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Rose / White '56 Belvedere 2dr Hardtop
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Powerflite
Posted 2020-08-17 4:11 PM (#602173)
Subject: Rose / White '56 Belvedere 2dr Hardtop



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I bought this car from the same seller I got the yellow '56 Fury from. I may purchase another '56 Plymouth parts car from him as well. This is a really neat car that I like more than the Fury. Nice color combo and interior fabrics on this. Manual steering, manual brakes, but has dual rear antennae (like my Fury does), dash clock, plastic seat covers (Bottoms are still good), Hollywood wheel, rear bumper wings, 277 motor that turns, powerflite, push button radio. No radiator so I will probably just install an aluminum one and paint it black. The back window is busted out of it that caused the demise of the upper back seat upholstery so I will need to replace that and fix the seat. It came with a replacement window, so that's good. I didn't want to have to hunt one down. But I'll probably install a new headliner into it first.

Hopefully I can get the motor running, fix the brakes and get it driving pretty quickly. The paint is actually in decent shape except in front of the rear wheels where it is rusted. I plan to fix the rust and repaint the white, but just buff & wax the rose color as it is. It should come out looking great. I'll leave the powerflite in it for the time being, unless it's bad, at which point I would swap it out for a torqueflite or push button 727. I will work on this car right after I get the brakes done on the Fury and get it cleaned up as much as I can.



(56Belvy Arrives.jpg)



(56Belvy LR.jpg)



(56Belvy Dash.jpg)



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1960fury
Posted 2020-08-17 4:29 PM (#602174 - in reply to #602173)
Subject: Re: Rose / White '56 Belvedere 2dr Hardtop



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Oh, thats pretty! Congrats!
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Burnemup
Posted 2020-08-17 5:52 PM (#602183 - in reply to #602173)
Subject: RE: Rose / White '56 Belvedere 2dr Hardtop



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Nathan, You are getting quite a fleet of Mopars. The More the Merrier! I'm just playing with my 2(48 Plymouth & 55 Dodge CRL). Hope to see one of your fleet cars at Bobs some Friday night.

Have Fun!

Ernie
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ronbo97
Posted 2020-08-17 7:10 PM (#602192 - in reply to #602183)
Subject: RE: Rose / White '56 Belvedere 2dr Hardtop


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Is the rear window gasket available ? Otherwise, that'll be a tough nut to find.

Your car's twin lives in eastern CT.  

Ron





(56 Plymouth Amston CT 002 xs.jpg)



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Powerflite
Posted 2020-08-18 1:50 AM (#602210 - in reply to #602173)
Subject: Re: Rose / White '56 Belvedere 2dr Hardtop



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Thanks Sid & Ernie. I changed jobs so I no longer work down by Bob's Big Boy. I've been holed up due to the little coronas too, but I'll have to make a point of going down there sometime. I need to show off my Savoy with all the work I've put into it.

Ron, the gaskets are available from Steele Rubber. https://www.steelerubber.com/rear-window-gasket-70-3038-81 They support the '55-'56 years a lot more than the '57-'61 for some reason. Great looking car there. Do you know the owner? I was really surprised to find out today that Eggshell White & Briar Rose were not the original colors of my car. It was originally Jet Black & Briar Rose. I noticed a couple of scratches in the white paint revealing black underneath it too. This car was built in Los Angeles. The tag reads:
SG:1, M3:4, M6:1, M8:3, M9:3
SCHED: 1027 (October 27, 1955)
NO: 3267
MODEL: P293 ('56 Belvedere)
BT: 866 (V8 2dr hardtop)
PT: 680 (Briar Rose body, Jet Black roof/Sport tone)
TR: 510 (Rose vinyl & black/white Aztec patterned cloth)




(56Belvy Body Tag.jpg)



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Powerflite
Posted 2020-08-18 1:59 AM (#602211 - in reply to #602173)
Subject: Re: Rose / White '56 Belvedere 2dr Hardtop



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Notice the black inner fenders of a Los Angeles car. It also has the Jubilee trumpet horns that the LA plant used. The 277 motor still has its correct, yellow painted 2bbl air cleaner. I'm gonna try to swap out the 2bbl setup for a 4bbl intake if I can get my hands on one. Or I might try converting this one to a 4bbl. I'm not a fan of the original 2bbl carbs.

