Got my Chrysler research in the mail today.

[Mark D]

My wife got me a birthday present and it arrived in the mail today. Boy did I get a surprise reading this.... The color that I so admire is not the original! But its staying that way for the time being.

One thing I cant understand is the p18 code...? Could it be that all 1949 models where p18's, even the leftovers like mine?

The rest jives with the tags on my car and on my engine. At least I know when to celebrate Ruby's birthday now!

Edited December 11, 2012 by My48Ruby

[Niel Hoback]

Confused here. At the top of the card in picture number two, it says "engine number prefix P18". At the bottom of thr card it shows the engine number as "P15C1032773".

So, is it a P-15, or a P-18?

[Mark D]

Exactly my point Neil - The car is a P15c - I think the tech that did the research is a little confused as to the issue that happened with the 48's being mfr'd in early 49. All the rest jives except for that.

[Plymouthy Adams]

me thinks there is some confusion at headquarters..

[Don Coatney]

I first thought it might have been a Friday built car? But I checked and it was built on a Tuesday.

January 1949

S M Tu W Th F S

1

2 3 4 5 6 7 8

9 10 11 12 13 14 15

16 17 18 19 20 21 22

23 24 25 26 27 28 29

30 31

[desoto1939]

I recieved the same information about my 1939 Desoto last summer. It was so great to know the history of the car and that I still had the orginal motor and they could tell me the build date and who the car was delivered to which dealership.

We knew the car was a local car but now I was able to meet with the Granson of the original Dealership and the Wolfington Dealership in Philadelphia is now currently makeing Buses for school districts.

So I was ablr to trace the history of the car and also the dealership and the original information. The cost was well worth the information that was sent to me from Chrysler.

Since the Chrysler Museum is closing I would suggest that anyone that is seeking any info on their car or truck contact them to make sure the information is still available.

Rich HArtung

Desoto1939@aol.com

[DCurrent]

I'm glad you brought this up. I wanted to send away for the history of my 48, but have forgotten about the whole deal. How does one go about getting the history on his car? How much is it? I seem to recall it was $35 or something.

Darren

[Mark D]

Fill out the form, and include a copy of your title. Wife mailed mine on the 28th and it arrived today. Instructions said to include a stamped return envelope, but they did not use it and returned it to me.

Included in the package I received today was a cover letter with a copy of the build sheet, the decipher sheet and some information pertinent to the p18 model line. The more I think about this the more I want to beleive the woman who completed the research saw 1949 and just didn't know there where two bodies in production that year.

The total cost was $45-

Chrysler build sheet order form.pdf

[BobT-47P15]

Far as I know, all the "early 49s" are still P15.

The newer body style (later 49s) are P17 and P18.

Here's the "late 49" model page from the Service Manual.

The top two on the left are the 4 door sedan and club coupe.....P18 in both Deluxe and Spec. Deluxe.

The convertible and woody wagon on left are P18 and come in Special Deluxe

only.

On the right the two door (fastback) sedan and three passenger (business) coupe are P17, and are only in the Deluxe line. The all metal suburban wagon is a P17 in Deluxe only.

So, a 49 model can be either a P17 or a P18.

1950s are either a P19 or P20.

Edited December 11, 2012 by BobT-47P15

[Mark D]

According to the standard paint colors offered on the p15's, there was no option for "Salvador blue". Also confirmed this morning that the color was a Mopar color, but not for the p15, it was not used in the years 46-48. Paint color research attached herein...

salvador blue.pdf

I have to assume the person who did the research for my request pulled the card and used a (1949) p17/18 resource to interpret the paint colors. Having spent $45 on this I want the right info so I am going to write them back and see how they respond. I wonder what else on the decoding sheet might be incorrect?

Googled for the dealership mentioned on the sheet and got nothing. Sent a note off to the histerical society in Warren RI to see if they can help.

[Don Coatney]

Have you read all the information in the reference section of the main webpage supporting this forum? You will find color chips there.

[Mark D]

Yes Don that is where I started.

