Need Info On '60 Dodge Phoenix

[W-409]

I just bought Jo-Han '60 Dodge Phoenix, and I'd like to add more details to it, like good chassis and engine bay. My question is, that is there a frame in '60 Dodge Phoenix or is it unibody? I tried to Google search, but without any results.

[MrObsessive]

Niko, all 1960 Chrysler makes (save for Imperial) switched to unibody frames. Don't hold me to this, but I thought I read somewhere that the frames were nothing more than the 1957-59 floorpan with just the side rails gone. Of course the front and rear would have a "subframe". There's the RC2 '58 Plymouth that could be used for such a task...................As far as pics, you might want to check eBay Motors for a car on sale. Sometimes the seller will have some very good undercarriage shots of the car..........especially if it's a recent restoration carrying a pretty steep price. Also perhaps check out Allpar.com and do a search for 1960 Chrysler Unibody Frames.

Hope this helps................1960 Dodges were very nice cars!

[W-409]

Thanks, Bill!

That is excellent information, and thanks for the Allpar.com link. Never heard of it, but looks very good and gave me some results. I tried to search from eBay Motors, but currently there were no '60 Darts/ Phoenix's for sale. However, the Allpar.com results lead me to these questions:

I found these pictures:

So that's what the chassis should look like?

And if AMT '58 Plymouth would be almost correct, it would be great because then I should not get another rare kit or something for the chassis of this one.

It is really nice car.

[MrObsessive]

Niko, those pics aren't showing up here............maybe paste the link where you got them as Allpar may not allow posting of their pics onto another site.

Edit: OK, with some OS gimmickry/trickery I was able to see the pics you posted. Yeah, that's about what it should look like. Another way to get good chassis shots of any particular car is to buy a shop manual of said vehicle. True, it may be a more expensive way to get what you need---------but you'll always have the reference, and there's nothing that says it can't be used on another model down the road.

Edited November 4, 2012 by MrObsessive

[Ace-Garageguy]

The frame under the Lindberg '64 Dodge 330 (any version) will work very well in your application. The kits are plentiful and cheap. The 1:1 chassis are the same basic design (unibody) with minor differences. You MAY have to adjust the wheelbase a bit. I'm using one under my '61 Phoenix.

The AMT '58 Plymouth is a full-frame car and is not correct.

Johan blobular frame on the left, Lindberg full-detail frame on the right. The fit is astoundingly good.

Edited November 4, 2012 by Ace-Garageguy

[W-409]

Oh, I can see those pics in this forum too, and glad to hear that you were able to see them too. But anyway, here is the link to Allpar-page: http://www.allpar.co...dodge/1960.html.

Well thanks for the information again, I will start looking one AMT Belvedere kit. And yeah, Shop Manual would be good one too, but you know they are hard to get here in Finland. Especially when the car is bit more rare than 1st Generation Camaro or something.... And shipping from the states costs alot.

EDIT: Good information, Bill!

It's great to have more possible kits where to get chassis, then it's easier to find what I'm looking for. Adjusting the wheelbase should not be too hard, so that looks like good basis too.

Edited November 4, 2012 by W-409

[MrObsessive]

Ahhh, the '64 Lindberg Kit.........I keep forgetting about that one! I remember seeing someone take the '58 Plymouth frame and convert it to a unibody design for a '60 Plymouth model years ago at an NNL. It looked very convincing, so that's why that one came first to mind. He had made front and rear subframes from the existing full frame.........much work but it certainly looked the part!

The Lindberg kit would be less crazy making if you go that route-----you shouldn't need to do much adjusting wheelbase wise as Bill mentioned.

[W-409]

Yeah, thanks!

That's what I'll be doing. Just need to find that chassis somewhere, I mean that it's hard to get any parts what you're looking for in Finland. People have parts in their stashes, I'm sure about it, but very few people offer them to others.

[1972coronet]

I'd recommend that W409 use the transmission from the AMT 1957 (?) Chrysler 300 , as it's the correct , pre-1962 A-488 Torqueflite , complete with its Parking Drum / Ball & Trunion assembly .

Naturally , this only applies if an automatic trans is desired .

If you plan to use the transmission from the Chrysler 300 , remember to paint it Cast Iron (with a Steel-coloured pan) , as all pre-1962 V8 Torqueflites were cast iron ; the aluminum V8 T-Flites didn't appear until '62 ( A-904's were aluminum since their inception in 1960 , but those were all Slant Six transmissions ; they were originally called "TorqueFlite-Six").

[W-409]

Great info-Thanks, John!

Not sure yet about the powerplant or transmission, but it will take some time before it is on the bench anyway.

[W-409]

Okay I'm slowly thinking of starting this build, and well it might not be a suprise to anyone that since I'm building, it will be Stock Eliminator Drag Car with 383 Cid engine.

So my question is: Where can I find correct 383 for 1960 year model, or if it can be modified from another engine?

[gtx6970]

The chassis from the Lindberg 64 Dodge fit my Johan 1961 Dodge perfectly

[Ace-Garageguy]

The Mopar RB 383-413-426 (non-hemi version) and the 440 all look quite similar (as far as block, heads, valve covers, distributor and alternator placement) and any kit-engine depicting one of those should work as a base for a reasonably accurate model of a '60 383. One source for the RB engine is the AMT '49 Mercury.

[Chuck Most]

As has been said- the Lindberg '64 Dodge would be an ideal chassis donor. When Tom Coolidge (Promolite 2000) mastered his '61 Fury he offered an extra hood so that builders could cut it open and use that kit for the chassis. That same chassis will work under quite a few Mopars of the era- same goes for the '64 Belvedere. The engine from either of those kits would work, too.

[W-409]

Thanks guys! I will start looking for one of those engines and once I find one, I could start building. I have the Lindberg '64 Dodge bought as a Donor car, the chassis really fits nicely and all I need is just the engine what was missing from the '64 Dodge kit. I think I have one of those AMT '49 Mercury engines somewhere...