Tim Rogers Posted August 29, 2019 Report Posted August 29, 2019 I picked this up a couple months ago, its been sitting inside since 1960! I have been looking for production numbers for the Special Suburban and have had no luck! Anybody know where I might find this info? Quote
Mark D Posted August 29, 2019 Report Posted August 29, 2019 Envious of your new project! Best of luck. Quote
Tim Rogers Posted August 29, 2019 Author Report Posted August 29, 2019 2 minutes ago, Mark D said: Envious of your new project! Best of luck. Thanks, I am trying to get it in shape to drive from Illinois to Florida. 1 Quote
Andydodge Posted August 29, 2019 Report Posted August 29, 2019 John Lee's Standard Catalog of Chrysler 1924 to 1990 has 34,457 1950 Suburbans built with the figure for Special Suburbans included in this total........methinks you maybe unable to get a specific figure...........nice car either way..........andyd Quote
Plymouthy Adams Posted August 29, 2019 Report Posted August 29, 2019 to be honest I have to say that is the first time I have ever seen a special emblem on a Suburban.... Quote
casper50 Posted August 29, 2019 Report Posted August 29, 2019 Wish I owned the roof rack. Nice burb. Quote
Silverdome Posted August 29, 2019 Report Posted August 29, 2019 Maybe write to Chrysler Corporation. Quote
Tim Rogers Posted August 29, 2019 Author Report Posted August 29, 2019 Thanks for the feedback 1 hour ago, Plymouthy Adams said: to be honest I have to say that is the first time I have ever seen a special emblem on a Suburban.... I have perused the image sites on the internet and have not run across a single picture of one which is why I was curios about production numbers. Quote
Plymouthy Adams Posted August 29, 2019 Report Posted August 29, 2019 I am thinking (and that can be dangerous at times) that the Special above your Suburban script is a personally installed attribute. That emblem looks like an earlier Plymouth emblem. Quote
Plymouthy Adams Posted August 29, 2019 Report Posted August 29, 2019 as in part of this script set..... Quote
Tim Rogers Posted August 29, 2019 Author Report Posted August 29, 2019 I found a picture of another Quote
Plymouthy Adams Posted August 29, 2019 Report Posted August 29, 2019 (edited) excellent, ...found this...... Sales of the all-metal Suburban station wagon continued to soar, despite grumbling from buyers that a more upscale model wasn't available. Realizing the potential for such a vehicle, a more upgraded version called the Special Suburban was added to the line. Identical in size to the standard Suburban, the Special Suburban had as standard equipment many items reserved for the P20 Special Deluxe cars, including armrests on both doors, assist straps and armrests in the rear compartment, glovebox lock, dual horns, horn ring, chrome radio grille, exterior belt line moldings, front bumper guards, chrome-plated tailgate hinges, and chrome rear window divider. Special Suburban interiors were greatly upgraded, with rear sidewalls and wheel wells upholstered in pleated, brown, vinyl resin fabric. The headliner was done in brown checked woven fiber, with door panels in two tones of pleated brown vinyl and brown checked fabric. Like all P19 models, the Special Suburban rode on 6.40x15in tires. Unlike other P19s, the Suburbans were equipped with a front sway bar. Optional only on the Suburban were 6.00x18in wheels and tires. The Suburban wagons and Special Deluxe woody wagon shared a nine-leaf rear spring, compared to seven leaves on other P19 models and eight leaves on P20 Deluxe and Special Deluxe cars. Edited August 29, 2019 by Plymouthy Adams Quote
Bob Riding Posted August 29, 2019 Report Posted August 29, 2019 Maybe I'll add a "Special" script to my "52 Suburban project because it will be a hodgepodge of different features and looks. It will have a '51 front clip, stock 218 motor with shaved head, 2 bbl carb with stock oil bath air cleaner converted to paper filter, 200R automatic trans, '49 lift gate with divided glass, overdrive script on the tailgate (the 200R is an OD tranny), original wheels and dog dish wheel covers with Coker Radials and Scarebird front brakes, and various other enhancements. It's fun to color outside the lines, while trying to stay true to Chrysler's designer's vision. Quote
Plymouthy Adams Posted August 29, 2019 Report Posted August 29, 2019 (edited) 2 hours ago, Bob Riding said: Maybe I'll add a "Special" script to my "52 Suburban project because it will be a hodgepodge of different features and looks. It will have a '51 front clip, stock 218 motor with shaved head, 2 bbl carb with stock oil bath air cleaner converted to paper filter, 200R automatic trans, '49 lift gate with divided glass, overdrive script on the tailgate (the 200R is an OD tranny), original wheels and dog dish wheel covers with Coker Radials and Scarebird front brakes, and various other enhancements. It's fun to color outside the lines, while trying to stay true to Chrysler's designer's vision. No......the 51/52 high line Suburban was a SAVOY.....it is a fun fact that Tim has been the first to call attention to the Special Suburban..in 49 the all steel wagon was introduced along side the woodie wagon, 1950 is the being the last year for the Woodie. As the text I found denoted a cry for higher trim and more options the company responded with the Sepcial Suburban it seems in 1950. The high trim continued in subsequent models but with the name Savoy for the high line Suburban 51/52. The 53 year found a new body design for Plymouth wagons and in 54 it added a third trim level...there are still contradicting stories and the number of each model wagon produced this year. Edited August 29, 2019 by Plymouthy Adams Quote
