| P15 Body Numbers | |
| The body number is located on the firwall near the left hood hinge. The tag's first three digits indicate model/body style, followed by sequential body style. Wood body station wagons were prefexed with USHCO followed by the body serial number. These bodies were built by U.S. Body & Forgng Company for Plymouth. | |
| P15S Deluxe | |
| 510 |
Four Door Sedan
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| 511 | Two Door Sedan |
| 512 | Club Coupe |
| 513 | Business Coupe |
| P15C Special Deluxe | |
| 500 | Four Door Sedan |
| 501 | Two Door Sedan |
| 502 | Club Coupe |
| 503 | Business Coupe |
| 504 | Convertible |
| Body Numbers from "Plymouth 1946-1959", J. Benjaminson, Motorbooks International. Used with permission. | |
| P15 Shipments By Month | |||||
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Deluxe |
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Deluxe |
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| December 1945 |
684
|
86
|
|||
| January 1946 |
1,869
|
5,008
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January 1947 |
8,183
|
18,256
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| February |
2,072
|
10,460
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March |
7,451
|
23,087
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| March |
2,556
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13,359
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March |
7,962
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24,310
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| April |
3,315
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24,433
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April |
6,063
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27,390
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| May |
6,947
|
16,527
|
May |
4,619
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20,802
|
| June |
6,243
|
14,066
|
June |
5,216
|
27,515
|
| July |
8,351
|
18,024
|
July |
3,480
|
19,460
|
| August |
8,893
|
19,088
|
August |
4,665
|
27,042
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| September |
8,106
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17,446
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September |
4,890
|
28,835
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| October |
7,803
|
17,823
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October |
3,200
|
19,402
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| November |
6,001
|
12,786
|
November |
4,510
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27,686
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| December |
6,359
|
13,814
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December |
5,916
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36,384
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| 1946 Totals |
68,569
|
182,834
|
1947 Totals |
66,155
|
300,169
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| January 1948 |
3,972
|
24,435
|
January 1949 |
5,676
|
35,586
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| February |
2,188
|
13,852
|
February |
307
|
1,445
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| March |
5,822
|
35,452
|
March |
0
|
15
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| April |
6,229
|
38,158
|
1949 Totals |
5,983
|
37,046
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| May |
1,172
|
6,786
|
|||
| June |
4,452
|
27,608
|
|||
| July |
5,741
|
35,381
|
|||
| August |
5,843
|
35,747
|
|||
| September |
2,720
|
16,777
|
|||
| October |
6,227
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38,011
|
|||
| November |
5,590
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33,458
|
|||
| December |
5,855
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36,467
|
|||
| 1948 Totals |
55,811
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342,152
|
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D24 Production Information
Factory Build Cards Are Now Available From Chrysler !
Cost is $45.00 USD and requires your car's factory serial number.
(VIN number on the door frame, not the engine block serial number.)
Mail information to:
Chrysler Historical Collection,
DaimlerChrysler Corporation, CIMS 410-11-21,
12501 Chrysler Freeway,
Detroit, MI 48288, USA
Modern PPG Industries paint codes courtesy of Jim Benjaminson, Plymouth Owners Club. The gray paint used for the trunk area and underbody is best matched to a PPG lacquer DDL 32565. Slightly different shades were used at different plants and based on paint availability. Some applications of the "Plymouth" gray were slightly bluer than the gray used on the other Chrysler cars, but the PPG color is considered 'correct', per the Plymouth Owners Club P15 Technical Advisor.
