1949-1950 PLYMOUTH P17 P18 ORIGINAL PASSENGER CAR PARTS LIST-Original

Description

ORIGINAL 1949-1950 PLYMOUTH P17 P18 ORIGINAL PASSENGER CAR PARTS LIST.  INCLUDES 18 PAGE SUPPLMENT “BODY PARTS LIST FOR PLYMOUTH STATION WAGON MODEL P-18”.
The supplement is complete but does have wear on the edge, please see photos.
I am selling a large collection of vintage Chrysler / Dodge / Plymouth / DeSoto dealership sales brochures, parts catalogs, owners manuals, service bulletins, shop manuals, etc.  These vintage pieces of automobilia span the years 1925 1926 1927 1928 1929 1930 1931 1932 1933 1934 1935 1936 1937 1938 1939 1940 1941 1942 1946 1947 1948 1949 1950 1951 1952 1953 1954 1955 1956 1957 1958 1959 1960 1961 1962 1963 1964 1965 1966 1967 1968 1969 1970 1971 1972 1973 1974 1975 1976 1977 1978 1979 1980 1981 1982 1983 1984 with an emphasis on 1050’s MoPar literature.  The majority of the collection are MoPar items, but I do have some pieces from Chevrolet, Oldsmobile, Ford, Hudson, and others.  Please view my other listings here on eBay, priced to sell.
Both books were used in a MoPar dealership back in the day, so there is staining and wear.
Issued June of 1949 (MOPAR) D-12674 - supersedes D-12553
Supplement issued July of 1949 / D-12987
342 pages
Were used in a MOPAR dealership, so does have wear and oil staining, but is complete.
A must have if restoring your 1949 or 1950 Plymouth
Plymouth was the last of the Big Three to unveil its"true" 1949 models. Ford had been the first, with a debut early in1948, followed by Chevrolet.
All three cars were revolutionary in design, compared withtheir 1946-48 counterparts. Ford's new "shoe box" concealed a host ofmechanical improvements, including independent front coil spring and rear leafsuspensions. Chevrolet's "stove bolt" six remained basicallyunchanged, while Chevrolet bodies were styled in two categories, the now popularshoe box, and the familiar fastback.
Chrysler Corporation entered its silver anniversary yearwith a million investment to bring its 1949 line up to market. True to itsheritage, the all-new Plymouth was conservatively styled (in what would laterbecome known as the "Keller [for Chrysler President KT. Keller] three-boxschool of styling" -one box piled on top of two boxes laid end to end).
The new cars rode a longer wheelbase, yet were 4-3/16 inshorter overall than the P15 they replaced. This "larger on the inside,smaller on the outside" concept was again blamed on Chrysler's president."The American motorist is tired of having his hat knocked off every timehe gets in or out of a car," wrote Wayne Whittaker in the April 1949 issueof Popular Mechanics, before quoting Keller directly: "As far as design goes,we wanted to build an outstanding car, a car that is easy to get into and getout of, that is easy to garage, to handle in traffic or when parking. Theoutsides of our new cars are actually sculptured around conditions prescribedfor the inside."
When it came to automobile design, Keller was conservativeto a fault. "A car shouldn't knock your hat off-or your eyes outeither," he is quoted as saying, nor should the hood be so low "youcan piss over it." The 1949 Plymouth was truly a car KT. Keller couldlove.
The first of the all-new second series 1949 Plymouths, aSpecial Deluxe, was completed on New Year's Eve, 1948, Long wheelbase Deluxemodels followed on January 14 with the short wheelbase Deluxe not going on lineuntil March 7, 1949. To help meet demand for the new cars a second Californiaassembly plant went on-line in May at San Leandro.
The 1949 was offered in three series on two differentwheelbases. At the bottom of the ladder was the P17 Deluxe. Built on a 111 inchwheelbase, it was the most austere in terms of trim, bright work, andupholstery. The P17 came in three body styles, a cozy single seat, three-passengerbusinessman's coupe, a five-passenger fastback two-door sedan, and therevolutionary new two-door all-steel-body Suburban station wagon.
The P15 Deluxe was built on the longer 112 inch wheelbase,and like the P17 Deluxe, was devoid of much external bright work, but featuredslightly better interior appointments. The P18 Deluxe was built in two bodystyles, a two-door notchback club coupe and four-door sedan. (Why Plymouthdecided to have two models with two different wheelbases designated "Deluxe"has never been explained. If chronological order were followed, at least one ofthese cars should have been the P16. Perhaps this engineering code was reservedfor the Cadet, a 105-1/2 inch wheelbase economy car Plymouth was developing atthe time. The Cadet reached full mockup stage in 1947 and could have been readyfor the 1949 model year, but the project was canceled.)
The P18 Special Deluxe on the same 118-1/2 inch wheelbaseenjoyed more external bright work and considerably more luxurious interiors.Special Deluxe models included a club coupe, four-door sedan, convertible clubcoupe, and a wood body four-door station wagon, which now had a steel roof andsteel lower tailgate. For the first time all models, except the P17 two door,had external door locks on both front doors.
