Photo from the CC Cohort by Rod in CBR.
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Cool! Where is CBR?
“Rod in CBR” is the Cohort contributor’s name, CBR likely refers to Canberra.
The yard and the vehicle placement look very neat. Even the body openings are taped up to minimize water intrusion. I think the project will progress. I wouldn’t trust the cinder block “jack stands” though. They’re prone to cracking when they’re sideways like that.
The giant and solid cement structures under the cement blocks are interesting in their own right. They appear much older than the Plymouth. What could have been their purpose sitting intentionally parallel in that tiny back yard? They extend toward the fence as far as can be seen in the fence cracks and are longer than the Plymouth.
And the small windows are an interesting architectural item with their pieced and some colored glass. The tiny yards seem like a vacation location which would allow only seasonal work on the project car.
So many questions.
The U-shaped foundation could have been for a garage with a grease pit. Those were fairly common in the US, but I don’t know about Australia.
Clubhouse/fort for the kids? Windows look boarded up or.. something. Other than the removeable “windshield sun protection gizmacho”.
If it IS a restoration (which I’m really doubting), how they gonna get it out once complete? Tear down the fence I guess, seems already too close to the fence to even completer the resto.
Ooh, maybe it’s gonna be a trailer? Like that guy with the Aspen Wagon. I understand these old Chrysler products make great trailers.
Trailers are cool.
https://flic.kr/s/aHBqjzGvk9
I have the ValianTrailer.
Full-size Plymouths are much larger inside for trailer purposes.
😀😀😀
This is a good warning to anyone contemplating a big project, like a total restoration. Once you get a car totally apart, there is a very good chance that it will never get back together again. Unless a person has all the time, money, and resources to do it all at once, it’s better to work on areas of repair or restoration one at a time. I have seen many restos documented in antique car sources where the process took over fifty years as the car was carted around through a series of residences. With the owner unable at the time to move the project forward during that period. Cars like this often get sold for parts or scrapped.
My take on this one.
1/
Note, that it is ‘factory right hand drive’ and that makes it a seriously rare car.
2/
More than likely, its one of only a few assembled from imported ‘completely knocked down’ (CKD) kits, by Chrysler Australia.
Chrysler Australia assembled during 1958 and 1959, R.H.D. Versions of Dodge, Desoto 4 door sedans and Plymouth 4 door pillarless hardtops as their high luxury cars for the Australian market. Few survive today and of the few that survive even fewer have survived without be heavily modified.
So, the car represents a viable ground up restoration project, but being stored ‘outside’ is far from a good start.
It looks pretty rough to me but hopefully one day this rare automobile will hit the streets once more .
-Nate