Hi, just thought I'd post a few pics of how my '56 Coronet is coming along. I bought this car in November 2011. Shares the same body as US 53 Plymouth savoy model. I painted it over the Christmas break and am now beginning to fit the glass(green tint) into the new rubbers and then into the doors. Lucky I have more than enough hair and I've been pulling a fair bit of it out in the process. I have a shipping container full of parts and am sorting through all the bits and putting it back together as I go. I am fairly happy with the outcome, as I painted it myself and am not a spraypainter and this is actually the first ever metallic paint job I have done. The body has had the badges removed, the fuel filler moved to the side behind a filler door, the seams removed from the rear(below the taillights) and will only wear the ram bonnet mascot. It runs a 5 bolt 289 Windsor and C4. It has a Valiant V8 BorgWarner diff, and disc brakes adapted to it. The interior has pearled steering wheel, and will basically be as original inside(original interior is in very good original condition). More pics as I get further along. As bought. Getting there. Finally body painted, roof to be done. Pearl white on the roof. 289 Windsor
Thats different... did Plymouth /Dodge corp. just send serial number data plates and put those on 53s? By the Way, the car looks great.....
1956?? I could, maybe, understand a one-year difference since it has to cross the 'date-line' and pass through a break in the space-time continuum just to get to the bottom of the planet, but... Some enlightenment would be appreciated. .
I think Oz used this body style until '58. Someone correct me if I'm wrong. The pic is of a 58 Aussie Chrysler Royal
I seem to remember that Chrysler sent the 53-54 dies to Oz after the 54 year and then sent the 55-56 dies to Oz after the 57 year end. No need to throw away good dies right? Some of the Australian variations sure look great and kind of show what may have happened in the states if these cars would have run for more than 2 years. The 1950's were so competitive with designs that I think many production ideas never saw the market here in the states. Looking at the 58 Chrysler Royal above I see a 54 roof, 56 Plymouth quarters and an extra fin similar to a US 58 Dodge. Very cool. As for the car posted, very cool color combination. I love the way the pearl white sets off the blue body. The Dodge Lancer caps look great on that body style. I can't tell from your pictures, but are those aftermarket gauges in the dash? If so, how much trouble is it to get these to work with your car? Did they come with sending units. I am especially curious about the fuel sending unit. Keep posting pics of this kool kruiser!!!
Thanks for the positive comments. Yes the '56 was the end of the body style run for this body shape, '57 being the start of the Chrysler Royal shape, which still shared the '53 body. the doors still interchange although there were numerous changes to the body including front sheet metal change, rear window changed to wrap around, opening rear 1/4 glasses no longer opened and a dashboard change, and fins etc. 1956 was also the first year the brake/clutch pedal was hung rather than through the floor, which makes things a lot easier to modify for later brakes. I think the Chrysler Royal resembles the US versions, but is very different completely. I have decided not to use the Dodge Lancer caps as I only had two of them, PO was going to run deep side skirts, and the caps would not have been seen, so I bought some caps that look a lot better from a fellow Hamber and had them shipped to me. These are the caps Im running, and can be seen in one or two of the pics. The colour, Jamaica Blau Effect, is a turquoise, and is a VW Jetta colour, similar to the original colour on this car, although a little lighter, my car did have a blue roof originally, and the choice of Toyota Pearl White does contrast well. . Again, thankyou for the comments.
The gauges in the dash are vintage style 'dolphin' brand gauges. These had been fitted by the PO and are all wired up with the senders and a painless wiring kit. There is a new sender in the reconditioned fuel tank, although that is unchartered waters as I haven't had fuel in the tank yet, as Ive been running it from a bottle until finished, so don't know how accurate it will be. Clever thinking by Po has both lights and gauges wiring up, so like a dual warning system. As far as I can see, all that's left to do with the wiring is a plug and go. Its has all been previously done by an auto electrician.
Thanks for the quick answers!! Those caps look like 60 Buick and are one of my favorites. Great choice!
Australia got the P25 chassis until about about 1964 from what info I can find. The front and rear sheet metal, wrap around rear windscreen and interior where the only things that really changed. The P25 code was changed to AP1, AP2 and AP3. I'm not real familiar with the ap1 or ap2 but I do have a couple of ap3's. The ap3 sedans has a recess in the roof skin to try and make the car look lower as well. We also got a ute cobled together from the 4 door sedan with lots of lead from the factory. I have found lead up to an inch or more thick around the B pillars where the rear quarters have been attached to the sedan B pillars. The rear quarters consisted of sedan door skins attached to sedan quarters, again with lots of lead. Lots of lead around the tailgate too. There's a pic of the ute in my avatar . Nice build Dodgeball
Here's some update pictures of the Coronet progress. Coming together slowly. Resomat insulation fitted to roof. Rare Stainless door handles. Door trim finished, blue material is original, have replaced bitumen board and cream vinyl(used pearl white material to match the pearl white garnish). These are my new number plates. BOM856 (BOMB56).
Thanks for the comments everybody. Its getting closer to the pointy end of things now. The new hood lining went in yesterday, and although I was a bit up in the air about choice of colours/materials, I'm glad I decided to go with the trimmers recommendations. The original interior is in above average condition, and required only the tops of the door trims(the cream vinyl), carpet and a hood lining. I guess I was very lucky to be able to find a 58 year old car with a usable interior.The original interior is blue/cream, and the carpet is black. We've gone with a neutral grey wool blend material on the hood lining and it suits it really well. I am so stoked at the outcome, it looks fantastic, with not a ripple or sagging anywhere. I have ordered a new set of reproduction rubber door entrance plates(carpet retainers??) and should have them in a month or less. Factory front and rear green tinted wind screens will be going in next Saturday (green glass already in doors). Once the glass is in, the carpet, underlay and seats can be refitted. Also we have deleted the windlace for a cleaner look. More pics next week.
Chrysler Australia had to produce cars with a certain "local" content to meet the governments requirements - it was a protected industry so you just couldn't bring new cars in already built up - you had to build them. Yes the dies were used for numerous years down under and there were subtle differences in such things as Smiths gauges in 12v instead of the original gauges on 6 volts. All electrics were Lucas and the brakes were Girling if my memory is correct - all brands coming from England through our British heritage in this part of the world. from 1957 onwards they changed some panels to "update" the range - the easiest way to see if it is a 53/54 frame is to check out the windscreen - they interchange uptil the AP3/4. The AP5 was the first body produced by Chrysler for solely the Australian market - this was loosely based on the USA A body but had stampings unique to Australia. This protected market of building your own cars gave people jobs cars along with all the associated subcontractors that go with it and the industry is now almost non existent. Ford GM and Chrysler were all at it and gave the world another range of Neat old cars
No wonder you guys have so much trouble screwing a car together. I have a new found respect for hot-rodding downunder!! .
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