1959 Plymouth data plates

[Matthew Keij]

Iam trying to figure out the data plates. I already got some help from Tom Fox as he cleared some things up.

I got 3 data plates here, 2 different types. There should be more different plates as Faulkner got a slightly different plate.
And Dick Koch got a complety different plate with more option codes on it.
I never seem a car from the Evansville plant that has a data plate.
LA plant used them as all the plates i have are from that plant. Think they changed the plate in the later build cars.

Plate 1 (early):
SG EW M1 M2 M3 M4 M5 M6 SEQ NO
I I I I I I I I

SO NO MODEL BT PT TR SP
IIII IIII MPII III II II

WCD LA
CHRYSLER CORPORATION

Plate 2 (late?)

SG EW M1 M2 M3 M4 M5 M6 M7 M8 M9
I I I I I I I I I I I

SCHED NO MODEL BT PT TR SP
IIII IIII IIII III II III

CHRYSLER CORPORATION

I noticed on Dan his data plate that he has AC stamped in it instead of SG and this is also build in LA. Has the second data plate.

Meanings:
SG = Solex Glass, 1 or 4 should be stamped under it if the car has Solex Glass
AC = Air Condition
EW = Electric Windows, a 4 should be stamped under it if the car has power windows
M1 = If there was is a 1 stamped under this the car is a 6 cilinder
M2 = If there was is a 1 stamped under this the car is a 8 cilinder
M3 = Unknown
M4 = Unknown
M5 = Unknown, seen this stamped at different cars with a 1
M6 = Unknown
SEQ NUMBER = Never seen this stamped
M7 = Unknown
M8 = Unknown
M9 = Unknown

SO or SCHED = Scheduled date, first 2 are the build month and last 2 are the day
NO = Unknown
MODEL = M, 1959 / P, Plymouth. After that is a 1 (6 cilinder) or 2 (8 cilinder)
Then there is another letter, L = Savoy, M = Belvedere, H = Fury, P = Sport Fury
BT = Body type, all the different body types, models and engines has different numbers. 292 means Fury, V8, Sport 2 door hardtop.
PT = Paint
TR = Trim, interior. This code tells you what colour the bolster and seat were in all cars.
SP = Unknown, probably means Special order

Anyone with a pic of a date plate, please post a pic so i can get more information!
I am happy to figure them out.

[Denver 59 Fin Convert]

"SO: means Sales Order or the dealer order number that is assigned to this model. Sequence number would mean the last 6 numerical digits of the VIN. Sometimes called production sequence of the number of cars built since first day of production.

Schd date is the day that it was released to production and it is within a day or three of being built after the Body shell was jigged up and then mated with its frame during production. Convertibles took longer to jig the basic body due to it's uniquness of convertible body panels, stronger thicker rockers and top installation.

Don't know about the M1 - M6 designations, though 1 and 2 does mean 6 cylider or 8 cylinder in our VIN and M would be our model year for the 59. But, maybe the string of M's on a Body tag could mean which one of many plants it was assigned to for production. Usually the closest plant to that dealer if that model was made at that closer plant.

We all know of the 4 main plants our cars were made in, but the Wyoming Road plant (Detroit) was for some Export (RH drive cars) , The Windsor, Ont plant for Canadian finished cars (Mayfairs) and there is alos the Switzerland location for final assemblies too. Which could give a total of 7 plants that might have made or finished our "M" series of cars in 59. Just supposing on the numerous M codes....Not definitive

I am extrapalating on some of the above coments from my experience at Chrysler in the 70's and 80's and also quizzing my father who worked at Chrylser starting in 1959. I had also worked at Lynch Road assembly (Plymouth Plant in 59) during the college years, so I am familar with assembly times to produce cars once released for production. Procedures had changed in the 70's from 1959 but enough stayed the same.

SP was sumetimes used for Suspension call outs on Body/fender tags whcih could include sure grip posi references...or HD axles/springs.

[Ron Keij]

There is one more plant where the 59 Plymouth was built, in Antwerpen (Belgium). Don't know how many cars they made but they did a number of limo's including the one that was used by the Belgium Royal family, the taillights on our hardtop came from that car

So am I the only one with a semi royal 1959 Plymouth?

Ron

[Denver 59 Fin Convert]

Ron, We have always known you are a prince of a guy! So it would make sense you have Royal blood in you, Did not know about Antwerp, so add that as another plant site to ship unfinished cars to!


John Q.

[Denver 59 Fin Convert]

Matthew, I remember last year looking over Earl Hess's car and his VIN plate was not on the upper cowl area either. Which I thought was different from my car. It was on the A pillar door jamb.

John Q.

[Ron Keij]

Matthew, I remember last year looking over Earl Hess's car and his VIN plate was not on the upper cowl area either. Which I thought was different from my car. It was on the A pillar door jamb.

John Q.

John Q. what did you do on that side of the car?? Didn't you know that you were only allowed to look at the passenger side>

[Denver 59 Fin Convert]

Ron, when Matthew went for a Philly Cheesesteak, he left me alone witht the car and I was all over it before he came back.


John Q.

[rogerh]

Matthew,
I can't find Dick's posts on the over-priced SF cvt in FLA he went to look at. Sorry I can't even begin to help! It's either too early in the morning, or too late for me...
There was a SF on ebay (Item 390258459369) I found it by Googling 1959 Plymouth for Sale (or similar). The listing had a good picture of the VIN tag on cowl lip..it was a M293------

[Steve Storey]

I could have sworn I had a data plate on the cowl. Very concerning as I've read thats one of the first signs when you lose track of your data plates. There is shiny vin plate above my new booster on the cowl . says "Vehicle No. " "M-293" "106067" Three lines. Will keep looking for a data plate.

[rogerh]

Matthew,
Jim benjaminson wrote a few books on Mopar..he is in the Plymouth Owners Club.
This will provide a few more bits of information on data plates.
http://www.allpar.com/history/plymouth/ ... -1959.html

[Denver 59 Fin Convert]

I could have sworn I had a data plate on the cowl. Very concerning as I've read thats one of the first signs when you lose track of your data plates. There is shiny vin plate above my new booster on the cowl . says "Vehicle No. " "M-293" "106067" Three lines. Will keep looking for a data plate.

That's where mine is located but it is a M 253 start being a Belvy V8.

John Q.

[rogerh]

You have an M253, the THREE means your car was made in Evansville, Indiana.
That particular plant did not affix data plates to their convertibles!

[Denver 59 Fin Convert]

yep that what I had surmised too! no Data Plates at that plant. Once I get a title for my car I will order the IBM build card for it and find out more about it.

John Q.

[Steve Storey]

Wonderful! I'll "cease and desist" my data plate search. I did find one in an envelope for my 57 chevy-must reaffix that one before that gets lost.