This 1949 Plymouth is a first-series car, built in the 1948 body before Plymouth's all-new second-series 1949 models arrived that spring, and titled as a 1949. The fastback roofline has always made these a favored starting point for traditional street rod and custom work, and this one has been built in that direction over a long period, with a small block Chevy drivetrain, a deep list of period-style body modifications, and two-tone paint in Strato Turquoise (PPG DDL 14713) over white. It comes with handwritten build notes and service records going back to 1999, which is more paper than most cars of this type carry.
Power comes from a 350 Chevrolet bored 0.040 over, replacing the smaller displacement engine the car ran previously. It breathes through an Edelbrock high-rise intake and a 600 cfm Edelbrock carburetor, fires on electronic ignition, and exits through 1968 Camaro headers into a 2 inch stainless system with turbo mufflers. Cooling is handled by a three-core Mustang 5.0 radiator with a 160 degree thermostat, charging by a chrome 100 amp alternator, and fueling by a frame-mounted electric pump feeding from a 16 gallon tank with the filler relocated into the trunk. Behind the engine is a rebuilt Turbo 350 with a B&M shifter, an Advance driveshaft, and a Ford 8 inch rear carrying 4.10 gears, physically verified rather than assumed. That gearing makes it lively away from a stop and puts the emphasis on cruise nights and short runs rather than interstate miles.
The front end has been converted to a 1989 Chevrolet power rack and pinion, adapted to the original 1948 steering arms using Fat Man Fabrications components, and steering is through a late-1970s Oldsmobile column topped with a Grant wheel. Braking is front disc with drums in the rear and a dual GM master cylinder mounted in the original location. It rolls on 15 inch whitewall radials over 7x15 smoothy wheels with caps. Inside, the car has been converted to full 12 volt wiring with the fuse box mounted under the dash on the driver's side, and Sun gauges monitor water temperature, amperage, and oil pressure alongside a tachometer.
The body work is where the build shows its influences. Bumpers came from a 1949 Plymouth station wagon, the headlight bezels are frenched 1952 Mercury units, and the taillights combine 1977 Chrysler park lamp housings with 1961 Chevrolet lenses. Up front, 1977 Camaro side markers were converted to serve as turn signals and parking lights, and the grille is handmade using Plymouth inserts. The hood carries 1964 louvers, the antennas are sunken and frenched, and the car wears dummy spotlights and decorative lake pipes and a chromed firewall.
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