Does anyone know if the wedge under this clock is a factory part? It makes a lot of sense to position it to read better on the Plymouth dash, but most of the ones I have seen in other cars didn't have it. Am I to assume that the other cars didn't originally come with this accessory?

Edited by Powerflite 2020-08-18 2:07 AM




(56Belvy Engine.jpg)



(56Belvy Dash Clock.jpg)



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22mafeja
Posted 2020-08-18 2:28 AM (#602212 - in reply to #602173)
Subject: RE: Rose / White '56 Belvedere 2dr Hardtop


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Wow that looks like a nice find. Where do you get all that energy Nathan...it is amazing...
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ronbo97
Posted 2020-08-18 9:58 AM (#602220 - in reply to #602210)
Subject: Re: Rose / White '56 Belvedere 2dr Hardtop


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Powerflite - 2020-08-18 1:50 AM Ron, the gaskets are available from Steele Rubber. https://www.steelerubber.com/rear-window-gasket-70-3038-81 They support the '55-'56 years a lot more than the '57-'61 for some reason. Great looking car there. Do you know the owner?

Steele : For a while, they seemed gung-ho to reproduce anything as long as there was a good original that they could use for a mold. But they seem to have shifted gears. Now they just want to mold gaskets that will be big sellers, like F-o-r-d or C-h-e-v-y stuff. I offered them an original W453 windshield gasket that they could use. They seemed less than interested in doing the job.

Plymouth: Yes, I know the owner. I worked on this car for him, mostly doing electricals. Haven't spoken to him in a few years.

Ron

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57burb
Posted 2020-08-18 10:28 AM (#602222 - in reply to #602212)
Subject: RE: Rose / White '56 Belvedere 2dr Hardtop



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Awesome car! One of the first FL cars I had a chance to look at up close, when I was about 10 years old, was a '56 Belvedere basically identical to this car except it was a 4-door hardtop. I was mesmerized by that pattern in the side trim!

I think you're right, it won't take a lot of effort to get this one cleaned up and driving. Looks like a fun project!
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56D500boy
Posted 2020-08-18 11:25 AM (#602224 - in reply to #602210)
Subject: Re: Rose / White '56 Belvedere 2dr Hardtop



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Powerflite - 2020-08-17 10:50 PMI was really surprised to find out today that Eggshell White & Briar Rose were not the original colors of my car. It was originally Jet Black & Briar Rose. I noticed a couple of scratches in the white paint revealing black underneath it too.
PT: 680 (Briar Rose body, Jet Black roof/Sport tone)
TR: 510 (Rose vinyl & black/white Aztec patterned cloth)


So something like this (using the 1956 Canadian Dodge/Desoto dealer book):





(MockUpOfNathans680PaintCode56Belvedere2drHT.jpg)



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Powerflite
Posted 2020-08-18 1:08 PM (#602227 - in reply to #602173)
Subject: Re: Rose / White '56 Belvedere 2dr Hardtop



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Ralf: Thanks, I have more time now with the work from home order so I am taking advantage of it. But the sweltering heat right now isn't helping me. Hopefully it'll pass soon.
Ron: You would think Steele would be interested in making a gasket for the Christine cars. Those things are extremely popular. Just goes to show they haven't got a clue.
Danny: Thanks, yeah, back in the early '80s, I fell in love with the '57 Chrysler but never was able to get my hands on one until much later. But in 2001 when I started looking for a different car to put my hemi motor into, I saw a black/white '56 Belvedere and really loved it. I eventually settled for my Savoy, but the "monkey knuckle" or "snail's trail" design as my wife calls it, is really good looking and I sometimes regretted going with the much more plain Savoy.
Dave: That's pretty close, but this is much closer. I wish I could flatten out these transparencies better. I'm thinking the black is more striking from this comparison, but I'll let my wife decide which we will go with in the long run. Temporarily, it will stay white.

Edited by Powerflite 2020-08-18 2:02 PM




(56Belv Rose-Black.jpg)



(56Belv Rose-White.jpg)



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Powerflite
Posted 2020-08-18 8:15 PM (#602249 - in reply to #602173)
Subject: Re: Rose / White '56 Belvedere 2dr Hardtop



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I think I found the adapter wedge for the dash clock. It's odd that they don't list it for 1955 as well though. Was a clock not an option on the '55 Plymouth? But I also can't find any of the dash clocks for '55-'56 applications listed except the '55 Chrysler, and it's in a completely different section of the parts catalog. None of the others are listed in either location. Weird.



