Will it run? Locked up engine. 1955 Plymouth Plaza 2 door Station wagon Parked 42 years. Mopar
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- เผยแพร่เมื่อ 3 ส.ค. 2022
- Contact me nickmopar71@yahoo.com
I picked up a 1955 Plymouth Plaza 2 door station wagon. It has been parked since 1980. This is a really cool old Mopar family wagon i am open to suggestions for part 2! Resurrection
Link to boroscope used in video
amzn.to/3bSjCFt - ยานยนต์และพาหนะ
Familiar sound! Love it! And I know every cubic inch, nut and bolt in those old Chryco flatheads. Great motors. For 3 decades I had a '53 Dodge B-4-B series truck. Long bed too. Bought it dead, and flatbedded it home. Got it so it would run. I hauled home hay, feed and bedding sawdust for the barn, as well as bring home firewood--about 16 cord a year--in that old thing. Ran for about 4 years like that, and had a wrist pin knock. When a couple valve springs broke I decided to have the engine rebuilt. A mechanic friend of mine with grey enough hair to know the motor started tearing it down. I saw the pistons when they came out. They were badly burnt, and the compression rings were in their burned out too wide lands in multiple pieces on most of the slugs. How that engine ran at all is a wonder. He sent the block out to be hot-tanked. Then one evening while he was home watching TV his eyes rolled back in his head, and he went down, and never woke up again. Dead at age 44. I got the engine back, and finished the job. He had cut the head and block flat already, and had fitted valves and reinstalled the cam. I ordered sprocket and chain assembly, new pistons, new pin bushings, new rod and main bearings, etc. I put that engine back together in a semi-open carriage shed from December through till end of March. No heat out there, and a lot of details I did on the kitchen table. Spent evenings on it after my regular work, if I wasn't too whipped. Got the engine back in the truck on the first of April. Had it running the next day. New clutch, and refit the tranny, and I was driving it by the 10th. Ran and drove like a dream. You can see it run here on TH-cam. Truck gave me many years more service after that. Sold it off a few years ago. Got more than I paid for it.
Those 53 dodge B4Bs are wicked cool. Im starting to like how tough these flat head are. Thank for the story.
wow very rare Plymouth Plaza wagon :o
Thanks danny, im greatful to have the opportunity to own it.
My dad's first car was a 1955 Plymouth Belvedere two-door sedan he bought new. It had a flathead six and three on the tree. He traded it for a '61 Chevy in '62 when I was two-year's old. I have a couple of memories of that old Plymouth. I wish I had that car now. In 1968 my dad had enough of the Chevy and traded it for a new '68 Plymouth Fury ll. I learned to drive in that car. Mopar is in my blood. Love vintage Plymouth's.
Fix that Plymouth up. Not many '55's left!
I agree, maybe we will do some cool stuff to the old mopar wagon. Stsy tuned.
My dad had a 55 plymouth belvedere 2 dr (coach) what we called them back then , a v8 with overdrive. I later bought a 55 Dodge mayfair v-8 stick, the equivalent to his as one of my first cars.
Take this from an old mechanic get some kroil it's the best for stuck engines I've had old tractors they had wore flat spots on the back tires and you put kroil in it and comeback and turn it with the crank . It's the best.
Thanks J.W. Groves i might try that with the next locked up motor if i can find some.
For those not aware. They were named "station wagons"for a specific reason.
Pre the delivery services like UPS, etc for larger items. you usually had to ship things by "Railway Express". Things were shipped by rail to your local RR station's freight building.. You then had to pick it up. So the station Wagon was invented to act as sort of a light truck with their rear seats down to pick things up from the station. It rides smoothly like a car though.
Thats awesome i had no clue. Makes sense though.
that is sweet 2dr wagon and well worth fixing up.very hard car to find nowdays
Thanks Richard
Love the 55 Plymouth Wagon .
They are beautiful and underated. Thanks bobby
Glad to see young guys like yourself wrenchin on old cars like us old dudes have been for years, you just picked up a new subscriber….👍🏻
Thanks jim, got a 1974 super beetle next.
@@somewhatfast ain’t into them doodle bugs but in this day an age you can’t find cars cheap to work on much anymore so get what you can find. I’m sure it’ll be a good video for content, an I sure will be watchin…..
Sweet wagon the 50s wagons where great lookin cars and there aint too many of em left now nice save mate 👍
Thank you Robert!
