'49 Dodge "Corvette"

broncr

broncr

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Yup, it's finally mine/ours!

The old bomber, that my siblings & I learned how to drive in - Mom finally gave it to me yesterday. The occaision? HER 79th birthday! "Corvette" - ? No, that's just what SOB II thought/hoped it was. :LOL: .

It's a Dodge CORONETTE, 3 on the tree - "Fliud Drive" - (torque converter in front of the clutch - to eliminate "greenhorns" from killing the engine when starting out).

It's been "parked" in her back yard, since "we" semi-retired it ( still running) in '79. I forgot to check the odometer, but I'm pretty sure it's ~80-ish (~80K).

I guess I should mention - it's an I-6! :LOL: Flathead, of course! I went through the garage (& trunk) & found ALL of the chrome trim goodies, that were removed to start a resto - in the early 80's. Even some spare stuff I pulled off a "derelict" that we found in a creek bottom in the 70's. Spare gauges, door handles, chrome trim, extra generators, etc.. The original hubcaps - all of it!

Boys ( SOB & SOB II), have I got a project for YOU! So many projects - so few YEARS...

Oh - and the original factory AC for my '64 Camino - to boot ( removed, to make it "go faster" :roll: ) THAT was in the trunk two. (It's big enough to fit at least 5 teenagers - I KNOW that, from personal experience!)

Some paint & upholstery, and she's "almost new". Then I gotta find that thread on turbocharging a flathead!

Now, if I can just find a car hauler.... ;)
 
I don't have any pics (not sure I'd want it seen right now, anyway), but it looks more like an early 50's chevy. You know all bulbous & roundy. No sharp corners anywhere, big chrome grill. Kinda typical '49 stuff.

Edit: like this - http://groups.msn.com/1949DodgeClub/49d ... hotoID=407, (click "next" for a couple of others, including ragged cotton stuffing... :LOL: ). I've even got both chrome headlight rings (plus a spare) and the (horizontal)chrome fender trim.

Looks like I may have found a forum/source! ;)

It should be mechanically sound - it was the last time I drove around the back yard. But now the paint is 10% gone ( a little surface rust) and the upholstery is shot ( ragged cotton stuffing coming out all over).

I might be able to throw some new rubber on it, and oil in it & DRIVE it home (on an early Sunday morning, up the back roads).
 
VERY nice lines - and it is definetly something you don't see every day. It's funny, there were a lot of cars from 47-51 that have that nice, clean, "tough" look. Think the Mercs, Hudsons, Cads...

And if the engine is too far gone, how about a nice 4.0L Jeep? Talk about Dare to Be Different.
 
from what i understand, it's better to supercharge a flattie than to turbo it
something about the exhaust going through the block? :unsure:

have fun with it man
 
The guy in charge of engine development at saab in the 80´s said a flathead could be great for turbos, but the emissions kept them from doing anything with the idea...

I have NO idea :oops: :roll:
 
There's a guy in the area here who has one and it is seriously slammed. Nothing else but cool upholstry and like 2" off the ground. It is really bitchin' looking just lowered like that.
Congratulations.
 
The engine has maybe 20K, since the rebuild. I read in the Turbo section that flatties are a natural for turbo boost, but didn't pay much attention. Looks like I need to do some more searching.

This was a one owner car - when "we" got it - in the late 60's. I remember that it was a '49, with 49K miles on it. Luckily, my brother kind of adopted it, or I might have tried to stick a 350 in it :roll: .

I've heard (a long time ago) that the '49's also came with a (hemi-?) V-8. This thing is a serious SLUG, so it'll have to have boost, or a 300-6, or something... Otherwise, it'll probably be parade dressing.
 
the early Hemi engine came out in '51, first Hemi to be released was the Desoto Firedome I belive, tho it may have been a chrysler Firepower engine, ither 1 would have been 331 tho
 
matt1967":3v12t5gc said:
the early Hemi engine came out in '51, first Hemi to be released was the Desoto Firedome I belive, tho it may have been a chrysler Firepower engine, ither 1 would have been 331 tho
Click to expand...

For a table with more info on this, click HERE.

The company that runs the web site that includes that page sells all kinds of cool stuff for the 1950s vintage Hemis from Dodge, Desoto and Chrysler. According the the table I linked above, the first Hemis from that trio of motor divisions came from Chrysler and had 331 cubic inches of displacement.

Chrysler had Hemis in that era with displacements of 331, 354 and 392 cubic inches.

Dodge's Hemis displaced 241, 270, 315 and 325 cubic inches.

Desoto Hemis displaced 276, 291, 330, 341 and 345 cubic inches.

Oddly enough very few parts were interchangable between Hemis from different divisions.
 
Congrats on that, broncr ! "Life behind the split windshield...is great !"
 
Sheesh, I should check in more often :oops: .

It's looking like this project may finally be edging closer, maybe. Mom may finally be moving, soon, and that means.... yup, car hauler! (I might try starting it, but I'm guessing it would be a day or two to get her running ( & prolly more like a week or two to "road worthy"... :roll: )

I'm hoping to get the mule shed "open" this year. Right now, the garage door is still sheeted over, & blocked by the other ( other) big project - the '64 El Camino's part donor, a '65 Chevelle wagon. & the li'l mule still needs a real paint job...

I need a year or two of paid vacation :LOL:
 
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