All Original 1958 Plymouth Belvedere
I don’t know about you, but whenever I see a late-1950s Plymouth, I think of the movie Christine, where a 1958 Plymouth Fury is the star. If you’ve ever wanted to make a Christine tribute, now’s your chance! This 1958 Plymouth Belvedere is in solid, mostly original condition and appears to be a great candidate for a restoration or tribute. It’s currently for sale here on eBay in Springfield, Oregon. The bids at the time of writing have hit $20,000 but the reserve is not yet met.
The main difference between the Plymouth Fury and Belvedere models is mostly cosmetic, and apparently, around 20 Belvederes, Furys, and Savoys were used interchangeably for the movie, so it’s not hard to imagine what a paint job and some updated trim would do to this car. Even if you have no desire to recreate a murder-car, these Mopars are pretty attractive. From this view, it’s a long, low car, so long that it’s hard to get the whole car to fit in the frame!
To be honest, while reading the description I expected the car to be in better shape than it actually is – the seller talks it up quite a bit. To their credit, they did provide very good photos detailing the reality of its condition. This doesn’t seem to be a car that “needs fixing up.” I think it really needs a legitimate restoration, though thankfully many parts are included with the sale.
The green-on-white paint is an interesting color combo, but I like it. You can see the paint getting thin in a few spots, and there is some rust along the hood, bumper, and under the car. The worst is probably in the trunk, and while some corrosion has also started on the frame, it looks to be mostly surface rust and not any serious rot. I’ve seen better, but I’ve also seen much worse.
The interior will need work as well. The tops of the seats have split and are tearing, the dash pad is disintegrating, and it looks like the carpet was removed a while ago, exposing the floor pans. It’s hard to tell the condition of the door panels and headliner from these photos. The dash and gauges, however, look to have survived pretty well! No word on whether they work or not, but since the car is running and driving it wouldn’t be hard to check that out. It’s nothing fancy, but it’s a nice design nonetheless. Take a close look at the odometer, it’s just about to hit 50,000 miles. Well, I assume 150,000 miles. You can also see the 3-speed push-button transmission to the left of the steering wheel.
The seller states that the car has its original 318 Polyspherical V8 engine in it, and I don’t know if it has been rebuilt or not, but it looks to have newer valve covers, intake manifold, and oil pan. This car also comes with the setup from a 350 Golden Commando dual-quad included, with original steel air cleaners. Supposedly, the 318 also came with a similar setup (the V-800) that pumped out 290 hp. Since the car is running and driving, this engine is hopefully healthy enough to continue using it. Okay, what’s your vote? If this car were yours, would you keep it factory original, or model it after the movie?
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Comments
When I saw this, I was ready to make the first “Christine” comment, but I see that @Nick Stuckey beat me to it. Good job!
In relation to Chrystine the movie. It single handedly saved many poor 57/58 Plymouths in less condition that would have easily been no more. After 1983 The 1958 was a household name. The movie is a staple today.
Face it the 1957/58 Plymouth was swept under the rug until the movie came out. Everyone was all about the try fives. When new this was quite the car with its razor thin hardtop. I was on a 58 Plymouth kick not too many years ago myself and know a lot about them.
The author is correct in his assumption. This car looks great to the untrained eye. It’s unfortunate but it will need a full restoration. The quality and tendency to rusting made them far and few between by the 1970’s.
This is a beautiful car though. No red and white paint needed.
My grandfather bought a new 1958 bronze metallic with a white top, 2 door hardtop Plymouth Belvedere when he retired from the Chrysler Corporation. He then drove that Belvedere from Detroit to Southern California when the entire family moved to the San Fernando Valley. I was young and don’t know the specifics of it, but I really liked that Plymouth. It was the first year for quad headlights, and the fins were big but cool, and I loved the sound the push button drive made when the buttons were decreased. The Plymouth wore the duel headlights and those fine fins very well, in fact, I would say the 58 Plymouths were the best-looking Chrysler Corporation’s car in 58. I guess we have Virgil Exner’s “Forward Look” for that.
These are getting pricey! Bucket list car for me to be sure. No Christine necessary.
I don’t think I’d do a Christine tribute. Instead I’d get her presentable and call her Maxine lol.
Not a fan of tribute cars. They always seem cheesy. Herbie, Christine, General Lee, Eleanor.. blah… All these cars look better original.
I thought the thing about Christine was that she was original, no custom touches. This car should pretty much be a straightforward restoration with a color change. Red would be more attractive anyway and since you will have to gut the interior, if you have the money, go for it.
I see a white car and I want to paint it BLACK!
Well Nick, you learn something new every day. That V-800 option was unknown to me. D-500 yes, but not V-800, especially on the A318. Knew of the B350 dual-quad. Since the A318 was produced thru ‘66, I would assume that you could put that setup on any of them. They are great engines. I had a ‘66 Satellite with one. ‘57 and ‘58 were great years for this lineup. Drive this one as you work on it. The question one would ask is, “Will this 350 dual-quad setup fit on 318”?.
I think this was on graveyard car’s. Mark was supposed to make a it into Christine.
I’m not a fan of mark but putting that aside it’s hard to find these cars in good condition but it seems high priced – idk
That v800 is a box you wanted to check off ✔ wonder what the modifications were
Never heard of it 👍
Take the body and drop it on a hellcat chassis.
Too many clone Christine’s out there. Maybe do something a little different.
Every time I see one of these, I think of ‘Christine’.
DAMN YOU, STEPHEN KING!
And every time I see Kathy Bates, I think of Steven King.
