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Expert
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Location: NY & VT | I particularly like '56 Plymmies, and keep an eye on the listings here, but have noticed an odd scarcity of them in the "Vehicles For Sale" and "CL & eBay" sections over the past year or more (take a look!), even in comparison to '56 Dodge, DeS and Chrysler. Which seems very strange, considering that they far out-sold all the other MoPar makes consistently every year, and by a large margin. Is it that folks here aren't into them or don't tend to post them even when they see them? Or they fell apart at a higher rate or were junked as not rare, or worth saving? Opinions? |
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Location: Parts Unknown | It has been my observation that 55's survived on 5:1 ratio
over similar 56's. A trend I think is true for all finned cars ...
a car with fins was more likely to be junked during the out-
of-style years cycle that all old cars go through. It was just
one more (glaring) reason to want that embarrassing old junk
pile traded in or hauled off. As a result, the 56 Plymouths
attracted that much more negative attention and perhaps
fewer survive.
My own personal view, is that 56 Plymouth (in the larger
scheme of ALL Forward Look cars to be considered) is pretty
boring. If I am going to dump the cubic dollars into fixing
up a FL car, I would choose something more "dramatic". Not
sure if others see it this way, but it might be a factor ? Not
to say a 56 Plymouth is ugly. I will bet it was pretty exciting
when they were in the showrooms. But 57 was a game changer
and from latter day perspective, the 56 is pretty sedate in
comparison. |
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Expert 5K+
Posts: 9918
Location: Lower Mainland BC | I like the look of the 56 Plymouths (too). I like the big fin taillights (compared to the taillights on the 55 Canadian Plodge that I had from 1967- 1972 (when I was 16 to 21). I also like the simplicity of the front end grill, etc design.
I was looking for a 56 Plymouth 2dr hardtop V8 auto when I was looking to buy in Aug/Sept 2016 (just over a year ago). I found two 56 Plymouths for sale in Canada and a handful in the US. None of them met my criteria. There is only one on Autotrader Classic.com right now and it was for sale when I was looking.
https://classics.autotrader.com/classic-cars/1956/plymouth/other_ply...
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Elite Veteran
Posts: 1155
Location: somerville mass | my family lived week to week on dads pay plus my mom selling avon and taking in peoples wash. dad was a Pontiac
man " dollar for dollar - you cant beat a Pontiac! " I was born in 54 taken home in a 49 he had a 53 and a 54 and a 56
but when looking. for a wagon in 1965 at a ford dealer while mustangs were flying off the lot for 595 he bought a cherry
56 Plymouth suburban wagon 277 powerflite no radio. 11 yrs old wanted a radio put in a motorola 20 bucks. blue/white
lasted a long time I drove it my jr yr of hs. he couldn't afford a demo 64 country sedan. |
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Expert
Posts: 3780
Location: NorCal |
I got my '56 Coupe but I still lust for a '56 Suburban 2-door wagon.
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Expert 5K+
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Location: Lower Mainland BC | 57chizler - 2017-12-16 6:05 PM
I got my '56 Coupe but I still lust for a '56 Suburban 2-door wagon.
Nice Savoy (?) coupe. Like the wheels. (I am lusting after Torquethrusts)
2drs like these?
http://findclassicars.com/plymouth/20703-1956-plymouth-suburban-2-d...
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Expert 5K+
Posts: 9699
Location: So. Cal | Hardtop '56 Plymouths are much more difficult to find than a hardtop Dodge. '56 Plymouths with power steering or power brakes are also very rare. So if you are looking for a hardtop with comfort options, you will be looking a very long time. But you can swap a lot of that stuff from a Dodge. |
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Expert
Posts: 1207
Location: Ponder, TX | The first new car I ever drove was a '56 Belvedere 4-door sedan, 277, PowerFlite, no power steering or brakes, but a search-tune radio. It was yellow and white like the pictures above. Dad traded in a '51 Cranbrook, and was planning on buying a '57, but they weren't introduced yet, and when the dealer showed him a picture, he thought it was too radical, so he decided to buy the '56.
The first night he brought it home with 50 miles on the odometer, I had to take my mother to a meeting and I spent two hours seeing how quick and fast it was. I loved that car, so when I wanted a FWL car, that's the only model I searched for, and you are correct, there were not many to be had in any condition, but I bought a 2-door hardtop that should have been a parts car, an after close to ten years, it's still under construction.
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Extreme Veteran
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Location: Invermere B.C. Canada - Rocky Mountains | 57chizler - 2017-12-16 4:05 PM I got my '56 Coupe but I still lust for a '56 Suburban 2-door wagon.
Plymouth (or a Plodge, best of both worlds) Excuse me while I bask in gloating. :inlove: (Before construction started)
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Expert
Posts: 3967
Location: DFW, TX | When I was about 8 years old (1985ish), I rode my bike past a gas station and saw a turquoise/black 1956 Belvedere 2dr hardtop. I'd never seen anything like it. What really drew my eye was the crazy tangle of trim and color on the door. It was wild then, and wild now.
Good observation, you really never see these available. |
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Expert
Posts: 3155
Location: NY & VT | Been away for the holidays... thanks for the discussion.
I'd agree with the feeling that '56s Plyms are boring when compared with the '57s!
