1949 Suburban Question

[dlrides]

New to forum, and just bought a 1949 Suburban a few days ago. I have a question about the rear "lift gate" window.

 

The rear window of the one I bought has a one piece window, but I have noticed both one piece and two piece windows on various web photos of 1949's.

 

Which should it be ?

 

 

Thanks in advance !

 

Don C

[Plymouthy Adams]

_{Hard to find literature on this but the 49 was introduced with the two piece rear glass...the problem with a lot of these cars over the years is the mix and match of replacement components to keep the cars on the road due to minor damage in fender benders, lots of folks love the ribbed bumper and go to any length to find and retrofit.  One of the very first things to do is see if you actually have a '49 model....start with the engine number and verify that the engine number is a P18  (yes the 111's is a P17 but engines were not so marked, a 50 will be P20 though the 111's are P19's)  next see if the engine number is now found stamped on the left rear frame at the front of the axle tip up.  Also your body number should give you a clue....while the 49 and 50 will both have the same prefix...the last 5 digits tell the story and will fall within numerical range of the four production facilities that produced this body to identify production year  A big advantage over the 51/52 model years.  The repair manual will list these figure or post those number h ere for a help in identification.  The wagon is not broke out of the 111's numbers specifically that I can recall.  Lot of folks also change the doghouse on the front and quick glance at the front metal there can be misleading for quick identification of year..do the start of verifying numbers first..}

Edited February 15, 2014 by Plymouthy Adams

[B-Watson]

The change from two-piece to one-piece occurred mid-year. 

 

The change in Canada occurred for Plymouth (P17) at serial number 95,002,249 and Dodge (D31) at 97,001,261.

 

In the U.S. the change occured at body number 12,780.

 

Bill

Toronto, ON

[Plymouthy Adams]

Bill...does your records show that 12780 would be a reference to the number from Detroit only as the other three facilities did not have P17 production numbers in that range and I am not even sure if the others produced the wagon body so does your records reflect what plants assembled the Suburbans? mid year numbers would be a much lower cut-over figure for those facilities.

Edited February 15, 2014 by Plymouthy Adams

[dlrides]

Thanks for the information !

 

The serial number is 18031912.

 

I haven't  found the right source to decode yet, but the bumpers and other indicators seem to point to '49. Could be this mid-year change spoke of. I don't have the body # yet.

Edited February 15, 2014 by dlrides

[Plymouthy Adams]

that is the body assigned number...per the book. it is definitely in the Detroit series of numbers for the 1949 P17 production year.  As it is a Detroit car by sheer volume of numbers produced, yes it will be in the later production #'s and fall well ahead of the introduction of the rear one piece glass per Bill's information above..

 

I wish I could find if these wagon bodies were produced in the other three production facilities..where first numbers for P17 for LA started with 28,000,101; Evansville was 24,000,001 and San Leandro was 28,500,101

 

My own wagon is a bit of a mystery for me as the 51/52 production number for the P22 was combined and as it is a 18 series for sure Detroit built however and just a few digits shy of 53,000th unit built in the P22 enumerated series..Concord bodies were also said to be identified by the location of the main wiring harness on bulkhead for 51 and on the cowl panel behind the fender for 52...I have not seen a concord with the lower wiring location yet and I have looked at a few but they are far and few between for a good comparison and while I one did put a call out for folks to look at their particular cars..no one was curious enough to look and post their findings so that ended that for me. 

 

Number on car.....the one you gave is the assigned serial number...

Briggs will have a identification number strip on the firewall..this is reference only to their production..the engine number is stamped on the engine and also is the very number found on the frame in the location I first mentioned above...

 

NOTE....as for the mention of wiring on 51/52 above..my finings are only related to the  P22 cars..the larger P23 series had different wiring holes...

Edited February 15, 2014 by Plymouthy Adams

[dlrides]

Thanks for the info, sounds like it's a late '49 and should have the one piece glass. When I get it home, I'll check out the other numbers.

 

 

 

[Plymouthy Adams]

look close at your fender spears in height relationship to the later 50 model car...

[pflaming]

dlrides: That is an unusual red color. I like it, what is it? Great looking car, you must get a lot of thumbs up on that one.

[dlrides]

look close at your fender spears in height relationship to the later 50 model car...

The later years dropped closer to the wheel openings. ???

[dlrides]

dlrides: That is an unusual red color. I like it, what is it? Great looking car, you must get a lot of thumbs up on that one.

 

Haven't a clue, it had a re-spray approx. 12 yrs ago, probably not correct, but I think a maroon was available that was closer to red.

[49roadster]

Tail lights look right for a '49 the '50 ones are lower.

[DJ194950]

46-50 build #'s by location made.

From a 46-50 repair manuel copy.

 

Doug

48-50 Plymouth build #s.bmp

Edited February 16, 2014 by DJ194950

[DJ194950]

 

dlrides: That is an unusual red color. I like it, what is it? Great looking car, you must get a lot of thumbs up on that one.

 

how about a P-15 thru P-20 list of original colors with #'s. see attached.

One example of 49 mexico red on a 49 vert. attachted.

Doug

P-15-P-20 color #,s.bmp

ply. 49 mexico red.bmp

Edited February 16, 2014 by DJ194950

[B-Watson]

 The 1949 Plymouth colours available in the U.S.