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Montana Barn Find: 1947 Plymouth Special Deluxe

If you’re lucky enough to live somewhere that’s warm year-round, you may not have such a thing as a convertible season as we do here in the upper-Midwest or Northeast part of the U.S. This season is almost here for a lot of us and what better way to escape the worries of the world than taking a drive in a 1947 Plymouth Special Deluxe convertible. This one can be found here on eBay in Lusk, Wyoming and the bids are just over $2,500.

Or, maybe if you’re lucky enough to live somewhere that’s warm year-round, winter is your convertible season because it’s too hot out otherwise. In either case, you could do worse than having six or seven months a year to drive around a convertible like this 1947 Plymouth Special Deluxe. Our own Jim O’Donnell showed us a nice 1947 Plymouth Special Deluxe convertible, also in red, a couple of months ago: i.e., a lifetime ago in 2020 lingo.

This car gives a literal meaning to the term ragtop. The seller says that they found this Plymouth in a barn in Montana recently and isn’t that always the luck – someone else finds these gold nuggets hiding away somewhere. A buyer could get several different body styles including several two-door sedans and coupes, a four-door sedan, wood-clad station wagon, or a convertible. I’m more of a business coupe guy than a convertible guy but like pool or pond, anything would be good

The interior looks like a barn find. I hope that the car was somehow covered in some way to keep the mice out, if that’s even a possibility in a barn. Could the seats and door panels have been redone at some point? They don’t look anything like what would have been available in 1947 to me, but I could be wrong. They would have been leather in a convertible so maybe they are original?

This should be Plymouth’s 217.8 cubic-inch L-head six with 95 hp. They say that it does run and there’s a trunkload of spare parts in the trunk. This really does look like a great, solid project that runs and drives now and you could tinker with it off and on while you’re enjoying it in the meantime. What’s your top dollar on this good looking Plymouth ragtop?

Comments

  1. Avatar photo Rex Kahrs Member

    Nice car Scotty, I’ve always liked this Mopar body style.

    I want to say thanks to you gents for keeping up the good work…it’s a much needed bit of normalcy during this weird time. In some respects this isolation isn’t a lot different than some of the blizzards I’ve lived through, where the snow and extreme temps kept us indoors for weeks on end (with no internet in those days, and not much TV programming either!). But, we knew we’d get through those blizzards, and that’s what makes this a bit different.

    So again we appreciate the site and the comfort it provides. Be safe fellas.

    Like 15
    • Avatar photo Scotty Gilbertson Staff

      Thanks very much, guys! We’re all one big happy family here and that includes the readers.

      Like 5
      • Avatar photo Barry Traylor

        I agree. Checking out these Barn Finds is the bright spot in my day while under house arrest.

        Like 5
  2. Avatar photo bobhess Member

    Always thought these cars were good looking. Nice clean lines and built like a tank. With Rex on his comments. This is going to be a tough one.

    Like 4
  3. Avatar photo canadainmarkseh

    Good morning guys, happy isolation day. I have a 51 hard top and when I was going through the interior work I was surprised at how little it would take to remove the roof. I can see where the convertibles verses the hard tops were either given a roof or a convertible hardware set. The hard top roof is literally held on by spot welds around the package tray. These late 40’s early 50’s cars among some of my favourite. I hope it get a good home where some restoration work gets done. Stay healthy guys. From Mark in the great white north.

    Like 3
  4. Avatar photo Roudy

    My Mother drove a ‘48 four door Plymouth with suicide back doors that we inherited from my Great Aunt. No turn signal, so I remember Mom sticking her arm out the window for turns. As I recall the speedometer changed colors from green to white to red depending on the speed of the vehicle. Dad finally dumped the car in the mid to late ‘60’s cause parts were hard to find. I always thought it had the cool factor.

    Like 3
  5. Avatar photo SMDA

    Wow, what a great car! I would love this, but at my age, it would still be apart when I croak.

    Like 3
  6. Avatar photo Ken Cwrney

    Roudy, I know what you mean about these cars. Owned a ’46 sedan in ’74.
    Paid $50 for it, got it running, and my buddies and I enjoyed it all that summer.
    I bought it with the intent of doing an
    amateur restoration but my love of music
    got in the way. I was on the road so much that I never had time to finish the
    job. Wound up selling to a friend for $500 and a Rickenbacker twin neck guitar! Both the car and my friend are
    out somewhere right now enjoying each
    other’s company. As for this car, I’d restore it and then add one of those
    period correct aftermarket woody kits to
    make it a poor man’s Chrysler Town &
    Country. In its present state, it looks like
    the kinds of cars we used to find in barns
    and garages all over Central Illinois in the
    late ’60s. At the current price, this thing is a screaming bargain. It’s finds like this
    that keep me putt-puttin’ around in my
    workshop ’til all this corona stuff is over.
    Stay safe guys!

    Like 2
  7. Avatar photo Barry Traylor

    I wonder what happened to the hood ornament and Plymouth badge on the nose.

    Like 3
    • Avatar photo moosie

      Its been what they called “nosed” & when they removed the trunk chrome it was called “decked” which this specimen didnt get, probably because of that center mounted brake light. If you look closely you can see some louvers punched in the hood. Also it looks like there may be a set of skirts in the trunk. Very nice car but I’d have to resto-mod it slightly.

      Like 0
      • Avatar photo Barry Traylor

        I know what nosed and decked means. This one wasn’t decked though.

        Like 0
  8. Avatar photo Ben T Spanner

    Notice the lack of rear side windows. My Father bought a 1951 Dodge Wayfarer convertible in December of 1950 because he was afraid the Korean war could stop car production. Same set up, with no rear side windows. We made many car trips all over the eastern US and as far south and west as Texas and Colorado. I had to stick my head forward over the front seat to see all the sights. At least no seat belts to restrict my movement.

    Like 2
    • Avatar photo moosie

      You should have requested Dad to lower the top. Some real nice scenery out west.

      Like 0
  9. Avatar photo BobMck

    Nice find!

    Like 1
  10. Avatar photo Lance

    William Holden. Sunset Boulevard.

    Like 2
  11. Avatar photo Chuck

    If you know what nosed & deck means, you are ‘FREEKING OLD’ Dammit I know what it means. Pass me another beer I’m gonna take the Edsel to a drive-in movie.

    Like 1
    • Avatar photo Barry Traylor

      My second car was a 1954 two door Ford. I nosed and decked myself by putting chewing gum in the holes and put black paint on them. This was in 1962

      Like 0
  12. Avatar photo Chuck

    c

    Like 1
  13. Avatar photo Chuck

    If you know what nosed & deck means you are FREEKING OLD, Damn I know what it means, pass me another beer I’m gonna take the Edsel to a drive-in movie.

    Like 0
  14. Avatar photo moosie

    But first stop by the Sunoco and get 2 bucks worth of 260 @ .27 cents a gallon so you and Betty Lou can cruise on up to the lookout so’s you’s can watch the submarine races after the drive in movie.

    Like 0
  15. Avatar photo Scotty Gilbertson Staff

    Auction update: this one ended at $7,100 and no sale.

    Like 0

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