One of the most popular video genres in the car world asks the following question: “Will it run?” Intrepid filmmakers of widely varying abilities in the dissimilar crafts of videography and auto mechanics will find a long-dormant old car and, as you might expect, try to get it running. Those films are a guilty pleasure for many of us, and I’ll watch until I scream “Stop cranking it! Find out what’s wrong first! Why don’t you clean the points before you burn out the starter?!?” Indeed, this beautifully original 1941 Plymouth needs some assistance from a mechanic with the patience to free its stuck engine. The seller says that “the car was running and driving in recent years with many new parts and repairs,” but those years are gone and it’s time to break out the Marvel Mystery Oil. Our friend T.J. found this P11 on Marketplace in Rapid City, South Dakota, and it will take $9,500 to take it home, preferably on a trailer.
Here’s the engine, a 201-cubic-inch flathead six with 87 or 92 (optional) horsepower. The seller mentions that this engine is notorious for sticking valves, which may be the culprit when it comes to its current status as a non-runner. If that’s the case, it may be worth the money to buy a head gasket and find the problem rather than wasting time trying to work through a spark plug hole. Of course, you’d be buying this car with the knowledge that the damage may be terminal, but because the rest of the car is so decent, it’s probably worth the risk.
The upholstery, glass, and all weatherstripping has been replaced, and the headliner is virtually perfect, nothing like the broken-down, mouse-eaten fabric you might expect.
Every picture the seller posts shows a solid car with original or very old paint. Aside from the engine, this is a slam-dunk no-brainer for anyone who likes prewar Plymouths. Over 500,000 Plymouths were manufactured for the 1941 model year, but how often do you see one? How about one so clean and original?
A basic Plymouth sedan sitting in a salvage yard on the snow-marked prairie of Rapid City, South Dakota, is almost hopelessly romantic. I think of the conclusion of the Alfred Hitchcock classic North by Northwest, Cary Grant and Eva Marie Saint clinging desperately to Mt. Rushmore in a harrowing effort to escape the baddies who were stealing American secrets. I think of lonely drives down a gravel road with my six-volt headlights losing the battle against the encroaching dusk. If this Plymouth were mine, I’d get it running and leave it alone, letting it transport me to a time and place that’s long past, but is still a little bit accessible thanks to an automobile.
I’m a lot more interested in the 1960 Plymouth parked behind it.
I’ll take the ’64 Chrysler Town & Country hardtop wagon.
Growing up in the 3rd row seat of a 1961 Plymouth, I’m right there with you Kendra.
Yeah 1960 Plymouth and it’s a wagon ta boot.Many times all the way in back, as next to youngest of 7 kids,and 2 older cousins, who lived with us.Oh and one of those always back there with 3 more of us, was always car sick so Mom kept bucket back there cause once she started puking all 4 of us were puking, because of smell and noise.YUCK
Ditto! There’s also, if you look at the Facebook add, a really nice looking ’63 Chrysler 300 behind it.
@Aaron. I know myself included there are several members here who like those videos. One of my favorites is Derek from Vice Grip Garage. He takes a common sense approach to reviving long dormant vehicles even looking in the trunk before under the hood to see what extra or taken off parts were stashed in the trunk to get a hint as to why it was parked in the first place. Then looks at everything including seeing if its seized or not by hand with a ratchet handle or breaker bar before even trying.
Anyways back to this Plymouth it looks solid, even the headliner like you pointed out is in great shape. I’m with you, I’d get it running, reliable, clean it up, maybe even try and get some life in the paint and enjoy it!!! Nice find, great article too.
Thank you! I love Vice Grip Garage, although his videos are getting a little long these days. I think this Friday’s pushed two-and-a-half hours! Still, on cold evenings in February, there isn’t much else going on anyway.
I like to watch Davin from Traverse City Michigan. He does all of the Redline Rebuilds for Hagerty Insurance. Always entertaining and knowledgeable.
