QuestionIs there someplace I can get new brake drums for my 1955 plymouth belvedere? Kanter's website said they had them, but do not. I have feelers out to the salvage yards but nothing yet. My other question is...do the Dodge cars of 55 and 56 have the same front brakes? If so, that would increase my options. Thanks a lot !! Ole
AnswerHello ole,
This one took a while to research so I apologize for the delay! There are a number of vintage parts sources, both old and new, for your Plymouth. In addition, these same people have the interchange information and are willing to share with other hobbiests. So, take a look at this article from Hemmins Motor News and make a few calls. I think you'll find your answer!
Best of luck with your Plymouth!
Bob
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Vintage Chrysler Suppliers
Feature Article from Hemmings Motor News
June, 2005 - Jim OClair
We have highlighted some Thirties, Forties and Fifties Ford and Chevy suppliers in the last few months, but there are many Chrysler, De Soto, Dodge and Plymouth enthusiasts who read our publication too. And guess what? They need to find a lot of parts just like the rest of you. Here are a few requests we have received recently through our Hemmings parts locator service:
I have a 1935 Plymouth four-door sedan with the straight-six engine. Most of the parts are original, but I had a problem with the steering wheel and I need a new one. Please let me know where I can find one.
My uncle has asked for my help finding a hood for a 1936 Dodge four-door sedan. I can't seem to find anything. Can you help? Point me in the right direction; any bit of assistance would be greatly appreciated, as I am a real amateur on the computer!
I'm looking for a carpet set for a 1938 Dodge Brothers four-door sedan. I can't seem to find any supplier that has them. Can you please help me locate one?
I'm looking to rebuild the original fluid-drive transmission in my 1952 De Soto. I'm interested in finding parts, a complete transmission or information on conversion kits.
We are looking for a floorboard for a 1946 Plymouth Business Coupe. Any ideas where we can find one, or have one made?
You recently located several parts for my 1955 Chrysler Windsor. I now need a wiring harness for the same. I need both the harness that runs from the instrument panel on the inside to the rest of the car. Also, if a harness is available for under the hood, I need that too.
Answers to many of these questions can be found by checking the classified ad listings in Hemmings Motor News. Not only in the Chrysler, Dodge, De Soto and Plymouth listings, but additionally in the "Interchangeable Parts" listings under the Chrysler-Mopar section of our classifieds. There are quite a few advertisers who are Mopar-specific suppliers, and we have many who deal in specific automotive sub-systems, such as interiors, chassis parts, and engine parts. The multiple-make suppliers can focus their inventories on popular replacement parts for all vehicles. Some of these same advertisers are also listed in our Hemmings Collector Car Almanac, both by make and by parts specialty.
Chrysler suppliers encompass many years of production, but for the most part, they are broken into the same time frames as Ford and GM suppliers. Most earlier-year parts suppliers generally deal in 1928 to the mid-Fifties. Some focus on 1940-56 production cars. Others deal chiefly in the Hemi era forward. And many sell parts right up into the late 1960s and early Seventies. But, Hemmings advertisers can offer extensive coverage for every era. This month we will try to focus on the early cars from about 1928 to the mid-Fifties.
Suppliers offering rebuilding parts for the early Mopar engines generally are suppliers for other makes and models. Advertisers such as Egge and Terrill Machine and Mike's Auto Parts can sell you rebuild kits and separate components for your 189, 201, 218, or 230 straight-six engine in addition to the Chrysler 298 and 323 straight-eight engines. Engine parts for the 1950s Hemi and poly-V-8 engines are available from these advertisers as well. Hemi and poly specialists suppliers for the 1951-59 V-8 engines include Performance Auto Warehouse and Power Play Hemi.
Your car's interior can make or break a quality restoration job. The car can look excellent on the exterior, but the interior really shows how much time and effort were put into restoring it. Soft goods such as leather or broadcloth for new upholstery and headliners are available from Bill Hirsch, along with original weave and textured hog's hair carpeting. Acquiring original factory fabrics is also still possible in some cases. SMS Auto Fabrics still has some of the original Mopar fabric patterns available for Chryslers as far back as the 1940s, and Original Auto Interiors can supply materials for Dodge, Plymouth, De Soto and Chrysler products from the 1950s and up. Interior dash knobs are the specialty of Calstrom's Car Parts. They can supply dash knobs, dash cables, and decals for 1928 to late-Forties Mopar products, and also produce reproduction glove boxes for 1940s Plymouths.
