Buried in the Barn: 1952 Plymouth Concord Fastback
Earlier in the week, I wrote a story about a 1935 Ford hidden in a garage for over 50 years. Another garage has been opened to reveal a very interesting fifties car along with just about everything you would need for an epic garage sale sitting next to and on it. This 1952 Plymouth Concord fastback two-door sedan for sale on Facebook Marketplace in New Boston, New Hampshire has lived in the garage seen above since Ronald Reagan’s second term. As you would expect, it needs some brake work, and the motor is stuck. The good news is that the long slumber securely nestled under a roof has protected this Plymouth from any serious corrosion damage. With an asking price of just $3,850, is this the low-budget project you have been looking for? Thanks to Gunter K. for the tip!
Sadly, the seller hasn’t told us much about this 1952 Plymouth. All we know is that has been sitting in a barn (which looks suspiciously like a garage) since 1985, it doesn’t currently run, and it needs a brake job. The engine is also stuck, and it has an “old registration.” There is also mention of spare chrome and nice bumpers. If you look closer at the pictures, it does appear that rust has formed behind some of the chrome trim and there are a few dents and dings here and there. The deck lid doesn’t match the rest of the turquoise paint and that remaining paint is showing signs of surface rust. Let it also be noted that there are no major signs of anything that would prevent this car from being put back on the road body-wise. One area that should be checked carefully is the floor pan.
The fastback two-door sedan has always been a desirable body type for Plymouths made in the early fifties. Chrysler was in a period where they were making very reliable, well-built cars that were about as dowdy as it gets style-wise. The fastbacks tend to buck that trend, and prices have historically reflected the disproportionate amount of interest in this body style by collectors. Only the Suburban station wagons and convertibles tend to bring more money. As for this car, the Concord is the least expensive version of the Plymouth at that time. One very positive possibility for this car would be the optional electric overdrive unit that made its debut in 1952. We do not know if this car was so equipped. However, these units can be found with little trouble, and they are a fantastic addition to the reliable Plymouth flathead six-cylinder engine. If you wanted a fifties car capable of extended running at highway speeds, this is the one to have.
While there is some work to be done here, any readers who are local to this car owe it to themselves to go and take a look at this one. Properly fixed up, this is a car that could be a comfortable cruiser with long legs if equipped with an overdrive unit. The Mopar flathead six family of engines are reliable, and parts are plentiful. Believe it or not, you can still get a few speed parts for them. If you could get the engine running again, there is nothing on this car that cannot be fixed by a beginning car enthusiast with a basic set of tools and access to YouTube. They have a reputation for reliability that cannot be matched, and the fastback body style just looks right. Hopefully, one of our readers will end up with this neat old car.
Have you ever owned a flathead six-powered Chrysler product? Do you think this Plymouth is a good buy at $3,850? Please share your thoughts in the comments.
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Comments
A steal. Perfect to upgrade with 350, 700R4, Volare, a/c etc. Rare body style. Be the only one in town
If you want to be the only one in town, how about leaving it original? OTOH, “350, 700R4” – doesn’t that make it just another standard hot rod? Yeah, your’s maybe the only ’52 fastback Plymouth – but the part that meets the road – sounds so common to me.
This could be an interesting project. However, as Jeff mentioned, one has to wonder about the state of the floor pans, being a New Hampshire car. Heck, for the right price, maybe he’ll throw in the contents of the garage.
Floor pans can be fixed easily enough. Me, I’d go with a slant six with 60s aftermarket speed stuff. You have a good idea there, Todd. Knock off $500 and I’ll take what’s in the garage. Or at least toss in that Vornado fan.
I don’t remember ever seeing one of these Plymouth fastback bodies! Very cool, I would love to have it. Good thing for me that it’s at the other end of the country!
I have owned a Cranbrook with the flathead six. I’m not sure about that engine being comfortable at highway speeds.
I’d hotrod this one keeping it all Mopar.
