Why not just fix your stuck engine?

Question:

The motor is locked up in my 1941 Plymouth two-door sedan because the car sat in a barn since 1967. So, do you know of a kit to drop a 440cid big block into the stock frame? I have my grandfather’s 1965 Chrysler, which has a good motor and transmission to use. I was told that there’s a book on how to do this.

Could you give me some information on how to do this swap or do you know of any companies that make kits to install this particular engine and transmission into my ’41 Plymouth?

Answer:

Not surprisingly, nobody manufactures a complete kit to install your 1965 Chrysler Engine and transmission into your 1941 Plymouth. This doesn’t mean you can’t do the engine swap, but it does mean that you’ll have to do a fair amount of fabrication work to accomplish it. There is no book available that covers the specific swap that you are contemplating but there are a number of good books that cover engine swaps in general. Consider buying “Engine Swapping Tips and Techniques,” by R. M. Clarke and “Engineering Street Rods,” by Larry O’Toole as starting points.

You don’t mention what condition your grandfather’s 1965 Chrysler is in, other than that the engine and transmission are good, but if it’s in decent shape then perhaps you should consider leaving it alone and fixing the stuck engine in the ’41 Plymouth.