At BF, we cover mid-fifties Chevies all of the time, mid-fifties Fords a lot of the time, and mid-fifties Plymouths only some of the time. Mid-fifties Plymouth station wagons? Fuggetaboutit. They’re not really that rare, there were 33K Custom Suburbans like today’s 1956 discovery assembled – they just don’t seem to have survived the ravages of time the way some other brands have. Our subject car appears to be sound, so let’s look it over and see what made it tick. This very southwestern-looking Custom Suburban calls Phoenix, Arizona home, and it is available, here on craigslist for $8,900.
According to a Plymouth publication, they offered four different suburban station wagons in ’56, a Sport Suburban, a Custom Suburban – in two or four doors, and a DeLuxe Suburban wearing just two points of ingress and egress. All told, that added up to 81K units in ’56 but I cannot remember the last time that I spied one. This car is surprisingly intact, including all of its trim, and there’s no indication of rot-through or crash damage. I guess southwestern living has been very, very good to this Plymouth, overall, though it didn’t do the finish any favors. The mileage reading is 44K miles but the seller admits that the odometer is non-functioning so the true mileage is unknown.
“Hy-Fire” is the name of the game in the engine room where a 187 gross HP, 277 CI V8 engine is holding court. The seller adds, “Starts & runs good,…new gas tank &and water pump & and hoses“. No pushbutton actuated automatic transmission here, this Suburban is rockin’ a three-on-the-tree manual shift gearbox. The seller mentions twice, “needs brakes“.
The images of the interior aren’t that well presented and little is said other than a passing reference to needing upholstery. The front seat is covered with what looks like a sheet and that dash and instrument panel are finished in a sort of nausea-inducing hospital ward green. The steering wheel and door panels have certainly seen better days too.
What do you think is up with this ceiling? Is that the headliner or what one discovers when the headliner has been removed? It looks like the inside of a corrugated drainage pipe!
The seller suggests, “Rare solid car to restore or hot rod“. We’ve already touched on that supposed “rare” aspect but I’m on the fence about hot-rodding this one. The problem with a stock restore is the investment versus the completed value though it can always be undertaken just to do it with no worry about values. What do you think, what would you do with this 1956 Plymouth Custom Suburban?
What would I do with this car? Brakes, tires, hoses and drive it as it looks now. Maybe some better seat covers than the plain white bedsheets.
I would get it Road worthy, and just leave it like it is, or a stock restoration. Any modifications will absolutely ruin this wagon!!!!
Do a good daily drive grade resto then drive the wheels off of it
It would be nice to restore to original but truly it looks to me like you could hot rod it and make it just as cool,looks like a beach cruiser to me throw your boards in the back and head to the beach.
When a kid, a neighbor had one of these, same color,
that burst into flames while we were at the town lake.
I’ve always wondered if gm ever whined and cried about Plymouth using the Suburban name. Anyway, nice wagon, and with a V8 and manual no less. I would give it a repaint, redo the interior, add a set of nice retro custom wheels, and a dual exhaust system, with a pair of glasspacks. And enjoy it.
I was curious about that myself. I did a little snooping and found that the Suburban name started out as a brand from the company that made the wagon portion for several makes. Later, after they no longer made wagon bodies, several makes continued calling their wagons “suburban”. Since Plymouth made the last Fury Suburban in the 70s, GM was awarded trademark for the Suburban name in the 80s.
Do the maintenance, put some mellow pipes on her, hit it with some shine juice, and cruise. This is a cool, unique wagon. And, priced for the normal working stiff.
Cool car.Fix the brakes and glass packs and duals.Put a southwestern style seat cover on it and go thru the usual maintenance Items.That’s about it.Fair price glwts.
Nice car and well priced if as described only needing brakes. Which makes me wonder why the seller hasn’t done a brake job prior to putting it on the market. In my experience the investment in a minor repair like brakes pays back a considerable amount more than the cost. Makes it way more salable too. I really like this car. The manual transmission and V8 are right down my alley. Too bad for me that this isn’t on my side of the Country. I agree with the other folks who want to do only what’s needed to get this to a decent driver quality. Please don’t hot rod it.
I don’t think these were offered with a hemi, so the 277 is the best engine on these. I agree with everyone here, get it road-worthy and drive it! And since it’s a stick, no need to worry about a 67-year old PowerFlyte trans to kick the bucket.
I’m pretty sure no Plymouth ever got a Hemi in the 50s
I could see doing a clone of the Hot Rod Garage Plymouth. Not a track only car but something with a crate motor and in street trim.
My Folks bought a red and white 56 Plymouth wagon like this had a V-8 and Push button automatic Car was only a few months old Dad pulled out from our local gas station headed south a north bound car hauling a U-haul trailer broke loose(no safety chains) and side swiped are Wagon from behind drivers door to the tailend was knocked over a good ways lucky nobody was killed insurance fixed the car but poor wagon was never the same after that.
I believe the 277 engine morphed into the 318 poly engine. So I would get a 4 barrel intake manifold and convert it into fuel injection. And nothing wrong with that dash color, it was the 1950s. So I would restore the steering wheel… epoxy filler and repaint.
The headliner is standard. One piece plastic insert panel. Prone to crack and fragile.
From the front I mistook it for a ’55 that Dad, a New England Plymouth man, bought a year prior, fixed the trailer he had & we went Atlanta–Holyoke Mass over 4 days, camping mostly for out grandmother’s wedding to her 2nd cousin a fun trip both ways. The same plastic ceiling, identical from the front, near same colors, just the flat-head 6-cyl. & 3-speed G/B. Great to see this one, thanks.
Picked up a ’68 Barracuda “S” 383 4 speed a couple weeks ago and this wagon would be mine had I not bought it.
Confusing, Deluxe verses Custom. The trim is indeed Deluxe, and not two-toned Custom. But all references indicate Deluxe was the child-safe two-door [Parents bought two-door wagons to protect wee kinder from opening rear doors.] Here is the original sales brochure: https://xr793.org/wp-content/uploads/2018/11/1956-Plymouth-Suburbans.pdf
Redo it as original as possible and drive it like I do my 58 Caballero. Forget the patina, chrome wheels and all the other crap. Hunt for the hard to find period goodies and roll.