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| Plymouth Special Deluxe "1949 " |
Part 12
Description
This extremely cool 1949 Plymouth Special Deluxe is one of those cars that takes time to appreciate. At first glance, it appears to be a nicely done mild custom with some of the usual tricks. Then you look closer and see the original flathead engine under the hood wearing a bunch of period speed equipment. Yeah, that IS cool. Glance inside and savor the exceptionally well-executed and understated interior, complete with a lovely burled walnut dashboard. Not over-wrought, but simply beautiful. Then have a look underneath and notice all the hand-fabrication that went into just the exhaust system, never mind the other pieces. The net effect is a car that doesn’t blow you away all at once, but takes its time, leaving you with a feeling of having been seduced.
The best customs are those that blur the line between what is original and what has been modified, and this one has already won 1st place at the 2009 Detroit AutoRama. To see all the changes on this beautiful coupe, you’d really need to put it side-by-side with an original car, but some of the big changes are easy to spot. The easy stuff includes shaved door handles, tail lights, and hood ornament, as well as a heavily resculpted grille. The new tail lights have been frenched into the rear quarters, along with the power radio antenna, both popular custom tricks that always look great. The paint is about a mile deep, and is a medium blue pearl that has enough sparkle in it to power a small city, although it doesn’t show up very well under the harsh lights in the studio. In true custom car building fashion, final assembly is vastly more precise than the factory work, and as a result the doors fit exactly, the hood shut lines are even, and the deck lid is flush. Someone obviously took their time with this car, but the fact that it was a super-clean show-winning original piece certainly made the job easier.
All the chrome and stainless has been restored to show standards. Those are the original bumpers and a few elements of the original grille remain, but it has been subtly modified to give an entirely new look. That strip down the center of the hood was hand-made and the headlights are modern sealed-beam halogen units inside frenched buckets. All the glass except for the rear window is new.
While most hot rodders wouldn’t think twice about dropping a small block Chevy crate motor under the hood of a car like this, it’s infinitely more impressive when they dare to be different. This Plymouth carries a 230 cubic inch inline-six flathead, which was original equipment. But it’s pretty far removed from stock, with a custom camshaft and a comprehensive bottom end rebuild, plus enough vintage speed equipment to open a small museum. The finned aluminum cylinder head from Edgy Speed Shop matches the air cleaner, which now feeds a pair of Stromberg 97 carburetors on a matching Edgy intake manifold. Check out the cool Eddie Meyer fuel distribution block on the firewall, as well as the matching aluminum oil filter, both retro-looking parts that seem like they belong on this car. Upgrades include a 12 volt electrical system with a polished alternator, a set of hand-fabricated exhaust headers dumping into a custom dual exhaust system with cut-outs, and a lot of stainless hardware throughout.
The chassis is equally exceptional, full of wonderful details and flawless craftsmanship. The transmission is a 3-speed manual with an overdrive unit, so it cruises easily at modern highway speeds, and there’s a beefy Ford 9-inch out back full of 3.25 gears, and frankly, it’s probably overkill on this car. The front suspension appears to be original, although the rear end uses a set of tube shocks that were probably not available in 1949. That beautiful exhaust system I keep talking about truly is a work of art, with beautiful welds and a polished stainless finish that will look great forever. Remote cut-out valves open up a pair of dump tubes or direct flow through a set of vintage cylindrical mufflers for a mellow 1950s tone. The frame and floors have been bathed in matching medium blue pearl paint, while all the running gear has been given a coat of high-gloss black to really stand out. The final detail are those too-cool-to-be-believed spinner hubcaps with the hand-painted checker pattern and a set of 15-inch Michelin wide whitewall radials.
You’re in for a special treat when you climb inside. Simple and stock appearing, the upscale materials and color combination make it something you’ll show off every chance you get. The blue and crimson vinyl has been stitched up in a very 1950s pattern and the combination is incredibly elegant without being flashy. Matching door panels retain the classic Plymouth hardware and window frames, a set of dark blue carpets add formality, and the custom-made headliner is wonderful in its simplicity. Believe it or not, that’s the original dashboard, but it now includes a trio of modern gauges from Classic Instruments in the original openings, and the wood grain finish has been done in a burled walnut pattern that would look more at home in a Bentley than a Plymouth. The factory steering wheel has obviously been restored, and the satin blue finish is a cool spin on the original shiny plastic that was original equipment. A powerful stereo system has been hidden in the dash, and features a CD changer mounted in the trunk. And speaking of the trunk, you’ll find that it has been upholstered to match, complete with a custom blue tire cover. Even the CD changer has been painted to match, adding another detail that will make you love this car even more.
Great cars also include lots of paperwork, and this is most definitely a great car. The package includes an original owner’s manual, original service certificate, heater system manual, radio manual, and other dealership brochures about getting the most out of your new Plymouth. Other factory documents include a service manual and parts list, an accessories catalog, and a radio antenna instruction sheet. There’s also an early copy of “Rodding and Re-Styling” magazine from the late-40s or early-50s that shows a very similar custom Plymouth coupe on the cover. More specific to this car are the big pile of receipts and manuals for all the new components, as well as a huge album full of build photos, as well as a magazine article from Europe. We’ll also include the 1st place trophy from the 2009 Detroit AutoRama, where this was the best Mild Hardtop 49-54.
Take your time looking this one over, and I promise it’ll grow on you. You could spend an afternoon with this car on a lift and still not see every trick and detail that has been thoughtfully built into it. It is also expertly engineered, and drives extremely well. Don’t underestimate the warmed-over flathead, either. It has a great vintage snarl, and moves the lightweight little coupe easily. With the overdrive transmission, highway cruising is effortless, and it actually pulls down pretty good fuel economy to boot. And you’ll simply never get tired of sitting in that gorgeous interior. This is a show-winning custom with exceptional detailing, and that vintage engine will knock everyone out at the next cruise night. Cool customs simply don’t get much better than this.
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