Good job and effort.thanks
Thanks Ema AL!
Good luck with your ride I love mine
Thanks anthony new video coming soon where i get it driving and ride it around for the first time in 40 years.
Nice job running nice
Thank you sulistiman!
The half ass body repair job was because in the 70s - 80s when the car was parked it was a $100 car. Not worth the effort or time to repair properly. I saw a lot of that. Also, it's hard to believe that a car that was in California for any length of time would have a rotted-out body. I'm from Arizona and haven't seen ANY rust since I left Chicago 37 years ago. The car is worth saving. Rot is not difficult to repair properly just time and patience. I repaired a lot of rotted panels being from Chicago.
Title was signed over in the 1960s in california. From a family member tbat was also from california. It spent at least 20 years sitting in a field in texas.
Nice Job 👍
Thanks Ken
Wow cool old wagon, would like to see it road worthy. A new life.
Thanks clyde, Its definitely going back on the road tune in for the next video. Currently uploading.
Would love to see more about this car on more videos. Nice job 👍
Just did a bunch more work to it. Coming out with another video soon going to see if the transmission will shift through all the gears.
That's still something your always going on to remembering your grandpa as a young boy.. Those are always some of the best memories that will stick around with you until you see him again in a few years when you're time is up also.. In the meantime, try making making some memories with your gran kids.. By the way if I forgot to mention..??.. I enjoyed your story telling memory..
great job mate
Thanks Brett
Very cool, great vid!! 👍👍
Thanks throttle power!
@@somewhatfast 👍
Oh. I remember those shifters. On the later Plymouths, Chrysler moved it from on top - like yours - to below the steering column.
She's gonna ride again! Love it! Great Vid Thanks! SUBBED!
Thank you Timothy!
I have worked on the same engine in late 40s cars. The sound you were hearing sound to me exactly like something I had, the starter bendex stuck, you probably popped it loose going back and forth.
Nice ,I like it .
Its a pretty cool car, thanks
If you need some inspiration to keep on with this cool old Plymouth check out Dylan McCool and Cold War Motors on here, Dylan is working on a '58 Plymouth that was originally a flathead six but it was shot he is in the process of putting a 318 in it, also he has updated it to front spindles and disc brakes from a Chrysler Fifth Avenue, Scott at Cold War Motors is a great body and fabrication guy he has been fixing a 1960 Plymouth Fury and has been doing a lot of metal work on it,both channels are well worth checking out
Ill check out that 58 plymouth for sure. Thanks roger
I was ,looking at pulling the trigger on a 54 Poncho Starchief 2 door longroof, your video may have strengthened my resolve!
Dont think, just buy it!
This is the first video from you that I've watched.........really good stuff. I like your delivery and explanation process, not too overly detailed and complicated, makes things easier to understand for a hacker like me. Nice laid back style and good information. Subscribed and looking forward to more videos. Enjoyed this.
Thank you for the support gregory.
Nice got it running. Ready for a cross country road trip
Not a bad idea, basically just needs a radio.
@@somewhatfast absolutely. Some Van Halen & Ozzy Osborn
@@ccg1171 I like your taste in music my friend!
@@somewhatfast thanks brother. Greetings from Fall River Massachusetts.
Maybe a family trip to Wallyworld.
When I bought my 51 Plymouth business coupe when we got it started smoke like cropduster delivering down the road Nice station wagon
Thanks John, i love the 51s
Hey! I'm New here and watching NOW. Very cool!
Thank you indiana chris!
@@somewhatfast You're welcome. I'll be checking out more later on!
@@somewhatfast I see a lot of what I call Keyboard mechanics commenting. So, yeah there's a thing called fitting them brake shoes and all, but you're doing it right. Hey, I'm 61 years old. I'll be along for the ride. Peace!
Buy this brings me back some memories . The bendix letting loss and spinning . RRRRRRRer
Thanks jeff!
Nice!!!
Thanks WIL E NELSON!
My dad had this exact same Plymouth Plaza wagon. He bought it for $250.00 in, I believe 1962 or 63. It was brown & what was a white roof. I remember going to pick up grandma one Saturday. When she stepped on the R/R back floor, her foot went through the floorboard. He just put a piece of 3/4" plywood over the hole.