(55-56 Plymouth Dash Clock Adapter.jpg)



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Powerflite
Posted 2020-08-20 2:32 AM (#602305 - in reply to #602173)
Subject: Re: Rose / White '56 Belvedere 2dr Hardtop



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The roof rail trim on this car confused me at first. the doors didn't shut right because the vent window smacked into the roofrail trim. Weird. Then I checked out the Fury and found that the roofrail trim is meant to rotate up out of the way when the door is opened. That allows the window & vent frame enough room to fit underneath the trim. As the door is closed, it rotates the trim downward, making a better seal over the door glass. There are some springs under the trim that facilitate this. Once I loosened up the trim by rotating it a couple of times, it worked great. Pretty wild. Notice also the difference in drip rail trim between the two of them.

Edited by Powerflite 2020-08-20 2:35 AM




(56 Belv Roofrail Trim.jpg)



(56Fury Roofrail Trim.jpg)



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Powerflite
Posted 2020-08-20 2:36 AM (#602307 - in reply to #602173)
Subject: Re: Rose / White '56 Belvedere 2dr Hardtop



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The wheels are painted with these white lines on them. Underneath the pink is a bright turquoise. Anyone know if this is a factory style paint?



(56 Belv Wheels.jpg)



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Powerflite
Posted 2020-08-20 2:46 AM (#602308 - in reply to #602173)
Subject: Re: Rose / White '56 Belvedere 2dr Hardtop



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Got this picture of a factory clock in a '55 Belvedere. Apparently a different housing design than the '56 clock and so it doesn't need the wedge underneath it. Looks like a white face with red hands. The '56 Plymouth clock uses a black face with red hands.



(1955 Belvy Dash Clock.jpg)



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frwl
Posted 2020-08-22 6:23 AM (#602397 - in reply to #602173)
Subject: RE: Rose / White '56 Belvedere 2dr Hardtop


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It’s a great bargain Nathan!
Returning to the old thread – LA-built cars:

http://www.forwardlook.net/forums/forums/thread-view.asp?tid=67614&...

I guess option M3 = 4 = 424 = Full Dress Trim: Windshield Upper Moulding and Drip Moulding that you describing above…
(M3 = 5 = 425 = Drip Moulding only)




(cowl tag.jpg)



(56 codes.jpg)



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frwl
Posted 2020-08-25 3:16 PM (#602561 - in reply to #602173)
Subject: RE: Rose / White '56 Belvedere 2dr Hardtop


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And (or) M6=1=451; Is it an electric clock?
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Suddenlyits1960!
Posted 2020-08-25 3:43 PM (#602566 - in reply to #602305)
Subject: Re: Rose / White '56 Belvedere 2dr Hardtop



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Powerflite - 2020-08-20 2:32 AM

The roof rail trim on this car confused me at first. the doors didn't shut right because the vent window smacked into the roofrail trim. Weird. Then I checked out the Fury and found that the roofrail trim is meant to rotate up out of the way when the door is opened. That allows the window & vent frame enough room to fit underneath the trim. As the door is closed, it rotates the trim downward, making a better seal over the door glass. There are some springs under the trim that facilitate this. Once I loosened up the trim by rotating it a couple of times, it worked great. Pretty wild. Notice also the difference in drip rail trim between the two of them.


Wow! That’s pretty neat! I had no idea the 1956’s had that feature. This must have been found on hardtops only,right?
Was the drip rail trim unique to the fury,or did they switch to that style later in production?
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Suddenlyits1960!
Posted 2020-08-25 3:46 PM (#602567 - in reply to #602173)
Subject: Re: Rose / White '56 Belvedere 2dr Hardtop



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Also meant to ask,did Chrysler refer to the optional steering wheel as the “Hollywood” wheel? If not what was it called and how did it come to get the nickname “Hollywood”?
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Powerflite
Posted 2020-08-25 4:14 PM (#602570 - in reply to #602173)
Subject: Re: Rose / White '56 Belvedere 2dr Hardtop



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M6=1 seems plausible to indicate the electric clock. This is the only one I have that came with it, so I have no way to verify it though.