[Plymouthy Adams]

to be honest the card could well be right if your car is a first generation 1949 car..if one color of blue paint was getting thin as the production was not slated beyond X date, but the P18 production was delayed..thus the start use of the actual 1949 P18 colors ending up on some late P15..it is only a theory...other cars have been know to get the following scheduled paint colors early due to low or no quanity of paint on hand..transistioning from the P15 tot he P18 may well have been a mess as most shops have a short time to retool between model years..

it appear your build card has asked more questions than it has answered..

[TodFitch]

Fill out the form, and include a copy of your title. Wife mailed mine on the 28th and it arrived today. Instructions said to include a stamped return envelope, but they did not use it and returned it to me.

Included in the package I received today was a cover letter with a copy of the build sheet, the decipher sheet and some information pertinent to the p18 model line. The more I think about this the more I want to beleive the woman who completed the research saw 1949 and just didn't know there where two bodies in production that year.

The total cost was $45-

Looks like they've changed their procedures and requirements slightly since I got my build card. They were unable to decode the paint and trim codes on mine (no information that far back) but still charged me the $45.

Also, I don't recall having to provide proof that I owned the car.

From what has been posted on the AACA forum, the research/build card lookup people were never part of the museum even though they were housed there: They were always and still are a part of the main car company which is taking the museum back under its own control. So I think that build cards will continue to be available.

[1941coupe]

I mailed out for my build sheet over 4 months ago and so far nothing, not a reply.

[Dodgeb4ya]

I think you got took!

[B-Watson]

Confused here. At the top of the card in picture number two, it says "engine number prefix P18". At the bottom of thr card it shows the engine number as "P15C1032773".

So, is it a P-15, or a P-18?

Your car is a 1st series 1949 Plymouth P15C Special DeLuxe.

The problem with the 1st series is that it was a creation of the marketing people, and not the Engineering Department. The Engineering Department assigned the model codes (P15) and the model year codes (P15 = model year .

All serial number listings published by Chrysler Corporation were supplied by the Engineering Department and thus follow their model years, not marketing. So I doubt the good people at Chrysler Historial have ever heard of a "1st series 1949". To them, the P18 (Engineering model year C) is a 1949 Plymouth.

I would write them and explain the confusion. Perhaps they can re-research your car as a 1948 model. They would get the correct serial numbers and engine numbers, and perhaps even the correct colours.

By the way, your car is very close to the end of production for the P15 models. The Plymouth plants were idle for the first two weeks of February for the changeover to the "real" 1949 models, the P17 and P18.

Your car's serial number 12,112,093 is just 4,030 away from the last P15C built at Lynch Road - 12,116,123. Which would be a little less than a week from the last day.

Colour code 5, by the way, is Cruiser Maroon on P15 Plymouths. It was code 605 on the 1942 P14 Plymouths. Salvador Blue is actually 605 on the 1949 P17/P18 Plymouths.

[Mark D]

According to the production numbers given for 1st series 49's, my car was 4,030 units from the end of the run for the P15's. Being so close to the end, it has occured to me that the production line change-over could have had an influence on the parts and paints colors. I do know my car came though without the hood brace and has hood hinges to match. I'm sure there are other things that might also be anomolies as well.

Last night I pulled the rear seat from the car and inspected with a fine tooth comb for evidence of the supposed blue paint. I can't find a thing. Checked the firewall, pulled a door skin; nothing but cruiser maroon. The prior owner told me he painted the car in 1994, and gave me photos for the body work that he completed. Those photos show that he sprayed over Maroon as well.

I checked the VIN decode on this site as well -. http://www.ply33.com/misc/vin

Not sure what feeds the lookup engine on that site, but the year reports incorrectly... at least this site confirms my math.

Serial Number12112093Found in range11854386 to 12116123Serial257708 of 261738Year1948MakePlymouthModel NameSpecial DeLuxeModel CodeP15CPlantDetroitEngine6 cylinder 217.8 cu.in. L-headWheelbase117 inches

Just more reasons to get to the bottom of this. Time to author a response letter.

to be honest the card could well be right if your car is a first generation 1949 car..if one color of blue paint was getting thin as the production was not slated beyond X date, but the P18 production was delayed..thus the start use of the actual 1949 P18 colors ending up on some late P15..it is only a theory...other cars have been know to get the following scheduled paint colors early due to low or no quanity of paint on hand..transistioning from the P15 tot he P18 may well have been a mess as most shops have a short time to retool between model years..

it appear your build card has asked more questions than it has answered..