He was a ceramic tile contractor & bought the Plymouth for work. I remember him shoveling sand into the cargo compartment & laying 2 94 lb bags of portland cement on top so he could make screed (very dry sidewalk mix). On top of the cement bags he put 2 or 3 sheets of wire lath & a roll of tar paper so he could install someone's new bathroom floor. Tile & tools were put on the back floor or seat. With tires bulging & the rear bumper almost on the ground, we drove off to the job. Yes, I saw him struggle getting stuff out of that 2-door wagon.
I remember going on a few jobs with him (I was 5 at the time). He left the rear hatch up along with all the windows open in summer. Of course, we choked on fumes because the tailpipe exited out the rear instead of behind one of the rear wheels. Ended up closing the hatch & sweating!
Then the radiator leaked again. When dad was told that it could no longer be repaired & a new 1 was $40.00. Also, he said something about the clutch slipping.
Dad decided that the old Plymouth had had enough. He ended up driving it to United Scrap in Paterson, NJ in 1965 where he got $35.00 for it. As we let in mom's car, I remember watching this huge forklift spear the car through the side windows & lift it by the roof. 😞
Wow!
Most of these cars didn't last any longer than your father's. They were prone to rusting out at the rockers and above the headlights. They were mechanically very simple especially if you had the flathead 6 and three on the tree like this one.
@@1575murray Yes, it was a 3 on the tree. I don't remember much about the engine compartment. It probably was the cast iron flathead
awesome
Thank you dnostro210!
My brother had one just like that in high school. He made a lot of money pulling people out of ditches! Lots of low end grunt!
These flat sixes are as tough as nails. Thanks for the story Jim.
niiice!
What a jewel
Old flatheads never die, they are just waiting for someone to revive them.
Thanks xombi!
Todd from Breaking Bad has my new favorite car channel
Never heard that one, i usually get Charlie Hunnam from sons of anarchy. Lol thanks for watching.
If anyone is looking for something they think isn't perfect and they get under the gas tank to find something, they deserve to see something. If they don't like it, tell them they should have been there to help to it to their standards. Nice old car and will be great when finished.
Thanks daniel
Check out the article autoevolution wrote on this car being revived. Im honored, and thank you to all who have subscribed. 800 subs! Wow
www.autoevolution.com/news/1955-plymouth-plaza-suburban-was-left-to-rot-for-42-years-still-runs-and-drives-196436.html
Yeah that's pretty cool man I think I'm going to like your videos that was funny when you were checking the fuel line you turned on the key and ran out front ran back that was a good one it was overflowing that's actually a nice old car it could be done up right of course I'd want to put a 426 hemi in it then it would be done up right but what the hey it's good.
Thanks for the support david.
That is so nice, please don't butcher it. I have a plaza and a Fury. Totally excellent cars.
Thank you!
Wow! A 55 2 door Plymouth wagon! That thing is screaming hot rod!! Great find!
Thanks Roy! What should i do to it? I have some plans in mind suggestions are welcome.
Wow great job you have worked your ass off and got it running ! May I make a suggestion ? The next time you get a fuel tank that is full of gunk like that instead of cutting it open and spending hours upon hours cleaning and welding it and putting on JB well take it to a machine shop or radiator shop and have them boil it in the hot tank . A hot tank remove all the junk and they flush it out and you have a nice clean as a whistle tank, Radiator shops can not only boil it but can pressure test it and look for pin holes and repair them for you for a reasonable cost. Would save you a lot of time and grief of cutting and cleaning
Thanks for the suggestion, but It had to come open. The pickup tube had holes in it and the pickup was rotted out. I had to install a rubber pickup and a new screen i took off a 2006 ram 1500. Everytime ive ever taken one to my local radiator gas tank shop that has a fixed pickup they always kick it back to me.
@@somewhatfast Interesting, I guess it depends if it just has old gas and varnish or severe rust and crap in the tank as yours did
the piece in the coil is for eliminating radio static from the engine.
Didn't know that, thanks gary
I don't think you will be ruined by this car. I have no idea what you paid for it, but your labor is free. That motor may be pretty tired, but not the end of the world. I would be looking for a similar car cheap for a parts car.
Thanks tom
I have a 1955 Plaza and it a runner
Chrysler products of that age rusted bad when they were new. Fords too in floors and rocker panels. You will find not only are the floors bad but the body mount supports too. But if you can fab it yourself and weld it's not too bad a job. GM's did rust but it took a little longer. Any old station wagon is cool. Flatheads are known for stuck valves. I would have started by taking head off.