But I'm old enough to remember when the '55s and '56s were unveiled and they were a sensation at the time,
You want some boring Mopars, the "high hat" '49s to '54s were REALLY boring, so what came afterwards in 55/56
seemed quite radical, and I can remember how cool they seemed at the time. Of course the '57s were mind blowing!
But for me the '56s have enough flash and few of them seem to be being saved, even in comparison to 1956 Dodges
DeSotos and Chryslers, a fact which I find very striking, given that their production #s were far far higher!
And they bring back an era that is special for me, starting school, Scouts, lots of things.
What I also like is the superior ergonomics of the '55/56s their higher
seat height, headroom, and entry height are much better nowadays for this getting-old man.
Edited by firedome 2017-12-29 8:21 AM
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Expert 5K+
Posts: 5007
| they seem to be rare, maybe because they were a "cheap" car? and the dodge wasn't much more money?
I think the 56 Plymouth is a great looking car, right up there with the Merc. |
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Expert
Posts: 1267
Location: San Antonio TX | I never thought they were rare. I browse Craigslist almost every day and there are almost always more 56 Plymouths than any other FL vehicle except for the 55 and maybe the 59 Plymouths! They're also among the most affordable FL's you see on Craigslist too; all of the 55's and 56's are very affordable. I almost never post links in the 'Craigslist/Ebay' sections because they don't really seem to generate much interest. Here: https://dallas.craigslist.org/dal/cto/d/56-plymouth/6417682314.html https://phoenix.craigslist.org/nph/cto/d/1956-plymouth-sport-suburban/6438004427.html https://minneapolis.craigslist.org/ank/cto/d/1956-plymouth-savoy-4-door/6408743229.html] https://minneapolis.craigslist.org/hnp/cto/d/1956-plymouth-plaza-2dr-and/6371796586.html https://columbia.craigslist.org/cto/d/1956-plymouth-belvedere/6413124827.html https://grandrapids.craigslist.org/cto/d/1956-plymouth-belvedere/6425079266.html https://losangeles.craigslist.org/sfv/cto/d/1956-plymouth-trade-me-your/6438913034.html https://sandiego.craigslist.org/nsd/cto/d/1956-plymouth-savoy-rat-rod/6408725004.html https://losangeles.craigslist.org/sfv/cto/d/1956-plymouth-low-miles-daily/6402869621.html https://losangeles.craigslist.org/sgv/cto/d/1956-plymouth-surf-wagon/6412682301.html https://poconos.craigslist.org/cto/d/1956-plymouth/6421835069.html https://chambersburg.craigslist.org/cto/d/1956-plymouth/6412261718.html https://syracuse.craigslist.org/ctd/d/1956-dodge-mayfair/6406779074.html (Plodge) https://salem.craigslist.org/cto/d/1956-plymouth-savoy/6439547658.html https://portland.craigslist.org/grg/cto/d/1956-plymouth/6434434956.html https://portland.craigslist.org/clc/cto/d/1956-plymouth-savoy/6390125059.html https://nwct.craigslist.org/cto/d/1956-plymouth-belvedere/6414214546.html https://hartford.craigslist.org/cto/d/1956-plymouth-savoy-possible/6410002918.html] As someone already mentioned, I think the market is just more receptive to the 'less boring' 57 and 58 FL's, so the 55's and 56's get overlooked even though they are still great looking vehicles.
Edited by drosera88 2017-12-29 11:11 AM
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Expert 5K+
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Location: Lower Mainland BC | Not a mudflap fan but going through some of those plymouth posts, I understand their potential benefit now:
WITH:
WITHOUT:
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Expert
Posts: 1267
Location: San Antonio TX | 56D500boy - 2017-12-29 10:38 AM
Not a mudflap fan but going through some of those plymouth posts, I understand their potential benefit now:
WITH:
WITHOUT:
You know I didn't take too close a look at the ads, but that first one with the mudflaps is in incredibly good shape for it's age. Those floorboards are pristine! $3500 ain't bad either if you got the time to get it running again! |
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Expert 5K+
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Location: Lower Mainland BC | drosera88 - 2017-12-29 12:15 PM
You know I didn't take too close a look at the ads, but that first one with the mudflaps is in incredibly good shape for it's age. Those floorboards are pristine! $3500 ain't bad either if you got the time to get it running again!
Ahead of you. I archived the photos of the floor boards of the blue and white 56 Belvie they were so nice. Great shape. Good price.
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Expert 5K+
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Location: So. Cal | That 4dr Belvedere in the 4th link has power brakes! Not often do you see that on a '56 Plymouth.
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Expert
Posts: 3155
Location: NY & VT | I'd be all over that Michigan one if it had a V8 and PS. The good thing is that even pretty nice '56s sell for reasonable, especially if a 4 dr.
My original point referred largely to the fact that production was roughly:
Chrysler - 120k
DeSoto - 120k
Dodge - unknown, no #s published, my bet is around 250 - 300k, anyone know?
Plymouth - 400+ k
So Plym way outnumbers the rest, what's out there doesn't seem to reflect that,
or at least decent ones.
Edited by firedome 2017-12-30 4:39 PM
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odd '56 Plym scarcity?
