New member with '50 Deluxe fastback

[Plymouthy Adams]

52 was the first year and it was a tad later in production..but as a written fact it is known that many 51 cars were left on sales lots and was enhanced by dealers with the OD as a selling feature to move them.  The dealers were provided with kits for the install...but to my knowledge only the unsold 51's was still considered as being correct for the refit and accredited with being factory as the cars were not yet sold to the public when outfitted...though we all know that the kit could be used on other cars dating way back.  It all hinges on whether it was sold as a refit 51 when delivered to the first buyer..

[knuckleharley]

52 was the first year and it was a tad later in production..but as a written fact it is known that many 51 cars were left on sales lots and was enhanced by dealers with the OD as a selling feature to move them.  The dealers were provided with kits for the install...but to my knowledge only the unsold 51's was still considered as being correct for the refit and accredited with being factory as the cars were not yet sold to the public when outfitted...though we all know that the kit could be used on other cars dating way back.  It all hinges on whether it was sold as a refit 51 when delivered to the first buyer..

Thanks. The 51 my father bought in 1961 had been rolled,and IIRC,he paid $35 for it.   All I know about it was that it had what I assumed to be a factory OD trans in it when we bought it. We  had owned a 49 Ford with the factory OD before the Plymouth,so I just assumed you could buy a OD with all 51 Plymouths.

 

BTW,to this very day I consider 51-52 Plymouths to be very nice daily drivers,and maybe one of the best buys for people looking for a old driver car. Prices are cheap,and they ride better,drive better,and get better gas mileage and are cheaper to buy than the Fords or the Chebbies.

[Young Ed]

Thanks. The 51 my father bought in 1961 had been rolled,and IIRC,he paid $35 for it.   All I know about it was that it had what I assumed to be a factory OD trans in it when we bought it. We  had owned a 49 Ford with the factory OD before the Plymouth,so I just assumed you could buy a OD with all 51 Plymouths.

 

BTW,to this very day I consider 51-52 Plymouths to be very nice daily drivers,and maybe one of the best buys for people looking for a old driver car. Prices are cheap,and they ride better,drive better,and get better gas mileage and are cheaper to buy than the Fords or the Chebbies.

Dad and I just looked at a 51 coupe yesterday. Pretty rusty though....

[Plymouthy Adams]

rust in truly an issue in the Briggs built bodies 51/52 regardless if Plymouth or other  brand, my Packard suffers the very same rot in the very same places for the very same reasons....these 51/52 cars were however very popular and rugged in all other aspects and the very fact that they are still turning up in various stages of survivor status.  I still have two in my stable, a 51 Suburban and a 52 Club Coupe...grilles are ugly as home made sin...but present and accounted for.

Edited April 24, 2016 by Plymouthy Adams

[Young Ed]

rust in truly an issue in the Briggs built bodies 51/52 regardless if Plymouth or other  brand, my Packard suffers the very same rot in the very same places for the very same reasons....these 51/52 cars were however very popular and rugged in all other aspects and the very fact that they are still turning up in various stages of survivor status.  I still have two in my stable, a 51 Suburban and a 52 Club Coupe...grilles are ugly as home made sin...but present and accounted for.

This one seemed above and beyond typical. The headlights were about to fall out of the fenders. Same with the tail lights except those had been somewhat patched already. Even the back bumper had rust holes in it!

[Plymouthy Adams]

wowser...sounds like this vehicle was used in heavy salt areas and well into its golden years at that....was this the ole brown one you sent me the lights off of?

[Young Ed]

wowser...sounds like this vehicle was used in heavy salt areas and well into its golden years at that....was this the ole brown one you sent me the lights off of?

Nope that one was even worse....

[knuckleharley]

This one seemed above and beyond typical. The headlights were about to fall out of the fenders. Same with the tail lights except those had been somewhat patched already. Even the back bumper had rust holes in it!

Rusted out back bumpers are more common than not in coastal NC. A combination of the salt in the air from the ocean,and dirt driveways and roads resulting in salty mud getting thrown up and back by the rear tires,and just caking there out of sight until the rust pops through.

[Plymouthy Adams]

only on my Suburban was rear panel rust an issue.  The outer panel did not look all that bad but investigation revealed that the inner hinge mount box was all but gone.  How the lower tailgate stayed attached was a miracle.  The inner corners at the fender curves and floor panel were also rusted to the point that I cut off the corners and repaired the inner metal and shaped new metal for the outer skins...while again looking good on the outside the metal was so thin it would not have lasted long before outer body rust through would have turned up on a newly  painted vehicle..but then, what I expected working on such an older vehicle that was used for many years.  Compared to a first generation 3 year old Datsun 280Z..my wagon was pristine..

[Plymouthy Adams]

to my recollection, there has only been two Plymouths of this era where I saw rusted out head light mounting surfaces on the front fenders.

[Fastback50]

some folks dice are more loaded than others.....

 

Good point.

[Fastback50]

Yeah,life does have a way on disrupting all our careful planning,doesn't it?

 

BTW,ignore all that "Pre-AMF/Post AMF" nonsense because that's what it is. I probably put 40,000 miles on my 74 FLH and the only mechanical problem I ever had was a bad alternator,and most of them were hard miles. Put in a ditch above the treeline the morning before the Pikes Peak hillclimb,while drunk,and  had to ride it back to Denver with a dislocated shoulder and a hangover. The engine and trans were bought new at a Harley shop,and the bike was built to suit from parts. Still have the frame,but the engine is gone. It still ran good,but I wanted a 102 cubic inch stroker,so I dropped it off at a Harley shop in a nearby state for the rebuild,and they went out of business without notification,and it was said the owner crushed all the cases before leaving for parts unknown. I currently own a 76 FLH custom "fat bob" and it has been trouble-free,also.

 

Good to know, as I think people still price the post AMF bikes lower, so maybe I can capitalize on that.  

[Fastback50]

Bring up a '50 Plymouth fastback and the topic goes bananas!  Sorry, now back to basics, three speed or overdrive? LOL

 

Three on the tree---I've heard they are winding out pretty good at 75 mph, but I still plan on keeping it stock, will just drive slower

[knuckleharley]

Three on the tree---I've heard they are winding out pretty good at 75 mph, but I still plan on keeping it stock, will just drive slower

I have no idea  how fast my flat 6 51 Ford coupe will run,and honestly don't care. It will cruise at 60 mph all day,and I have no real interest in driving it any faster. If I want faster,I have faster cars and trucks I can drive.

 

That's not keeping me from putting a finned aluminum head (if I can find one),2 carbs,a 3/4 street cam,and a split exhaust with glasspacks on it,though. That's for looks and sound effects.

 

Doing the same for the 251 Chrysler 6 I'm putting in my 42 Dodge coupe,but not for the exact same reasons. Besides just enjoying driving it,I plan on using it to troll for flathead V-8 Fords to drag race.

[pflaming]

I was aware that the '50's Plymouth did not have OD, but I asked the question to get the OD time frame into the discussion. My friend's father had a '52. When I drove it, I realized that the '52 was a much better driver than my '50, though the '50 wasn't all that bad. 

Edited April 24, 2016 by pflaming