Man o man that’s a HUGE ask for a car in this condition. IMHO. As a kid we had a ‘57 or “59 Plymouth wagon. Me thinks these are some of the most interesting designs of the Fifties especially when compared to say a 53 Plymouth:)
I like the green it’s different though who wouldn’t want a Golden Commando! I just have to wait for the bubble to burst. I hope I can still drive when I’m a hundred!
The 350 with the 361 were the first of Chrysler’s “B” engines. If the intake is from a Golden Commando 350 as the seller states, it will not bolt onto an “A” engine. It would be like trying to put a 383 four barrel intake on it,
To my mind one of the finest designs from the fifties. Poor build quality and rust issues mean this car is unlikely to have completed 150K but this is a nice example, priced just a little high though.
My Dad bought a’58 Plymouth Fury 2 door hardtop for my Mom to drive after her ‘58 Caddy got rear-ended and totaled. He wanted to buy a beautiful good ‘56 Chrysler. Mom had a fit! No way we’re buying an older car. It has to be ‘58 or newer! Hence the ‘58 Plymouth. 😖
It was pretty- I’ll give it that. Light blue with a white top and side spear. But it was a piece of junk! Door latches didn’t work, window fell off the track if you slammed the door. Seats were junk. Push button tranny linkage was always getting bound up. ‘58 Plymouth? No thank you very much.
Bunky, I had a 57 Plymouth Belvedere and put a Chrysler ram induction big block in it. The car had everything break on it. Rusted around the headlights and in the lower parts of the car. The original engine had developed a rod knock. The car fell apart with my teenage driving, but yes, the build quality was not there. When I got the car I thought,”What a modern car” because all I had before were mid to early 50’s cars. The dash lay out and a radio that did not need to warm up seemed,”Modern” at the time.
It wasn’t a Fury if it was light blue/white. Furys came in ONLY ONE COLOR-beige w/gold anodized side inserts. It was probably a Belvedere like this car.
Really nice project car, even at that bid level I could be tempted. If my garage was empty I’d have room to make a go at it too. Oh well. Funny how “we” bemoan project car pricing, yet celebrate Barrett Jackson sales records. Do they still serve booze at the auctions?
No, please not another Christine! There are far too many of them just like there are Eleanors.
On Valentine’s Day in 58 when I traipsed up the drive with my bag of valentines from all the kids in my 3rd grade class I saw my dads gift for mom.A 58 Plymouth Plaza 2 door sedan. This was the bottom feeder model with a flathead 6, 3 on the tree, and no radio. Later, at 13, my brothers and I would sneak this car out at night and learn to drive with it. It was indestructible.
I’d love to see this in Tuxedo black with an ivory stripe……
Christine’s west coast blonde sister
Don’t much care for it.
Restore to original and leave as is. These cars are getting rarer as each year goes by! Time capsule never to be repeated.
This my ’57 Plymouth with the V800, (which is) dual 4 bbl carbs, a different cam, produced 290 hp. and has these unusual air cleaners found only on ’57 Plymouth V800 (standard for Fury, optional for other Plymouths that year) The ’57 Chrysler 300 C has the same air cleaners. I suspect the intake won’t fit a 318 poly since the 350 was the early big block leading to the 383, 440 … while the 318 is an “A” block replaced in the mid ’60’s with the LA engine. But I have never tried the intake swap. The V800 was available on Plymouths in ’58 as an option, standard on Fury’s, but the 350 Golden Commando was an option.
Clones and tributes are for posers. What better way to let everyone know what a loser you are than to go down that road.
I bucket list car for me that took 40 years to find. Very special order car with Mist Green monotone paint and no side trim, exterior mirror, or radio/antenna. But it got 318 4bbl, torqueflite, and 3.23 gears. Inside it got power steering, brakes, and A/C, deluxe steering wheel, and cloth interior. 13K original miles. Looks good sitting next to my 58 Fireflite.
Burger, So an owner of a factory Toreador Red and Sport Tone tints his windows with limo tint would be considered a Chrystine poser someone who has a nice car that has light sensitive eyes? You are very lucky to find such a nice car.
Considering there are three actual movie car survivors most don’t have $250K laying around. So fixing up cars that normally left for dead and brother they are beautiful cars but face it. They had horrible engineering and build quality and even in dry climates still rusted. I don’t mind a 1983 Camaro Red Plymouth that is brought back to life and on the road. With a simple paint anyone can feel famous.
No one seems to call out anyone about having a copy of David Starsky’s Grand Torino aka the striped tomato.
Who are the real posers? The TV show cars? The movie cars by Movie Mike? or the DSO 0022 cars Ford built?
$33,000
reserve not met
needs restoration
ISHYGDDT
I love horror movies, I love car movies, I loved this movie too!
I always thought these were sharp cars. Steven King really picked a mean looking car to use as the killer beast. Too bad about the historical inaccuracies in the book (red? A 4 door? Really?), but the movie, I felt, was better.
I am not a fan of the color green, and I would love to have my own Christine clone, but this green & white really do look sharp together. I think I would leave it original.
It’s me again. I always have a lot to say and these sites tend to cut me off mid thought. I know my Grandfather’s was a Belvedere. It was bronze metallic with the white top. The interior was an unlikely color match, it was black and white cloth with vinyl trim. I remember being fascinated by the steering wheel. Everything about it was thick. The wheel was thick black plastic with those ivory colored grips on each side, and the had an indented, thumbshape for one to place their thumbs. The chrome horn ring and the center cap were really thick, and the words “power steering” were spelled out on the center cap. The idea of power steering must have been a real big deal back then, my uncle’s 59 Ford also featured it on the wheel center cap, it’s not something that receives honorable mention in today’s world. I’m guessing that my memories of my Grandfather’s Belvedere never make me think about “Christine.” Of course I saw the movie, and would kill to have a relationship with a car like that, but I thought the movie was kinda silly.