1933 Plymouth - Crank Hole Cover - how rare is it?

[jalopy]

I was rooting through a box of stuff I picked up at an auction, and came across what I think may be a crank hole cover for a '33 Plymouth. It is about 3 inches in diameter, and has a big numeral '6' stamped in the middle of it.

My question is, how rare is this part, and are they being reproduced, or is this likely an original? Was it used on other Chrysler products, or only Plymouths? thanks.

Jerry Lehman

[Guest martylum]

Jerry-I think the 31 DeSoto SA model may have used a crankhole cover with 6 on it. My 30 Desoto has a similar cover but with no 6 stamped into it.Nobody is reproducing it but if you put on E-bay I guess you'll find out what it's worth. My editing program doesn't like the words crankhole and Desoto-strange......

Marty Lum

[jalopy]

Marty,

thanks for the info. Since it is much larger than the typical crank hole cover, at first I thought it might be a gas cap, horn button, etc, until I saw a '33 grille on eBay, and there it was, staring me in the face.

Jerry

[Guest dgiorgi]

I think there is someone offering these in stainless steel as a replacement. I saw one somewhere while surfing the net and do not recall the site....do a google search. I think they were around 25.00 if memory serves me correct . Of course the original is valued at more especially if it is in good condition and without dents. Lots of rodders buy the replace grille insert and disgard the crank hole cover, there not that hard to come across. Good luck with your item for sale.

[keiser31]

Does it look like this? If so, I would be interested in it. John

keiser31@charter.net

[keiser31]

Oh....you said 3" in diameter....my mistake. Does it has a "raised" 6 or a "depressed" 6?

[Guest msreedp@msn.com]

I have two three inch 1933 Plymouth Rumble Seat Coupe crank hole covers...they came off my car....and they are for sale on E-bay...they are original with a six in the center....when I was restoring my car they were very hard to find...I sold the car 12 years ago and hung on to the two crank hole covers as keepsakes....Thanks....Marion

[GK1918]

For 1933 there were two styles, one with only a raised circle and one with a raised circle with

a raised 6 in the middle made in stainless. I have both styles I have had since these roamed

the roads. Im pretty sure the plain one was for a PC and one with a 6 was PCXX & PD.

They did some strange unexplained things I have had many PDs some with a straight front

bumper and some curved (like a 33 Ford) one with the instument bezel black, and most were

plated. Then the old story about engines that were rebored turned cranks in new autos,

my guess is they had a mfg. flaw and were remaned. Some day I will find a PD sam

[Guest DodgeKCL]

There was only one style of crank hole cover for 1933. It is a stainless steel one piece stamping. It is circular with a 6 and some concentric circles. The edge is rolled and held on the grille by a spring clip. It is not painted. There is no crank hole cover for '33 without a 6. However there are plain rad caps without the mermaid for both PCs and PDs.

There is only one style of bumper for a PD and it has droop in the center. The earlier PC is straight across. The bumperettes for the PC are flat 'paddles' and the PD are formed stampings.

The instrument bezel for the PC is nickel plated brass with aircraft turning on it like an Auburn or Dusenberg. The PD is more main stream and has a temperature gauge something the PC did not have although an optional temp gauge was available that hung under the dash lip.

There was only one engine in North America for '33 Plymouths and it was 189.3 c.i. with a 3 1/8" bore. However for licencing purposes cars going over to Europe had a smaller 2 7/8" bore of the same block. It may also have had a smaller carb.

However with all this being said, Plymouth made several odd versions through the year trying to capture more of the market and to make up for the too short wheelbase of the 1st 1933 Plymouth, the PC. The 2nd 1933 Plymouth,the PD, is really a longer wheelbase,112", '33 Dodge with a '33 Plymouth PC drive train. But there are PCX,PCXX,PDX and PDXX models with too many configurations to mention. And it seems new odd versions are coming out of barns all the time. Especially in Europe.

But the vast majority of '33 Plymouths are the PCs and PDs and all have the same appearance for each type. Options included painted or chromed grilles or rad shells,wood wheels or wire (wire being the most common),upholstery material,right hand tail light,right hand windshield wiper etc. But these are common style PC and PD options and did not change the basic car.

1933 saved Chrysler's bacon and it was the Plymouth that did it. It was the sturdiest,strongest and safest built low price car around and that's why there are so many left considering Ford and Chev sold much greater amounts. Chevs were still made of wood with mechanical brakes and Ford could not stop their engines from overheating and they too had mechanical brakes. It is said that 1 of every 6 new cars on the road in 1933 was a Plymouth PC or PD. It was in 1933 that Chrysler jumped over Ford to take 2nd place until 1948. And it was the 1933 Plymouth that was most responsible.

Edited August 28, 2011 by DodgeKCL (see edit history)