Just recently the subject of “patina” came up. Then I found this ultra-rare 1959 Plymouth Belvedere 2-door sedan for sale in Yukon, PA (near Pittsburgh). The paint is original–Pearl Gray and Iceberg White. But it has lost some of its sheen, and it’s not a color scheme most restorers today would pick. The interior is a red-and-gray two-tone. So the question becomes: If this were your car, would you leave the paint as is, or respray in something new and vibrant?
Seller’s description:
Entire braking system, fuel lines and tank have been replaced. Fuel pump and carburetor have been rebuilt within the last two years. Has original 6 cylinder, “flat head” motor. Interior is in great shape, all original. All body parts are original, with no repairs. Floor pans, frame, etc. is in great condition. There are a few spots of very fine surface rust in some spots; nothing that can’t be easily fixed. The car is ALL original, and has always been garage kept. Has won “People’s Choice Award” at local car show. You will never find another one like this! We receive compliments on the car everywhere we take it. Feel free to call Mike at: 724-433-4662 with any questions.
Seats and door panels look to be in very good shape! How many original 1959 Belvedere interiors are still intact and in such fine condition?
Even the dashboard has fins! Push-button Powerflite automatic transmission buttons visible at left. Manual steering will be heavy at parking speeds, and will require a lot of wheel-winding going around corners.
Under the hood is the venerable Plymouth flathead six, here in its last year of production. Consumer Reports was not a fan of this powertrain, calling it “rough and noisy” while the 2-speed Powerflite “brings out the engine’s worst characteristics.” It is, however, “free of bugs” and the torsion bar front suspension provides “excellent ride and handling.” CR also noted that the structural rigidity of the ’59 Plymouths has been greatly improved over the 1957-58 models. So we have an interesting combination of good and bad features.
But the paint is gray and it’s dull. So again I ask, “Keep it as is, or go for an exciting new look?”
I can personally relate to this question because in 2021 I bought this 1960 Dodge Dart Phoenix. It was also a dull and faded gray and seemed to cry out for more color!
In this case, the gray paint was not original so I had no qualms about painting over it.
My interior is a neutral gray reproduction, so I could pick just about any exterior color scheme I wanted.
I liked the blue in this brochure image, so . . .
I had it resprayed aqua blue and white. Total transformation! Complete story here.
So, let’s see . . . If we were to limit our choices to original factory colors, what would go well with the red and gray interior? An obvious choice would be two-toned Iceberg White roof over a Flame Red body. That’s going to remind everyone of “Christine” (which you may or may not want). The effect could be muted with a roof painted in either of the two grays available. That would be a perfect match with the interior color scheme.
I think interesting things could also be done with with Daffodil Yellow, Bittersweet, Bronze Iridescent, Palomino Beige, Gold Iridescent . . . these could be combined with a roof painted white, gray, or a related color; even glossy black. Solid black could also be a good choice, or a black body with a contrasting roof. (I really like Emerald Green, but I don’t know if that goes well with the red interior.)
The last time I saw a ’59 Plymouth on the road was 25 years ago (!!) Luckily I had my camera with me and was able to snap these pictures on film in those pre-cellphone camera days. The car appears to be Palomino Beige with a Bittersweet (or possibly Bronze) roof. The interior is brown which I think is a more harmonious fit with those colors. If I had a 1959 Plymouth Data Book I could tell you which colors were suggested with which interiors.
So, back to my original question: If this were your car, what would you do? Polish it up and keep it as is? Or if you decide on a repaint, which colors would you choose? Note: No matter which color a ’59 Plymouth is painted, the area around the front bumper is always silver/gray.
Nice find! Fun to let the imagination run with it a little and thank you for the research. I would restore the original paint scheme, true to the day it rolled off the assembly line. Just a personal preference for this and all vehicles needing a little TLC.
That paint is far too nice on a car so beautifully original to do a respray, IMHO. I once watched a video of a guy to brought a decent shine back to an old metallic enamel finish with a clay bar followed by multiple applications of DuPont No. 7 Auto Polish, an ancient product that was supposedly good for putting some oils back into the weathered factory finish.
I like the color combo on this car, and the interior complements it perfectly.
Those final flathead Plymouths have always fascinated me, but I might have trouble living with this one after having owned one with a V8, Torqueflite and power steering, which was a first-rate driver.
I was figuring that yours is the only opinion that matters here, because not only did you once have a 59 Plymouth but you are also the perfect candidate to take this one on.
I agree, buff, polish, whatever to get a little shine back into that grey. Drive and enjoy!
I think I agree with Jim above, but a nice thought might be to restore to the original color, but pearl it up more with the irradiance of some of today’s paints.
Stephen, you have a knack for finding and sharing neat cars like this one. Kudos for even adopting a few of them!
This wonderful old Plymouth actually looks pretty good in its original paint and colors. The only thing that bothers me is the visible rust on the filler panel behind the front bumper.
Do the Dupont No. 7 (good stuff) then wax it and leave it alone. It’d be a sin to re-do this car, they’re only original once. How many like this can be left?