The different drip rail trim is just an option that could be ordered or not. As Igor indicated, the Rose Belvedere came with the optional wide roof trim, but the Fury didn't. I think it was available on the Fury too though.
The steering wheel is the optional "plastic" wheel, which when it first came out in 1955, was called the "Hollywood" wheel, I guess because plastic was associated with Hollywood for some reason. But after 1956, the optional plastic wheel became much more common and no longer carried the Hollywood name. And the Hollywood wheel was standard on the '56 Fury, but optional on everything else. However it's a standard option for all my cars

Edited by Powerflite 2020-08-25 4:33 PM
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Powerflite
Posted 2021-02-13 4:09 PM (#608868 - in reply to #602173)
Subject: Re: Rose / White '56 Belvedere 2dr Hardtop



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I decided to work on this car now since putting the rear window into it is a high priority and there's a good chance I can get this motor running...we'll see. The floor mat in it is really cool, and looks like it was originally a nice pink color (from the backside) that has faded to the white you now see. It's extremely brittle now so no real chance of even getting it out without breaking it all apart. One of these rubber floor mats completely rusted out the floor in the yellow Fury. Hopefully this one hasn't suffered the same fate.



(56Belv Pink Floor Mat.jpg)



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Powerflite
Posted 2021-02-13 4:44 PM (#608872 - in reply to #602173)
Subject: Re: Rose / White '56 Belvedere 2dr Hardtop



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Check out this early version of a PCV valve. It looks like the original down draft tube that has been capped off and tapped at the top of it to accept an old version of a one-way restrictor valve, and leads to two ports tapped into the top of the manifold. Pretty cool, but I'm not going to keep it like this.



(56Belv Old PCV.jpg)



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Powerflite
Posted 2021-02-20 11:46 AM (#609109 - in reply to #602173)
Subject: Re: Rose / White '56 Belvedere 2dr Hardtop



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My first priority on this car is to replace the broken rear window and to clean it out. There was an enormous amount of dirt and misc. debri under the rear seat, that had collected there & gotten wet from the missing window, but it hadn't rusted the rear floor yet, so that was really nice. I pulled the rear window trim & the remaining rubber gasket from the car. The small outside trim is what holds it all together. It is bolted to the car all along its length. The last bolt you have to access underneath the upper quarter interior trim panel, shown in the picture sitting on the package tray. I recommend that you either eliminate that last bolt or else cut it down shorter because removing the trim with that stud extended is very difficult to do without either first removing the extremely painful belt trim molding under the quarter glass, or else bending the trim a little. That belt trim molding is by far the hardest thing to remove on the car because it requires removing the rear window & regulator assemblies, which is non-trivial, especially when things become rusted. Not to mention the headache of trying to adjust it properly after putting it back together. Cutting that last stud shorter, or eliminating it entirely will make it much easier to remove the rear window trim without having to deal with that belt trim molding or bending things.

The larger trim near the rubber gasket is clamped in place at the bottom by the small trim, but also inserts into the rubber gasket at the top. But otherwise, it has no clips or other means to hold it in place. There are 2 screws that hold the decorative C-pillar trim on at the bottom, and those screws are always rusted out. No hope of being able to unscrew them, even with heat from a torch because the heads are almost non-existent. The factory really should have used stainless screws here and that's what I'll do after I drill out the remains of the old ones. There is also a clip at the top that the trim clips onto, that you can see in the pictures. Quite a bit of rust had developed under all this trim so it's going to be a lot of fun to fix all of this. I just hope I don't mess up the original paint too much so I can get it back together without it looking too badly from the experience.

You can see from the pictures that the roof was originally painted black.

Edited by Powerflite 2021-02-20 11:53 AM




(56Belv Rear Channel Rot Right.jpg)



(56Belv Rear Channel Rot Left.jpg)



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22mafeja
Posted 2021-02-21 2:47 AM (#609119 - in reply to #609109)
Subject: Re: Rose / White '56 Belvedere 2dr Hardtop


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Not too badly rusty but some stitching it sure needs...the belt line molding between side glass and back glass is always a pain whatever car it is. Sometimes I have
made a special clip bolted to the rear quarter so I have been able to slide on that darned trim piece...trial and error is the way...
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Powerflite
Posted 2021-02-21 10:34 AM (#609127 - in reply to #602173)
Subject: Re: Rose / White '56 Belvedere 2dr Hardtop



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Yeah Ralf, this car doesn't have much rust. It does have some issues from having the window missing for so long, but fortunately, not terrible. Using a custom clip to hold on that molding is a good idea. When I tear the cars apart for paint, I'll have to give that a try.

