Here’s a 1947 Plymouth Deluxe Business Coupe and it’s on eBay with a current bid price of $4,250, but the reserve isn’t met! I know that I missed the boat on business coupes, but dang. This car is located in Piscataway, New Jersey and there are five days left on the auction.
The seller isn’t giving much info on this one, folks must be bidding on the value of the few photos provided, or maybe they’ve spoken with the seller about it. This car has been in a garage for at least ten years, according to the seller. I hope and pray beyond any possible, reasonable, rational, fantasy that this car won’t be turned into a flat-black and/or gumball-colored and lowered resto-mod, but I doubt if that’s the case. That’s where this one is heading, wouldn’t you think?
Post-war Plymouths, like most cars, were almost identical to pre-war cars other than maybe a few trim differences. The Deluxe was the base version whereas the Special Deluxe was the top of the line for Plymouth in this era. These cars were made between 1945 and 1950. The business coupe, as you most likely already know, doesn’t have a back seat, it was made for salesmen to haul their wares and the trunk is typically huge!
This looks like a complete car, which is nice, but you can also see that it’ll take more than a little work to bring it back. But, the body looks solid as does most of the interior. Seat covers or new upholstery usually isn’t a ton of work, but it looks like the floors are a bit rusty and there are no underside shots so I’m guessing that it’ll need the usual suspects: brakes/lines/shoes, fuel system reconditioning, hoses, belts, bushings, bearings, some welding, etc. But, you’d expect to do that on a car of this vintage anyway unless you’re buying an already-restored car and the price would reflect that.
This is a 3.6L 217 cubic-inch inline-six with 95 hp. The only info that the seller gives is that the motor turns, but that’s probably the most important thing. If it turns you can most likely get it started. These cars had Stromberg carbs because Carter couldn’t supply enough carburetors for the rush of orders that came in after the war. You know me by now, I would keep this one original or restored-back-to-original-specs. I’m not a resto-mod guy; not that there’s anything wrong with them but I just like the memories that come with old, original vehicles, not what someone else thinks is a cool custom. What do you think this one will sell for? How would you use this one: original or resto-mod?
This would look nice sitting next to my 1948 Plymouth P15 Special Deluxe 4 door mine has optional heater radio and spotlight.
Nice car! A fitting project that will give you lots of enjoyable miles. My dad’s first NEW car was a ’48 Plymouth club coupe. I’ve often came across nice examples of ’46-’48 Plymouths but no one seems to be interested in parting with them…
I have a 1951 dodge Mayfair made only for the Canadian market by Chrysler Canada. My car has a 218 CID motor which is 2″ longer than the 217 CID used on the US side of the border. My car had a 24 year sleep in a small garage just outside of Calgary, I hooked up a gas can to it and a fresh battery and that old flatty fired up like it was my daily driver, it showed 40 psi on the oil pressure gauge and purred like a kitten. Needless to say I was thrilled and have a great deal of respect for the people that designed and built that car. As for the coupe I would venture to say that it will do the same as mine did. These flatties were not the most powerful engine ever built but they do have a lot of torque. They were used right up to the 1970’s as industrial applications powering things like welders, fork lifts and combines. There last year in a car though was 1959. Nice find Scotty as you can tell these are some of my favorite cars.
Restore to original, absolutely!!! This is to nice to cut up.
Drive it as is as I decided what to do with it. It still seems pretty original. If it’s reasonably solid, may as well enjoy it as is til restoration or someone wanted it more than me.
I had one like it back in high school. It was amazing the number of buddies could fit in that trunk when sneaking in to the drive in theater…LOL
I’ve noticed the increasing popularity of the late 40’s vehicles at various car shows over the last couple of years. Perhaps because they are still relatively affordable?
Quite a few 40’s pickups being rescued and put back on the road, too.
Also good to see that many were basically unmodified drivers cars, as much as I appreciate hot rods.
It’s always a pleasant surprise too see how well some of these older cars actually drive, if you get the chance.
This is my ’48 that I had in the early sixties in Edmonton, AB. It had the truck engine equipped with the dual Carters and the split exhaust manifold to give it that special tough sound. Mine did have a very cramped back seat….I actually slept back there a couple of times. I loved that car but had to leave it behind when I moved three provinces east ….for a job. You can only drive one vehicle, so I took my truck.
Here’s my 47 Special Deluxe Club Coupe…I guess it falls into the “lowered, gumball-colored” category. But it’s a blast to drive!