Re: 1957 Dodge "Penny" build thread

[rapidtransitrick]

it's come a long way. lifted the cab to put the motor in

[MoParJoel]

I have alot more build pics, this last one was about 5 years ago It has come along way since then I will put more up when i have time, the cab did not need to come off for the swap It was taken off to make way for the Big Window cab I put on to upgrade the truck to a "Custom Cab" from the "Standard cab" it originally came with.

[MoParJoel]

My wonderfull wife of 7 years posing with Penny after we got Her running

[57 Fargo]

I have alot more build pics, this last one was about 5 years ago It has come along way since then I will put more up when i have time, the cab did not need to come off for the swap It was taken off to make way for the Big Window cab I put on to upgrade the truck to a "Custom Cab" from the "Standard cab" it originally came with.

The big window makes such a difference, I was lucky mine came with it, I have found another 57, just need to find out who owns the land it's on.

[MoParJoel]

Pennys first Appearance at a car show at WatsonLake car show in Prescott Az in 2009 I believe...I couldn't find a big back window for a few years so I made one out of plexyglass from home depot It was a few bucks and kept cats and other animals out and the warmth inside the cab.

[MoParJoel]

Got new American racing torque thrust 2's Polished aluminum with 8 inch wide in the front and 12 in the back

[MoParJoel]

Even with the new 360 in there with the Factory 8-3/4 rear end(First year) in the 57 with its weak tapered bearings and super low gears (to compensate for the mere 95HP in the 230) the truck still topped out at 45MPH so It was kind of dangerous to take out in PHX and the highway was a BIG NO NO. so I did some work on my buddys 69 roadrunner A12 clone car that he had changed his one legger out for a different rear with a sure grip. So I ended up with the one legged for the 57...I took it to AZ Differention on Grand AVE in PHX were the owner a Huge Mopar guy hooked me up with a 3.55 sure grip pumpkin for the 69 RR rearend and moved the perches and bolted it up to Penny.

[rich]

hey looking great!!thanks for posting here

[R.A.D]

wow cool truck. any brake upgrades or suspension work?

[MoParJoel]

No suspension upgrades I Am shipping off to korea In a few weeks for a year tour, and when I get back Im going to decide on dakota frame swap or dropped axle/or leaf flip. The dakota will be easier but I like the simplicity of the leafs and with leaf flipping/drop axle the only problem is the gear box is getting sloppy, im looking into upgrades and the best ive come up with is a late 80's T100 toyota 4x4 gearbox I heard Is a really good upgrade for late 50s dodge and chevy trucks. the rear is still the factory springs with the updated rearend but I think its done dont think I will do anything to it. I thought of running a 4 link but Decided not to ( im not hard core racing this thing) I wanted to do slapper bars but with the axle being below the leaf and the leafs are so short it will not work very well.

I got pictures more coming...lots more...

[froy]

Whaa whoooo! that is a fine truck my buddy jr has one just like it. we take it down by all the swamp bars on friday night.

froy

[MoParJoel]

Some random car show pictures


Luke AFB car show 09'




Bill Luke's Mopar show PHX 09'




First pass down the 1/4, was pretty embarrassing, Truck got really hot while waiting and then staging, and vapor locked on launch stalled for a secound and slowly picked back up for a 18 sec pass. Did about 20 more passes that night and got a best of 14.3 while still running really hot I believe it was 110 degrees out that night. ol penny dont like the heat! but alot better than the 18sec on the first pass.

Uploaded with ImageShack.us


A night celebrating after making her first pass down the 1/4 at speed world in 09'





Mopars on the mountain Prescott, Az 09'

[MoParJoel]

Video link above didnt work this one should...Penny First run...Didnt Win but made it down the track

[MoParJoel]

[MoParJoel]

[MoParJoel]

New 1930's repop taillights

[MoParJoel]

This has become pennys calling card at shows and Gets attention everywhere cause no ones ever seen em on a old truck before...7 inch round Halo headlights

[froy]

You gotta hotrod there.

[MoParJoel]

Got rid of the exhaust manifold went with ceramic coated block hugger headers.

