. Will be follow your thread. good luck on it.

this is where i'm at with mine. All completely done by myself in my garage. 3 years so far. should be out next summer.

Originally Posted by imnuts

this is where i'm at with mine. All completely done by myself in my garage. 3 years so far. should be out next summer.

I think I said that 5 yrs in a row I looks like your a long ways though, nice.

Great work too.

Man we've so many great projects going on 'round this place right now! It's so cool.

Thanks for sharing your project!

Originally Posted by 53 Chevy5

I think I said that 5 yrs in a row I looks like your a long ways though, nice.

yeh this is year 4 for me right now, thought it would be done by now, but it is what it is. LOL

Just a couple of random thoughts.....

The driveshaft should be the last item you buy for the car. Put 1/2 tank of gas in it and have two people to sit in the front. Take the car to any business in town that has a drive-on lift. Push it on the lift, get the two passengers in the seat and get underneath to take your readings with an angle finder and tape measure.

If you haven't done it yet, jack the car up on a flat, level floor and drop some plumb bobs down to the floor from the vicinity of each wheel. Use factory brackets, holes, whatever to drop from. Establish a centerline and measure between the marks on the floor to insure that the whole mess is square.

Extend the exhaust pipes out past the rear bumper. Terminating them under the car with produce a drone of the exhaust note against the underside sheet metal of the car and will make you nuts pretty quickly. You will begin to hate driving the car. Been there, done that.

If you still have the address of the fellows who put the MII front suspension under the car, send them a bottle of wine and a thank you note. They had the good sense to retain the strut rod instead of going with one of those fosdick aftermarket kits with the strut rod eliminator. This front end you have under the Plymouth WILL NOT fold up on you like some of that aftermarket junk. Famed automotive journalist Pat Ganaal has stated that he sees several hundred failed front suspensions each year on rod runs.

Merry Christmas
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Originally Posted by techinspector1

Extend the exhaust pipes out past the rear bumper. Terminating them under the car with produce a drone of the exhaust note against the underside sheet metal of the car and will make you nuts pretty quickly. You will begin to hate driving the car. Been there, done that.

Scavengers weren't they?