New newbie

[MD]

Hello all!  I am looking into the in's and out's of restoring or rodding.  I have a line on a '36 Plymouth rumble seat coupe (survivor car) in need of some TLC!!!  Any advice on where to start looking to see if this is feasible for me (threads or books?)  I am fairly handy with tools and fixed up a '78 Malibu coupe while in school.  I have a brother in-law that is a * good mechanic and am currently helping him with a '73 Cuda 340 resto (I guess you guys would consider a '73 a "late model")  Any advice would be great!

Thanks
Mike

[EMSjunkie]

Welcome Mike.

There are a whole bunch of very knowledgable folks here.
hang around, don't be afraid to ask questions.

good luck on your build.

Vance

[enjenjo]

Well, It all repends on what you plan to do with the car. If driving it locally is all you are after, then restoring it might be the way you want to go. But if you want to use it more than that, then hot rodding it may be for you.

I just did a 36 Plymouth 4 door, the same chassis. I used the stock front axle, installed disc brakes on it, and converted to a Unisteer rack and pinion. A 318 engine, and 727 trans fit without cutting anything. A 68 B body rear end bolts in on the stock springs. What he has now is a car that can be driven anywhere, repaired with easy to get parts, and will go and stop with modern traffic. And from the outside, it still looks original.

[MD]

Thanks a-lot for the input.  enjenjo its good to hear from sombody that has build the same car I was wondering what to do abouts brakes and rear end and steering.  Is the 318 powerful enough to move such a heavy car respectably?  I will definitely be around here with a-lot of questions but I probably wont be starting this project for a couple of years.  I'm hoping to know how to go about the build by the time I get the car.

[GPster]

Is the 318 powerful enough to move such a heavy car respectably?

I think the 318 would be a fine motor for a car you intend to drive. The 340s and 360s have their place but I think that place is kind of narrow and extreme. Years ago Hot Rod did a budget build on a 318 and were explaining how they were a near square bore/stroke motor and there were a lot of plus points for that. I have a friend that owns a junkyard and years ago he would try to get as many "Cop" cars as he could because those engines had a forged crank and were nearly indistructable even at their mileage. I had a "driven daily" model "A" coupe for 5 years that I built with one in it. I had no complaints and the next two people that owned it didn't complain either. I meant to welcome you the other day and tell you that we aren't so car year conscious. Most of us remember when '73s were new cars. Some of us remember when '63s were new cars. It might be helpful to know where you're from. Most of us won't show up un-announced. GPster

[40]

Welcome to the RRT.....Better late than never,I guess