[MoParJoel]

I made a custom hurst Cuda/Challenger Pistol grip shifter to fit the automatic/lokar shifter It has a trigger for the reverse lock out so the inside was hallowed out for all the little mechanisms inside






Went and put on duel exhaust With 2-1/2 inch pipe with electric cutouts just behind the headers thern into two 40 series flow masters and out two bitchen 1-1/2 ft long chrome double wall Silverline exhaust tips. So know I sound like a dragster going down the street but when I see a cop I just hit the button and the flowmasters kinda quiet it up a bit.









^ These tips are works of art! chrome inside and out and super long! and huge!

[MoParJoel]

So after the trans instal I drove the truck a few months and I was going to the grocery store, I was in the center turnlane waiting for traffic to clear. I was attempting to cross 3 lanes of traffic. the traffic was backed up so the nice people in all three lanes stopped and made room for me to go left infront of them and enter the parking lot There were 3 cars stopped crossing three lanes should be no problem right?!.... Wrong! Some dumbass in a brand new honda civic was impatient and drove his ity-bity car down the bike lane, around 40 MPH and T-boned Ol' Penny in the right front wheel.....So cops show up Penny started back up and drove into the parking lot we had to push his honda (there wasnt much left of it)
So I assumed it was his fault..But according to the cop it was my fault, since Arizona has a stupid law thats says "anytime you make a left hand turn you are taking responsibility"....So I said to the cop BUT HE WAS IN A BIKE LANE!!!!!! not even on the road! the cop said all he could do is site the guy a ticket for reckless driving, but that he wouldnt because hes a nice guy!..I was pissed!...so after a few minuted the old guy that hit me said "good thing I bought a new honda it kept me safe" I looked into his car and asked him" how fast do you think you hit me at?" he said about 45mph......."SO why didn't your airbags deploy?" ?????????? He thought about it and got so mad! Im going to have a talk with the honda dealer! he said. so he had it towed away I attempted to limp penny back home which it was steering funny I figured a bent axle and drove it 30 miles home. but when i got home I got an errrriieeee surprise...........To be continued......

[rich]

alright suspense and drama

[57 Fargo]

Come on Joel, your killing us here!!

[MoParJoel]

So I got it home put the truck on jacks to assess the damage when i got the wheels of the ground I heard a loud bang and saw the whole front suspension fall to the ground, I got my flash light And saw that the C shaped spring hangers on the rears of both leafs were snapped off where they go into the frame on both sides. So I did a little research on another forum and alot of people were talking me into a Volare IFS swap to I looked on craigs list and found a guy who specializes in Volares selling them, They are very popular swaps for Ford F100 guys so naturally they should work on a dodge....NOPE! I cleaned the front end up pulled out my old straight axle and mocked up the volare front, Which showed me to make this work I would have to cut the frame off at the fire wall which is a no-go for me! (which is why I went with this swap, cause the F100 guys just weld them in). The frame on the Dodge unlike the Ford "hour glasses" where the engine mounts, which means the steering box for the volare would go right where the frame is (thus the cuting if the frame). so after months of Penny sitting like this and finally accepting defeat I found a new spring hanger kit on ebay for $40 bucks bought them and put it back to the way it was... I sold the volare to a Ford guy took a little hit on it, but got rid of it....But after geting penny back on the road found out the Straight anxle was definitely bent But not to bad, the wheels look cock eyed but it steers accually really well but I can tell the front tires are wearing goofy to one side so in the distant future a Dokota frame swap or dropped axle will be the way I go with Penny.
































One of the worst parts of the whole swap was trying to remove the stock steering wheel I crubbled to pieces, so I had to come up with a replacement so I took the whole column down to the auto parts store and found a adaptor to fit my splines by opening every box they had and trying to fit them the one i found was tight but with a little persuasion (BIG HAMMER) it fit like a glove so I bought a Grant Challenger repp Mopar Tuffwheel and after installing it I did not like the horn button so after playing with it I niticed the grands horn and the stock 57 dodge horn were the exact same size to I adapted it to fit keeping a little old with a little new...

Moral of the story is Volare's are great for Ford guys NOT for Dodge guys. after discovering better forums after the swap it became apperent that every guy I talked to that had done this swap into a late 50's Dodge regreated doing it and wished they had done a Dakota Frame swap.

But..I did get a cool wheel out of the whole thing......

[rapidtransitrick]

i think it's natural to get a little queezy, or sentimental when you think about putting the old girl under the knife.

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