I am surprised that the fuel gauge had a graphical representation of full and empty (i.e. full dot and empty circle). I would have thought that was a more recent development but I guess not.
Sounds like a “Euro thing” to me.(or so I’d a thought)
Live and learn.
Never knew/heard of “Yukon PA” before this. I’m from “rather nearby”.
Interesting contrast: Here’s a 1959 Dodge Coronet, also a flathead six but with power steering, for sale on FB in York, Maine. The pink roof and fins make such a difference! But pale pink (officially “Rose Quartz”) wasn’t available on Plymouths.
Keep it like it is, already enough cars made into Christine lookalikes or otherwise ruined. Original is the wayyto go.
A no-brainer. Keep it original. Generally, not attracted to over-the-top late ’50’s style. However, I do find lower trim level cars stand up better, with their cleaner details, and less garish ornamentation.
Agree that a good power buffing with a quality polish should work well.
I have a 53 Chrysler Imperial with original paint. I have worked many hours to bring the gloss up to something presentable. All that effort worked, and now I only have to detail it (by hand) to keep the shine. Currell
I was going to say keep it as is and polish it as best as possible until I saw the respray on your Dodge. Now I’m wavering. It’s the gray. It’s really boring.
Not quite the last car with a flat head engine. That honor goes to the 1964 Checker Marathon with it’s Continental straight 6.
1965 Rambler American has that beat.
Also, he was referring to this engine in Chrysler Corp. cars, although the flathead six did live on in the Dodge Powerwagon for quite a few more years yet.
If anybody messes with that car I will hunt them down and…do something I can’t say here.
This car is absolutely perfect, with that flathead six. What a juxtaposition: Suddenly it’s 1960, except under the hood, where it’s suddenly 1930!
Heh, heh–I wouldn’t paint it. I presented this without giving my opinion one way or the other just to see how people would respond. It was just a fantasy, (or MM as you would say!)
Luckily, the car has that white roof which accents the look very nicely. If it were ALL GRAY though, I might really be tempted . . .
The unanimous consensus here is that it should NOT be re-painted, but kept original. I didn’t expect so many “purists” (like me). Which of course begs the question, “Then how come when I go to a car show, I see all these classic cars modified in non-original, stupid ways?” I guess the CC readership is not representative of the old car hobby in general?
It’s that juxtaposition that struck me the most too. Fins pointing to Mars, four headlights leaning forward into the future, glass everywhere, glamourous chrome excess of nowness – and under the hood, a tugboat engine with 1921’s finest tech. Lordy me, the future wouldn’t turn up very quickly in this.
For my two cents, definitely try all potions of revival, but no more than that: a repaint would remove all of the history that has travelled with it from so long ago.
My guess, Steven is that CC readership is (in general) probably representative of a fairly conservative corner of the hobby, so the support for preservation isn’t surprising. And the site is, after all, about the celebrating of the ordinary and streetfound, and generally not about the glamourous 100-pointers on a golf course.
Yeah, I agree with the “It’s only original once” crowd. I would wash it, cover the rusted areas with mat clear coat and drive it to car shows and coffee meets. I might carefully sand and paint that rusty area behind the front bumper…but probably not. It’s an ancient survivor: don’t pimp it out with new colors!
I agree with the last post. Preserve it. Too bad about the manual steering though..
Our full size “68 Chevy” had no p/s. My dad thought it was a “risky frivol”.
What makes a car like this interesting is that it is original! The paint looks very good, this calls for careful hand polishing, then apply a good pure carnuba wax. Polish all the bright work. Stabilize any rusty spots. I hope the next owner has a garage to keep it in. Preservation first. There was no original value in my ’70 Mustang, so I was free to do whatever I wanted to do to it!
Details scream RUST PROBLEM.
PRNDL points out the area behind the front bumper.
But take a second look at the top of the fender liner shown in the engine bay photo. That looks like a lot more than just surface rust.
Note that the brake lines and the fuel tank have been replaced.
Normally, road salt rust is worse on the driver’s side. (Salt is spread down the center of the road).
This one is just the opposite, which is a bit mysterious. It could have happened, however, if, just once, this car had been driven through some ocean water on the passenger side.
Of course, all we have here are some photographs.
The situation could be very different in person.
Wstrn PA, “60 mopar”; If there was no rust issues, that would be an oddity.
That is a tough one, as it is such an excellent example. I would try do the multi-step paint correction and polishing first. Be sure to test beforehand with paint thickness guage, as it is probably an one-stage paint job. Ceremic treatments is too harsh for such. I purchased a 44 year old Florida Squire Wagon that was heavily faded, thinking it would need a new paint job. To my shock and delight, the one-stage paint cameback like new! Many asked me who repainted it, and the looks of their faces made my day when I said its original! Unforunately, I had to replace the ni-doc vinyl wood siding with NOS pieces as the orginals were faded white and cracked. Try that first and reassess!
We’re all here precisely because this car is so original, and I feel it should be left that way. Would this car generate as much interest if it was already changed?
Swap or reverse the whitewall tires and be done.
