[FWDLK] Plymouths suffering from upper front fender rust-through

["richard main" <shelldrakelimited@xxxxxxxxxxxxx>]

Two of my '56 Plymouths have excellent plastic front fenders that are
hard to tell from the steel originals.  I was told that Sears Roebuck
and others sold these for $25 each.  These, of course, never rust.

Richard
23 '55-'56 Plymouths



> I would agree with you Bill.  My father worked at a Plymouth-Desoto
> dealership from '55-'58 and he tells the same tales.  He also remembers
> several '57 Plymouths suffering from upper front fender rust-through BEFORE
> the '58 Plymouths had hit the market! (Including his aunt's car whose '57
> Savoy actually "dropped" a headlight assembly in late '57).  The dealership
> primarily attributed the poor sales in '58 to customer dissatisfaction with
> the '57 models. Personally, I think the fact that rust has claimed so many
> of the FL cars only increases the collectibility of the ones that survived.
> I mean, if everywhere you looked you saw a FL car (i.e. a '57 Chevy), how
> "special" would they be?  Viva La Difference!
>
> Jim Pennington
>
> -----Original Message-----
> From: TheCarNutz@xxxxxxx <TheCarNutz@xxxxxxx>
> To: L-FORWARDLOOK@xxxxxxxxxxxxx <L-FORWARDLOOK@xxxxxxxxxxxxx>
> Date: Sunday, January 30, 2000 1:05 PM
> Subject: Re: [FWDLK] 58 Mopar rust problem? Fact, Fiction, or just way
> overstated?
>
>
>  >Although most of the current owners on the list are infactuated with their
> 57
>  >to 59 fin cars and may find it hard to accept, these cars had a much
> deserved
>  >bad reputation for being rust buckets.  I was a teen ager when these cars
>  >were new, and even worked one summer at a Dodge dealership as a parts
> chaser.
>  > As others have pointed out, design changes and very sloppy workmanship
> were
>  >contributing factors.  Not only did they rust out prematurely, the fit and
>  >finish on the cheap interiors was a common complaint, as was the leaks and
>  >rattles.  The 57's were the worst, and due to so many complaints the
> factory
>  >did improve on the 58's and more on the 59's.  And although other cars of
>  >that era had inherent rust problems expecially around the head lights,
> rocker
>  >panels and lower quarter panels, none seemed to suffer the consequenses of
>  >the "salt & cinders" as much as the Mopars.  It was often said by Mopar
>  >diehards of the time, " if Chrysler Corp would just build the chassis,
>  >suspension and drive train, and send it out and let someone else build the
>  >body and put in the interior", it would be the perfect car!
>  >                                    Bill B.
>  >