Forgive me, but this has ‘lead sled’ written all over it! Top chop, air bags, Mustang 2 front end, 9 bolt rear, disks, leather interior…competition for the Mercs. I know it may be sacrilege, but why not. It’s a frickin’ Plymouth.
BECAUSE it’s sacrilege, that’s why.
Most of the late 40s-early 50s Plymouths and Dodges I’ve seen here have 318s in ‘em. But how many original drive-trains do we see? Not many. Does an old car HAVE to be fast to be fun? For me, these old cars need to sound right as well as look right. Of course you had to listen carefully to hear the sound of these old flat-heads at all!
Right on. SDK
“Optional electric overdrive unit that made its debut in 1952”? Wrong! My ’53 Belvedere had the same old (but wonderful) Borg-Warner overdrive that was on my dad’s ’37 DeSoto. We also had it on my dad’s ’48 Studebaker, ’51 Mercury, and my ’64 Chevy.
I’ve owned a few of these old flat head Mopars. They were certainly capable of the highway speeds of the time – not limited-access freeways, but four-lane divided highways posted at 65 mph. Foolish 16 year-old that I was, I remember running my ’37 Plymouth up to 82 mph – without overdrive. I would think that an overdrive-equipped postwar flat head Plymouthcould run 70 all day. Not a great performer, by any measure, but certainly adequate – and marginally OK for the interstates.
I commuted in a ’49 Plymouth 4 door sedan for a couple of years in the ’70s and agree with Jeff – an overdrive was about the only option it needed. These were dead reliable mechanically and smooth, comfortable cars. I disagree with the hot rodders – a 350 or even a slant 6 would be sacrilege for this lovely old girl (and for god’s sake do not even think about a modern tilt steering column). If it was on the other coast and if the floors are solid, I would be bidding on this one.
When I was in high school we had a 1953 plymouth wagon. Ran well, always started, survived me burying it up to the chassis in mud. Moved a family of 5, pulling a Uhaul, with no overheating.
I currently own a 1952 Plymouth Cambridge two door sedan. The old flathead is a good engine with lots of torque at low rpm. I don’t have the overdrive so mine is not really happy once you pass 65 mph. I would like to add it sometime. And do a front brake conversion to discs. I don’t see many Plymouths of this era like I used to ten years ago. The fastback style on this one has always been pretty rare. I bet that dumping some Marvel Mystery Oil in the spark plug holes and letting it soak a few days would let you turn the motor by hand. Get good spark and clean gas to the old flattie and it’ll run! Wish I had room for this. GLWTS.
Old car, reasonable looks, get it cheap, undrivable in daily modern world, spells Hot Rod !
Trivia question: Can anyone tell the difference in a 51 and 52 Plymouth when you see one from the front like this post? I’ll bet someone on here can since most on here are real car enthusiasts. My first car when I was 15 was a 51 Plymouth convertible, and we had a 50 Plymouth Suburban. I have a brother who is three years older than me and I can attest to the fact that these cars will take a lot of punishment. My convertible was his first and handed down to me when he got a 53 Studebaker hardtop. I would definitely try what Carbob said and try MMOil in the cylinders before doing any work on the engine. This one needs brake work too, so count on laying on your back under the car if you don’t have a lift. I still have the original oil bath air cleaner from a 53 Plymouth that I would give someone if anyone would like to have it..
Russ, as far as I know, the only visible difference between a ‘51 Plymouth and a ‘52 is the emblem on the front of the hood. ‘51 was kinda rectangular and ‘52 was round (like this one). Howard
Correct, Howard. I was wondering if I was the only old Plymouth lover here. I guess I’m not. In my family from 1952 to current year we had a 50, 51, 53, 55, 56, 57, 58, 61, 62, 64, 65, 66, 67, 68, 69, 70, Plymouths, plus other Mopars. The 51,56,61,62, and 64’s were my convertibles. I guess that’s why when I see an old Plymouth like this one I want to save it.
No to a another bellybutton. A HEMI 6.2 will be more appealing.