Re: 1946 chrysler royal 4 dr chassis on 2003 ram 1500
[Re: Tommeade]
#2408090
11/24/17 12:39 AM
11/24/17 12:39 AM
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Joined: Jan 2003
Posts: 10,538 Freeport IL USA
poorboy
I Live Here
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I Live Here
Joined: Jan 2003
Posts: 10,538
Freeport IL USA
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I put a 48 Plymouth business coupe on a 1st gen Dakota chassis.
I suggest you begin by parking to two side by side, then remove the sheet metal from the 1500 chassis and do some measurements. I suspect the 03 1500 is too wide, and has too long of a wheel base. The wheel base is usually pretty easily corrected, but if its too wide, that could be a problem. The location of the motor in relationship to the front suspension center line is another area that would be of concern, moving the motor/trans backward is generally pretty easy, moving the motor forward or the front suspension center line backwards is an entirely different matter. The relationship between the front suspension and the motor will likely need to be within a few inches of each other between the 46 Chrysler and the 03 1500. With the sheet metal gone from the Ram Chassis, with the two parked side by side you can move the chassis forward or backward to see how things are going to match up. You will know pretty quickly how big the project will be.
Also, a 1500 chassis sits pretty high off the ground, most street rods don't look so good sitting very high. While the sheet metal is off the chassis, you might want to see what will be involved with lowering the chassis.
If the measurements bear out, I wouldn't get rid of the cab or box just yet, you may be able to reuse the cab firewall and floor pan, and the box floor in the Chrysler with some modifications. The more stuff you can use from the donor truck on the Chrysler, the less money you will have tied up in the project. Even if you can reuse most of the stuff from the Ram, expect to dump at least $3,000-$4,000 or more in the Chrysler project.
When you get that sheet metal off the frame, post up a few pictures. Gene
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Re: 1946 chrysler royal 4 dr chassis on 2003 ram 1500
[Re: poorboy]
#2408273
11/24/17 03:20 PM
11/24/17 03:20 PM
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Joined: Sep 2016
Posts: 237 British Columbia, Canada
Old Ray
enthusiast
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enthusiast
Joined: Sep 2016
Posts: 237
British Columbia, Canada
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Gene has given you wise advice and wisdom. Heed it. Many projects have been started and then abandoned when they become overwhelming. I think that the full sized truck frame will be too long and too wide, a tape measure is going to be your best friend (even if you don't like the results). Unfortunately there is very few quick or easy frame replacements, It has been said that the best frame (modified) for a project is the original one. I believe that to be true.
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Re: 1946 chrysler royal 4 dr chassis on 2003 ram 1500
[Re: Tommeade]
#2408469
11/25/17 12:15 AM
11/25/17 12:15 AM
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Joined: Jan 2003
Posts: 10,538 Freeport IL USA
poorboy
I Live Here
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I Live Here
Joined: Jan 2003
Posts: 10,538
Freeport IL USA
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Just to give you a picture of what you may be up against, my current project is putting 39 (through 47) Dodge pickup sheet metal on a 91 Dakota standard cab, long box, 2 wd chassis. Please understand, this is not my first go around, I've built 4 old body projects on modern frames. I am a welder by trade, and I've run dirt track race cars in my past. I have the equipment, the experience, and the space to do this stuff.
I'm using the 39-47 cab, hood & grill, and the pickup box sides. I'm not intending on using fenders, though I'm building the truck with the possibility of adding the fenders later. This is about as easy of a project like this you can get.
I had to shorten the Dakota long box frame 10", which requires all new cab, radiator support, & box mounts. The Dakota frame is too long behind the rear axle, I ended up cutting the rear frame rails off just behind the rear spring shackles (about 10" or so). I also had to cut the front frame horns off the Dakota frame right in front of the front crossmember and fabricate new frame horns. The front of the Dakota frame is a pretty large square shape and it kicks out and up ahead of the crossmember, The new horns are decreasing in size from 2" x 4" rectangle down to 1 1/2" x 2 1/2" rectangle, and they point slightly downward and inward. I made them about 20" long and will trim the length when I'm done with the front sheet metal and am ready to build the new front bumper.
I had to move the motor/trans back on the frame 8", which requires new motor mounts, this Dakota was a V6 model, but once you need to move the mounts, that pretty much becomes irrelevant. I also had to move the trans crossmember back on the frame the same distance I moved the motor mounts back, which requires making new brackets to support the crossmember.
I'm installing a 5.9 Magnum, the 39 truck had a flathead 6. The 39 firewall has a vertical 3" deep recess to accommodate the flathead 6 I had to cut the area not recessed in the firewall out wide enough for the V8 motor to set back in that 3" recess. That required making new sections for firewall.I opted to make it one section rather then try to expand the recess. I will also need to move the radiator 2" forward into the grill shell to clear the Magnum water pump & fan. I will have to build a radiator support and crossmember. This will also require buying a street rod radiator that is tall and less then 19" wide. All of this was so I could use the original 39 hood and grill and maintain their original shape, length, and location on the cab. The 39 headlights mounted in the fenders, since I'm not intending on using the fenders, I will have to come up with a way to mount the headlights on the frame.
Since I cut the firewall, and had to make new cab mounts, and have to widen the trans tunnel to clear the Magnum's auto trans, I ended up cutting most of the original floor out of the 39 cab. As a side note, now that I'm trying to mount a set of bucket seats, I wish I would have built an entire new floor pan.
I have the entire wiring harness from the running, driving, Dakota. The harness is too wide to fit inside the cab, and its too long to the end of the frame. I know for sure the wiring across the front of the truck will be too long, and much too wide. I'm likely going to have to buy or build a wiring harness.
