Dynaflash8 Posted January 6, 2003 Share Posted January 6, 2003 In 1955 my Dad helped me get a flashier car. It was a blue & gray 1952 Plymouth Belvedere Hardtop coupe. The Belvedere was introduced in 1951 as Plymouth's entry into the "hardtop convertible" field introduced by Buick in 1949. The hardtop had become wildly successful and every manufacturer wanted one. Ford also made it into the hardtop field with it's Victoria in 1951, but Mercury and Lincoln didn't get there until 1952. The 1951 Belvedere had a fairly standard color combination. The top was one color down to the tops of the doors and the bottom another color. The 1952 Belvedere was wildly different.The wild 1952 Plymouth paint scheme consisted of the hood, front fenders, doors part of the rear quarter and all of the rear fenders was one color while the top and part of the rear quarter and all of the trunk lid were another color. The colors were separated by a stainless steel molding that ran from the rear quarter window in a nice curve, down the quarter to the rear bumper.I joined AACA in 1962 and have been a member ever since, becoming a life member in 1974 or 1975. Over these many years and certainly hundreds of car shows, junkyards, flea markets throughout almost every state in the Union I've seen maybe a half dozen of these cars.For Christmas my wife gave me a book on cars in the 50s, and there was a two-page spread with a blue & gray Belvedere just like mine. They only came in three color combinatins, which were bronze top & tan bottom, black top and chartreus bottom and gray top & blue bottom.How many readers know where there is one of these cars today? Can you remember ever seeing one since you've been an old car enthusiast? Do you even know another club member or old car enthusiast who has one? I have no idea how many were built, because Plymouth has lumped all of the 1951-52 production numbers together. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest BruceW Posted January 6, 2003 Share Posted January 6, 2003 There are a couple pics of a 1952 Plymouth Belvedere Hardtop coupe with the paint scheme you decribe at the following URL:http://www.cambridgeautolivery.com/info/1952PlymouthBelvedere.htm It is evidently owned by the CambridgeMovieCars.com that rents vintage cars for period films to production companies. Their main homepage is:http://www.cambridgeautolivery.com/intro.htm Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dynaflash8 Posted January 6, 2003 Author Share Posted January 6, 2003 Bruce: I don't know how in the world you found that car in the wide universe of the Internet. In any case, I believe the paint scheme and color of that car is incorrect. I did see quite a few of these cars in the late 1950s around Washington, DC, but have seen extremely few since joining the hobby. All of the original (in service) cars I ever saw were painted in the three schemes I mentioned. To be correct (not knowing the inside color) this car would have to have the lower color in chartreuse (lime green). Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tom Deering Posted January 6, 2003 Share Posted January 6, 2003 Dynaflash8, The Standard Catalog of American Cars 1946 - 1975, lists 51,266 examples of this model built during the '51 - '52 model year. That was a reasonable production run especially when you consider it only covered 18 months. By sheer coincidence, that production closely parallels the total production run of first generation Thunderbirds that came out two years later. The T-bird production run was forty months. Best estimates puts their survival rate somewhere between 30% - 40%. This makes them common as flies! I agree, the Plymouth is indeed a rare find today. What causes one marque to survive and the other to sink into oblivion? We can only speculate and share opinions. I'll tell you this much for sure; It certainly isn't because of occupant comfort! Tom Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dynaflash8 Posted January 7, 2003 Author Share Posted January 7, 2003 Hey Tom, when I traded mine on a 55 Ford Fairlane in '58 it was using a quart of oil in 30 miles! Think that has anything to do with today's rarity? <img src="http://www.aaca.org/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/smile.gif" alt="" /> Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Smartin Posted January 7, 2003 Share Posted January 7, 2003 That can also be related to the amount of rust free 70's GM hardtops and sedans - specifically in the rear window and trunk/quarter areas.Adam Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dynaflash8 Posted January 7, 2003 Author Share Posted January 7, 2003 Smartin: I'm in process of restoring a 1971 Buick Riviera (major project). The rear window area did not seem to have leaked like most of them, but yet the trunk floor was no more than crochet. But, that's changing the subject, and I don't want to do that. Sofar nobody has any recollection of seeing one of these cars at a show? Don't know a fellow member who has one? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
R W Burgess Posted January 7, 2003 Share Posted January 7, 2003 Dynaflash, Isn't that the same year Plymouth that was at the Manassas Va. show this year that I liked so much? I can't put my hand on the picture. Wayne Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tom Deering Posted January 7, 2003 Share Posted January 7, 2003 Dynaflash8, You hit on something with your recollection of excessive oil consumption. My first new car was a '53 Ford OHV six. It had good care and reasonably conservative usage.Early in '55, Consumers Report had a feature on motor oil. The report said that the brand I was using (Sunoco, I think) caused excessive varnish deposits. They recommended the use of this latest "whiz bang" detergent oil from Mobil (I think).So this naieve teen-ager makes the change. Within a couple thousand mies, the oil consumption went from zero to a quart every 150-200 miles. The car had less than 40,000 miles and needed an overhaul. A couple years later I purchased a '52 Chevy from a meticulous, mature machinist who had to rebuild that engine at about the