From the cowl forward, all three series shared the samesheet metal, grille, and bumper. Four-door sedan doors were now hinged at thefront, and for the first time since 1942, rear quarter windows were placed inthe door frames rather than the body. The second series 1949 Plymouth was allnew-not a single piece of sheet metal, glass, or trim was retained fromprevious years. The headlamps, mounted nearly 1-112in higher and 4in fartherapart, used the new bull's-eye sealed beams. The grille was wider but stillrecognizable in terms of the P15 grille work. Individual letters spelling out"Plymouth" were mounted on the hood, just above a trim piece on thehood's leading edge.
A seam molding running the length of the hood was onlypartially covered by a redesigned and all-metal Mayflower sailing ship. Threewide and two narrow grille bars alternated down the face of the car, with theparking lamps set under the headlamps and surrounded by the edges of the widestmiddle and lower grille bar. The front bumper was unique as it, too, had threehorizontal ribs, giving the car a delicate, yet expensive look. (These bumpers,like the ribbed bumpers of the 1937 DeSoto, would prove to be popular with thehot rod and custom car set.)
The hood and deck lid were much lower, but still sat severalinches above the fenders. A heavy belt molding separated the more rectangular"greenhouse" from the lower body, and a larger windshield (37 percentmore area but still of the two-piece, flat glass variety) and larger rearwindow with "blind" rear quarters contributed to the car's formalflavor.
Front fenders blended neatly into the front doors, butattempts at blending the rear fenders into the body were not as successful asPlymouth retained detachable rear fenders. These fenders were one of Plymouth'sselling points and from a repairman's point of view were easier to replace thanthe non-detachable fenders used on either a Ford or Chevrolet.
The tail lamps sat high atop the rear fender and formed aslight fin in their housing, which helped conceal the fender-to-body seam. Forthe first time, the tail lamp lenses were plastic. The separate brake light wascentrally located on the deck lid, just above the trunk handle and below thelicense plate. An indentation in the deck lid was provided for the licenseplate and bracket with a heavy medallion containing the word"Plymouth" and an enameled (Special Deluxe only) Plymouth crestmounted directly above the plate. As in the front, the attractive three-ribbedwrap-around bumper contributed to the elegant look of the new car.
Body side moldings on all models included a spear runningfrom the headlamps to the trailing edge of the front fender and a second spearon the rear fender, Special Deluxe models had a chrome gravel shield on theleading edge of the rear fenders as well (Various pieces of sales literaturealternately show Deluxe models with and without this trim.)
Despite all the horizontal visual cues designed into thecar, it still had a rather high, boxy appearance and sat too high off theground. This problem was cured early in production by shortening the frontcoils and flattening the rear springs, to achieve a 1 inch drop in front and1-1/2 inch drop in the rear.
All models were treated to one of the most stunning instrumentpanels ever placed in a low priced automobile. On the rich, dark, wood-grainedpanel, directly in front of the driver were three circular white-on-blackdials; in the middle of the panel a chrome radio grille and mesh cascaded downto a heavy chrome molding running along the bottom of the panel from door todoor. Set into the molding were the new key-start ignition switch, rotary lightswitches and other knobs, and the ash tray. To the right of the radio grillewas a panel containing a ship ornament, which could be replaced by an electricclock. Optional heater systems, although an "add-on" accessory, weredesigned to blend into the design, mounting the controls directly beneath theradio. An unseen change was the switch to a magnetic fuel gauge in place of thebi-metal strip used in years past.
Window mechanisms were redesigned to permit full up-and-downtravel in one and a half turns of the window handle, a feature that didn'treceive much advertising. Trivial as it may sound, the highly-geared windowsmeant the driver didn't have to take his hands from the wheel as long to rolldown the window as on other cars.
Front seat cushions were increased 5 inches and rearcushions 6 inches in width, with legroom in the rear seat increased to 42-1/2inches. Advertised as "chair height," the seats could have extrasprings added to firm them up; Airfoam seat cushions were optional on allmodels except the P17 two door, Suburban, and woody station wagon.
Mechanical changes in the second series 1949s were modest atbest. The frame was still the box perimeter type with four cross members asused since 1942. The steering ratio was unchanged at 18.2:1. Front wheel brakescontinued to use the upper and lower wheel cylinders introduced on the P15models. A welcome change in the electrical system replaced fuses with a circuitbreaker system. Rear axle ratio on P17 models was 3.73 and 3.9 on all P18s.Rear axles in all models were of the semi-floating, hypoid design with ratiosof 3.54, 4.1, and 4.3 optional at no additional cost. Gas tank capacityremained at 17 gallons, with an Oilite fuel filter mounted in the tank.
Engine displacement was unchanged at 217 cid, withhorsepower up to ninety-seven. This change came about through a newly designedcylinder head that raised compression from 6.7:1 to 7.0:1. A new intakemanifold provided better distribution of the fuel-air mixture, fuel pumpcapacity was increased, and a fully automatic electric choke prevented"over" choking. New oil control rings with wider drainage slots and achrome-plated top piston ring, along with improved crankcase ventilation, werealso claimed. A larger starter motor, resistor spark plugs and weather-proofedignition system aided in cold and wet weather starting.
