Custom or deluxe??

[Cradde]

Hello all! I'm new to the classic car restoration and have a few questions...which I'm sure will be followed by many more. I bought a 1948 dodge d24, that much I'm pretty sure about after running the numbers. It ran and drove fairly well but needs work. So the project begins. First question, what is the difference between the custom and deluxe? Reason I ask is I need to replace the wire harness and wondering if there are different "options" that one might have that the other wouldn't. Next question is, does anybody know where I might find a detailed wire diagram? Any help would be greatly appreciated! Thanks, Cody

[Oldguy48]

I'd recommend that you obtain a service manual, and a parts manual for your D24.  They should prove to be very helpful to you as you begin your project.  You are sure to have a lot of your questions answered here, as well, but those two manuals are an excellent start.  Good luck with your project, and please post pictures of your progress.

 

Wayne

[Reg Evans]

Email Travis at Rhode Island wiring and he will send you a catalog and a free wiring diagram for your car. They just send me one last week free of charge for my 33 Plymouth.

tech@riwire.com 

[Cradde]

Thanks Wayne, I've got the service manual, I'll have to order the parts manual as well. Reg I've looked at their website before, doesn't really look like they have a complete harness....but I'll get a hold of them tomorrow

[TodFitch]

. . .a free wiring diagram for your car. They just send me one last week free of charge for my 33 Plymouth. . .

Sounds like I don't need to get to a working scanner right away.

[Dan Hiebert]

The quickest way to tell a Custom from a Deluxe D24 is the stainless steel trim spear on the rear fenders.  Custom has it, Deluxe does not (many more Customs were built than Deluxes).  Mechanically and electrically, they are exactly the same, the differences are the trim.  Back when these were new, the dealers installed most of the options, so depending on what bells and whistles it has there may be some extra wiring on the car, but the basics are the same.

[Cradde]

Awesome thanks Dan! One thing I have noticed is this car has 2 heater blower motors where as some cars I've seen do not

[Don Coatney]

Cradde, on 23 Dec 2014 - 07:47 AM, said:

Awesome thanks Dan! One thing I have noticed is this car has 2 heater blower motors where as some cars I've seen do not

If your car was sold new in Minnesota good possibility the dealer installed the dual heaters when new. 

[Plymouthy Adams]

dual htrs was an option

[RobertKB]

I have had wiring harnesses from YnZ for two cars and have been very pleased. I will be using them again for my present project, a 1951 Dodge D39 Business Coupe.They do offter complete packages. http://www.ynzyesterdaysparts.com/

[steveplym]

Some additional info for you that is in the reference section of the forum. 

 

Check that out, there is a lot of useful information in there. 

 

http://p15-d24.com/page/p15d24/reference/d24_spotters_guide.html

[Frank Elder]

The quickest way to tell a Custom from a Deluxe D24 is the stainless steel trim spear on the rear fenders.  Custom has it, Deluxe does not (many more Customs were built than Deluxes).  Mechanically and electrically, they are exactly the same, the differences are the trim.  Back when these were new, the dealers installed most of the options, so depending on what bells and whistles it has there may be some extra wiring on the car, but the basics are the same.

And the deluxe did not have the stainless inserts in the window rubbers.

[Young Ed]

My p15 was sold new in Wyoming and has the dual heaters. They work pretty well but make it very crowded behind the dash

[JD luxury liner]

Hey I would like to see the Spotters Guide for the D19s!! Listed in Box #11 from steveplym. I did a search in the search box, but no luck. Thanks JD

[Don Coatney]

JD LUXURY LINER, on 16 Jan 2015 - 01:23 AM, said:

Hey I would like to see the Spotters Guide for the D19s!! Listed in Box #11 from steveplym. I did a search in the search box, but no luck. Thanks JD

 

Some additional info for you that is in the reference section of the forum. 

 

Check that out, there is a lot of useful information in there. 

 

CLICK HERE>>>>>>>    http://p15-d24.com/page/p15d24/reference/d24_spotters_guide.html

[MarcDeSoto]

Another difference is that there was chrome lettering on the side of your front fender saying Custom or DeLuxe which might be missing on your car.  and also the Customs usually had electric windshield wipers and the Deluxe had vacuum wipers.  In 1949, instead of calling the cars Custom or DeLuxe, Dodge switched to model names of Coronet, Meadowbrook, and Wayfarer.  Plymouth continued to call the cars Deluxe and Special Deluxe until 1951 when they too switched to model names which were Cranbrook, Cambridge, and Concord.  And the model names for Plymouth changed again in 1954 to Belvedere (ha ha, who drives a Belvedere?), Savoy, and Plaza. 