Other major mechanical system parts such as brakes, steering, suspension, weatherstripping, and drivetrain items can be found through the specialty advertisers we have mentioned in previous issues. However, they can also be found at Mopar-specific suppliers, such as Roberts Motor Parts and Romar Incorporated. Roberts' main focus is replacement parts of all kinds for Chrysler products newer than circa 1930. Romar has the expertise and parts necessary for the earlier Dodge Brothers and Graham cars from 1914 to 1930. Bernbaum's Auto Parts and Plydo are other Mopar-specific suppliers dealing in 1930s and up Chrysler parts for all of the various mechanical systems.
Advertisers who sell Mopar mechanical parts, and also stock replacement pieces for Ford, GM, and just about every other American make and model, include Atlas Obsolete Parts and Pro Antique Auto. Atlas has availability on most "hard parts" from 1936 and up. Pro Antique goes back a little further, covering 1929 and up items. Kanter Auto Parts sells brake and front end kits, as well as many other clutch, fuel and exhaust items for Mopar and other manufacturers.
A big majority of our parts locator requests are for exterior body parts. These items can be very difficult to locate, because of the limited demand on cars of this era. There are several alternatives that you can try to find sheetmetal and exterior trim. Mike's Mopar is a good place to contact for exterior trim and hood ornaments for cars of this vintage. Mike's Mopar is an outstanding source for locating brake drums too. Vintage Auto Parts can also furnish exterior trim in new reproduction parts for Chrysler and Dodge from 1941-49 and for Plymouths from 1949-53. Another trim parts vendor for Chrysler products is Fantasy Auto Works; Fantasy sells good used trim for Mopars newer than 1940. New sheetmetal is difficult for a car this old, but several advertisers do sell patch panels and floor pans. The Plymouth Doctor deals in sheetmetal, specifically 1935. Products include door skins, quarter sections, and repair panels for rockers, floor and trunk. For Chrysler products from 1933 to '41, Street Rods, Parts and Memorabilia sells body repair panels. SRPM carries new replacement grilles for 1933 to 1937 cars too. Lower cowl panels for the 1933-34 cars have recently been reproduced and are being marketed by Floyd's Body Shop. For Mopars from the 1940s and early Fifties, repair panels are available from R/Car, Mr. Plymouth, and Neil Wojciechowski. They can help you with floor pans, door skins, and access panels as well as other patch panels.
When sheetmetal cannot be located, or when building a street rod, fiberglass can be a viable alternative. Fiberglass body parts for 1933-34 Mopars are available from Rod and Race Fiberglass. Other years and models can find fiberglass body parts from R&R Fiberglass. R&R distributes fenders, grille shells and running boards for 1931-39 cars and front fenders for 1946 to 1948. If you prefer steel, as most of our subscribers do, in a lot of cases your only alternative is used parts. Numerous Mopar-specific used parts dealers are also listed in the publication. Moore's Auto Salvage, Vintage Auto Parts, Wildcat Auto Wrecking and L&L Classic Auto are good resources for dry-climate "western-raised" antique body, engine and drive train components. Collector's Choice Auto is another used parts advertiser who can supply "Florida-stored" Chrysler pieces.
NOS parts are highly valued to auto restorers who are looking to conserve authenticity in their restoration. Hemmings has several NOS parts suppliers who still have large inventories of NOS items. Deception Pass Motors and Valley Vintage Auto are both original Mopar parts suppliers who have accumulated huge inventories of original part numbers from nuts and bolts to bumpers and lenses. Several other suppliers deal with NOS parts, they include NBP Auto, Mitchell Motor Parts, and Collector's Auto Supply.
Original electrical parts such as switches, regulators and relays can be obtained from Special Interest Autos as well.
There are many more advertisers within the pages of your current Hemmings Motor News who are well versed in the language of Mopar; we have mentioned quite a few, but not anywhere near all of them in this month's column. Each and every month, rare and obsolete items appear within our pages that have been recently discovered. And subscribers also have the added advantage of being able to use our parts locator service for hard-to-find parts that are not listed in our current issue. Request forms are available in each issue and online at our website www.hemmings.com. When visiting the website, simply look for the link to the parts locator service.
