Guest steve283 Posted November 20, 2011 Share Posted November 20, 2011 Just some info about this car so far.Found on craigs list for $1050.00 runs has no dents and all chrome except savoy badges.was a barn find 3 owners ago.First guy started restoring it new floor panels new set of chrome in trunk. Second owner bought it after the first guy lost interest and was going to rat rod it.After looking it over he decided not to use this car and instead bought a 40 ford for his project.I just retired a short time ago and wanted a project for a hobby.I never realized what you guys went through finding the right stuff to work on these older cars,and can only imagine what its got to be like with the much older cars on this site.This winter is just collecting the parts needed. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest steve283 Posted November 20, 2011 Share Posted November 20, 2011 sorry,a bit new to all of this.It is a four door it is still a 6volt system,looks over all un molested.it has a small horn button no power, no radio.odometer shows 54,000 miles.no idea if this is correct or not.there are road tax stickers in the window for 91 and 92.only one rust through spot pass side below chevron near tire.the pot metal is pitted bad.230 auto needs heater core and pipe,but fan and lights all work. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest steve283 Posted November 20, 2011 Share Posted November 20, 2011 there are pics in album. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
NTX5467 Posted November 21, 2011 Share Posted November 21, 2011 These were good, solid cars. Kind of spiffy-looking, too. But not "powerhouses" with the six cylinder. But usually quite easy to work on, as I recall.In the back of the Online Imperial Club's website, they have archived LOTS, if not all, of the old Chrysler Master Tech training "books" and "filmstrips". These are quite interesting to watch and might be very informative in getting to better know what makes this vehicle "tick" mechanically. The PPG website also has paint chips and formula codes for older vehicles.I suspect the worst thing is going to be getting any rust removed and repaired. Finding good sources for mechanical parts will be easier, I suspect.Keep us posted, please, on your progress.NTX5467 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest steve283 Posted November 21, 2011 Share Posted November 21, 2011 Thanx for the info.I don't think it will be a fast job.might drive it under primer and get mechanic's working as weather allows.and there is a learning curve that i have been fighting.reading tons online.you all help so much.thanx again. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest steve283 Posted November 22, 2011 Share Posted November 22, 2011 Think I'll be happy if mine looks half that nice.I do plan to get the shop manual and owners manual...i dont think i'll find any savoy badges soon tho,might need to make them.going to save your car picture so i know placements of chrome.most of mines in a box in the trunk.thanxs again. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest steve283 Posted November 22, 2011 Share Posted November 22, 2011 They asked me if I wanted historical tags for this car,I said no,I plan to drive it as often as I can. the Plymouth plate across the grill is missing on mine so I thought of using chrome letters or maybe a lexan plate with the name I have named the car on it.after all I dont plan to show it,just show off in it. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JACK M Posted November 22, 2011 Share Posted November 22, 2011 I drive my Historical plates all of the time with no police complaints. I rarly drive my newer stuff in nice weather.When I asked Hagertys about insurance the lady asked me if people would inquire abouy my cars at the grocery store. I replied "all of the time". She said thats like showing it off and they would not have any problems with daily driving. I liked her attitude and hope if, heaven forbid, I ever need to use the insurance that she gave me good advice. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest steve283 Posted November 22, 2011 Share Posted November 22, 2011 A few questions to the more knowledgeable on this forum..1.would converting to disk brakes be a bad thing,also seat belts.after all these years i feel naked without the strap on.2.it has stock lights in it,he bulbs or sealed beam.Dad had the station wagon version of this car and i seem to remember the light are dim.and the wipers were a joke on a hill.we called it the tank..3.the windshield is cracked,anyone have any luck with the injection repair?only place i have found so far that makes replacement glass wants 375-500 for the glass.ouch.and I will need windshield,driver glass and rear pass glass....lexan?4.sorry for all these questions but last time i worked on an old car it was a new car.and thank you for all the help. Steve. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ply33 Posted November 22, 2011 Share Posted November 22, 2011 A few questions to the more knowledgeable on this forum..1.would converting to disk brakes be a bad thing,also seat belts.after all these years i feel naked without the strap on.2.it has stock lights in it,he bulbs or sealed beam.Dad had the station wagon version of this car and i seem to remember the light are dim.and the wipers were a joke on a hill.we called it the tank..3.the windshield is cracked,anyone have any luck with the injection repair?only place i have found so far that makes replacement glass wants 375-500 for the glass.ouch.and I will need windshield,driver glass and rear pass glass....lexan?4.sorry for all these questions but last time i worked on an old car it was a new car.and thank you for all the help. Steve.1. Disc brakes are better for fade resistance. If you are planning on road rally or racing they could be useful. For normal driving without repeated hard braking where there is no time for the brakes to cool between applications, the benefits are not as great. Disc brakes also dry out faster than drum brake if you are fording deep puddles. In the old days good drivers knew to lightly apply their brakes to dry them out after fording streams or puddles. That should not be a consideration for driving a collector car nowadays as you probably won't be driving it much on flooded streets.2. 6v lights can put out as much light as 12v ones. A watt is a watt regardless of the voltage. But, and this is a big but, any corrosion in the system causes more issues on a 6v system because for the same power usage you have twice the current. With the wires, plugs and switches in good condition you should have no issues. But you may have to replace the ancient wiring with a new harness and work at cleaning up the switch contacts, etc. If you want some modern accessory that is only available in 12v you might have a valid reason for switching but otherwise stock, in good repair, is just fine.3. No clue on the windshield crack repair. My car is old enough to have flat glass throughout which makes replacement easier than repair. You might be able to find a source for good glass.4. Questions are no problem. Getting good answers can be difficult. And not everyone would consider my answers good. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest steve283 Posted November 22, 2011 Share Posted November 22, 2011 Good info,thx.wanted to keep the car as stock as possible.I know i can't use lexan for the windshield,but using the good glass as a template i should be able to cut and fit the side glass.This should be ok till i can track down the right glass.The brakes only worried me due to the weight of the car and the fact i would be driving mixed in with new fast stoppers... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rusty_OToole Posted November 22, 2011 Share Posted November 22, 2011 Right off the bat congratulations on your find! You should have lots of fun and nice drives with that car.Couple of tips, the wheel bolts on the left side of the car are left hand thread (turn backwards) and the electric system is 6 volt positive ground (opposite of today's cars). These 2 things have fouled up a lot of guys not familiar with the old cars!The brakes should be fine. Chrysler products had the best brakes in the industry. They may not look like much now but they were state of the art in 1954. Your car won't go that fast anyway. If the brakes are in good shape you will have no problem.Your car may have electric wipers, most Mopars had (they were the first cars to use them). If yours have vacuum wipers all is not lost. Lubricate the motor, it should be OK. If not, new or rebuilt motors are available. For rock steady performance up hills etc. you can add a vacuum tank (tin can with a one way valve) or even a special fuel pump with built in vacuum pump.Headlites should be OK, but 6 volt systems are more prone to corrosion and resistance than 12 volt. For the best headlites you will need to go over the wiring, clean connections, replace worn wires, and possibly add a relay. If you really want bright lights I believe they still make 6 volt quartz halogen lights which are very bright. But for the speeds you will be going, and the amount of night driving you will be doing the stock lights should be fine.Seat belts can be added. They were available as an accessory from the fifties until they became standard in the late sixties. If you can find an old set from the fifties they can be reused. Clean and polish the buckles and have new webbing straps sewn in. The strap material is available but it can be difficult to find an upholstery shop willing to sew them in solely because of the liability.If you go to add seat belts you will need to put reinforcing plates, about 6" across under the floor. This is to give the bolt a good place to hold on to. Also it is a good idea to reinforce the seat mountings in the same way because in a severe accident the seat can come loose.Look under your modern car when it is on a hoist and you will see how they reinforce the floor where the seat belts bolt on.On the glass question I can't help you. As you already know the side glass is flat glass and can be cut by any glass shop. This is not a problem. The windshield, well I have never had any luck with used windshields. Try the crack repair, what have you got to lose? It should be fine, but if the windshield breaks after you get it on the road you will have insurance to cover it. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
