I'm just starting my first restoration project after finally being able to bring home a '59 Belvedere I purchased several months ago. It is complete from what I can tell so far, but I will likely be posting here as things move along. I know I'm going to need to replace the pushbuttons for transmission and heater/ventilation (all 8 would be nice). My first call was to Big M, but John wasn't able to come up with anything and I suspect that, like the deluxe wheel/horn ring I scoured the earth for awhile back, these pushbuttons may not be the easiest thing to come by. I'm hoping some member of the forum has what I am looking for in mint condition sitting in a dust free container in their garage just taking up space. Yeah right........... I am going to try Benny Buckner tomorrow as well.
Those plastic parts degrade in heat and sunshine..their color fades, they get very brittle. Good examples are difficult to find... keep your eyes and ears open for barn finds-
Thanks Dick, I had forgotten about Freeman's Auto. You too, Roger. I know you fellas are partial to the SF, and I appreciate your help on the restoration of its "uglier sister."
I say that because I have run into a lot of people who are naysayers in varying degrees, some of whom outright ask me why I would want to restore a Plymouth, let alone a Belvedere, let alone a four-door. This is my first project, and I'm literally saving this car from the rust graveyard. Maybe that role of savior is why I thoroughly enjoyed spending over two hours in 10 degree weather last weekend digging my firstborn out of a field where it was buried just about up to its axles, and I don't know if I have ever had a bigger smile in my life than when it finally rose up out of the frozen earth and rolled onto that lowboy. I think I was still smiling the whole time as I trailered it across the entire State of Missouri to St. Louis where I gutted the interior with the help of an upholsterer I found who has a real talent and passion for restoring the classics.
A guy who knew I was coming stopped by the upholstery shop, and poked his head into the car where I was in an awkward position struggling to get to the last rusty bolt on the seat bracket. I could see him shake his head slightly out of the corner of my eye as he made the following comment (or words to that effect): "You know, as long as you're set on a four-door Belvedere, I found a turnkey for sale in Texas that looks pretty nice for $9,500." That remark didn't make me mad or anything since I know this particular naysayer was well-meaning in a twisted sort of way and had taken his own personal time to look online for an alternative to this madness - to try and save me from myself. Instead, I actually felt kind of sorry for him because he just didn't get it. There's nothing wrong with buying a turnkey of course, but for me this is about the journey and not the end. For now, I'm just looking forward to the whole process with great anticipation and believe I'll have more triumphs than tribulations until that day finally comes when I wring out the chamois, climb into my Beloved Belvedere and drive it to the grocery store, or to the ball game, or wherever my heart desires...............
Never said better!
The search for parts (much easier with the advent of the Internet),the solving of various "issues" encountered along the way, the satisfaction of knowing you "did it yourself"..it's not all about the make, the body style, the powertrain...
Stick to your guns.
I hope you took pictures of the field rescue... Page One of your Restoration Album!
Oh, and please don't assume I prefer Sport Fury over any other model...it simply ain't true!
I think I was still smiling the whole time as I trailered it across the entire State of Missouri to St. Louis where I gutted the interior with the help of an upholsterer I found who has a real talent and passion for restoring the classics. 