[Young Ed]

That whole hood thing is a mystery. My p15 was built in nov of 48 so not that far from yours and mine came with the hood brace. Maybe it was a plant by plant thing?

[TodFitch]

...

I checked the VIN decode on this site as well -. http://www.ply33.com/misc/vin

Not sure what feeds the lookup engine on that site, but the year reports incorrectly... at least this site confirms my math.

Serial Number12112093Found in range11854386 to 12116123Serial257708 of 261738Year1948MakePlymouthModel NameSpecial DeLuxeModel CodeP15CPlantDetroitEngine6 cylinder 217.8 cu.in. L-headWheelbase117 inches

...

That uses a list of serial numbers issued by Chrysler Historical back in the 1970s. I believe the original data for that came from the engineering department. I've noticed some differences between the model names in that list and those in documents issued by Chrysler that seem to have come from the sales and marketing side.

[Mark D]

Thank you Mr. Watson! Your post certainly alleviates some of my concern . I will note that the serial numbers and body number match my car exactly. It was only the paint color that seemed to be an issue.

Now I have a whole new letter to write, and the info you provide is just great. I will attempt to offer the explanation and hope they consider re-researching for me. Will advise this thread when I make more progress.

As a side note, I googled last night for the dealership mentioned and came up with nothing so I made a post on the Warren RI Historical Society Facebook page and got a reply this morning. The dealership is long gone as I had suspected, and a convenience store exists there now. Hopefully with a little more diligence I will be able to find a photo of the building for my cars history file. Here's a link that shows the site today. -> http://goo.gl/maps/VRkKA

[Plymouthy Adams]

most town libraries have archives of the town as it progressed along the way...a well placed phone call could get you a name (e-mail) of a person that frequently uses these set aside archives for genelogical research and may search for a photograph of the dealer ship for you..at worse you could leave you name and contact info for the librarian to pass to users...our local library has such a room set aside and my house (built 1908) is pictured in it from long ago...good luck..I drop in anow and then to reead up on the area as it was in the past....I also upgraded the records on my house since I purchased it..I need to update it again..

[1940plymouth]

most town libraries have archives of the town as it progressed along the way...a well placed phone call could get you a name (e-mail) of a person that frequently uses these set aside archives for genelogical research and may search for a photograph of the dealer ship for you..at worse you could leave you name and contact info for the librarian to pass to users...our local library has such a room set aside and my house (built 1908) is pictured in it from long ago...good luck..I drop in anow and then to reead up on the area as it was in the past....I also upgraded the records on my house since I purchased it..I need to update it again..

I just got off the phone at the George Hail Free Library in Warren ,RI with a lady named Carol. She said that they have the local newspaper from the time period that Ruby was sold new on microfish, but no way to make copies at this point in time. Carol also told me that she will get ahold of the local paper to see if they would make a copy and email it to me.

She was very kind and considerate to deal with

http://www.townofwarren-ri.gov/departmentsaz/library.html

Hope this helps and Thanks Tim,

Bob

[Mark D]

Thanks Bob! I've also just emailed the Charles Whipple Greene Museum to see if they might have some architectural images in their collection.

[Mark D]

Here's an update for you all.  Got home tonight to find a new package in the mail from Danielle at the Chrysler Historical Archives.  The letter was in response to a note which I sent to her which explained the model year overlap from 1948 to 1949.  You may all recall that I had a feeling she used the incorrect model year decode information for my '49.  Thankfully my suspicions where proved correct, and my Cruiser Maroon paint job is original!  Not much information to offer other than the corrections.  However she was very graceful with her response and even included a Chrysler produced history book for the troubles.  Unexpected but delightful all the same.  Here's the info;