More and more vintage Chrysler cars and trucks are being salvaged from fields, woods, junkyards, and the crusher than ever before.

The reason for this change in the hobby is largely related to the fact that as Fords and Chevys (yawn) are becoming fewer in number and therefore harder to find in good restored condition , restorers and street rodders find old MoPars to be just the ticket for scratching the restoration/rolling it on the street.

In this article, we’ll take a look at MoPars from the early to late 1930s and compare them to their GM and Ford counterparts.

From the beginning (1924), Walter Chrysler set out to build a superior automobile, and in keeping with that idea, throughout his tenure as supreme leader of his namesake company, he made sure to include things that were unusual for cars and trucks. in the field of low and medium prices.

One such aspect was four-wheel hydraulic brake systems on every car and truck they built, while competitors still used mechanical brakes that required frequent adjustment and were unreliable in terms of consistent braking from each wheel. While the most luxurious and expensive cars of the time (Duesenberg, Packard, Cord, etc.) used hydraulic brakes, GM and Ford didn’t change until the mid to late 1930s, respectively.

Going back to the 1930s, we find that with the end of production of the 1934 model, Chrysler had built the last “Chrysler”-badged car that used wood as a structural component, as the 1935 model PJ ushered in the era of the 1930s. low price with steel body. because. This type of construction was unusual for most cars at the time, but unheard of in a car that sold for just $510 FOB. Ford and GM continued to use wood for several more years.

The all-steel body provided a stiffer vehicle, less prone to body flex on rough terrain or roads and when combined with the use of “Mola” steel made leaf springs, on a 113-inch wheelbase, the The ride was smooth and silent.

Finally, the 1935 model introduced the most advanced flathead six in the industry and Chrysler used this engine with relatively few modifications until it was replaced by the slant-six engine in 1960.

Rated at 82 HP, it slotted nicely between the 80 HP Chevrolet six and the (big) 85 HP Ford Flathead V8. Also, this new engine known as the ‘L-Head’ Six had the most advanced cooling system of any engine built at the time.

The use of a water distribution tube that ran the length of the camshaft and the extension of the water jacket to the bottom of the connecting rods produced a cooling process that kept the block evenly cooled, from front to rear and from front to back. from top to bottom.

As we all know, the cooler the engine runs, the less friction is produced, which results in better fuel economy and oil consumption.

The engines are factory balanced and the valves are located inside the block and are perfectly smooth and require little to no maintenance.

All Chrysler engines were mounted on what Chrysler had called “Floating Power” (introduced several years earlier), that is, mounting the engine on rubber blocks instead of directly on the frame, thus eliminating engine vibration that would normally be would transfer to the body through the frame.

Additionally, the positioning of these motor mounts gave the motor a perfect weight balance which further reduced harshness and vibration.

This engine was used continuously in regular production (with very minor changes) from 1935 to 1959, but it held up for nearly another two decades in commercial use. NOS parts are easy to locate, making this one of the most economical engines to rebuild and operate.

Having owned many MoPars (from 1935 to 1951) with this venerable six-cylinder engine, I can attest to getting between 18 and 22.5 MPG depending on conditions and final drive ratio. They are so reliable that I bought a 1951 Plymouth on e-bay, brought it home, tuned it up, replaced the battery hoses and tires, inspected the brakes, and headed to Arizona in what turned out to be one of the hottest summers on record. (2003).

With temperatures in the low 100s every day or driving at altitudes of over 10,000 feet through the Colorado mountain ranges, this little Plymouth performed flawlessly for over 5,000 miles.

Before 2001, there were very few manufacturers of sheet metal replacement parts for these cars. However, today, the reproduction industry is responding to the needs of the restorer and street-rodder by producing the type of parts necessary to rebuild these great vintage cars and trucks.

The following reproduction companies are dedicated to both preserving Chrysler products and producing high-quality parts to help ease the process of finding what it takes to get the job done right and get the result you want:

1933 – 1934 Plymouth and Dodge sheet metal

sir floyd riley

620-725-5754

1935 – 1952 Chrysler, Plymouth, Dodge and DeSoto automotive sheet metal and 1933 – 1947 Dodge, Plymouth and Fargo Truck sheet metal

Wayne Brandon- Plymouth Doctor Restoration Parts

post office box 467 PerryMI 48872 (517) 625-PLYM

1949 – 1966 Plymouth & Dodge automobile sheet metal

bob mcgee

R/Car Customs & Restoration

570 Deming Street Sedanct. 06037 (860) 829-2076

rubber parts

castro valley autohouse (’41 Steerer Cover) 510-581-4525 510-581-4501

Rubber parts for subway 800-878-2237

Will Knudsen (brown mat ’37 – ’41) 734-626-0261

Sal Salerno (’42 – ’48) 90 thousand Floor mat 717-697-7757

Restoration Specialties and Supply Co. 814-467-9842 or 814-467-5323

Steele Rubber Parts 800-544-8665

stirrups

Paul Bowling – Buckeye Rubber 937-833-2885

hunley fist 706-866-4875

tires – Jim Benjaminson (contact Plymouth Doctor Restoration Parts for contact information)