You leave it as it is. With so very few left in their original condition it is important, in my mind, to leave as is to represent the times. If one wanted to muck around with it in 1963 I probably wouldn’t give it a second thought then but today yes. So whether a car or the paint convention on an aircraft carrier it should be original especially if in good condition. If not good condition then repainted still in the original color.
Leave the paint and polish it up. The engine and engine room are begging for some tidying up and detailing.
I’m also in the “just clean it up and wax it” camp, although I do like seeing this type of car in more vibrant colors. Picking from the factory paint selection you shared, I’d go with the mint green, although I like the orange/bronze too. I don’t care for the Palomino Beige car you showed: as Jeremy Clarkson would say, “it’s the same color as a prosthetic limb.” There’s something about this era of cars in brighter colors, especially two-tones, or even tri-tone. So I could see the desire to repaint it just for that reason, but I’d at least put a little effort into what you’ve got and see what you think. I would clean up that piece under the grill, and wire brush the rusty metal under the hood and coat with rust converter.
On the topic of patina, it’s always a question of “who’s putting on who?” I think it’s partly a reaction to the times where cars at car shows would get picked apart and/or ignored for minor flaws on original paint, and where people would respray very presentable paint; in particular, there seemed to be this stupid idea that you either showed a car, or you drove it, but never both. So somebody found a weathered but clean car, rubbed down the paint a bit, showed it, and people loved it because of the authenticity. Only now, the patina craze has led to people painting ON fake patina. So in some cases, the authenticity is no better than the garage queen with flawless paint that’s barely turned a gear on the odometer in the past decade. The other problem is there’s a breaking point where a car goes from just the right mix of aged luster to just a run-down, ratty look that’s lost all beauty. Usually (not always) if there’s any rust showing, it’s too far, for one.
Obviously, that’s all my opinion, and a the end of the day, it’s your car. I resprayed my Mercedes that had pretty good paint and added a layer of crystal pearl that gives it a sheen without altering the color much; I love it. A stickler for originality wouldn’t care for that, but it’s my car. Same here: if what you really want is a flamingo-neon colored car like everyone thinks of in the late 50s, then you won’t be happy with it even if the paint that’s on it cleans up well. Now, if you were thinking of painting it an unremarkable graphite metallic – or any number of the bland colors so many cars come in these days – that would be sacrilege!
I live ~ 10 miles from Yukon, PA.
I would leave the paint and drop in a Slant 6😁
Count me in for “don’t paint it”.
The finish looks pretty smooth and uniform to me. I would just (as JPC noted) clay bar the paint, then use something like Meguiar’s mirror glaze, followed by a high quality carnauba wax. I don’t know if I’d machine buff it as that could just cause swirls. Then again, I’m no detailing expert, but this is what I did on the single stage paint on my 45 year old car, and it ended up looking pretty good.
Removing all the trim to do a respray would likely cause more trouble than it’s worth, IMO.
FWIW, I love the interior grey/red, and even the fins around the instrument cluster.
I think the color is perfect. And the patina is fine. But a casual polishing wouldn’t hurt. Just no respray.
It can only be original once. Clean it up
Red with white top. How hard is that.
Oddly enough these were good drivers if rather slow .
I had a sky blue one long ago , a stripper like this bought for the wife, no radio, no heater .
IIRC it was the Plaza model .
I’d give the paint a serious cleaning and waxing, if it cannot be made the shine maybe clear coat it ? .
They said my Plaza model was too basic to be used in the Christine movie .
-Nate
I agree on keeping the original paint. Above all, don’t turn it into a Christine clone — it’s not the correct year anyway.
Christine’s cousin.
I CAN REMEMBER AS A YOUNG KID, MY FATHER HAD A 1957 PLYMOUTH WITH THOSE TALL FINS ON THE BACK. WAS THERE A V8.AVAILABLE ON THE 57 PLYMOUTH????
THE CAR WAS A SOLID WHITE.
WHEN WAS THE V8 AVAILABLE?????
I would leave it as is. That’s a rare car as it sits
It’s a nice driver quality classic. I’d keep the car the way that it is. Buff out the finish and enjoy.
It would be a sin to repaint it. You will never find another late 50s Chrysler product with that good of an original paint job. I might consider a clear coat, if the paint can not be buffed out, but that is it.
While now dull, the finish still looks to be in good shape. As others noted, there are tutorials on reviving them. Approach it like old leather that needs re-hydrating, Meguiar’s #7 is a great (and gentle) option. I had great results on the dull, gold paint on my ’67 Chrysler. Only use a buffer is you REALLY know what you’re doing. Takes a while and you have to go in stages, but at least a decent shine CAN be brought back.
There ARE ways to give this car some bling/color without going to the extent of re-painting. White top/red interior give you something to start with. You could paint the wheels red to coordinate. That and some trim rings make the “poverty caps” look less impoverished. Some decent argent/silver paint will clean-up that area behind the bumper as well.
Did any version of this car have the accent portion of the body side trim painted ? What about painting that red—or whatever the original spec might have called for ?