I took a first pass at welding in all the rust sections. I welded in appropriately bent small washers to fill in the larger holes, and that worked out really well. I'll need to do another pass to address some of the spots I missed, but should get it done after that. I scuffed the pink paint in a couple of places, but not bad. This will not all hide under the trim of course, but just trying to keep the damage zone to a minimum. On the left inner edge, I dug into an old brazing job. I assume that was done by the factory as there doesn't appear to be any repairs made to the car and the lead seam is still in place, but who knows. There was also a large hole in the trunk trough for some reason. I'm sure that had been leaking water into the trunk for quite a while and created a small rust section there. I welded that up as well to prevent any future issues.

Edited by Powerflite 2021-02-21 10:42 AM




(56Belv Rear Channel Welded Right.jpg)



(56Belv Rear Channel Welded Left.jpg)



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56D500boy
Posted 2021-02-21 11:33 AM (#609135 - in reply to #609127)
Subject: Re: Rose / White '56 Belvedere 2dr Hardtop



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Nathan: Nice work again. It sure would be nice to be able to weld and fix things like that when you have to.

Could you explain, maybe with more photos (?), how the stainless sail panel was attached to the C pillar? I might want to swap in nicer ones on my 56 Dodge.

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Powerflite
Posted 2021-02-21 12:26 PM (#609137 - in reply to #602173)
Subject: Re: Rose / White '56 Belvedere 2dr Hardtop



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Dave, 4dr sedan trim is completely different from 2dr hardtop trim. Nothing is the same on it, so any instructions I give won't translate to your car.
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56 Cruiser
Posted 2021-02-21 4:21 PM (#609142 - in reply to #602173)
Subject: RE: Rose / White '56 Belvedere 2dr Hardtop



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I have a good set of bumper wings & back glass for 56 h/t if you know anyone interested
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Powerflite
Posted 2021-02-21 5:13 PM (#609144 - in reply to #602173)
Subject: RE: Rose / White '56 Belvedere 2dr Hardtop



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I might be interested in the glass if I end up breaking this one.
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Powerflite
Posted 2021-02-28 10:06 AM (#609348 - in reply to #602173)
Subject: Re: Rose / White '56 Belvedere 2dr Hardtop



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I finished painting the window area and installed the window yesterday. I haven't finished installing the lower-most trim yet. I have to get into the trunk and tighten the nuts onto it. My hands are quite sore today from all the man-handling it takes to get the window installed and the trim installed afterward. The car came with an extra used rubber that was in decent shape - nice and pliable with only one crack in it. So I decided to use it instead of purchasing a new one. This time I lubed up the rubber quite a bit to make the process easier, but it still wasn't a lot of fun. At least this way, there was no danger to breaking the glass trying to get it in.

That upper trim piece is a lot of fun to install. It took me probably a dozen tries before I got it to go in. I had to lube up the lip that it inserts into really well, and clean & lube up the trim too, so it wasn't dirty or dry. The method that eventually worked for me was to install the trim at the center first and then work my way to each side afterward. The final push required is at each corner to pop it into the groove after the ends are in place. The lower trim next to the rubber didn't give me any trouble, but the lower-outer trim did for some reason. I had a hard time re-inserting that trim underneath the quarter belt molding far enough. It's just really hard to push it further inward. But I think everything is where it needs to be now and I am glad to have it mostly done. I'm happy I don't have to install any more glass for a while....until I get back to the New Yorker's rear window.



(56Belv Rear Window Installed Left.jpg)



(56Belv Rear Window Installed Right.jpg)



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22mafeja
Posted 2021-03-01 2:13 AM (#609380 - in reply to #609348)
Subject: Re: Rose / White '56 Belvedere 2dr Hardtop


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The car looks like a million times nicer now...I agree that the glass work is so not funny...especially the upper molding...ouch...
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Powerflite
Posted 2021-03-01 6:25 PM (#609405 - in reply to #602173)
Subject: Re: Rose / White '56 Belvedere 2dr Hardtop



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Yes, having the glass in and the rust around the rear window welded up is a big relief. It no longer looks like an abandoned car sitting there, and that expensive window is in place and un-cracked. The seats in this car still have the original fabrics & clear plastic seat covers on them. The lower rear cushion was covered in a thick layer of dirt/mud that mostly saved it from being destroyed by the damaging UV rays. It's seat cover is still soft and supple and could be used as is, although it's quite stained and more brown than it should be. The upper cushion wasn't so lucky. It not only had lots of UV hitting it, but was also fully exposed out in the weather the whole time. That one needs a complete redo, but the springs in it look OK, so that's good.



