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Newbe body plate question
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Comeback Special
Posted 2018-04-24 9:31 PM (#562234)
Subject: Newbe body plate question


Member

Posts: 5

Hi, this is my first post so apologies if the question is already answered somewhere. I’ve owned late 50s GM cars my whole life but have no MO PAR knowledge. I just purchased a 59 Dodge 4 door sedan that needs a friend. Fell in love with the body lines. It is a Custom Royal. The car has been off the road a long time and will need a complete rebuild. It is mostly all there but missing it’s motor. Is it possible to tell what motor my car came with from the numbers on the body plate? I can only find one plate on this car. It is under the hood near the windshield on the passenger side. I was able to decode the VIN but not the many other numbers that appear on the plate. Can try posting a pic when I figure out how. It is difficult to read this plate because it was oversprayed with paint. Just curious if the motor info
is even present there.

Thank you
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mikes2nd
Posted 2018-04-24 10:44 PM (#562237 - in reply to #562234)
Subject: Re: Newbe body plate question


Expert 5K+

Posts: 5006
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Welcome, you probably realize just how rare these cars are, a 59 dodge is one of the meanest looking automotive beasts ever built, esp in person.

But yes it will tell, take a pic and digitally enhance it. Our vins aren't on the body tag they are in the drivers door.

if its a 59 it probably came with a 325, you can pay like 50$ and have the Chrysler historical society send you the info.

But you can tell the options from that body tag. Post pics. If you are desperate to get a great view you can look at the back of the tag if you take it off.

Lets see pics of the car also.
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56D500boy
Posted 2018-04-24 10:57 PM (#562239 - in reply to #562234)
Subject: RE: Newbe body plate question



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Posts: 9855
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Location: Lower Mainland BC
Welcome. We need photos of you car (data plate, etc).

Here are some hints on how to post photos here (main ones are < 250 kB and jpg not jpeg):

http://www.forwardlook.net/forums/forums/thread-view.asp?tid=64340&...

Lists of the possible engines:





REFERENCES:

http://www.lov2xlr8.no/brochures/dodge/59dg1/59dg1.html

http://www.lov2xlr8.no/brochures/dodge/59dodge/59dodge.html



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Comeback Special
Posted 2018-04-25 1:15 PM (#562262 - in reply to #562234)
Subject: RE: Newbe body plate question


Member

Posts: 5

Thanks so much for the replies. I will try to upload the best image possible of the plate without removing, and also a photo of my car (which needs a lot of work). I'm interested in anything the numbers on the plate tell me about my car. All I could decode myself was that it is a 59 Dodge Royal series and was in the Main Dodge assembly plant.

Mostly interested in what motor it had as I need to find one that will mate with the stock 3 speed trans that is still in the car. I was looking at a rebuilt 318 from a 1960 Plymouth,but the bolt pattern on the back of that motor is different from the bell housing on my car's auto trans.

thanks again, Rick (Comeback Special)



(body tag.jpg)



(My Dodge.jpg)



Attachments
----------------
Attachments body tag.jpg (86KB - 217 downloads)
Attachments My Dodge.jpg (116KB - 223 downloads)
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56D500boy
Posted 2018-04-25 2:27 PM (#562268 - in reply to #562262)
Subject: RE: Newbe body plate question



Expert 5K+

Posts: 9855
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Location: Lower Mainland BC
Rick: Thanks for posting those photos. You might have to get a better photo or tell us what you see as codes. I *think* that I see the Paint (PNT) code as RX3 and the Trim (TRM) code as 268. Other than that, I don't see anything.

As for paint, R = poppy red (a spring colour), X = pearl white which seems to match the photo.



Edited by 56D500boy 2018-04-25 2:33 PM
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jboymechanic
Posted 2018-04-25 4:47 PM (#562278 - in reply to #562234)
Subject: Re: Newbe body plate question



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Location: Muskego, WI
Well, if the 318 didn't match up and it has a 3 speed TorqueFlite in it, doesn't that narrow it down to a big block? I don't think you could get the TF trans behind a flat head 6.
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58DeSoDodge59
Posted 2018-04-25 8:07 PM (#562285 - in reply to #562234)
Subject: RE: Newbe body plate question



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Posts: 1112
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Location: Wild Wonderful
All Custom Royals had a 361 engine, unless it was upgraded to a 383. I did not see any D500 badges on
your car, so I know it was not upgraded. So that means your car had a 361.

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Comeback Special
Posted 2018-04-25 8:37 PM (#562288 - in reply to #562234)
Subject: Re: Newbe body plate question


Member

Posts: 5

Thanks very much to everyone who replied! Really appreciated your time and willingness to share your expertise.
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Chrycoman
Posted 2018-04-28 10:36 AM (#562422 - in reply to #562234)
Subject: Re: Newbe body plate question



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Location: Vancouver, BC

Custom Royal and Custom Sierra had a 4bbl 361 V8 as standard, while the Royal and Sierra had a 2bbl 361 V8.

The Custom Royal had Torqueflite as standard while the Royal was Powerflite.

No 325 V8 in 1959. The Coronet V8 used the one year only 326-cid version of the 318 - 3.95" bore vs 3.91" on 318. 3-speed manual transmission was standard.

No options of any kind on your car. The double numbers on tour tag are the first two digits of the sales codes available. If there were any options on your car there would be third number to make the 3-digit sales code.

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Comeback Special
Posted 2018-04-28 11:29 AM (#562424 - in reply to #562234)
Subject: RE: Newbe body plate question


Member

Posts: 5

Bill that was really interesting - thank you so much! Thanks also for correcting my memory on the 325 vs 326. I
need to find an engine for my car, that is the only major part she is missing, and had toyed with the idea of a salvage yard Coronet which I incorrrectly recalled the yard quoting as having a 325. What you said about my plate indicating the car had no options at all is interesting and resolves something that had been puzzling me. The Custom Royal was the top of the line series that year, yet my dash has the knight chrome icon in place of the dashboard clock. I was surprised to see that clock delete ornament on a Custom Royal.

Thanks again for posting.

Rick
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arizona mopar gold
Posted 2018-04-28 3:22 PM (#562430 - in reply to #562234)
Subject: Re: Newbe body plate question



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Welcome to the group!....just remember if you start looking for an engine if you still have the correct TF transmission that your going to need a early crank 361 Not the later type with flex plate
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Comeback Special
Posted 2018-04-28 11:22 PM (#562457 - in reply to #562430)
Subject: Re: Newbe body plate question


Member

Posts: 5

Thanks John. My car does still have what I believe is it’s original trans. After reading a lot of posts, I believe what I need to find is a 1962 or earlier 361 or 383. Please let me know if that does not sound correct.

That’s a lot of cars you have there! The 59 Dodge is my only antique Chrysler product, but I do have a 58 Olds and a 59 Buick. I’ve got a long way to go to catch up with you!

Thank you for your post.

Rick
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