I love those videos, too. Davin seems like a down-to-earth guy with no real ego, and he admits his mistakes (and pays for it in the comments, I’m sure).
From what I’ve heard about YouTube, they now reward watch time, so everyone seems to be releasing feature length films instead of a series of 30 minute videos. This one looks to fit into the “will it run and drive xxx miles home” genre. I would wager it could be done, and the headliner won’t get in your teeth.
Assuming the video is a real human doing narration and not some AI bot. You Tube is becoming full of AI garbage.
Sweet! Seller also mentions that he has a replacement engine for sale if you don’t want to monkey with the one in the car.
Needs a modern hemi
Coming from a youngster no doubt. Have you ever heard the sweet song coming from the tailpipe of an L Head Chrysler six? Not ever car needs to be about speed.
That would make it a great driver.
The biggest problem with the car is the price, the market for cars like this is collapsing, it would be a hard sell even if running.
Steve R
Very true, but I wonder what this seller would actually sell the car for. You always start high, but I can’t help but guess that something closer to five or six might take this home.
Aaron, generally that is the case, but the seller is a salvage yard. They tend to operate on a different principle, set a high price, then wait. Overhead in rural areas is minimal, they don’t need to move much merchandise with their high margins. Many of these places have cars that have been sitting for decades, if they were willing to negotiate or set reasonable prices that wouldn’t be the case.
I prefer to set a price based on the market, then turn it over and use the money to get something else. Only if something is truly rare, which most items aren’t regardless of what a seller says, and desirable is it worth the extra time and effort. One of my friends would put it, would you rather make the short nickel or long dime.
Steve R
I grew up in the backseat of this same car, although my dad’s had a 440/727 in it. We went all over the Pacific Northwest towing a travel trailer hitting every rod run we could every weekend in summer, sometimes making 2 or 3 stops. If this car was closer to me…
I thought of you as soon as I saw this.
Hi Fred! Man I wish we could go back to those runs. So much fun.
I agree Aaron. Sometimes it takes me a week just to get through one. At least it doesn’t give people the false idea you can restore something in 20 minutes. But yes, in winter its easier to buy out the time to get through them.
This is one I would love to Tinker with and see if I can get it running with some really old school methods involving vinegar and diesel fuel, I haven’t tried today’s diesel fuel to see if it works the same but when I was in diesel mechanics in high school the 55 gallons drums we got our diesel in were stamped kerosene overall looks like a fun car
My first car, bought for $10 to practice driving on the farm and woods trails around the property. There was a dip for water drainage the we used to jump like the dukes of hazard. It was a tough old bird and still running we it went to the scrap yard. Didn’t look so good though.
Looks familiar. Seems like a decent price even with the iffy engine. Especially considering the new upholstery and glass/weatherstripping. I sure love my 1940 Plymouth, but I fear the market for these old cars is rapidly diminishing. Buyers are aging out, after all, these cars are 85 years old.
A now deceased buddy of mine had a thing for 1940 Plymouths. He bought his first, a faded gray 2 door sedan that had a very moldy smell. We suspected that it had been a flood victim. When he opened the fresh air vent for the first time, an old sock blew out. It was his commute to college car for two years. He kept the Bill of Sale in the glove compartment. When the car died, he signed the Bill of Sale, stuck it on the steering column and walked away. That car was replaced with a very nice black ’40 Plymouth Opera Coupe with folding rear seats. When purchased, both cars were the same age as my buddy.
Despite it’s age, the latter car served him well, needing only routine service, a battery and tires. Not bad for a 22 year old car. In later years, he regretted selling it.
This must be one of the cars they’re selling as they prepared to close the Motion Unlimited Auto Museum near Rapid City SD.
As a young man, I couldn’t wait for the latest issue of Cars & Parts just to see all the goodies they were selling and trading back then. (1982-1985) After that, they moved to the National
Auto Trader, where you saw more of their inventory. In fact, that’s where I found the ’55 Pontiac ambulance I used as a subject for one of the prints I made in 2005. It was in one of their picture ads along with a ’39 Chevy sedan and many other cars that I can’t recall just now. And as someone said before me, the owners are aging out of the hobby and want to retire. To me, it will be sad to see it go.