Thanks Gary
Atf works great for getting engines unstuck. Also of the cylinders are rusty letting em soak in vinegar will eat through the rust
Thanks craig
I used either vinegar ,diesil ,or pepsi cola to unsieze old motor cycle engines but i had to soak it for a few days sometimes .
I kind of liked the styling of these although I never owned one. A 313 poly V8 would make it a nice cruiser too. It must have had a good owner in the past,judging by the Franz toilet roll oil filter and the detailed log book. The idea of the two batteries hooked up in parallel is to provide 6 volts but with extra cells for reliability.
I didnt know that, i thought the franz
Fiter was factory
You take that to the car shows and park it beside the 5537 Chevy Nomad
That is very close to my wagon color and interior. I see in the registration the VIN has no letters in it. That VIN should be on the driver door pillar. Everyone says that the VIN should start with a P for Plymouth or a D for Dodge, but not so on these wagons. You have a few options extra knobs etc. I think it is a Plaza also. Glad you are saving that car!
Yeah its a plaza i think its almost the same car as yours came with a.m radio and manual choke im not sure if someone put an overdrive in it but it jas an overdrive trans but i need to install a cable for it.
@@somewhatfast that would be the extra knobs I see, choke and overdrive.
@@orvillespooner1 There isnt an overdrive knob.
@@somewhatfast ok gotcha....thought I saw something on steering column
@@somewhatfast ok gotcha....thought I saw something on steering column
👍💪
Gets some sheet metal and fixer up
Seeing the FRANTZ external oil filter brought back memories. They used toilet paper as filter cartridges.
Is that real? Like actual real toilet paper?!
@@somewhatfast Yes I used double ply paper in the ones I had in the 70s. I used them in VWs because it added a quart of oil and the VWs only had a screen for filtration.
@@ronaldcooper7609 WOW, that is amazing.
Rare wagon, it will make for a nice grocery getter or get whatever.
I started doing some digging on it and found major rust and alot more body filler. This one is going to be a rat rod weekend driver. Its really either that or frame off restoration.
The major reason the floors rust is because of the rubber floor mats that the cheaper model cars had. Usually the rubber seals on the doors weren't that good so when the car was washed or in the rain the water would get under the mat and didn't evaporate like with carpet. So the floors just rusted out
What about the rockers? They are completely gone even back to the quarter panel.
If they were loaded with dirt that would hold moisture and cause rockers tto rust out
looks like it was the guys hunting rig he would go out to Utah and get him some big bucks
'Anal - gesic'!! I laughed so hard 'cause of the way he pronounced that word! 🤣
Cheers from Argentina!
Lmao Thank you for watching lucas!
Hantavirus
Im immune to it
I have one suggestion . Please get a tripod for your camera . Hard to watch with the camera swaying all the time . Keep the good work
Will do
Im progressively getting better. Watch the newest video on this car. Its alot less shaky.
just get ready to watch the next one
Drop in on Modern Hemi
I think I'm going to do i mild 318 magnum, alot cheaper. I can always swap a hemi in later when I blow up the 318.
Good job! It’s funny how the temp and oil pressure gauges are all the way over on the passenger side. What could go wrong? 😊
I was thinking the same thing!
I see you have the Franz toilet paper oil filter. It uses 2 ply 500 count rolls.
Where do i find a filter? Just did an oil change and i left filter out.
Cool car. Could you provide a link for the bore scope you use? Thanks
amzn.to/3bSjCFt
Thanks wally. App i used for it is free and is called usb endoscope.
@@somewhatfast
Thanks, much appreciated
@@somewhatfast
I just looked at mine and it's the exact same one with the same app. I have a lot of problems with mine. Sometimes it works and sometimes it don't. My Android phone is version 11 so it should be compatible.
@@WallysPlace66 Hm thats the first time i used it. I have a samsug galaxy s9 plus i only buy refurb phones. I dont believe in the $1000 new phones, its a scam. Ill let you know if i have problems with the app.
That noise is the water pump rust away .
It was the starter bendix stuck engaged. Thanks for watching Jeff.
Fix it, it'll run
Watch the new videos, maybe it does.
Either someone in the past swapped the carburetor and installed a pre-1954 Carter BB, or the engine itself is a pre-1954 swap-in.
