catsplymouth Posted May 18, 2010 Report Posted May 18, 2010 Just went to look at a Plymouth that it looks like im going to buy. Question: owner says 48' coupe (512 body code) but VIN say's 49' is it possible that this car is a 49'??? it has the coupe slope with a the small windows in the back. Quote
randroid Posted May 18, 2010 Report Posted May 18, 2010 catsplymouth, Welcome to the forum. It's my understanding that the '48 body style carried into the early part of '49, so feasibly it could be a '48 made in '49. There will be others who'll jump in and be able to tell you the exact date of manufacture, but if you'd supply the first few digits of the VIN that should tell when and where it was made. If the VIN begins with P15 it isn't a '49 even if that's when it was made. -Randy Quote
adam_knox Posted May 18, 2010 Report Posted May 18, 2010 Yeah, its possible. The 1949 year had carry overs of the 1948 design and then the second half of the year they introduced the new models. I wish I could point you with some more specific info, but brain is rattled at the moment. Good luck on the car search and potential purchase! Quote
adam_knox Posted May 18, 2010 Report Posted May 18, 2010 Randy, you beat me! Darn, thought for once I'd be first in giving somewhat knowledgeable/useful information... one day I'll be king of the hill for just a moment...one day... Quote
randroid Posted May 18, 2010 Report Posted May 18, 2010 Adam, I relished the moment. Someday you, too, will relish yours. Would that make us both hot dogs? -Randy (BTW-What I told our intrepid new member might have come from years of perusing the WPC archives, but in fact it was a tidbit I picked up here one day flapping through the daily posts. Don't tell catsplymouth, though, for I want my wisdom and experience to be heralded from afar. It's an ego thing, sort of like why I drive Pigiron.) Quote
greg g Posted May 18, 2010 Report Posted May 18, 2010 look at the engine number on the front of the drivers side above the gen below the head early 49 will be p15 later is p17 if the engine hasn't been swapped. Quote
B-Watson Posted May 18, 2010 Report Posted May 18, 2010 Just went to look at a Plymouth that it looks like im going to buy.Question: owner says 48' coupe (512 body code) but VIN say's 49' is it possible that this car is a 49'??? it has the coupe slope with a the small windows in the back. In the U.S. the P-15 (actually all Plymouths, Dodges, DeSotos and Chryslers) became 1949 models on 01 December 1948. Production continued through to the beginning of February, 1949, when production ended and the changeover to the new, real, 1949 models began. 1948 serial numbers : P15S : DeLuxe - Lynch Road - 15252279 to 15284534 LosAngeles, CA - 26010840 to 26017025 Evansville, IN - 22063370 to 22071866 P15C : Special DeLuxe - Lynch Road - 11854386 to 12066019 LosAngeles, CA - 25035586 to 25062782 Evansville, IN - 20233168 to 20287571 1949 serial numbers : P15S : DeLuxe - Lynch Road - 15284535 to 15292209 LosAngeles, CA - 26017026 to 26018852 Evansville, IN -22071867 to 22073646 P15C : Special DeLuxe - Lynch Road - 12066020 to 12116123 LosAngeles, CA - 25062783 to 25071430 Evansville, IN - 20287572 to 20299138 Only the serial number will determine whether or not the car is either a 1948 or 1st series 1949 model. This change to 1949 at 01 December 1948 is not known to many people these days. It did not occur in Canada where the P15 models were built as 1948 models right to the end of production after Christmas, 1948. As a result what we call 1949 models are considered 1948 by most people. The change to 1949 models was done by the marketing people and not the engineering people. Thus no engineering publication (parts, service, etc.) lists the P15 as a 1949 model. To find the numbers for the 1949 models, you need to find a copy of NADA Used Car Guide, Red Book, Blue Book or Branham's that covers that era. If the serial number of your car does not fall into any of the above sequences, let us know. Bill Vancouver, BC Quote
BobT-47P15 Posted May 18, 2010 Report Posted May 18, 2010 (edited) Welcome, Cat.......does it look like this??? This is titled as a 1949 model, which was carried over for about 4 months into 49. The engine number, or ID number on the title should begin with "p15". The second series 1949 model (which most people simply identify as a '49), looks like this..... Edited May 18, 2010 by BobT-47P15 Quote
Plymouthy Adams Posted May 18, 2010 Report Posted May 18, 2010 second series 49 Plymouth all engines should be P18 regardless of P17/P18 body model, also in 1950 with the P19/P20 being the line up, the engine was stamped P20 and again in 51/52 years where P22 and P23 were the models, the P23 was stamped on these engines, 1953 models was P24...the model confusion went away somewhat in 54 with the bodies all being P25 with a -1, -2 or -3 defining the low to high transistion..these are P25 with one note to be added on these, the change to the larger 230 engine mid year, but these engines will still say P25 but will have a ♦ preceeding the P25 stamped on the engine. As Greg said the engines in these car can almost certainly be mix and match from service over the years to keep the babies on the road...the best thing here is to post a quick pic of your body and dash and you will get a positive ID from here quick..then the engine will be sorted out as to if stock or swapped..I do not have my body chart with me so the 512 I cannot recall from memory the exact model Quote
greg g Posted May 18, 2010 Report Posted May 18, 2010 To further complicate things New cars being sold by a dealer for the first time may have been titled in their year of sale rather than thier year of manufacture. So it was not uncommon for a car built and shipped to a dealer late in the year that sat on the lot and was sold after Jan 1, to be titled bearing the new year. Quote
Young Ed Posted May 18, 2010 Report Posted May 18, 2010 To further complicate things New cars being sold by a dealer for the first time may have been titled in their year of sale rather than thier year of manufacture. So it was not uncommon for a car built and shipped to a dealer late in the year that sat on the lot and was sold after Jan 1, to be titled bearing the new year. Or the other way around. Dads 50 plymouth must have been shipped out in the first part of the model run and gotten sold in 49. Its titled as a 49. Quote
old rat 49 Posted May 18, 2010 Report Posted May 18, 2010 Welcome to the madness. Great people here with a lot of help available. Mine has been determined to be a 49 first series and am stll waiting for NC title as the numbers don't show in NC state computer records and they don't recognize it. Hope your state is easier to deal with. As a general rule just consider it a 48. There are no parts listed for a 49 first series as a general rule and when you first tell people what year it is. Quote
catsplymouth Posted May 18, 2010 Author Report Posted May 18, 2010 Thanks you Guys for all the information and the illustrations!! Quote
BobT-47P15 Posted May 18, 2010 Report Posted May 18, 2010 Cat......where do you live? Always interesting to know where our correspondents reside....this group is spread out all over the U S and a few foreign countries. Quote
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