Earlier this month, I wrote up a lovely and mostly original 1949 Plymouth Special Deluxe two door located in Virginia. Yesterday, when I found this 1949 Plymouth Special Deluxe four door I thought I was seeing double, as the car is virtually the identical color, and from the front end picture looks like the same car.
This one is advertised for sale here on eBay as an all original one owner car. It’s for sale in Los Angeles by a classic car dealer who says it is a one owner car and still has the original pink slip with it. With four days to go in the auction, the bidding is only up to $3,700, a very reasonable price for this car.
Evidently, this car had been put away in a garage for some time. The seller did some work to get it running, including removing and resealing the radiator. They also drained out and removed fuel tank and then had it professionally cleaned and resealed.
In addition, the seller installed new spark plugs, a new head gasket, new fuel filter, changed the oil and rebuilt the carburetor.
This old Plymouth is said to run and drive reasonably well, but the seller states that it may need some additional work on the brakes to bring them fully up to snuff.
The body is pretty incredible – it appears to have original paint, no dents, no rust, and all the chrome trim present and in very nice condition.
The interior is original too, but shows some wear and tear, which, considering its age, looks completely reasonable. The fuel gauge does not work and the clock is missing. The radio turns on but does not produce sound (bet it needs a couple tubes).
A new buyer might even prefer to keep the interior as is, to maintain its overall (more or less) “original, as found” look and feel. I don’t think those floor covers are original though, and I wonder what it looks like underneath. And it sure seems unlikely these are the original license plates for this car, but if they are original, how cool is that?
Since it’s a four door sedan, this Plymouth will never be all that valuable in restored condition, so why not keep it in its original-but-worn condition anyway?
This car has a great look to it, and really represents the kind of car many everyday Americans drove in 1949. While many people think these old Plymouths are stodgy looking, it is amazing to find any car of this vintage in such original, drivable condition, and if the price is right, this looks to be a great buy for someone who will be able to say they are only the second owner of a 67 year old car, which is pretty darned cool.
That front end is worthy of a frame!
Looks like a good honest car.
I have a business coupe with 45K orginal miles and original title. Not in this kind of shape but these little P cars are great to work on.
Wow, they must have made a ton of these in this color. There’s one down the street from me that’s been parked there as long as I’ve lived here.
Had a couple of 52 plymouths, they were remarkably easy to work on and dismantle when I eventually parted them out.
Slow, but if engine is in tune, you can’t hear or feel it at idle, and no idiot lights to tell you it had stalled. And 55 mph is a good cruising speed – you would fit in with all those Prius drivers who hog the left lane feeling superior to us who have old fashioned non-hybrids. (And I have nothing against the Prius, a technological feat, albeit not nearly as comfortable a long distance car as a Camry, but the smug drivers are the ones get me PO’d.)
Wow….2 years ago I had the Chrysler Windsor version of this car, same color, but a 2 door hardtop. Second owner. Slightly nicer condition. Dropped $1k getting the brakes and master cylinder sorted (note to anyone contemplating buying a Mopar of this era, wheels cylinders are about $50 a piece and you need six of them). Couldn’t give that car away! All I kept hearing was “too bad it’s got the 6 and not the 8!” After 2 non-paying bidders on Ebay I ended up selling it to a buddy of mine for $2500. Miss that car. Glad this one is doing well, hope the bidders pay!