Question for 54 Plymouth guru's

[JerseyHarold]

Bob,

Your car is a prime candidate for baking-soda blasting. Mask off the windows and go. Then a quick coat of etch primer followed by regular primer surfacer and the car will look 1000 times better and your domestic life will improve dramatically!

[Plymouthy Adams]

Have you personally done this method Harold? What type of containment area did you use for th soda media?

[JerseyHarold]

Tim,

Never done this myself. I was thinking more along the lines of getting it done at a commercial shop that does this kind of work since you need a lot more CFM than most people's compressors can deliver, and a contained area is necessary. Just seems like a quick way to get rid of surface rust when you have a large area to deal with.

[Plymouthy Adams]

Commercial blaster can get right expensive...years ago i took my old 41 Dodge truck bed parts to a local sign maker..he would blast for me in his spare time or add it to a Commercial order and give me excellent rates...however be certian that if the metal is not in good shape and of heavy design..warpage can be a problem with commercial blaster..

We blasted with soda such items as radar antenna and submarine sonar domes and other radar domes with soda...less abrasive and took a bit longer to do..excellent for intricate detial and soft metal and solder joints, epoxy seams and such.

At home you can get a pot blaster and it does an excellent job..quick and easy..you control the pressure..my 5 HP 60 gallon compressor will recover in to stop in about 2 minutes after going through 40 pounds of sand with 90 psi in..I did not experience any warpage..actually was able to keep the nozzle a good distance from the car...

The pot blaster are well woth the small change they sell for...other smaller items go into my cabinet blaster..

By the way, after the blasting, I apply my phosphoric acid by spray bottle and use 80 grit sandpaper to "wash" the bare metal panels...this take the panels to a very smooth and pretty bare steel finish...

little primer followed:

 

 

 

 

 

Edited May 20, 2017 by Plymouthy Adams

[BobT-47P15]

Bob, you have certainly got that wagon lookin' fine now.

[Plymouthy Adams]

rides nicely also...Bob has a treasure in that wagon..I'm jealous...

[Normspeed]

Tim, that 2 door is really looking good. No rot on that body! You know, if a person was making a mild custom, those taillights, instead of proceeding with the chrome and stock lenses, you could easily go with what's already shaped into the metal, cut out the centers and have some nice frenched lites, huh? But I think you're going more traditional, with the fins, right?

[Plymouthy Adams]

thanks, yes..I was able to snarf some decent fins but from a Canadian car..no flags, but sharp speed lines...sure make the car pop so to speak...I don't really intend to customize this one..add a few period pieces and a couple option trim parts as I find them...I was wondering and asked a few 53/54 owners what they thought about dual rear antennas?? comments, slurs, derogatory statements, rude jestures..what ye got for ole Tim?

As I said earlier, this car was a unmolested vehicle and worthy of a bit of attention...and the automatic makes it a car the short legged wifey can drive...a real keeper.

[BobT-47P15]

Here is the radio with the C D (civil defense) station markers.

[Guest jjmorrse]

Looking at your savoy I am a little confused (not unusual). I had thought that the optioned out versions were belvederes, so what is actually the criteria between the belvederes, savoys, etc.?

[BobT-47P15]

Savoy is the middle model.....Plaza the least expensive and usually most plain.

Not sure why this one has a few more things than usual. But, then again, I'm not sure what normally came on a Savoy. Windshield washers were likely dealer added. Tinted windows and the transmission would have been ordered.

I presume the heater and its controls were standard stuff. Wire wheels were surely special ordered.

The sellers said this car early on belonged to the wife of a Joplin auto dealer. The logical guess would be the Chrysler product dealer....who may have ordered it how he wanted it. But why he would have not gotten the fanciest Belvedere is a question. Or....maybe the lady just took a liking to this particular car after seeing it.....not caring that it wasn't the fanciest type. Another mystery of life I guess. I don't think the state license division would (if they could, that is) tell me who the previous owners were. I haven't yet removed the rear seat back to look for a build sheet...but intend to do so.

Odometer is showing almost 61,000 miles. Don't know if that's correct.

[Brendan D25]

Bob it looks like you found a fine old car there. I guess you will be checking the Chrysler dealerships in Joplin. You never know there might be still some older workers there that would remember the car. The odometer looks like it hasn't rolled over 100k because the numbers are very even. Usually when the odometer rolls over 100k you will find the numbers will not be in a straight line. Brendan.

[Plymouthy Adams]

The Belevede is the highest stock trim...BUT you could get anything you wanted on an order...the Belvedere came stock with the following standard trim over the Savoy...

Three spoke steering wheel

3 spoke horn ring (except Suburban)

Trunk interior trim panels

Rear quarter panel medallions (except Suburban)

Lower body sill moldings

Rear fender top moldings (fins with flags)

Two tone paint (exception is the Sport Coupe)

Belvedere Suburban got a heavier battery

[Mr. Belvedere]

Tim is right in those days, you could order a car just about anyway you wanted it. Unlike today where the dealer orders the cars with the most popular accessory groups and you pick from what they have or go to another dealer to find exact car you want. Car dealers don't like to do custom orders anymore. When I first got my 54 Belvedere I was puzzled by all the Savoys impersonating the highly esteemed Belvedere's. So I talked with 54 tech advisor Darell Davis of the POC who is a former Chrysler exec. and he told me they could be ordered how ever you wanted them sorta like Burger King. Mr. Davis can tell you just about everything you would ever want to know about the 54 Plymouth.

[jimwheeldon]

I had a car soda blasted a few years ago...it works wonderful on stripping paint and leaving items such as trim and glass untouched. It also leaves a thin coat that helps it resist corrosion for a time. I was told that it would not take off heavy rust and such , so it's not really practical for the extreme nasties...(Like my floorboards!!!) If I remember right it cost about $400 for the entire car . It is soooo much cleaner than sand blasting.it seems you never stop finding sand, and it doesn't get hot and warp metal like other medias. PS- That Savoy rocks!!! Very practical yet oh so cool-you have to appreciate the factory options. I hope your wifey forgets about it and lets you keep her-

[Mr. Belvedere]

Hey Bob, I see you even have the upgraded Model 819 Radio with electronic tuning.

[BobT-47P15]

Not sure what constitutes electronic tuning on those. Has the 3 position tone control on the left with the push buttons for station setting. That's all I know about it.

So....not all Savoys had the chrome fins??

I saw in the local newspaper this morning a retired car salesman and former dealership (Chrysler products) owner has died. His wife, who preceeded him in death several years ago, evidently (by her maiden name) was from a family that was partners in a Chrysler product dealership here in the 1940s, and probably early 50s. Wonder if they would have recognized this car.

[48mirage]

Bob, looking over my books it suggests that Detroit built only 25 more cars of your model. The last number Serial number for the year was 13,829,336,

Jim

[Plymouthy Adams]

Savoy tail fins are optional..the Belvedere is the only one they were stock on as noted by the spec sheet I have...even with that..the 4 door Belvedere still had 28 more options to chose from over their base line trim....

[Rodger S-11]

Hola

Do any of you have either an scan of the Model 819 radio and all the parts or an photo of the same ???

Rodger & Gabby

COS