'53 Chrysler wagon // '05 Hemi Durango

News:

  • Home
  • Help
  • Chat
  • Login
  • Register

    • « previous next »
    Pages: [1]

    Author Topic: '53 Chrysler wagon // '05 Hemi Durango  (Read 3075 times)

    Offline bredlo

    • Jr. Member
    • **
    • Posts: 5
    '53 Chrysler wagon // '05 Hemi Durango
    « on: September 24, 2012 - 03:44:19 PM »
    Hey, fellow MOPAR friends.

    First post here. I don't have a 'Cuda or a Challenger. But I'm in the midst of the wife's and my first classic car project, and I'd love to hear advice, tips or warnings from you all - as it seems some of you have been down the "pro touring" "restomod" road yourselves. Also let me know if you've seen other threads around the web covering similar projects to mine!

    Found a 1953 Town & Country station wagon on Craigslist a few months ago. 70K on the odometer, flathead 6 and everything stock. Without insulting fans of original equipment... I feel the motor is a bit tepid for today's highway speeds, the brakes aren't very impressive, and the frame is in extremely rough shape from nearly 60 winters in upstate NY.

    Because we intend to use it as a daily driver and tow vehicle for our 50's Airstream trailer (Imagine everything from picking up lumper at Home Depot... to long road trips camping in Yellowstone) we've decided a restomod is in the best solution for us.

    The wish list is to try and achieve some balance of fuel economy, plenty of horsepower and torque for towing, disc brakes, unquestionable reliability, and the ability to find parts when things eventually go wrong. All on a new, heavy-duty frame.

    AC, tire pressure monitor, backup cameras and some semblance of a modern stereo are further down the list - but still niceties for long-term safety and enjoyment.

    Finally, I wanted to keep its MOPAR soul intact… if for no other reason than to generate less hatred and name-calling when people undoubtedly ask questions at campgrounds and gas stations.

    So... in order to do this efficiently (and hopefully to save a little cash) we've decided use an entire donor vehicle, vs. building it piecemeal. We bought a 2005 Durango Limited for under $5K, which had been in a "low speed rollover". RAM-based boxed frame, factory tow package ready to haul 7500 lbs., a 5.7 Hemi / 5 spd. auto trans with 70K on it, and all the wiring, computers and everything else we hope to incorporate into the wagon's body (cruise control, better wiper motors, etc).

    In theory, it should be a matter of reducing the Durango to a rolling chassis, making any necessary changes to the frame's dimensions, rewiring the wagon for 12v, and dropping the wagon's body onto the Durango. Modern SUV in an old suit, right?
    Logged


    Offline bredlo

    • Jr. Member
    • **
    • Posts: 5
    Re: '53 Chrysler wagon // '05 Hemi Durango
    « Reply #1 on: September 24, 2012 - 03:45:00 PM »
    And the donor Durango
    Logged

    Offline 69ChargerRT

    • Administrator
    • Resident
    • *****
    • Posts: 2622
    • Its the car, right? Chicks love the car. - Batman
      • Daisy - My 1969 Dodge Charger R/T
    Re: '53 Chrysler wagon // '05 Hemi Durango
    « Reply #2 on: September 24, 2012 - 06:38:04 PM »
    that sounds like an awesome project.  i know a lot of guys on the board would be tremendous resources for a project like that.  thinking of that car towing an old airstream just puts a smile on my face for some reason.  im a child of the 80s, but have a love affair with 50s-60s americana, and this project sounds full of that.
    Logged

    Offline bredlo

    • Jr. Member
    • **
    • Posts: 5
    Re: '53 Chrysler wagon // '05 Hemi Durango
    « Reply #3 on: September 24, 2012 - 08:09:54 PM »
    Thx for the well wishes, 69ChargerRT.
    I was born in '73, yet for some reason this stuff my grandpa would've driven (and likely did) speaks to me more than the muscle cars of my chronological youth.

    I draw the line at wearing a fedora and those goofy saddle shoes... no thanks, and I don't swing dance. But as for the rest of the gear (old leather luggage on the roof, vintage camping stuff) I'm all loaded up.

    Look forward to talking with others who've done this kind of "complete donor" swap.
    Logged

    Offline Chryco Psycho

    • Administrator
    • C-C.com Guru
    • *****
    • Posts: 36620
    • 70 Challenger R/T SE 70 tube Chassis Cuda now sold
    Re: '53 Chrysler wagon // '05 Hemi Durango
    « Reply #4 on: September 26, 2012 - 09:09:05 AM »
    looks like a cool project , it will definatly be a challenge , is the wheel base close to the same ?
    Logged

    Challenger - You`ll wish You Hadn`t

    Offline bredlo

    • Jr. Member
    • **
    • Posts: 5
    Re: '53 Chrysler wagon // '05 Hemi Durango
    « Reply #5 on: September 26, 2012 - 01:44:35 PM »
    Quote from: Chryco Psycho on September 26, 2012 - 09:09:05 AM
    looks like a cool project , it will definatly be a challenge , is the wheel base close to the same ?