Edited January 16, 2015 by MarcDeSoto

[Plymouthy Adams]

Posted Today, 05:58 AM

Another difference is that there was chrome lettering on the side of your front fender saying Custom or DeLuxe which might be missing on your car.  and also the Customs usually had electric windshield wipers and the Deluxe had vacuum wipers.  In 1949, instead of calling the cars Custom or DeLuxe, Dodge switched to model names of Coronet, Meadowbrook, and Wayfarer.  Plymouth continued to call the cars Deluxe and Special Deluxe until 1951 when they too switched to model names which were Cranbrook, Cambridge, and Concord.  And the model names for Plymouth changed again in 1954 to Belvedere (ha ha, who drives a Belvedere?), Savoy, and Plaza.

Edited by MarcDeSoto, Today, 06:11 AM.

 

 

Check the use of the names Belvedere and Savoy....you may find a bit of a surprise that they are names used prior to your chronology...

Edited January 16, 2015 by Plymouthy Adams

[Frank Elder]

Another difference is that there was chrome lettering on the side of your front fender saying Custom or DeLuxe which might be missing on your car.  and also the Customs usually had electric windshield wipers and the Deluxe had vacuum wipers.  In 1949, instead of calling the cars Custom or DeLuxe, Dodge switched to model names of Coronet, Meadowbrook, and Wayfarer.  Plymouth continued to call the cars Deluxe and Special Deluxe until 1951 when they too switched to model names which were Cranbrook, Cambridge, and Concord.  And the model names for Plymouth changed again in 1954 to Belvedere (ha ha, who drives a Belvedere?), Savoy, and Plaza. 

I have a 47 D-24 custom club coupe, ....nowhere......I say nowhere, on my car or any other custom I have ever seen in person is there any "script" denoting its status other than Dodge. And it is not missing either.

[casper50]

same with mine but mine's a BC and I believe they were only made as customs

[Plymouthy Adams]

and what is written on a Town Sedan?  be it a d19 or d24.....ask someone who owns one of each.....oh wait...and what company did I borrow that...?

Edited January 16, 2015 by Plymouthy Adams

[Mike Petersen]

Mine has been a one family car. No scripts on it 

[busycoupe]

Business coupes were only made as Deluxe models.  The Deluxe was the lower end model.  One difference between the two that is not mentioned above is that the Custom came with directional signals, at least on the 48 models.  That means that the wiring harness would have to accomodate the switch on the steering column, the lights at the four corners and the indicator lights located above the speedo.  The Custom has a small chrome casting with a high beam light in center, with directional indicators left and right of it.  The casting on the dash of the Deluxe models have only the high beam indicator.

Dave B.

[Uncle-Pekka]

Another difference is that there was chrome lettering on the side of your front fender saying Custom or DeLuxe which might be missing on your car.  and also the Customs usually had electric windshield wipers and the Deluxe had vacuum wipers.  In 1949, instead of calling the cars Custom or DeLuxe, Dodge switched to model names of Coronet, Meadowbrook, and Wayfarer.  Plymouth continued to call the cars Deluxe and Special Deluxe until 1951 when they too switched to model names which were Cranbrook, Cambridge, and Concord.  And the model names for Plymouth changed again in 1954 to Belvedere (ha ha, who drives a Belvedere?), Savoy, and Plaza. 

 

Having read the first post in this thread we should be talking about 1948 D24 - There were no chrome scripts on these cars for trim level.

The way to tell the trim level is the brightwork around the windows and spears on side of the fenders (featured on Custom, missing on DeLuxe) as pointed out by many gentlemen on this thread.

 

Below you see my D24 Custom. Pay attention to mentioned bright work...

Edited January 16, 2015 by Uncle-Pekka

[MarcDeSoto]

I've got the "Deluxe" script on my 48 DeSoto and I'm sure they put it on the Plymouths as I have seen it numerous times, and of course Chryslers have script saying what model it is, so why not on the Dodge?  Come to think of it, I can't ever remember seeing script on a 46-48 Dodge, but just thought if all the other Chrysler marques have them, Dodge would also. 

Edited January 17, 2015 by MarcDeSoto

[Gar]

sorry to put this question in here, but i'm tryin to sign up and even though I answer the questions right it still wont let me, Can any one help?