'59 Plymouth Forum

Has all that time really gone by already? This car is now in Wyoming, awaiting restoration.

I should have bought this one but the timing was not right. It is close by in Laramie, WY. An hour and a half away...just waiting for me to rescue it yet again from it's current owner.

I hope it is put back on the road soon some day before it disitergrates any further..


John Q.

John, I think you did better buying the one you have. Yours didnt have any running gear, true. But you wanted modern running gear, so that's irrelevant.

True, I did have the iOriginal Tranny in it but no motor, I did upgrade one more year model year to a 60 Chrysler New Yorker 413 RB and a 60 Cast Iron TF, Not to modern but it should fly someday when I get it on the road!

At least I hope!!

John Q.

I have a 318 A block a 318 LA block. I just bought a complete 1959 Desoto Firedome 4 dr. with a 383, pb, ps, variable www that was supposedly running. Eieny, Meanie, Miney, Moe??????? Any suggestions, or should I ask?
Dick

I don't understand your post, Dick. Can you re-state it, or clarify?

I know Roger, Old Age really get you sometime. What engine should I put in my Belvie Convertible.
Dick.

Yes, my age is catching up with me. Thank you for helping me understand!

It seems most people want the biggest engine they can find. But the 383 wouldn't be "correct".
If you build your car with plans of selling it in the near future, I'd go with the correct "A" 318.
If you plan to keep it, and not submit it to (or be influenced by) judging, I'd put in the 383.

Your parts car with 383 is complete, so you don't need to go searching for brackets and such.
Such discussions pop up from time to time on FL site. The loudest voices say "do it your way", ignore the purists and judges, and have fun.

I wasn't talking about your age, I was talking about mine. I really want to use the 318A with a 2 bbl. carb but dual exhaust, but it needs rebuilding.
Dick.

Hey Dick, I was joking! I tried to hijack your "feeling old" attitude.
What are the visual differences between an "A" and an "LA" engine?
Would it use an alternator?
Would an LA bolt to the '59 Torqueflite w/ no issues? I think the LA engine would have to be mated to an aluminum tranny from '61-'64. Those still have the parking brake on the tranny.
Rick can advise.....

DUH!!!, I'll have to look all that up. Both the engines are burried under stuff, but as I remember the LA looks smaller than the A.
Dick.

I should leave this space open for Rick, but I do want to say that the "A" engine was called the wide-block, for just as you say, the piston spread was wider than the LA, which was to follow it.
I believe that it was you, Dick, who found a full explanation of Mopar engines on-line and put it on this site. (In cleaning house, I just discarded the print-out two days ago!) Maybe you could run a search" on this site.....
The article explained the "A" , the "LA" , the 413, 440 the Hemi... To be honest, that stuff just bounces off my head, but I remember that aluminum-cased transmissions replaced the cast-iron units by 1962. The aluminum trannies still had the unique tailshaft parking brake.
I think an adapter plate was developed to let you connect "A" engines to the later aluminum trannies. Seems like after 1964 or 1965, the engine cranks were changed and no longer would connect to the earlier trannies.
I am quite sure Rick will step in here and advise you.
Not to forget John Fowlie, Im sure he knows the in's and out's of blending different year products

Roger - The site is www.allpar.com
Dick.

I really do not know why the A 318 is a called wide block, other than the appearance. The blocks 318 A and LA are the same dimentions inside and out. There were some bell housing pattern minor changes in 1962. The LA was developed for the 1964 model year as a 273 cid wedge head package. The blocks were pressure cast at a quicked pour rate allowing the removal of some metal, lighening the block weight considerably. The LA 318 for the 1967 model year, 340 for 1968 and the 360 in 1971. Large trucks used A engines until 1968. like D600's All A engines used forged steel crankshafts. so did most 273 and majority of 340's none of the 360 never used a forged crank.

Probably the quickest way to get useful information on plans to mate an LA engine to a cast-iron TF is to ask for guidance over at ForwardLook. Let us know what you learn.