The classic line: It ran when parked” When you take the head off, make sure you give it hardened valve seats with today’s fuel.
I was told no need for hard seats, these engines were hard seated from the factory.
Used to see LOTS of ’41 Plymouths still on the road in regular service — even into the 1970s — for SOME reason, far more ’41s than ’40s, though they were basically the same, except for the framing of the grille. The “heart” shape around the 1941, on both the Plymouth and the DeSoto, I always liked. This looks like a very nice example — however, not running, the price is way too high. I’ve seen many 1941 Plymouths, but not that many ’41 DeSotos. Where I lived 60 years ago, there was a green 1941 Plymouth at a nearby home, and one often encountered it in grocery store parking lots, and elsewhere (you know, at the Grand Union and the A&P). Not long ago, I passed by that same house… and there, in the yard next to the garage, was that same green 1941 Plymouth… all dull and faded, sitting on four flat tyres, wheels sunk into the ground up to the hubcaps (which are still there). So, it would appear that younger generations of the same family still own that house, and somewhere along the way, the old Plymouth got retired for causes unknown to me. Nature most likely is reclaiming it gradually. But there is something oddly re-assuring about seeing a 1941 Plymouth.
I apologise– I stand corrected — the 1941 Desoto more closely resembles the ’41 Dodge. Where did I get the idea that it looked like a dressed-up ’41 Plymouth? Did I DREAM that, years ago? I’m totally CONFUSED, now (seems to happen a lot more, lately!)
I have a beautiful jet black 1941 Plymouth coupe I bought a few years ago for $6500. Runs and drives like a top, parade ready, this would make a great parts car in case something ever happened to my coupe. Seriously I can’t see it being worth more than $5000. even with todays inflated prices.
I have a 1940 Plymouth and one difference between the 40 and 41 is the front hood. The 40 model has a winged hood, where the 41 has a one piece hood. Never noticed this before. The one piece hood is a big improvement over the two piece winged hood. Was quite a struggle getting the two piece hood off so I could remove the radiator to have it re-cored.
Spend a week or so with kerosene or Rislone on the piston tops. Meanwhile, give the body a light, gentle scrubbing and a few coats of ArmorAll. When the crank turns, light it up for a while, maybe even drive it a little. Do a compression test and if OK, you’re on your way in your “Survivor.”
Now, if I just weren’t six years older than the car, …
By the way. I have been told by Mopar lovers that my 41 Plymouth does not need to be rebuilt and have hard seats added as they were hard seated from the FACTORY. No need to run lead additive in these engines. Tell me if they are wrong???
Everything I’ve read says that they do have hardened exhaust seats from the factory, but I’ve never worked on one personally. With that being said, I can’t imagine having to worry about exhaust valve recession on a flathead six that’s being driven a couple thousand miles a year (with light valve spring pressures), even if it didn’t have hardened seats.
Hello, Will! I definitely GET that “six years older than the car”! Ain’t it strange: once we truly get to a place in our hearts where we treasure and miss what used to be commonplace, we then are also too old to do anything serious about preserving what remains! I agree that the price is too high on this one. The condition is nice — EXCEPT THAT IT DOESN’T RUN. If it ran and drove, then it would be WELL worth the price! There must have been something special about the 1941 Plymouth — since so many of them out-lived the 1946-’48 models. Come to think of it, ’41 Fords and Chevrolets lasted a long time, too.
Definitely overpriced by at least 5K.
One deep concern I would have on this one. Clearly, someone took the time, effort, and expense, to refurbish the interior and address any leaks: what made them give up and send it to a salvage yard? Is there perhaps more to that stuck engine, than they are telling us?
I showed the pics of this car to a car detailing friend of mine, he said with some of the products he has at work he feels he can get a decent shine out of this car.