NTX5467 Posted November 23, 2011 Share Posted November 23, 2011 I concur on the brake issue. In the manner in which most of these cars are driven, even back then, fade was not a real issue. All it takes is one stop and those usually were pretty quick. GM brakes, back then, just didn't work when wet, but Chrysler products didn't have that issue nearly as bad as the GMs did. Still, the cautionary "ride the brake pedal after exiting high water, a little bit to get them more dried out" might be remembered.The main issue would be the quality of the linings currently available. Some stop better than some others in these older vehicles. You might check posts by "Old-Tank" in the BCA Forums for what he has found to work best in this area. The choices are less now than in the earlier times.Wipers? The "booster diaphram" fuel pump was the most popular thing back then, but using a vacuum reservoir in the system (which can be found in many Fords of the 1970s, shaped like a large juice can, used to help run the a/c system's vacuum diaphrams) might be an option. Some have recommended pouring some brake fluid into the vacuum chamber to liquify any existing grease in there and to soften the leather "paddle". Then be sure to completely lube the linkage with some modern grease. Seat Belts? Many sources for these basic lap belts ALSO with anchor kits from the same sources. The old "bulb in bulb" headlights were generally dim compared to what we're now used to. Upgrading to a later sealed beam 6V headlight might be a better idea. You might look around in the Sylvania website, in their automotive area, to see if they have any sealed beam 6V headlights available.In order to find several sources for the seat belts and such, you might get a copy of "Street Rodder" magazine. There are some things in there that you might be able to use or get without destroying the originality and character of the 1954 Plymouth, but also make it a better car to enjoy. Including under-floor power brake units with a dual master cylinder, for example. Getting some newer rubber bushings in the suspension system and a set of good heavy duty shocks would be a start.Those Plymouths were a favorite of the taxi cab companies back then. By that time, the Plymouth reputation of "rugged dependability" was well entrenched with fleet operators. Police forces used them too, although they weren't the fastest thing around (which usually were the larger "luxury brand" V-8s and Ford V-8s). Similar Dodges had their "baby" version of the Chrysler Hemi, but they had main bearing issues (smaller journals specific to the Dodge's size of Hemi).Keep us posted on your progress, please! PM me on this network if you have any questions.Enjoy!NTX5467 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest steve283 Posted November 25, 2011 Share Posted November 25, 2011 Up date:Car is under primer rust knocked off,Fuel stabilizer add,6volt battery maintaining charger added, removed more chrome to repair/polish.coolant drained and fresh antifreeze added,(no idea what previous owner used.)Next week will order the clips for the molding. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest 54Illinois Posted December 3, 2011 Share Posted December 3, 2011 I saw that ad a while back. I parted out a 54 Savoy. You in Ohio? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest steve283 Posted December 3, 2011 Share Posted December 3, 2011 yeh,out near cincinnati Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest 54Illinois Posted December 3, 2011 Share Posted December 3, 2011 PM me a list, maybe I can help you out. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ProSource Posted December 7, 2011 Share Posted December 7, 2011 I just happen to read this thread since I was posting about some 55-56 back windows we have here. We are a distributor of antique and classic glass for American and Foreign vehicles.. I think I may have some new original US made windshields reasonably priced. let me know model type. It gets tricky and perhaps someone here can chime in. We have OEM#1542919 (Glass Part#DW347) which fits the 54 Plymouth on the Club Coupe and Business Coupe. The 2 & 4 Dr Sedan uses the same windshield except it is slightly larger with a different type of gasket.Our family installed these when they were new. At one time we have had all here to compare and the difference is about a 1/4 inch in height and less than an inch in width. You may have to change over the gasket type. I happen to have 3 of the ones for the Coupe here so can do a deal. They are not perfect but in good overall shape. Thanks, Richard Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ProSource Posted December 11, 2011 Share Posted December 11, 2011 Just following on email sent in case you check in here.. plenty of windshields if you can use. We have some back windows I think new. Richard Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest steve283 Posted December 11, 2011 Share Posted December 11, 2011 thank you.i am checking into another from a four door,if i cant find one i may have to try the smaller one.thing is getting the gasket/seal the right size for the different size glass scares me being a novice and all.i probably wont need it till it warms up a whole lot more anyway.it was 17f here today.thank you again. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ProSource Posted December 18, 2011 Share Posted December 18, 2011 Just saw the post Steve.. Is ent you an email before reading.. also have back windows new for these cars! Thanks and good luck. Keep the cold out there. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest steve283 Posted January 7, 2012 Share Posted January 7, 2012 Just an update on car.I removed heater box,headlight rings,hood chrome and air cleaner and small parts to clean/repair/repaint this winter as I was going crazy not being able to work on it while it was cold(got to 60f two days in a row)...Setting up a corner in the basement to work on these parts.Using a marine bilge blower (a bit noisy but sparkless) and plywood made a small paint booth to shoot the smaller parts.booth is 4 foot deep by 8 foot wide by 8 foot tall so plenty of room for bumpers,chrome and could even paint fenders in it,air exchange is filtered through industrial filters for paint booths.cost to build was less than 200 dollars and I get to keep my sanity this winter.still a few parts i want to get off to fix up rest of the front chrome and pot metal and the rear tail light assembly's.wont turn cold again till end of week so I should be good. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest 54Illinois Posted January 7, 2012 Share Posted January 7, 2012 Sounds like you are making out okay. Keeping my eye out for a parts car for you! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest steve283 Posted January 7, 2012 Share Posted January 7, 2012 thank you very much,parts are rare here in this area. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest steve283 Posted January 11, 2012 Share Posted January 11, 2012 Rest of front removed,how ever 57 years of rusted bolts and fittings ended up having to cut some of the bolts off even after a bit of pb blaster.not a big deal as I plan to get new bolt and other fittings on the rebuild.I have no idea how you could do this on a 100 year old car,hats off to you guys. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest 54Illinois Posted February 19, 2012 Share Posted February 19, 2012 So how is the rebuild? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest steve283 Posted February 19, 2012 Share Posted February 19, 2012 Stalled for the winter for the most part.But all the smaller items,stainless,and engine parts are nearly done.Stainless was lightly sanded to remove scratches and using a polishing wheel went from coarse to fine on each part.(something to think about)when using a polishing wheel it seems they only last around 40hours of use and you should use one for each grade of polish,you can just clean the wheel but that causes less hours for the wheel life.i have gone through 4 wheels and still have a bit to go,but the stainless looked like brushed stainless and now is guessing about 95% reflective.not mirror finish,but shockingly better.i spend 3 days a week for around 4 hours working on the parts.(as time allows)...having fun,which is why i chose this hobby. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest RatDoc Posted March 31, 2012 Share Posted March 31, 2012 I have all of the trim for a 1954 savoy 4door available. I am deleting it on ours. I do need some parts, I am open to trades Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Truth80 Posted September 19, 2012 Share Posted September 19, 2012 Can anyone tell me how to figure out how to go to a lowprofile tire and larger wheel for the 54 plymouth Savoy? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Truth80 Posted October 2, 2012 Share Posted October 2, 2012 Thanks, I'm checking it out! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Truth80 Posted October 15, 2012 Share Posted October 15, 2012 Anyone know where I can get side window visors for 1954 Plymouth Savoy? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest century55 Posted November 9, 2012 Share Posted November 9, 2012 i just bought a 1951 Gran brook ,thought i got a good car until i started sanding it. like everyone else i had to do body work from bumper to bumper. now going to pull the motor and clean and paint it. thats whats taking up all my time now. so now on to your car. i would put your seat back all the way and with flash light in hand check all the wiring under your dash !!!!!!!! can't make this more important !!!!!!!!!!!!!!! i had to buy a hole harness front to back. really glad i did to. NO FIRERS on my mind now. lol. please look!! be safe. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Truth80 Posted November 9, 2012 Share Posted November 9, 2012 Yes, good idea! No fires wanted! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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