Silverdome Posted August 29, 2019 Report Posted August 29, 2019 16 hours ago, Tim Rogers said: I don't see a door handle in this picture. Maybe this has been customized! Quote
Tim Rogers Posted August 29, 2019 Author Report Posted August 29, 2019 2 hours ago, Silverdome said: I don't see a door handle in this picture. Maybe this has been customized! IT was! The gentleman who owned this was ahead of his time. He installed a push button for a solenoid for the door latch! The only flaw was he had to leave the wing window unlocked so you could reach in and turn the switch on under the dash. Another alteration was, he installed a 6 volt hydraulic unit in behind the right wheel well and ran 4 copper hydraulic lines and 4 cylinder the the tailgate and rear window and installed two pull handles to operate the window and tailgate from up front! This was all done in the 50's! The car has been parked since 1960. I bought it from his widow. Quote
Loren Posted August 29, 2019 Report Posted August 29, 2019 Of all the 1949-54 Plymouths I have had a love of the Suburbans. Woodys are nice but just don't have the purportions of the Suburban (they were on the 118' wheel base). K.T. Keller I believe had a great idea when he made Chrysler cars with "chair height seats and enough head room you could wear your hat". As I get older I appreciate taller cars, they are easier to get in and out of. In retrospect some have called the Plymouth Suburban the first SUV. Certainly the SUVs are giving mere "cars" a run for their money in the market place now days. Some may recall the Suburban with the floor shifted 4speed and 18 inch wheels, (as seen on this site) now that was an SUV! This thread made me to go over to my warehouse and "visit" my 52 Suburban. The rats have been using the front seat materials for nest making...but I planed to re-upholster it anyway. I found the original seats a little plain. Today I drug out a rear end from a 54 that had a PowerFlite transmission. It's a 3.73 ratio and coupled with the Overdrive transmission I just bought should get the highway RPMs down to modern standards. I know I guy who is putting an early Hemi in a DeSoto. He's promised me the engine so I might have enough cubic inches to pull that gear ratio. Quote
Bob Riding Posted August 29, 2019 Report Posted August 29, 2019 7 hours ago, Plymouthy Adams said: No......the 51/52 high line Suburban was a SAVOY.....it is a fun fact that Tim has been the first to call attention to the Special Suburban..in 49 the all steel wagon was introduced along side the woodie wagon, 1950 is the being the last year for the Woodie. As the text I found denoted a cry for higher trim and more options the company responded with the Sepcial Suburban it seems in 1950. The high trim continued in subsequent models but with the name Savoy for the high line Suburban 51/52. The 53 year found a new body design for Plymouth wagons and in 54 it added a third trim level...there are still contradicting stories and the number of each model wagon produced this year. Ok, Savoy. I like that too. Must be some Savoy scripts out there is eBayland... Quote
Tim Rogers Posted September 9, 2019 Author Report Posted September 9, 2019 Found another tidbit of info 1 Quote
Bob Riding Posted September 10, 2019 Report Posted September 10, 2019 On 9/8/2019 at 5:43 PM, Tim Rogers said: Found another tidbit of info Mine must be the Savoy as it has all of the chrome trim, armrests, assist straps, chrome tailgate hinges, etc. but for 1952. And I thought it was probably a Cambridge, because there was Cambridge script in the boxes of parts that came with it. Thanks for the cool brochure! Quote
Plymouthy Adams Posted September 10, 2019 Report Posted September 10, 2019 (edited) if it was a Savoy odds are the Savoy scripts would be in the box …. but to my knowledge there is no easy way to break this down for a certainty....for certain you have a two door steel body wagon....and your hood emblems screams out 1951 Edited September 10, 2019 by Plymouthy Adams Quote
BobT-47P15 Posted September 10, 2019 Report Posted September 10, 2019 This is pretty darn cool......finding out about the "Special" designation and trim after all these years. Makes you wonder what else we may not know yet. Quote
Bob Riding Posted September 10, 2019 Report Posted September 10, 2019 2 hours ago, Plymouthy Adams said: if it was a Savoy odds are the Savoy scripts would be in the box …. but to my knowledge there is no easy way to break this down for a certainty....for certain you have a two door steel body wagon....and your hood emblems screams out 1951 That's because it is. Good eye! My '52 came with a '51 front clip. There was minor frame damage, so a '51 front end was substituted...hey- I have a hybrid! Quote
Plymouthy Adams Posted September 10, 2019 Report Posted September 10, 2019 tell me this….where does you wiring loom enter the body....on the firewall or on the left cowl behind the fender????????????? Quote
Bob Riding Posted September 15, 2019 Report Posted September 15, 2019 On 9/10/2019 at 12:53 PM, Plymouthy Adams said: tell me this….where does you wiring loom enter the body....on the firewall or on the left cowl behind the fender????????????? Left Cowl...I never noticed that before. What does that tell you? Quote
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