The least expensive car in the Plymouth lineup was the P17business coupe. Designed for the businessman, the cozy little three-passengercar offered nearly unlimited carrying capacity. Surprisingly, the fastbacktwo-door sedan proved to be the best seller in the P17 series.
The landmark offering had to be the new all-steel two-doorSuburban. With the rear seat in place there was 42 inches of cargo spaceavailable; with the seat folded down, another 26- 1/2 inches were added. In adeparture from the other wagons, the Suburban carried its spare tire in a wellunder the rear floor. While the P17 line was intended to be an economy series,the Suburban, at ,840 was exceeded in price only by the convertible andfour-door woody station wagon!
The value of the all-steel wagon was not lost on Plymouthbuyers and 19,220 were sold, accounting for 3.7% of all 1949 Plymouths sold.Compared to the 3,443 four-door wagons sold, it was obvious Plymouth had awinner on its hands. There was only one year (1941) when station wagonsaccounted for more than 1 percent of production. In future years, sales ofwagons would continue to grow-5.6% in 1950 and 9.75% in 1954-until 1958 whenthe station wagon would be the largest selling body style in the Plymouthlineup. Years later the 1958 Dell's Car Buyers Guide would call the Suburban"probably the most functional automobile built after the Model T."
The Suburban had as standard equipment some items not foundon the other P17s, such as two sun visors, dual horns, front bumper guards,rear-seat armrests, dome light, and nine-leaf rear springs (seven leaves werestandard on the coupe and two door, eight leaves on Special Deluxes). Standardtire size on all P17s was 6.40x15in Goodyear Super Cushions (6.70 x 15 on thelong wheelbase cars, mounted on 4-1/2in rims); 18in wheels were optional on theSuburban only. An oil filter was extra, the rear springs were uncovered, and nocrankshaft vibration dampener was furnished.
Standard upholstery in the business coupe was woven fiberfabric with dark red vinyl resin fabric door panels. This same material couldbe ordered for seat cushions and backs at no charge, with striped broadclothavailable at extra cost. Standard upholstery in the two-door was stripedbroadcloth, with no other options. Suburban buyers had the choice of light tanor dark tan vinyl resin seats and seatbacks and woven fiber headlining.
The P18 Deluxe was intended as a fleet sales unit. The P18Special Deluxe, which cost about more, easily outsold the P18 Deluxe by afour-to-one margin. It differed from the Special Deluxe in not having blighttrim around the windshield and rear window and by the lack of a radio grille(which had to be purchased and installed if a radio was ordered). Checkeredbroadcloth was the only upholstery offered. Door armrests, glovebox lock, andhorn ring were options.
Special Deluxe models were easily recognizable at a distanceby the bright trim around the windshield and rear window, as well as thestainless stone guards on the leading edge of the rear fenders. Interiors wereupgraded accordingly, with a choice of green or blue broadcloth, or green orblue pile fabric depending on the outer body color. Upholstery in theconvertible club coupe was Bedford Cord with bolsters in red, blue, or greenvinyl, again depending on car color. In addition to the regular colors,convertibles could be ordered in two special colors, Mexico Red or PlymouthCream.
Electric motors replaced the vacuum cylinders on theconvertible's power-operated top, and for the first time, convertibles werefitted with quarter windows. Convertible owners welcomed the clear plastic rearwindow, which had more than doubled in size from previous years.
The eight-passenger woody station wagon was upholstered intan vinyl with exterior colors limited to Malibu Brown, Edmonton Beige, or RioMaroon. The big wagon had removable center and rear seats, whereas the Suburbanrear seat simply folded over. The center seat in the woody wagon could also befolded forward to aide entry to the rear-most seat. Where to carry the sparetire was finally resolved when a semi-recessed receptacle was built into thelower portion of the tailgate. Covered by a circular, rearward-swinging accessdoor, the tire was neatly hidden from view. The little "bustle" gavethe car a "continental" look in addition to providing the rear-seatpassenger with more legroom. A special rear bumper had to be employed on thewagon, with the center section hinged to swing down out of the way when thespare was removed or when the lower tailgate wets opened. This arrangement alsoallowed rear bumper overriders, the first Plymouth wagon so equipped.
Typically considered an under-powered car, the 1949 Plymouthheld its own against the competition. Chevrolet claimed only 90hp, with theFord V-8 claiming 100hp (just five more than its 6- cylinder cars). Despite itsturtle-slow reputation, Plymouth found its way to the winners' circle on manyoccasions. Stock car racing in those days was exactly that-the cars were notmodified in any form. Except for taping the headlights, removing the hubcapsand muffler, and tying down the hood, the cars were as they came off theshowroom floor. One of the first to see the winners' circle from behind the wheelof a Plymouth was a Level Cross, North Carolina tobacco farmer by the name ofLee Petty.