The 39 had a really cool looking dash and gauges, but I can't use them! The temp gauge, though a complete mechanical unit, only goes up to 212 degrees (systems then were not pressurized). I doubt it would fair well with a 195 thermostat. The fuel gauge doesn't match up with the Dakota sending unit, so it is useless. The amp gauge reads a max of + or - 30 amps, doubt that would fair well with a 120 amp charging system. The mechanical oil pressure gauge has a max reading of 40 psi, hopefully the Magnum oil pressure is above that when cold. That leaves the speedo. Its a mechanical unit that would require some repair, but the trans speedo output is electrical, so I won't be using it either. The Dakota gauges are ugly, and won't fit or look right in the dash of this truck. Another expense.
The 39 had a really cool looking heater, but since I had to cut the firewall and modify it, the original heater doesn't fit anymore. The Dakota unit is too wide. Don't care so much about the heat, but the defroster is a must. I'm going to quit now.
I'm about 6 months into this project, and there is likely 6 more months to go before it will be road worthy (not pretty, just drive able.) If I were to add up what I've spent, I'm probably well past $2,000, the Dakota cost $150, and the 39 cost $1,000, the little stuff adds up fast. I will still have to buy the extra stuff I'm going to need, and I will rebuild the Dakota brakes (convert to 5 bolt wheels) and might possible need some suspension parts. These are major projects, despite how simple they sound. You need to understand what your diving into. If you are aware and up to the task, do some measuring and go for it. The only way to learn is to jump right in. We will be here to offer words of wisdom, or educated guesses, as the case may be. Gene
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Re: 1946 chrysler royal 4 dr chassis on 2003 ram 1500
[Re: Tommeade]
#2408534
11/25/17 02:53 AM
11/25/17 02:53 AM
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Joined: May 2003
Posts: 6,560 Downtown Roebuck Ont
Twostick
Still wishing...
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Still wishing...
Joined: May 2003
Posts: 6,560
Downtown Roebuck Ont
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The 39 had a really cool looking dash and gauges, but I can't use them! Not completely accurate. There are a few companies out there that specialize in taking a vintage cluster, installing modern stepper motor movements in it and restoring the gauge faces with modern scales in the original colors and fonts ie your 212 deg temp gauge would come back looking identical except it would max out at say 230 degrees. Same with the speedo, 120 MPH instead of the 80 or 100 it is now. Not cheap but another plus is that the Magnum ECM could likely drive them too. https://www.bobsspeedometer.com/1/120/custom_work.asphttp://shop.classicinstruments.com/retrofitsThere's another one I can't remember that always had full page ads in some of the hot rod/street rod type magazines. They were in California. Kevin
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Re: 1946 chrysler royal 4 dr chassis on 2003 ram 1500
[Re: Old Ray]
#2408859
11/25/17 10:58 PM
11/25/17 10:58 PM
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Joined: Sep 2007
Posts: 14,889 up yours
Supercuda
About to go away
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About to go away
Joined: Sep 2007
Posts: 14,889
up yours
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That'd be a lot more useful if it wasn't being blocked by photobucket
They say there are no such thing as a stupid question. They say there is always the exception that proves the rule. Don't be the exception.
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Re: 1946 chrysler royal 4 dr chassis on 2003 ram 1500
[Re: Supercuda]
#2408898
11/25/17 11:43 PM
11/25/17 11:43 PM
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Joined: Sep 2016
Posts: 237 British Columbia, Canada
Old Ray
enthusiast
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enthusiast
Joined: Sep 2016
Posts: 237
British Columbia, Canada
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Here's a sketch overlay of the two frames. The Plymouth is in blue and the Dakota in black. That'd be a lot more useful if it wasn't being blocked by photobucket Works here, must be the air quality there ? From Ingur.
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Re: 1946 chrysler royal 4 dr chassis on 2003 ram 1500
[Re: Tommeade]
#2410187
11/28/17 04:50 PM
11/28/17 04:50 PM
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Joined: Aug 2004
Posts: 425 Eastern Ontario
shaker340
mopar
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mopar
Joined: Aug 2004
Posts: 425
Eastern Ontario
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The 1500 truck frame and suspension will be too high and too wide for your 46 Chrysler. Best to find a Dakota frame, we used a front clip from a 1996 Dakota and welded it to the 1940 Frame at the firewall. It works perfectly, we did have to move the engine back 8 inches relative the the front wheels in order to fit between the firewall and radiator on the 1940 Chrysler. Keeping the 1940 frame from firewall back meant we could use all the body mounts....and there are lots of them!!
Mike
2008 Challenger SRT8 1940 Chrysler Royal coupe
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Re: 1946 chrysler royal 4 dr chassis on 2003 ram 1500
[Re: moparx]
#2435843
01/16/18 07:08 PM
01/16/18 07:08 PM
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Joined: Dec 2005
Posts: 2,886 Bowling Green KY / Nashville, ...
300by500
master
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master
Joined: Dec 2005
Posts: 2,886
Bowling Green KY / Nashville, ...
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Dakota chassis is the only way to go, a full size truck chassis would be much too wide. WAY easier to shorten a long frame than to narrow one that is too wide! A friend of mine put this '52 Intertrashional on a shortened extended cab Dakota frame. He kept the Dakota cab floor, firewall and dash intact, and pretty much just sat the IH where he wanted it and welded it all up. The suspension was left bone stock. Even though the dash needed some trimming on the ends, he retained the cruise control, gauges, electronics, heat and air, pretty much eveything. When he was done it was just like driving a Dakota!
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