Contacts
Atlas Obsolete Motor Parts
27576 Commerce Center Dr. #107
Temecula, California 92590
951-694-3062
Bernbaum's Auto Parts
315 Franklin Street
Newton, Massachusetts 02458
617-244-1118
Calstrom's Car Parts
3151 County Trunk J
Verona, Wisconsin 53593
Collectors Auto Supply
1422 Main Street
Oroville, Washington 98844
250-767-1974
Collector's Choice Auto Parts
P.O. Box 7605
Sarasota, Florida 34278
941-923-5414
Deception Pass Motor Parts
Anacortes, Washington
360-299-2582
Egge Machine Company
11707 Slauson Avenue
Santa Fe Springs, California 90670
800-866-EGGE
Fantasy Auto Works
70 Heber Springs Rd. W.
Heber Springs, Arkansas 72543
501-362-0413
Floyd's Reproduction Parts
303 South Delilah
Sedan, Kansas 67361
620-725-5754
Bill Hirsch
396 Littleton Avenue
Newark, New Jersey 07103
973 642 2404
Kanter Auto Parts
76 Monroe Street
Boonton, New Jersey 07005
800-526-1096
L & L Classic Auto
Wendell, Idaho 83355
208-536-6607
Mike's Auto Parts
P.O. Box 358
Ridgeland, Mississippi 39158
601-856-7214
Mike's Mopar
P.O. Box 1301
Bellmore, New York 11710
Mitchell Motor Parts
13459 Fairmount Highway
P.O. Box 621
Fairmount, Georgia 30139
706-337-4606
Moore's Auto Salvage
1761 Country Road
Rapid City, South Dakota 57701
605-348-4926
NBP Auto
Norman Pease
43 Foundry Street
Palmer, Massachusetts 01069
413-283-7620
Original Auto Interiors
7869 Trumble Road
Columbus, Michigan 48063
810-727-2486
Performance Automotive Warehouse
21001 Nordhoff Street
Chatsworth, California 91311
818-678-3000
Plydo
Rt. 1 Box 277-B
Delbarton, West Virginia 25670
304-475-3245
Plymouth Doctor Restoration Parts
Wayne Brandon
517-675-5717
Power Play Hemi
Hot Heads Research & Racing
276 Walker's Hollow Trail
Lowgap, North Carolina 27024
336-352-4866
Pro Antique
50 King Spring Road
Windsor Locks, Connecticut 06096
203-623-8274
R/Car
Robert McGee
570 Deming Road
Berlin, Connecticut 06037
860-829-2076
Neil Riddle
452 Newton
Seattle, Washington 98109
206-285-6534
Roberts Motor Parts
17 Prospect Street
West Newbury, Massachusetts 01985
978-363-5407
Rod 'n Race
Fiberglass
101 Winston Street
Cumberland, Maryland 21502
301-777-3800
Romar
3640 State Route 8 South
Titusville, Pennsylvania 16354
814-827-7601
R&R Fiberglass and Specialties
4850 Wilson Dr. N.W.
Cleveland, Tennessee 37312
423-476-2270
SMS Auto Fabrics
2325 SE 10th Avenue
Portland, Oregon 97214
503-234-1175
Special Interest Autos
602 A Street N.E.
Ardmore, Oklahoma 73401
580-226-0270
Street Rods, Parts & Memorabilia
1290 W. Main Street
Wilmington, Ohio 45177
888-762-7776
Terrill Machine
Rt 2, Box 61
De Leon, Texas 76444
254-893-2610
Valley Vintage
P.O. Box 486
Brunswick, Ohio 44212
440-355-4085
Vintage Auto Parts
800 Kalamath Street
Denver, Colorado 80204
800-426-5911
Vintage Used Auto Parts
P.O. Box 165
Trail, Oregon 97541
541-878-2921
Wildcat Auto Wrecking
46827 S.E. Wildcat Mt. Drive
Sandy, Oregon 97055
503-668-7786
Neil Wojciechowski
440-943-5646
This article originally appeared in the June, 2005 issue of Hemmings Motor News.
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