BluezMax Posted March 5 Share Posted March 5 Hey there fellow antique car enthusiasts ! I have a bit of a special case here. I build and repair Art cars for events such as Burning Man, etc... and I've been asked to restore this "Bunny" art car which is based on a old Chrysler chassis. I know most of you classic car lovers will cringe at what has been done to this classic but don't shoot the messenger ! I didn't build the thing, I'm merely trying to get it running and driving decent. The engine and transmission have been swapped out for a Toyota motor and trans, the entire electrical system stripped and a new harness hand built, most of the body work has been modified and covered in white fur and many more mods done to it... One of my priorities is to install power steering on the car. It seems it has the original steering linkage, etc but the front hubs seem to have been swapped out for newer ones with disc brakes. I've been trying to find a steering rack that would work for the car but I'm not even sure what year and model it is. I did find a manufacturer plate inside the engine compartment (see attached picture) and from what I've been reading online it would be a 1948 Chrysler Town & Country convertible but I'm definitely not 100% sure about that.... I'm also trying to find a replacement wheel since one of the original wheels has been lost. It was replaced with a trailer wheel that actually fits and does the job but I need to get a wheel with the hubcap attachment system and the hole for the pin that lines up. I know this post is very different from most other on this forum but any help would be greatly appreciated. Max TORCHUT 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JACK M Posted March 5 Share Posted March 5 It does have that 46-48 Chrysler look to it. Is it a flat head 6? or an 8? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Gunsmoke Posted March 5 Share Posted March 5 Oh my, you are testing our tolerance! Based on door configuration, if a Chrysler, likely started life as a 4 door sedan like this one, with a full frame, chopping off the top was not a big deal. Pull off bowtie on front, that may expose grill and help with establishing year/model. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BluezMax Posted March 5 Author Share Posted March 5 I know.... some of you probably hate me right now for what's been done to that car but like I said, I didn't build it, I'm just trying to make it better.... After removing some of the fur they had stuck on the dashboard, I got part of my answer. Sitting right there on the dashboard was a nice chrome emblem that reads Chrysler at the top and Windsor on the bottom. Any help finding a rim and a suitable power steering rack and pinion assembly would be greatly appreciated ! Thanks, Max Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TerryB Posted March 5 Share Posted March 5 (edited) What size rim, 15” or 16”? Chrysler didn’t have factory power steering until the early 1950s, I think maybe 1953. Correction-1951. Edited March 5 by TerryB (see edit history) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BluezMax Posted March 5 Author Share Posted March 5 2 minutes ago, TerryB said: What size rim, 15” or 16”? Chrysler didn’t have factory power steering until the early 1950s, I think maybe 1953. Correction-1951. It has 15" rims on right now. I know they never came with power steering but just wondering if anybody here has done the conversion and if so, what was the easiest way to do it. Thanks, Max Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BluezMax Posted March 5 Author Share Posted March 5 2 hours ago, JACK M said: It does have that 46-48 Chrysler look to it. Is it a flat head 6? or an 8? Not sure.... It came to me with a Toyota V6 in it ! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TerryB Posted March 5 Share Posted March 5 Electric power steering conversion? Read about it but don’t know anyone who has installed it. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Grimy Posted March 5 Share Posted March 5 From the dis-/un-covered dash, I'll venture that the car is a 1946-48 (and first series 1949). Wheelbase will confirm--Windsor of those years has 121.5" wheelbase. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bryankazmer Posted March 5 Share Posted March 5 This may be a dumb question, but why bother with power steering? Just use the original manual steering. I don’t think this thing is going to be turning any hot laps. Or has it already been switched to Toyota steering ? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Oldtech Posted March 5 Share Posted March 5 I think you have 3 options. The aforementioned electric conversion whick I know nothing about, but which may be the best bet. Second. A rack and pinion setup. You would need one from a larger vehicle like maybe an Impala. Likely most inexpensive. Third. A power box to replace the original setup. This would take a bit of engineering too, and you would likely require a reverse rotation box - as in left input makes the pitman arm turn right. (Dodge 4x4 used them) I've converted a few older vehicles. It's never stratight forward. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
3macboys Posted March 6 Share Posted March 6 You might look into the I think about 98-06 Crown Vic set up. I can't remember the exact years, but I believe something changed in the last few years that doesn't work as well. In any event, it's a bolt in and drop out deal that if the width works might be the simplest option, suspension and all. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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