Paint Details
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(Dodge is believed to be similar) |
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Silver
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Black (Semi Gloss)
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Unpainted
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| Block Oil Pan Head Water Pump Oil Pump Front Engine Mounts Mainfolds Clutch Housing Transmission Oil Filler Tube Dipstick Tube Front Pulley Thermostat Housing Heater Bypass Hose |
Starter Generator Distributor Body Wire Loom Holder Coil Holder Coil Air Breather Air Cleaner Air Cleaner Steady Breather Brace Valve Chamber Vent Valve Chamber Tube Fuel Pump Shield Fan & Pully Oil Filter Filter Brace Steering Box Entire Frame Brake Master Cylinder Brake Lines Inner Front Fender Shields Radiator Side Shields Engine Dust Shields Hood Lock Plate Brace Horns And Bracket Bumper Supports Radiator Support Radiator Cross Bar |
Under Body Inside Floorpan Underside Of Hood Underside Of Trunk Lid Front Stone Guards Rear Stone Guards Front Fender Center Panel Grille Panel All Fenders (Inside) Inside Trunk Area Trunk Hinges Trunk Wheelwells (Trunk Side) Backside Of Wheels |
Fuel Pump Carb Fuel Lines Oil & Vacuum Lines Accelerator linkage Shift rods |
| Engine Paint Supplier Options |
| Visitor George Risley, restoring his D24, provided some additional information about the different paint options for painting the engine block. He tested the Hirsch and POR 15 aluminum paints for color match to the original mopar silver. The Hircsh HI-Temp exhaust was very close, a litttle brighter than original. For block, head and other lower temperature areas the POR15 Engine Enamal (600 degree) was the best match, with a slight gray cast. The Hirsch 600 degree and other local rattle cans (Plastic Cote, Tempo, etc.) were all too gray. The Hirsch has a glossy smooth finish while the POR15 has a satin sheen look (600 degree paints). |
| "Unpainted" Engine Paint Options |
| As noted above some items are left unpainted. In this unprotected state they will quickly rust. I have tried several options with good results. My local Orchard Home Supply sells an Aervol engine enamel. The color is "Cast Iron Gray" and looks very good when applied to an "unpainted" part. They in fact look like they don't have any paint ! Mopar Specialist of N.C also offers a cast iron paint. A second option is powder coating. It is very durable but also more expensive. I recently saw a set of wheel cylinders in "Cast Iron" powder coat that had been applied using the Eastwood system. They looked almost indistinguishable from a non-coated one and would never rust. Downside to this approach is the cost of entry for the Eastwood system, over $150.00, plus the consumables. |
| Other Mopar Engine Serial Number Sequences As many P15 and D24 s have had engines replaced the following list provides indentification for common block replacments. |
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| Plymouth | Year | C.I. | Dodge | Year | C.I. | Dodge Truck | Year | Truck Notes |
| P9,10,11,12 | 1940-41 | 201 | D14,17,19 | 1940-41 | 218 | T116 | '41-'47 1T | T116-42001 or below, 218 ci T116-42001 higer, 230 ci |
| P14 | 1942 | 218 | D22 | 1942 | 230 | T137 | '47-'56 PW | Usually 230 ci |
| P17, P18 | 1949 | 218 | D29,30 | 1949 | 230 | T142 | '48-'48 1/2T | |
| P20 | 1950 | 218 | D33, 34 | 1950 | 230 | T144 | '48-'48 3/4T | |
| P22 | 1951-52 | 218 | D41, 42 | 1951-52 | 230 | T146 | '48-'48 1T | Usually 230 ci |
| P23 | 1951-52 | 218 | D44 | 1953 | 230 | T172 | '50 1/2 T | |
| P24 | 1953 | 218 | D46, 47 | 1953 | 230 | T174 | '50 3/4 T | |
| P25 | 1954 | Early 218 Late 230 |
D50,53 | 1954 | 230 | T176 | '50 1T | Usually 230 ci |
| P26 | 1955 | 230 | D56 | 1955 | 230 | T306 | '51-'53 1/2 T | |
| P28 | 1956 | 230 | T308 | '51-53 3/4 T | ||||
| P30 | 1957 | 230 | T310 | '51-'53 1T | Usually 230 ci | |||
| T314 | '51-'52 1-1/2T | 237 ci | ||||||
| T314 | '53 1-1/2 T | 251 ci | ||||||
| T335 | '55 Truck | 250 ci | ||||||
| T245 | M37 Military Family Trucks | 230 ci | ||||||
| Cooling Information | |
| Standard Thermostat | 160 degrees, optional 180 degrees |
| Capacity | 15 Quarts |
| Radiator Cap | Non pressure |
| Battery Information | |