(56Belv Rear Seats.jpg)



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Attachments 56Belv Rear Seats.jpg (248KB - 286 downloads)
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Powerflite
Posted 2021-03-02 12:33 AM (#609412 - in reply to #602173)
Subject: Re: Rose / White '56 Belvedere 2dr Hardtop



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I purchased these new springs for the rotating trim above the door windows from a guy "stellarrestorations" out of Kansas on Ebay. I purchased enough for all three of my '56 Plymouth 2dr hardtops.

https://www.ebay.com/itm/1955-1956-Dodge-Plymouth-2-door-hardtop-win...

They used 2 different styles that had different ways of mounting to the trim. There was an early style with 2 loops in the front spring and single loops in the rear, and a later style that just used single loop springs at all four locations. It seems that the later style tends to work better and last longer before breaking. This car is an early build in October 1955 and uses the 2 loop version. My yellow Fury is also an early build car probably from January or February of '56 and also uses the 2 loop version. The white Fury is a later build, probably from March or April of '56 and uses the single loops on each position. None of the 2 loop springs are still functioning, but many of the single loop springs are still working well. Hopefully, these stainless springs should solve the problems though.



(56 Plym 2dr Hardtop Trim Springs.jpg)



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Attachments 56 Plym 2dr Hardtop Trim Springs.jpg (136KB - 272 downloads)
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ronbo97
Posted 2021-03-02 9:46 AM (#609421 - in reply to #609412)
Subject: Re: Rose / White '56 Belvedere 2dr Hardtop


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Powerflite - 2021-03-02 12:33 AM I purchased these new springs for the rotating trim above the door windows from a guy "stellarrestorations" out of Kansas on Ebay.

Stellarrestorations is Tim Bowers, who owns a shop by the same name. He has done some concours-winning restorations. Most notably a 56 Adventurer. He's very active in the Desoto club and is a good guy.

Ron

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Powerflite
Posted 2021-03-07 1:13 AM (#609581 - in reply to #602173)
Subject: Re: Rose / White '56 Belvedere 2dr Hardtop



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Thanks for the info. His clips look like they should work out well, and I'm grateful I don't have to make them!

Everywhere I look on this car, it looks to be in very original condition. It seems to have been mostly untouched since it was purchased. I've never seen a coil housing like this before. It's an AC Delco, but the housing is a very old style.



(56Belv Coil.jpg)



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Powerflite
Posted 2021-03-07 1:29 AM (#609582 - in reply to #602173)
Subject: Re: Rose / White '56 Belvedere 2dr Hardtop



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I replaced the distributor with an electronic one, an HEI module, and a powerful E-core coil, gave it some fresh oil and gas in the carb, and put a battery in it for the first time. The park lights work and the headlights worked briefly before dying. Not sure what happened with them, if the elements burned up or if there is a problem with the switch. One light on the dash works, the ignition key light. Nothing works at the back of the car. But the good thing is this car came with an ignition key! Yay! No need to pull the switch and get one made for it.

I tried to start it and the starter & relay all work nicely, but it wouldn't start. So I retarded it from where it was set with the old distributor. That didn't work; as a loud bang erupted from the exhaust and scared me because of how big of a bang it was. Apparently the wrong direction! So I advanced it and it still did nothing. I advanced it more and more and more, and then it finally fired up! Seems to run quite well so far! I'll have to go through everything to get coolant and probably a rebuilt fuel pump on it now. Running is always better than not running!



(56Belv Is Alive!.jpg)



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Attachments 56Belv Is Alive!.jpg (140KB - 278 downloads)
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56D500boy
Posted 2021-03-07 2:15 AM (#609583 - in reply to #609582)
Subject: Re: Rose / White '56 Belvedere 2dr Hardtop



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Congrats Nathan. Good job.

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22mafeja
Posted 2021-03-07 2:58 AM (#609584 - in reply to #609582)
Subject: Re: Rose / White '56 Belvedere 2dr Hardtop


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Those moments are exciting! A bang or two and then it comes some smoke and if one is really blessed it might move in one or both directions...progress..
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1960fury
Posted 2021-03-07 3:32 PM (#609609 - in reply to #602173)
Subject: Re: Rose / White '56 Belvedere 2dr Hardtop



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I still think, this is one of the nicest FL cars ever presented here. Love it.
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Powerflite
Posted 2021-03-11 12:24 AM (#609739 - in reply to #602173)
Subject: Re: Rose / White '56 Belvedere 2dr Hardtop



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Thanks guys. Hopefully when I get it to a point that I can drive it, the motor will work well enough to use for a while.

