For Sale: 1961 Plymouth Belvedere - "Very good condition" - Cornelius, NC - Not Mine - 12/31/22 Reduced & SOLD! - 6/1/23 For Sale in Huntersville, NC - 7/9 SOLD!

[6T-FinSeeker]

For sale on Facebook: 1961 Plymouth Belvedere 4-door Sedan in Cornelius, NC  -  $10,000  -  Must be a member of Facebook to access Seller's contact information.

 

On 8/2, Seller reduced price to $9,000

On 9/6, Seller reduced price to $8,000

On 10/10, Seller reduced price to $7,000

Final price reduction to $5,000

 

Link: https://www.facebook.com/marketplace/item/975364299810209/1961-Plymouth-Belvedere

 

Seller's Description:

1961 Plymouth Belvedere 4-door Sedan

• Driven 88,500 miles
• Automatic transmission
• Exterior color: Blue · Interior color: Blue

Very good condition for it's age. Less than 89,000 original miles. All parts original. Interior 90% redone. Drives well. Very little rust. Just can't hold onto it anymore. Small oil leak, not sure where.

 

 

 

 

Edited July 10, 2023 by 6T-FinSeeker
update status (see edit history)

[neil morse]

Oof -- what the hell happened to Chrysler Corp. styling in 1961?  What were they thinking?  It was pretty much a disaster across all makes, but I've always thought Plymouth was the worst.  And it was one of the greatest years for GM styling.  Did it affect sales?  I wonder.

[supercub]

I like style. More than a Dodge of the same era. The oil leak could be from the rear main seal if the seller doesn't to disclose the worst case, or it could be from other places easier to get at, valve cover, etc.

[John_S_in_Penna]

16 hours ago, neil morse said:

...Chrysler Corp. styling in 1961?  What were they thinking? 

Neil, I've used those very same words when looking

at some of the Chrysler Corp. styling of those years:

"What were they thinking?"  And in my opinion, the

Dodge and Plymouth styling would be much worse

the very next year!  (1962 Dodge pictured below)

 

[Brooklyn Beer]

These years the mopars always looked angry.  Just a pissed off car.  Like if you took your hands off the wheel the thing would go off looking for squirrels and cats to run over on it's own

[supercub]

Not as suave as the Plymouth. I bet that blue would polish up to look pretty good.

[6T-FinSeeker]

On 8/2, Seller reduced price to $9,000.

 

[Sal Hepatica]

I agree- I thought the '58 Olds and Buick were the most "untasteful" (to make up a more polite word than ugly) cars on the road. Then, the '61  Plymouth and Dodge came out and moved the Olds and Buick back a notch. The '61's too were pushed into second place when the '62 Plymouth and Dodge arrived.

Today- I like them for the bizarre styling, but I sure didn't as a precocious kid six decades ago.

 

[6T-FinSeeker]

On 9/6, Seller reduced price to $8,000.

 

[6T-FinSeeker]

On 10/10, Seller reduced price to $7,000.

 

[6T-FinSeeker]

Still available...

 

[George Smolinski]

On 10/12/2022 at 7:22 AM, 6T-FinSeeker said:

On 10/10, Seller reduced price to $7,000.

 

$7000 for a $3000 car. What a deal!

[EmTee]

 

OOOOOOH -OOOOOH - OOOOOOH!!!

[6T-FinSeeker]

On 6/23/23, it was noted that Seller had previously reduced price to $5,000 and marked the Facebook ad "SOLD!"

 

[6T-FinSeeker]

On 6/1/23:

For sale on Facebook: 1961 Plymouth Belvedere 4-door Sedan in Huntersville,, NC  -  $7,800  -  Must be a member of Facebook to access Seller's contact information.

 

On 6/27, Seller reduced price to $7,500

On 7/4, Seller reduced price to $7,000

 

Link: https://www.facebook.com/marketplace/item/207255508818697/-1961-Plymouth-Belvedere

 

Seller's Description:

1961 Plymouth Belvedere 4-door Sedan

• Driven 88,350 miles
• Automatic transmission
• Exterior color: Blue · Interior color: Blue
• Clean title
• This vehicle has no significant damage or problems

318 poly block, psteering, new :alternator, push button transmission been rebuilt, starter, fuel tank, brakes, Needs a little more brake work, very little rust might trade Ford truck

 

 

 

 

 

 

Edited July 5, 2023 by 6T-FinSeeker
update price (see edit history)

[6T-FinSeeker]

[Hudsy Wudsy]

I remember a family in the old neighborhood who owned one of these back in the day. You have to ask yourself, what good did brand loyalty do them, if they ended up with something this embarrassing?

