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Fill In The Blanks: 1956 Chrysler Coupe

Sometimes the toughest part of this job is filling between the lines in the ads.  Sellers often don’t know quite what they have, or they do, and they expect the buyer to know everything.  Then you have us, the writers, who kind of think we are knowledgeable when it comes to cars.  However, we are often schooled by the resident brand experts here on Barn Finds.  We are proud to say that our readers are some of the most learned car experts on the planet.  That’s why we are going to have our readers fill in the craigslist ad for this 1956 Chrysler coupe located in Boulder City, Nevada.   The seller has given us the basics, but we want you to fill in the blanks by telling us what was neglected in the ad and what, if anything is incorrect.  With an asking price of $7,500, maybe a little information injection will be all that is needed to get this car to a new owner.  Thanks go to Adam C for the find!

The ad, which has only two pictures attached to it, states that the car is a 1956 Chrysler 250.  It appears that this was determined by looking at the numbers on the quarter panel.  We are also told that the car packs a 331 cubic inch “poly motor” with a four-barrel carburetor.  Backing that up is a two-speed “power flight” push button transmission.  The seller also states that early Hemi heads fit this motor. We are also told that the car has new brakes and tires all around.  This barn find is reported to be capable of driving anywhere as is.  Even the gauges work!  In another positive note, there is very little rust in the floors.  The car does, however, need a good paint job and upholstery. So, what would you add or correct?  Do the pictures give you any clues?  Let us know what you think the ad needs in the comments section!

Comments

  1. HoA Howard A Member

    Lots of blanks to fill in with this beauty. In ’56, this was the hottest stick in NASCAR. Carl Kiekhaefer, of Mercury outboards fame, raced a couple of these, and literally cleaned up. He was a pretty amazing guy. He hired the best driver at the time, Tim Flock, and of the 40 some races, he won over 20, which drew some raised eyebrows. I believe, for ’57, he got into an argument with NASCAR officials, and told them to “stick it where sun don’t shine”,( I could just see him doing that, I’m told he was that kind of guy) and went into boat racing, his original passion. I delivered to Mercury Marine(or picked up, I forget) in Fond du lac, Wis. and while I never saw Carl, I think he was gone by the ’80’s, I heard, he would always buy the truck drivers lunch.
    There were so many really nice road cars back in the mid-’50’s, and this was one of the best. Can you imagine trying to make a choice back then?
    https://www.flickr.com/photos/thehenryford/5413478418

    Like 13
  2. Avatar Beatnik Bedouin

    Nice car; shame it’s not a Hemi…

    Like 3
    • Avatar Roger

      331 poly, basically a hemi all you need to do is switch heads and there you go. Same block and everything!

      Like 4
  3. Avatar geomechs Member

    The ’55 Chrysler was definitely my favorite for the 50s cars, but the ’56 placed a close 2nd. My uncle had the Chrysler-Plymouth franchise from the war to early ’59. He drove a ’56 Chrysler that had a 3-tone paint job: teale blue, black and salmon. Sounds kind of crazy but it looked pretty good. I wish I had a full picture of it but all I’ve got are rear quarter. If I was to come across a car like this one, chances are that it would have the same 3-tone scheme that my uncle had….

    Like 5
  4. Avatar Uncle Bob

    This is the kind of ad that is a magnet for those outfits that inundate some sellers with emails offering to “Sell your car for you on our world famous website….”

    Pisses some sellers off, but they can’t figure out that their minimalist ad doesn’t appeal to serious buyers like they think it will, just to the guys who know crappy marketing when they see it. Reminds me of the people who use a ball point pen, write their address and the words “garage sale” on a white paper plate, tack it on a tree or post, and expect people driving by at 35 mph to be able to read it.

    Like 9
  5. Avatar Chris Kennedy

    This car would be the perfect one for a modern frame swap, modern suspension and modern HEMI!

    Restore the interior to original style, new chrome bits, finish as new. Leave the exterior paint but re-chrome and polish everything!
    Add your favorite wheels and tires..then proceeded to blow the doors off every car you meet at a red light!

    Thank you Howard A for your info!

    Chris

    Like 5
  6. Avatar Don H

    Please don’t do that.

    Like 2
  7. Avatar Johnfromct

    Something doesn’ t sound right. The 331 is a hemi. but for 1955. In 1956, it was increased, to 360 ci or so (memory?). So, not sure this one hasn’t had an engine swap.

    Like 2
  8. Avatar Boss351

    This looks to be a 1956 Chrysler Windsor with the 331 Spitfire V8. In 1956, the hemi was a 354 ci motor. The 354 for 1956 was also offered in certain models with polyspheric heads rather than hemi heads. The combustion chambers on these had similarities to both hemi and wedge heads, but were closer in weight to wedge heads. I believe motor this carried over to 1957 but was increased to 392 ci for some models in 1957.

    Like 6
    • Avatar Bruce Fischer

      I just got rid of a 56 Chrysler Windsor. She had the 331.She had plenty of pick up and go. Bruce.

      Like 3
  9. Avatar Pete Phillips

    Boss351 is correct. The Windsor in 1956 had the 331; the New Yorker had the 354 hemi. This car is a Windsor with the somewhat rare “power pack” denoted by the “250” on the rear quarters. That is the horsepower with the 4-barrel. The basic Windsor had a 2-barrel.

    Like 9
  10. Avatar Vance

    1956 Chrysler Windsor Newport hardtop coupe (no such thing as a ’56 Chrysler 250). 10,800 built. The “250” shows it has the optional 250-horsepower engine (standard was 225). Engine is a 331 poly head V8 (the Hemi, enlarged to 354 cubic inches for ’56, went in the higher-end New Yorker and 300B). The ’56 poly engine used the earlier 331 Hemi block but with different (less complex and cheaper to make) heads. As such, the poly was well suited to the entry-level Chrysler Windsor.

    Like 0
    • Avatar Nivek48

      250 was a package. 331 Poly motor with 4bbl and dual exhaust. My Dad had one with power windows, white Nassau 2dr with black and gold interior.

      Like 0
  11. Avatar Del

    Too much money for all the rust.

    Enlargen the pics and you will see what I mean

    Like 2
  12. Avatar Ed Andrzejewsji

    Never heard of a 250 ! Nice car tho !!

    Like 0

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