same time and mileage. During that era, there was rapid development in vehicle design and automotive chemicals as well. I suspect my experience was repeated many times, which contributed to the extaordinary attrition rate of '52 and '53 cars. People simply replaced them instead of repairing them. An illustration of the abnormal attrition may be found in our AACA Winners book. There are less than 200 winners in Class 26D out of the millions of units produced during '52 & '53. There appears to be a significantly smaller number of these years than there is for the preceeding two model years or the next two model years. Why? You might have stumbled upon an obscure piece of modern (?) automotive history. I wonder if any other Medicare Jocks have recollection of new cars and fluids(gas, oil, anti-freeze) that would prove or disprove this theory. Tom Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Paul S Posted January 7, 2003 Share Posted January 7, 2003 Dynaflash There is one in a junkyard north of me that has [or maybe by now HAD] stainless ventshades that ran the full length of the car. There also was one just over the hill from me in a yard, but that yard was cleaned out a few years ago. How is everyone down your way?? Paul Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dynaflash8 Posted January 8, 2003 Author Share Posted January 8, 2003 Wayne (Burgess), that car was a convertible Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dynaflash8 Posted January 8, 2003 Author Share Posted January 8, 2003 Paul, you still have that black beard and the Packard? Aha, can't fool me, haha, know who this is. Things are really good down my way at the moment because I'm in Florida and it's snowing in Maryland and Virginia <img src="http://www.aaca.org/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/smile.gif" alt="" /> I've got the '35 Buick you found for me down here, and I'll see you in Alabama on the Glidden Tour with it. I know you and the family are coming to that.News is we sold the 66 Chrysler and miss it already. What you need to do is get that 52 Belvedere and drag it home to your big barn. It is rare and it won't eat anything sitting with your others. I saw one of these cars in the old Strasser Brothers junkyard just outside of Allentown (gone now), and another one at Easy Jack's yard outside of Topeka too, but they were terrible.Since I've seen you I've bought back the 39 Buick phaeton that I owned from 1970-1985. It's here too, and my buddy next door and I are trying to get it ready for a try at a Senior in Orlando.....20 year old restoration, don't know if we can do it, but gonna try.Tom, I think all those old Plymouths used oil....but anyway, there may be one other factor to there being less 52-53 cars as you suspect. All of the chrome was "Korean Chrome". I can remember trading all the pot metal chrome that was pitted on my 52 Belvedere with my Dads perfect unpitted '51 Cambridge sedan. He was furious, but didn't make me put it back. Anyway, maybe some of the engine internals were also of a less quality material too. Frankly, I always thought maybe flat out at 95 (or was it 90) for 8 miles between Fredericksburg and King George, VA in 1957 might have pushed up my oil consumption <img src="http://www.aaca.org/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/tongue.gif" alt="" /> The odd thing about it was that it didn't smoke. We could never figure out where the oil was going. My wife lived about 25 miles from me when we were dating and the movies were where I lived. I could use 4 quarts in a weekend <img src="http://www.aaca.org/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/blush.gif" alt="" /> It got so I started using drain oil from my favorite gas station. Poor old Plymouth, it went through some trying times in the three years I had it,good, bad, real bad and back to terrific <img src="http://www.aaca.org/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/smile.gif" alt="" /> Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Paul S Posted January 8, 2003 Share Posted January 8, 2003 Dynaflash8 Still have the Packard, but the beard is getting gray <img src="http://www.aaca.org/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/crazy.gif" alt="" />. We hope to be in Alabama with the '25 Dodge. Say HI to Judy. Paul Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tom Deering Posted January 9, 2003 Share Posted January 9, 2003 Dynaflash8, There is a '51 for sale in the Daytona Beach area. Memory tells me the '51 and '52 models were identical except for very minor exterior trim differences and possibly the two-tone separation scheme. Tom Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dynaflash8 Posted January 9, 2003 Author Share Posted January 9, 2003 They were identicical except for the hood ornament, the nose ornament on the hood and maybe the license light assembly on the trunk. All the pot metal stuff was inferior in '52 to '51 as I mentioned earlier because of the Korean War.That is except the exterior trim treatment, which I would NOT call minor. The paint scheming on the '52 was downright sexy, while on the '51 it was standard for the day with the top one color and the bottom another. In '52 it was sort of a page out of the 1950-51 Ford Crestliner book. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Posted January 16, 2003 Share Posted January 16, 2003 Looks a whole lot like my '51 DeSoto Sportsman hard top! Heres a URL to preview, except mine is now all black instead of two tone blue. '51 DeSoto Sportsman Rare cars indeed! Gotta Love that style! <img src="http://www.aaca.org/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/cool.gif" alt="" />P.S. The forum is SOOO much better now with no anons. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dynaflash8 Posted January 16, 2003 Author Share Posted January 16, 2003 Your DeSoto looks like a 1951 Plymouth Belvedere. You may never have seen a 1952 Plymouth Belvedere hardtop. As I said, I've seen approximately three of them at car shows over the last 40 years. The top paint on the 52 ran down over the trunk lid and half of each rear quarter and was separated from the bottom color by a curved stainless steel molding that ran from the bacl edge of the rear quarter window, down the center of the quarter panel next to the trunk lid to the rear bumper pan. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Posted January 16, 2003 Share Posted January 16, 2003 Yes, you've got me pegged. I've never seen a 1952 Plymouth Belvedere Hardtop coupe before in person, of course I had never seen another '51 DeSoto Sportsman Hardtop coupe in person before I got mine, but then again i'm just a spring chicken. <img src="http://www.aaca.org/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/smirk.gif" alt="" /> I had a '53 Plymouth Cranbrook once, totally different car and not as rare, but still not seen too often. I will always miss my first car though, a 1955 Packard Patrician, talk about a rolling dream palace! Paid 300 dollars for it, and wish I had never sold it to get my '69 F-85, which I wrapped around a water meter truck(oh those 350 rockets and teenage lead foots). Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Posted January 19, 2003 Share Posted January 19, 2003 Forgot to mention, I sold(well, gave really) the '69 F-85 to my dad after I wrecked it, he did a careful restoration on it, needless to say, I didn't get to drive it again after that! <img src="http://www.aaca.org/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/mad.gif" alt="" /> <img src="http://www.aaca.org/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/tongue.gif" alt="" /> Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dynaflash8 Posted January 19, 2003 Author Share Posted January 19, 2003 There is a 51 DeSoto 2-door hardtop advertised in the color section of the current issue of Hemmings. Maybe it is yours, I don't know. I have a friend in Virginia (also a friend of RW Burgess) who has a low mileage 55 Packard Patrician sedan. Matter of fact he was just having transmission trouble and there is a guy about 95 miles from him, west of Fredericksburg, who repairs Packard automatics. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
R W Burgess Posted January 20, 2003 Share Posted January 20, 2003 DynaFlash! There's a 50's Packard of some type in a car lot down at Gloucester Point, Va. By the way, Beular Garner is looking at buying a '57 Chevy. Single woman with money and horses, guys if anyone wants to date a Virginia woman. Wayne Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dynaflash8 Posted January 20, 2003 Author Share Posted January 20, 2003 I sold the Packard Wayne. I don't need another one. Johnny is closing up shop, remember? <img src="http://www.aaca.org/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/smile.gif" alt="" /> Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dynaflash8 Posted January 21, 2003 Author Share Posted January 21, 2003 I finally found a man on the internet who has two ofthese 1952 Plymouth Belvederes. They are also in twoof the three different color schemes available. Asyou can see, the paint scheme is quite unique. I didn't know how to put the pictures on here, so I sent them toPeter and asked him if he would do it for me. Enjoy. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
R W Burgess Posted January 21, 2003 Share Posted January 21, 2003 Dynaflash! I guess that means you don't need another woman either. Is that right? <img src="http://www.aaca.org/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/grin.gif" alt="" /> Wayne Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dynaflash8 Posted January 22, 2003 Author Share Posted January 22, 2003 "So folks can better understand what these unusual 52 Plymouth Belvedere hardtops looked like, here are two pictures of them. Both cars belong to a man I've made contact with in Connecticut. They came in these two colors, plus dark bronze over tan. I understand they may also have been available in solid dark blue, not two toned, but the only solid color blue I've ever seen is a 1951 model and belongs to an AACA member in Iowa. Despite a recorded high number of units for the combined 1951-52 years, there are only seven 1952 models registered in the Plymouth club. The 1951 car did not have this unique paint scheme. The colors I remember for 1951 were dark green over light green and black over yellow. The light green on the 1951 looked more like the color you see here. The 1952 green that I remember from the Washington, DC area, and I remember many more than one, was more yellowish as in chartruese. However, maybe my old memory is failing, because the car pictured here is owned by its original owner."Thanks for posting these pictures Peter. Earl Beauchamp Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
R W Burgess Posted January 22, 2003 Share Posted January 22, 2003 Post deleted by R W Burgess Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Peter Gariepy Posted January 22, 2003 Share Posted January 22, 2003 Patience Earl. <img src="http://www.aaca.org/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/smile.gif" alt="" /> Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
R W Burgess Posted January 22, 2003 Share Posted January 22, 2003 Good Job, Peter! You know car enthusiasts are never patient. They lose too many car buying deals that way. Wayne Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Posted January 26, 2003 Share Posted January 26, 2003 Talk about bringing back memories! <img src="http://www.aaca.org/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/cool.gif" alt="" /> Here is a Patrician just like my first car! If I didn't already have TOO many cars and projects already, I would consider this one! Check it out! 1955 Packard Patrician Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Paul S Posted January 26, 2003 Share Posted January 26, 2003 How many is TOO MANY???? <img src="http://www.aaca.org/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/confused.gif" alt="" />Just wondering <img src="http://www.aaca.org/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/smirk.gif" alt="" /> Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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