[DFeeney]

I always thought if,   "Back in the Day" when these cars were new and one was in Europe  and was involved in a major wreck the body man having never seen another one would be unable to pound out the sheet metal as the body lines did not make sense.

[Sal Hepatica]

Today, they are adored by a younger generation as "mid-century modern" styling marvels.

[JamesR]

On 6/11/2022 at 4:22 AM, neil morse said:

Oof -- what the hell happened to Chrysler Corp. styling in 1961?  What were they thinking?  It was pretty much a disaster across all makes, but I've always thought Plymouth was the worst.  And it was one of the greatest years for GM styling.  Did it affect sales?  I wonder.

 

My view is that car stylists dared to be different back then and took risks. This car was the downside of that risk taking, although there are also stories about Exner's missteps back then. I agree with Neil's statement mostly, but I personally think that most cars from the big three in '61 weren't what you'd call great looking, and I own a '61 Mercury. The Thunderbird and Corvette from that year looked fantastic, along with a few others, but many 1961 cars looked odd or uninspired or both. Regardless I admire them because they represent an interesting time in the car industry and American culture.

Edited June 27, 2023 by JamesR (see edit history)

[neil morse]

I certainly agree about the Corvette and the T-bird, but I really think you are selling GM short.  I think all of the GM designs for '61 were outstanding -- particularly the "bubble-top" coupes.  MoPar not so much, as I said previously.

[JamesR]

12 hours ago, neil morse said:

I certainly agree about the Corvette and the T-bird, but I really think you are selling GM short.  I think all of the GM designs for '61 were outstanding -- particularly the "bubble-top" coupes.  MoPar not so much, as I said previously.

I admit that I really like the '61 Pontiac bubble top coupe, the Ventura or whatever form it took. Really cool. I wanted one for a long time. The Cadillac was very cool, too. Ford's version of the "bubble top" in '61 was the Starliner, which looked fantastic. I also think the full sized Mercuries in convertible form looked cool...I preferred the 6 tail lights to the 2 on the Ford, but as far as hardtops and sedans, they unfortunately didn't offer the cool Starliner roof on a Merc. That's about the extent of what I liked in '61, but I'd like to own ANY car from '61.

[Crashbox]

Keep in mind that the '61 Chrysler designs were on the drawing board by '56 or '57. I think Chrysler Corp painted itself into a corner during Exner's tenure. They were so distinctive from '57-'59. They'd taken some big risks, and Exner's fins had set the industry trend... but where do you go from there? Hard to tone things down. Also, I think there was somewhat of a "design by committee" approach that poisoned the well.

 

As much as I respect Exner's success in taking Chrysler from frumpy to futuristic, his late-career designs were mostly overwrought. And the "revival" cars (like the Mercer Cobra and the Stutz) were pretty absurd. He was trying to recapture that earlier era but it was like chasing a rainbow. 

 

GM really benefitted from Bill Mitchell's direction after Harley Earl's retirement. Mitchell was twenty years younger and knew how to simplify and modernize. Cadillac was the best example - look at how well the '60 pared back from the '59, and with each passing year thru 1964, Cadillacs were carefully refined. 

 

Neil, I'm with you on the the bubble tops- they were excellent. (The Riviera was excellent, too- that's pure Bill Mitchell.)

 

I feel like Ford was hit-and-miss in that period. Partly due to the smaller cars in the lineup (Falcon/Comet). The full-size lineup was much stronger. 

[JamesR]

13 hours ago, JamesR said:

That's about the extent of what I liked in '61

Except that the New Lincoln Continental for '61 was also awesome. Oh...and this one wasn't bad either 😄 :

[6T-FinSeeker]

On 7/9, Seller marked the Facebook ad "SOLD!"