Disclosure: This site may receive compensation when you click on some links and make purchases.

Last Hurrah: 1941 Plymouth PT-125

From 1937-1941 Plymouth produced a line of light-duty trucks built on a chassis the company shared with Dodge.  Production numbers were nowhere near those of Dodge so it’s a bit of a rarity to see one of these trucks nowadays.  Special thanks to Ikey H. for tracking down this listing here on eBay where the truck is being offered at the BIN price of $5,999.99.  It would seem the seller, located in Roslyn, New York, is a strict believer in the psychological impact of charm pricing.  Six grand?!  That’s outrageous!  $5,999.99, on the other hand.  Hmmm… now that doesn’t seem so bad!

The rarity of these trucks makes them enticing to collectors but at the same time, they can be a challenge to restore because replacement parts are often difficult to find.  This truck is described as 99% complete and was purchased by the seller from the original owner’s granddaughter after spending 30 years tucked away in a barn in Florida.  The massive chrome overlay grill is “gorgeous” claims the seller and still prominently displays the original Plymouth emblem.  The truck also sports its original tailgate which will be a huge bonus to its new owner since a replacement won’t need to be sourced.  The seller describes the sheet metal on the truck as “beautiful” and says the truck is “solid” aside from some serious rust below the windshield.  Pictures reveal extensive work will need to be done to address that issue.  My research indicates that even the box floor on Plymouth trucks was steel (not wood).  This truck is missing its bed floor, something the seller fails to mention in the ad.  I was thinking the truck’s original color was blue after noticing some old paint showing in many of the pictures.  However, I also see a lot of green too, most noticeable on the top and back of the cab.  Which two-tone color combo do you think would look better?  Blue or green with black fenders?  I’m torn!

Photos of the interior are dark but daylight can be seen poking through where the floorboards should be.  Again, the seller doesn’t mention anything about missing floorboards but perhaps that’s why he describes the truck as “99% complete?”  I wonder if that’s the original bench seat?  Pictures I’ve found online of some other original/restored ’41 PT-125s show bench seats covered in smooth vinyl as opposed to the style seen here.  Although the door glass is solid both front and rear windows are heavily damaged and will need to be replaced.

The seller provides lots of photos of the truck but unfortunately, he neglected to post one of the engine bay.  The L-head 6-cylinder is not running but is reported to turn by hand.  That’s good news but the seller reminds us “this truck is a project and needs all the mechanicals.”  Capable of producing 82 ponies, the motor is paired with a 3-speed manual transmission.  1941 was the last production year for the PT and only 6,073 trucks were sold.  That number pales in comparison to the massive amount of pickups Dodge produced for the U.S. government alone in that same year.  Because these trucks are rare and there are so few available valuing them is somewhat of a challenge.  I don’t think the seller’s price is too far off but $6K – I mean $5,999.99 – might be a little bit steep for this project.

Comments

  1. Avatar Sidney

    These are great. What a wonderful little truck to restore and use for light duty around the house. I just hope someone doesn’t buys this and ruins it with some silly big block engine, the L Head six was truly wonderful all by itself.

    Like 8
  2. Avatar Rex Kahrs Member

    Speaking of “charm pricing”…I found a nice low-miles Taurus for my son Vince, the asking price on CL was $2495. We looked at the car and it was one-owner solid, so my son peeled off 25 C-notes to the 92-year-old original owner, who was a WWII vet, and a fine chap, with skin that looked like one of those guys they find preserved in a glacier in the Alps.

    My son handed over the cash, and said with a grin “Keep the change”. The old guy grinned back and said “No, I do things right”, and pulled out his wallet and handed Vince a $5 bill, which cracked us all up.

    Like 15
  3. Avatar Gary

    I thought of Sanford and Sons at first glimpse.

    Like 0
  4. Avatar Camaro Joe

    Rex, it’s always nice when the buyer and seller are on the same page. I bought a 1969 Z/28 Camaro from a guy in SE Virginia in 1982, A friend in VA found it for me because he got tired of me trying to buy his.

    Since these are regularly faked we showed up with everything we had to prove what a real Z/28 was. The seller came out with a similar stack of information and we looked at each other and decided we liked each other and the car was numbers matching. He started it once, you could hear a rod knock so I grabbed the key and shut it off. “I want this, please don’t start it again.” The oil pump pickup fell out of the oil pump, that’s why you weld them. Fortunately the crank cleaned up at .010/.010 under and it’s still running good.

    On price . . . . the seller’s opening statement was “The price is $2,550.00, don’t offer me $2,549.00, I’ll get mad.” I told him “No problem, even in 1982 it was a good price for a 32K mile original car, even if it had been drag raced.” It even came with a couple Muncie 4 speeds in the trunk. He never said why he had to have $2,550.00, but I suspect his wife was going to have and attitude problem if he lost money owning the car.

    Like 4
  5. Avatar RDM59

    Fair price for this rare specimen, deserving the same affinity as the Canadian Mercury M100s. Full restoration may be impossible considering the rarity and the time, 78 years. If that 6 still runs it’s worth every five dollars.

    Like 3
  6. Avatar Mountainwoodie

    It has the rare pass through a/c vent under the windshield! Unique truck for sure. Is that a rare 2 door Plymouth Cranbrook on the forklift about to be tossed into the dumpster ?

    Like 0
  7. Avatar Alexander Member

    The Cranbrook on the forklift looks like it is too good to be dumped. As far as all of that windshield rust on the truck, should be easy to find a 40’s Dodge pickup cab to cannibalize for all the metal. Or maybe just swap cabs and trim?

    Like 0
  8. Avatar geomechs Member

    These are a nice truck, both the Dodge and the Plymouth, and even the Canadian Fargo. I sometimes wonder why the different badge, especially if what’s underneath is all the same. I know that for years, the GMC was different from the Chevy but Dodge and Plymouth were very close, except, maybe the engine (I think the Dodge had a bigger engine). I guess maybe it was easier for the main company to keep track of what was being sold. But it could get confusing. If you want a real conversation piece, try a Fargo down in the US.

    Like 4
  9. Avatar Jon Rappuhn

    This would go nice with my son’s beautiful restored 38 Plymouth PU, & 40 Dodge PU. Then if we could find a good Fargo to go with them. (38 is better than new and parade, show vehicle; 40 is weekend driver, along with ex’s 48 Chrysler, 56 T Bird, and 66 Charger, all of which have been restored)

    Like 0

Leave A Comment

RULES: No profanity, politics, or personal attacks.

Become a member to add images to your comments.

*

Get new comment updates via email. Or subscribe without commenting.