'59 Plymouth Forum

From: Dan Morton
Sent: Tuesday, November 10, 2009 7:08 AM
To: John Detloff
Cc: 'Jim Benjaminson'; 'Carl Wegner'; 'Lanny Knutson';Ken Josephson
Subject: RE: 1959 Plymouth Custom Suburban station wagon measurements

John,

That's some fish -- I'm rethinking this whole Jonah thing!

I don't have the dimensions you seek, but I bet "Mr. Suburban" -- Ken Josephson, does. I'm copying him here.

Good luck with your "fish story"!

Dan

From: Lanny Knutson
Sent: Tuesday, November 10, 2009 12:28 AM
To: John Detloff
Cc: Jim Benjaminson; Dan Morton; Carl Wegner
Subject: Re: 1959 Plymouth Custom Suburban station wagon measurements

Mr. Dettloff -- Jim Benjaminson forwarded your request to me. In reply, I'm cc'ing not only him but also Dan Morton, a member of our club who also manages the website 59Plymouth.net On that website you will see a number of 1959 Plymouth Suburban wagons. Dan may have the dimensions you are seeking. Otherwise, I am sure he can put you in contact with an owner of a '59 station wagon. One such vehicle was at our national meet held this past June in Oconomowoc, Wisconsin. Unfortunately, I have neither a phone number nor email address for him but his name and postal address is:

Thomas Ozog
716 Berkshire Court
Downers Grove, IL 60516-4900 (I may be able to find his phone number and/or email address if you desire.)

I'm sure you will be able to get the dimensions you are seeking. That certainly seems to be one large walleye. I'm interested in doing a story on this for our club publication.

LANNY KNUTSON, editor
Plymouth Bulletin

PS: I'm also cc'ing Carl Wegner, club member and past national president, who is also an avid fisherman.

On 9-Nov-09, at 10:00 PM, Jim Benjaminson wrote:
Another photo of the car...

----- Original Message -----
From: John Dettloff
To: Jim Benjaminson
Sent: Monday, November 09, 2009 9:55 PM
Subject: Re: 1959 Plymouth Custom Suburban station wagon measurements

Dear Jim,

Thank you very much for your quick reply. The photo hasn't been cropped to my knowledge. It includes as much of the car that is shown on my copy of the photo. I first identified the car as a Plymouth from the hubcaps.

The photo was taken in August of 1960, so I thought the car was likely a 1959. The door trim indicates it was a 1959 model and that it was a Custom and not a Sport wagon. It seemed the door trim went over the front wheel well on the Sport model, but only up to (and even with) the front wheel well on the Custom model. Enclosed is another photo of that car with the women and the big fish.

The 1960 model was completely different in the front end and the 1958 model had different door trim as well.

Whatever specs you can find regarding those measurements would be greatly appreciated. The clearance above the ground and total height of the car are especially important. As is the height of both the bottom and top edges of the back door.

Thank you so much for your help. I will look forward to hearing from you.

Sincerely, John Dettloff

715-945-2665

On Mon, Nov 9, 2009 at 6:58 PM , Jim Benjaminson wrote:

Interesting photo - has it been cropped or is there more that shows the car? I do not own the car in the photo - its a car I photographed at a Plymouth Owners Club meeting many years ago. I do have a '59 Plymouth dealer data book that might give me some of the information you ask for....if not, I will try to track down the owner of the car for you. Have to leave for a meeting shortly but will see what I can find for you.

Jim Benjaminson

----- Original Message -----
From: John Dettloff
To: Jim Benjaminson
Sent: Monday, November 09, 2009 9:59 AM
Subject: 1959 Plymouth Custom Suburban station wagon measurements

Dear Mr. Benjaminson,

I saw on the internet that there was a photo of a 1959 Plymouth Custom Suburban Station Wagon , red with a white top, with your name on the credit line. If you have this car, I was wondering if you could take some quick verticle measurements for me.

My name is John Dettloff and I am on the Board of Directors of the Fishing Hall of Fame and I am trying to verify the length of a fish held up in front of this same model car (see attached photo). I need to see if the fish length is in the ballpark of its reported length.

I need to know: the total height of the car above the ground as well as, the following other verticle measurements, taken from the ground up, all taken in front of the middle of the rear door (where the woman is standing):

1) height of the bottom of the car , 2) height of the bottom edge of the door , 3) height to the bottom edge of the bottom piece of horizontal door trim , 4) height of the bottom edge of the window , 5) height of the top edge of the window , and 6) height of the top edge of the door .

If you have this car accessible to you and you could take a few minutes to take these measurements and email them back to me, it would be a big help to us at the Hall of Fame.

Any questions, please call. Thank you!!

Sincerely,
John Dettloff
Vice President
National Fresh Water Fishing Hall of Fame