    I wasn't able to determine it for myself, but according to the hot rod shop where I was having the brake lines replaced and the carb rebuilt... yes, it's a very close match. They took measurements off a customer's Durango and our wagon, lying underneath. So it may need a bit of lengthening or sectioning.

    We'll have an even more accurate idea once the donor Durango is down to its frame in another month or so, I guess.

    [EDIT: I just measured the wagon (don't have the Durango here) and have approximately 127" between the center of the front and rear hubcaps.]

    [2nd EDIT: Looking online I found a wheelbase of 119" for the '05 Durango, so sounds like they may have to add 10" of frame length]
    « Last Edit: September 26, 2012 - 01:50:22 PM by bredlo »
    Logged

    Offline PlumCrazyChris

    • Jr. Member
    • **
    • Posts: 456
      • Mopar Muscle Cars of Austin
    Re: '53 Chrysler wagon // '05 Hemi Durango
    « Reply #6 on: November 07, 2012 - 06:53:50 PM »
    That sounds like a great project and would be a lot of fun to drive.  do you plan on keeping the durago interior, or the T&C?  You may have significantly  more trouble with the latter, but it would be much cooler.  If it was me, I'd probably at least try to keep the durango steering column, there are a lot wires in there that are not on the T&C.  May have to go full modern interior all the way, air bags, seat sensors the works. 

    I'd check the Moparts.com website for folks that may have done that kind of converstion.  We mostly stick to Ebodies around here.

    Good luck with it!
    Logged
    PlumCrazyChris
    Mopar Muscle Cars of Austin
    Round Rock Tx
    70 Challenger 5.7, A518, A/C
    70 Challenger 340 convertible (Gone to Sweden)
    68 Barracuda (sold it too)
    www.mopar.org

    Offline bredlo

    • Jr. Member
    • **
    • Posts: 5
    Re: '53 Chrysler wagon // '05 Hemi Durango
    « Reply #7 on: November 08, 2012 - 12:50:07 PM »
    Quote from: PlumCrazyChris on November 07, 2012 - 06:53:50 PM
    That sounds like a great project and would be a lot of fun to drive.  do you plan on keeping the durago interior, or the T&C?  You may have significantly  more trouble with the latter, but it would be much cooler.  If it was me, I'd probably at least try to keep the durango steering column, there are a lot wires in there that are not on the T&C.  May have to go full modern interior all the way, air bags, seat sensors the works. 

    I'd check the Moparts.com website for folks that may have done that kind of converstion.  We mostly stick to Ebodies around here.

    Good luck with it!

    Thanks Plumb~
    Planning on leaving the interior stock, with the possible exception of adding a large-ish custom center console to house a small screen for rear-view cameras when towing our Airstream, a readout for a tire pressure sensor (including trailer), and of course cup holders.   ;) This will be a road trip-ready car after all, but I'd like to make the modification essentially invisible except... other than larger wheels to accommodate big disc brakes.

    Hoping to split the difference between the Durango's 17's and the T&C's 15's. We shall see.

    Good points on the sensors, etc. I'd certainly enjoy the safety, long-distance comfort and conveniences of the 2005 seats, gauges and airbags. But I'm firmly determined to keep it original - especially since our T&C already has a near museum quality interior. There's a tilt steering column used on ICON's "Derelict" that can be milled to accept the '53 steering wheel and painted to match the dash... and I may go with an aftermarket computer and wiring harness to eliminate rogue sensors that aren't necessary anymore.

    Wish me luck - it'll be a bit confusing!

    I'll check out Moparts and see if I can find other pioneers who've taken the arrows on my behalf. Thanks!
    Logged

    Offline PlumCrazyChris

    • Jr. Member
    • **
    • Posts: 456
      • Mopar Muscle Cars of Austin
    Re: '53 Chrysler wagon // '05 Hemi Durango
    « Reply #8 on: February 21, 2013 - 09:50:25 AM »
    Talk to Hotwire about the harness, they've got one that runs the motor and the new trannies.  You'll need a new electronic shifter though to run that tranny I think. 

    I know yours will be a tow vehicle and this wouldn't work for you, but I met a guy in Austin with a 50's dodge truck, ancient black paint and orig. interior, that set it on a S10.  It had the 4cyl auto, and he basically just bolted it to the frame, and welded the steering wheel shaft from the dodge to the S10's and got it running.  He used an aftermarket floor shifter that looked like a manual trans.  He didn't have any guages yet, but he said it ran great, had a hell of a nice rake to it and got 21 mpg. 

    I hope yours turns out nice, please keep me posted.  I'd love to do the same thing someday.
    Logged
    PlumCrazyChris
    Mopar Muscle Cars of Austin
    Round Rock Tx
    70 Challenger 5.7, A518, A/C
    70 Challenger 340 convertible (Gone to Sweden)
    68 Barracuda (sold it too)
    www.mopar.org
    Pages: [1]
    « previous next »