Since this car will be my youngest daughter's, I wanted to convert it to power brakes & power steering to make it easier for her to drive it. So I purchased a power brake pedal assembly from the trunk of a '56 Dodge at BigM's the last time I was there. It had a gray pedal on it and was quite weathered from sitting in the open trunk for many years. Now that I am cleaning it up, I noticed that the rubber on the back of it was pink colored. So I scrubbed off the top surface to find that the whole pedal is actually a pink color. I've never heard of a pink colored pedal for these cars before. Does anyone know about it? Would that have been used on a Le Femme possibly? Anyway, it seems fitting to use on this car, given its color scheme, but I don't have a matching accelerator pedal, unfortunately.

I've never had a classic car that still had it's original fuel hose, but this one does. It looked good too, until I touched it and it broke all apart. It's a hose similar in design to the brake hose at the master cylinder. Would be cool if you could get a new replacement for it, but maybe not worth the trouble.



(56Belv Pink Brake Pedal.jpg)



(56Belv Fuel Hose.jpg)



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Attachments 56Belv Pink Brake Pedal.jpg (125KB - 263 downloads)
Attachments 56Belv Fuel Hose.jpg (199KB - 269 downloads)
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Powerflite
Posted 2021-03-12 4:03 PM (#609795 - in reply to #602173)
Subject: RE: Rose / White '56 Belvedere 2dr Hardtop



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I did something really stupid. Got this new pedal assembly all cleaned up and painted, and then realized I forgot to weld the brake switch mount to it. I'll also need to grind a spot to get a ground connection. Not smart. Oh well, just get 'er done, right? This thing was a lot harder to take apart than it should have been, mostly because it had been sitting outside for quite a while. The brake rod was practically seized to the pin so it required heat to get it apart and there isn't a great way to push on it because of its location. Putting it back together isn't real easy if you get paint in the bushings either, but fortunately its easy to clean out afterward.

Edited by Powerflite 2021-03-12 4:10 PM




(56Belv Pedal Assembly Painted.jpg)



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56' Savoy
Posted 2021-03-12 4:43 PM (#609796 - in reply to #602173)
Subject: Re: Rose / White '56 Belvedere 2dr Hardtop


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Man,it looks brand new,well done ! That pink pedal looks so special,but cool..like it was made for your Belvedere...
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56D500boy
Posted 2021-03-12 5:40 PM (#609797 - in reply to #609795)
Subject: RE: Rose / White '56 Belvedere 2dr Hardtop



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Too bad about the miss Nathan. I know you will fix it real well.

Question: What paint did you use on the pedal bracket? I need to paint one of mine very soon.

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56' Savoy
Posted 2021-03-12 5:54 PM (#609798 - in reply to #602173)
Subject: Re: Rose / White '56 Belvedere 2dr Hardtop


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Just wonder if you're going for a disc brake conversion on this one ,and if so,what kind ? Earlier on this tread,there are some pictures of the dash clock,I have two of them in my parts pile somewhere,and one of them is for a 56' DeSoto.They came with white face gauges,and so is my clock...the other one is for 55/56 Plymouth's,and has the black background..
I'm thinking..you have the 56' Fury,Belvedere and Savoy..but no Plaza..? A 2 door wagon would be nice,since I probably will need some inpiration from someone like you,with your ability to get things done for getting somewhere with my 55' wagon..he,he
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Powerflite
Posted 2021-03-12 7:24 PM (#609802 - in reply to #602173)
Subject: Re: Rose / White '56 Belvedere 2dr Hardtop



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I was told by DepsilonD & Danny that the pedal was used on some '56 Dodge power brake pedals to highlight the power feature more, but is quite rare. Not sure if it was used late in the year or early, or at a specific factory, or ??

Dave, I used a bronze color on the bracket, but it comes out as more of a gray. I misted over it with a light pewter color which gave it a really cool metal textured look to it. You can kind of see it on the bottom flange a little bit, but the effect is mostly lost in the photo.