An original 1955 flathead would have a Carter _BBS_ and be a 230 cu .in. engine...If the carb is a clue, the engine could be a pre-Feburary 1954 217 cu. in....The engine code/ serial on the upper-left-front of the block could be a clue. I guess it's not that important.- Just sayin'.
Wow i didnt know that, ill check tomorrow. I know someone installed an overdrive trans on it.
20:13 that thing is wierd, but uhh, top tip: It's almost never the coil. 99.99999999% of the time it's the points being filthy. 'Bout the only way to kill a coil is leave it energized without the engine running for a long time and overheat it.
I didnt have the proper plug wire. I had to swap it.
@@somewhatfast Mm, fair enough. Good coil in the stash then most likely.
@@TestECull Yes i converted the car to 12 volts
@@somewhatfast The replacement coil internally ballasted or did you have to put one on the firewall external?
@@TestECull watch second video
run some barryman through the carb at rpm {low}
Thanks richard, I did that if you watch till the end.
I now know........ its common practice......for videos to contain a Question in the title .......... Its away of saying.....Plz watch it & comment. Most these bigger channels arent gonnan come back & read the comments, its just numbers to them. make the video, post it & forget it till the next one. Will it run? lol ofcoarse it will , not gonna make a video about a car that Wont run.
Ive seen some videos where they didnt run, thanks for watching.
Salut my friend super car super video subscribe subscribe ...
Thank you ungur dani!
What is next?
Ive posted 2 more videos since this one. Thanks for watching ted.
@@somewhatfast Are you going to paint the wagon?
@@tedmanders470 The answer to your question may be in one of the next videos.
ANICIN WAS THE 💩!!! It has caffeine in it lol 😆
Do they still make it?
@@somewhatfast ask Walter White 😆
Any one need a parts engine. I have 3 of these flat heads for sale..... Located in Pgh. PA
I will keep you in mind. I love messing with these old flat heads.
Yo Paine in ass lucky the car in one peace kw wva
Work on the editing cause you cut out half of what ur saying.. otherwise good video.
Will do, thanks for the input.
Why pb in the rad?
Thats a good question pb blaster disolves corrosion. The cooling system will need to be flushed this will help before the final flush.
@@somewhatfast Who taught you that trick? I figured being diluted with water the PB would be so watered down pun intended it would not be effective ? Not being a know it all just a question. Have you actually seen this work with all the hot water inside the block and cooling passages ?
@@madmanmechanic8847 I cant remember who told me. Some old timer for sure.
@@somewhatfast Ok next question does it work ? Have you flushed a bunch of rust out from this process versus just plane water ?
@@madmanmechanic8847 Yes, you will see on next video.
There ain't much diff between an old car and ex wife they is both gonna cost serious money for alotta years...
California government wept at 18:25 😁
My hand slipped
But im in texas lol
You got a new subscriber!
@@moedog07 Thanks moedog, next video is about to drop. Today and i just picked up a 1974 super beetle and a 45 ford. Stay tuned
Sadly soon all combustion cars and trucks including classics will be banned from public streets in entire EU and Scandinavia :-(
In Germany the Green Peoples Party gave order to shorten fuel supply from 2025
on by reducing all conventional fuel stations to only one state operated central gas station per city or county. Car washs will be forbidden too because they are climate killers, now they want to slow down all the gas station pumps from 20 litre per minute to 2 litre per minute...From 2027 on in the EU certain car spare parts will be banned too....as exhaust systems, turbo chargers and even some engine and gearbox oils...California and New York will do the same from 2027 on.... So no investments should be done in oil burning cars any longer....They even created a new kind of crime here, called emissions and smoke crime.
Thats just no right, sad to hear
That realy sadens me 🙁
Apparently hard for you to understand but those 1950s engineers knew exactly how to design that engine and six volts worked just fine. Your conversion is wasting time and not achieving anything. You file the points instead of replacing them and then turn around and spend money on a useless alternator conversion. Just put things back to what they were and the car will run fine!
Thanks for the input nick. 12 volt systems makes these cars start up way faster. Plus if i decide to drive it to a car show and the generator craps out, or battery i can just go to any big box parts store and grab parts.
Why the hell would you sift through all that crap without gloves and a mask? Do you like diseases?
Yes i do
@@somewhatfast well ok then