'59 Plymouth Forum

We've finally made the decision to sell this great old original 1959 Plymouth Belvedere 2 door hardtop, loaded with options. This car has been garaged since about 1990. The Golden Commando engine ran fine when parked, however the transmission seal had broken and all the fluid ran out. We had intended on fixing that, but never got around to it so this former daily driver was parked and hasn't seen the road since then. This is a complete car. A very good candidate for a full restoration. As far as parts go, the new owner will only have to search for an interior dome light cover. 70,330 miles on the odometer. Title is in hand. Located in Moscow, Idaho. Asking price is now $5000.

Thanks to some very helpful people on this forum we've learned much about this car. First, though, let's list the bad: This car was stored for a few months in Seattle under a tarp which scuffed, but not scratched, the white paint. The tarp also trapped moisture inside causing the headliner to sag out of place. We still have the piece, but it is currently being stored in the trunk. There is the usual rust around the headlight area. There is one large hole and one dime-sized hole on the driver's side "eyebrow", and another hole developing on the passenger side along with a small dent there. There are two dents along the bottom of the car, one on either side, and one on the chrome bumper. There are several other very small rust-through holes. We have pictures of all the rust. The floor of the trunk is rusty, but still feels solid when knocked on and has no holes at all. The upholstery is in decent condition, but not original. The foam in the front seat seems to be detiorating. I think the back seat is okay. There are no speakers installed anymore. I have lots and lots of pictures if you're interested beyond the pictures incuded here.

Now for the good! The original owner made some special requests for options upon ordering this car from the factory in Los Angeles. These options include:
* 361 V8 Golden Commando engine, which as I stated earlier was running when last parked. We put a battery in a few days ago and for the first time in over two decades the engine turned over. What a champ.
* Torqueflite push button transmission
* Deluxe clear steering wheel
* Dual antennas with very good gaskets. We removed these prior to storage to prevent damage to them.
* Solex tinted glass. The windshield has some scratches.
* Sport trim package with decorative trunk detail
* Very nice aluminum trim inserts
* Dash pad (cracked)
* Four full-size wheel covers in nice condition

Overall, the body is in pretty good shape. For being 52 years old there's very little surface rust and only a few scratches. Interior floor has some surface rust, but is very sturdy and sound. We have three sets of keys one of which is pretty old. This Belvedere is equipped with a heater and the original rubber trunk pad is in place and very flexible. You may notice a few parts that seem to be missing. They're not. We took off the driver's door panel years ago along with a couple interior trim pieces. They are all stored in the trunk with the antennas and wheel covers.

When my husband plugged in the battery and heard the horn and engine again he was very, very tempted to get the transmission fixed and get it on the road again. However, we think the new owner should have the priviledge of doing that work exactly as he or she feels fit.

We fondly remember this car flying down the highway. She will again with some care and will be a real beauty when restored.

If you have an interest in additional information please email me at nanzab@gmail.com.

More pictures will be added as soon as I figure out how to resize them!

Very Nice Belv'y! I hope the new owner, when that happens, will take good care of it too!

The rust on it are easy fix's and the tranny, after new seals and a look thru should give many more miles.

Before you turn that motor over any more, squirt some oil down each cylinder for some upper cylinder lubrication. Just a preventative before a fire up. A oil change should be in order and a gas tank flush out.

Good luck!

John Q.

Thanks, John, for the heads up. Brian didn't crank the motor, just let it turn over once quickly. I took a very short video of him doing this (I thought it was an auspicious occasion). I tried to upload it here, but movies don't work. Bummer. Would have been nice to share.

Nancy

Nancy, (my mothers name so I like it!) For long dormant motor start up there are just a few protections to take if you don't plan on tearing it down.

Let the new owner to be know about it and there are many of us who have woken up motors and just want to make sure no damage is done by doing it incorrectly.

The rust issues are minor in scale of things (compared to what I had to do and others too!) Just a good looking survivor car.


John Q.

Nice looking car, and priced fairly!.
There's no telling how far the insidious rust has gotten, even viewing the current photos.
No P/S, No P/B, no remote mirrors , no clock, could that be the original mileage? ...still it's a great example.
Snow tires on the front...radical!

I'm glad you like the snow tires, Roger! There's actually two more tires and wheels that come with the car, but it must have been winter when the transmission seal broke so there the knobby tires are.

Has this Belvadere been sold, from california, john

Have you tried to contact the owner by e-mail?
nanzab@gmail.com

If I'm correct this one is going to Sweden

Hello, I got a question for you? Would you be interested in selling the dual antennas?
Thanks, Mark

i´m happy here in sweden