| 1946-48 Factory Specifications | 100 at 20 hours discharge rate, 15 plate |
| Modern Equalvants | Wet Cell: 685 CCA or 785 CCA. Dry Cell: Optima 850 CCA |
| Cold Cranking Amps (CCA) are measured at 0 degrees F. Cold Amps (CA) are determined at 32 degrees F. |
|
| For additional battery info check Antique Auto Battery and P15-D25.Com Enhancments Section | |
| Fluid Capacity Information | |
| Engine Oil | 5 quarts |
| Fuel Tank | 17 Gallons |
| Rear Axle | 3-1/4 pints |
| Transmission | 2-3/4 pints |
| Fluid Drive | |
Tire Reference Information
| Tire Size (In.) | Front Tread (In.) | Rear Tread (In.) | Wheelbase (In.) | |
| 1946 P15 |
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| 1947 P15 |
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| 1948 P15 |
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| 1946 D24 |
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| 1947 D24 |
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| 1948 D24 |
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| P15 15" Wheel Introduction | |||
| Deluxe | Detroit | 15251917* | November 1947 |
| Los Angeles | 26010991 | December 1947 | |
| Evansville | 22063548 | December 1947 | |
| *Except for cars 15252001-15252010 (December 1947 cars are actually 1948 models.) | |||
| Special Deluxe | Detroit | 11851594** | November 1947 |
| Los Angeles | 25036148 | December 1947 | |
| Evansville | 20234249 | Decembe 1947 | |
| **Except for cars 11851601-11851642 (December 1947 cars are actually 1948 models. ) | |||
Light Bulb Reference Information
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| Hi Beam Directional Signal Indicator Plymouth Clock |
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| Instrument Lights Speedometer Light Dodge Clock |
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| Tail Light Rear License Light Front Parking Light |
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| Reading Light |
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| Stop Light |
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| Front Directional Rear Directional Map Light |
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**# 81 bulb with 6 candle power may provide better results in some applications. Check for potential heat damage before switching from a # 55 to a # 81 bulb.
Download Mopar Lamp & Sealed Beam information including lamp outlines in Acrobat PDF format.
(High resolution grayscale document, 425K Download)
| Master Technician Service Bulletins And Plymouth Product Information News |
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| Neil Wojciechowski of MoPar Parts on the Web is providing copies of these documents for fellow collectors. P15-D24.com will provide them in a downloadable .pdf format. | ||
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| Steel Camshafts, Plymouth Product Information News Vol. III, Number 3, October, 1948, Page 1. | Camshafts.pdf | |
Bibliography
Plymouth Service Manual, 1946-1954
Plymouth Passenger Car Parts List
Dodge Passenger Car Shop Manual, Codes D-19, D-22, D-24
Dodge Passenger Car Parts List
Mopar Streamliner Quick Reference List, a parts catalog
The inside story of your new Plymouth
Chiltons Auto Repair Manual, 1940 - 1953
Stockel Auto Service and Repair
Plymouth and Chrysler Built Cars Complete Owner's Handbook of Repair and Maintenance, Clymer Publications
The Plymouth Bulletin including:
Painting Details of the P-15, by Ron Kline
The Fabulous P-15: What’s New Since 42?, by William Leonhardt
The 1946-1949 P15 Plymouth: What a Car! by Frank Marescalco
The Fabulous P 15, by Bill Leonhardt
The P14-P25 Driver, a quarterly newsletter. jleman@newsletterbureau.com Associates Newsletter Bureau, 1330 Berkshire Ln, Grayslake, IL 60030
Plymouth," Automobile Quarterly, Vol. 23. No. 2, Second Quarter, 1985.
Illustrated Plymouth and Desoto Buyers Guide, by Jim Benjaminson, Motorbooks International
Plymouth 1946-1959, by Jim Benjaminson, Motorbooks International.
Hollander Interchange, 1946 -1956
The Standard Catalog of American Cars, 1946-1975, Krause Publications
Hemmings Motor News, www.Hemmings.com
Standard Guide to Automotive Restoration, Matt Joseph.
Skinned Knuckles: The Journal of Car Restoration, skpubs@earthlink.net
Classic Auto Restorer: The How-to Guide for Car & Truck Enthusiasts, 888-333-0436