Geir, I will convert it to use the large 12" disc conversion from AAJ that I used on my white Fury. They say that you must use '56 Dodge hubs with that, but I modify the brackets to make it work well with the Plymouth hubs. There's quite a bit of modification required so it's not for the faint of heart. But it does work well on my Fury. If you are interested in doing the same thing, I can go over it in more detail on this build, but you can refer to my Fury page to see what's there first. They also sell a smaller 11" version that doesn't require modifications like that, but does require you to tap your spindle, which must be done very -straight- to work. I used that one on my Savoy before the 12" version became available. I think there are other 11" options for these cars too, like from Rusty Hope and other places, but I haven't tried them.

The DeSoto clocks are quite common, but the Plymouth clocks are more rare. If you get a chance, post a picture of your Plymouth clock. They used a number of different configurations, especially on the '55's so it would be neat to see what you have. Yep, I almost have the whole lineup, except for the Plaza now. But I think I have enough of them for the time being. What's funny is I purchased yet another car last year that I still haven't received yet due to covid restrictions. Hopefully I can get it in soon, but it isn't a Plymouth.
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22mafeja
Posted 2021-03-13 2:10 AM (#609807 - in reply to #609802)
Subject: Re: Rose / White '56 Belvedere 2dr Hardtop


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The color of the pedal assembly for sure is special...I wonder what the coming soon car is ...I don`t think it is a chevy....
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56' Savoy
Posted 2021-03-13 6:13 PM (#609822 - in reply to #602173)
Subject: Re: Rose / White '56 Belvedere 2dr Hardtop


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Ok Nathan,thanks for the info. Thing is,I installed the AAJ 11" set two years ago,and , the installation was a real challenge,expecially when you live in a metric country. I can't recall reading on their website you need to tach weld,tapping 5/8 UNF treads and reaming larger holes in the steering arms..? In addition comes the grinding on the hubs..well, it was my fault,I guess,I took all the old parts off my car,before unpacking the adapters,and like most men,I didn't bother to read the instructions first.The car was in winter storage with old wooden floors,so no power tools allowed,and no tach welding,of course. Naturally.I couldn't assemble the car again,get out in the snow,and pull it home too my " weld safe " garage,so that ment hand filing down the hubs,and tach weld the nuts on the backside of the brake shields instead of the hubs ( cause I could take those home ) Since the installation,I've spent hours trying to get a firm pedal and good brake preformance,but just can't figure out what the problem is to why I can't..
Will try and find the clock,but not shure how to link pictures to this site ?
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Powerflite
Posted 2021-03-14 12:53 PM (#609841 - in reply to #602173)
Subject: Re: Rose / White '56 Belvedere 2dr Hardtop



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No Ralf, it's not a Chevy.

Geir, you need to isolate the problem to figure out where it's coming from. Try clamping off the rear brake hose and see if your problem is fixed. If so, you know the problem is in the rear brakes. A very common problem with these conversions is that the plug used in the brake junction leaks air. Those plugs are garbage. If you analyze the plug fitting, you'll see that it's amazing it seals at all. And if you tighten it hard, it will likely ruin your brass junction block. I highly recommend that you make your own plug by using a brake line and welding & brazing it shut instead like what I do in this picture.

56D500boy has posted a tutorial on how to upload pictures. http://www.forwardlook.net/forums/forums/thread-view.asp?tid=64340
pictures must not exceed 250Kb, and must be .jpg, not .jpeg.

Edited by Powerflite 2021-03-14 4:49 PM




(56Fury White Brake Plug.jpg)



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56' Savoy
Posted 2021-03-14 3:37 PM (#609852 - in reply to #602173)
Subject: Re: Rose / White '56 Belvedere 2dr Hardtop


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Nathan,thanks for valuable tips and info,I will swap that plug ASP. I would never have thought that plug might be the problem..
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westaus29
Posted 2021-03-15 9:42 AM (#609884 - in reply to #602173)
Subject: Re: Rose / White '56 Belvedere 2dr Hardtop


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Hey Nathan, good to see you got the motor running, they seem to be unbreakable. Would love to hear it running. My 55 has been converted to 12v and has Pertronix ignition, fires up great despite being a bit tired, once I figured out how to get fuel to the carby. It seems to boil away when left a day or two and a new fuel pump didnt help, so put in an electric "booster" used only at startup.

I had no problem replacing that flexible fuel line, pretty sure I got it from Bernbaum, but there are a few different ones listed and he doesnt show pics.

Love the pink pedal!.
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