Hi
I've just joined here so I hope this is in the correct place, I was hoping to find out some information about a car a friend owns here in the UK.





It's a 1949 Dodge Kingsway Custom four door sedan, right hand drive and I believe it's an export model based on a Plymouth (sorry!)

Trying to find out where it was built, the firewall has a screwed on plate saying Chrysler Corp, Detroit Mich but I thought all the right hand drive cars were built in Canada or South Africa.
Also had a centre tailight light surround on the trunk like a Coronet and tailights that have PLY stamped into them.

Engine no. is PT 1120803-10
Number on the door jamb is 4438724

It's got ribbed bumpers (like a DeSoto?) and rides on a 119.5 inch wheelbase.

Any help at all would be very welcome, I'd especially like to work out where and when this car was built.

Did it leave Detroit as CKD? Did Detroit build right hand drive?

Many thanks
Mike

 

No one at all...?
Is this in the wrong section?

C'mon guys, any help would be appreciated - like I say I'm new here!
Thanks
Mike

 

I have a source that may be able to help, he's been restoring cars for the last 75 years, he's now close to 90 and his memory isnt as sharp as it was. Next time I talk to him I'll mention this to him, no guarantees hell' remember much. Another source is Chrysler's historic archives in Auburn Hill's Mich. I called them about info on my K and they told me that have info going back to the 20's.

 

Thanks, any help is appreciated.

 

The VIN number seems to fall in the range of VIN #s for US built Dodge cars for 1949. (Candian built cars were a different range.) The engine VIN with prefix PT generally was used for Plymouth Truck.

 

Thanks for the info, did Detroit ever build them right hand drive or would it likely be a Complete Knock Down kit? I'm guessing now that it is a Plymouth with Dodge front so quite likely a Plymouth engine and chassis. Maybe a truck engine was dropped in at some later time.
What VIN should a Dodge engine of 1949 have?
Thanks

 

With regard to the engine, on the American domestic market models, the engine prefix typically matches the Model number of the car. For example, my 1951 Dodge Wayfarer engine code starts with D41-.

Here is alink with some information regarding flathead engine block stamping numbers.
http://t137.com/registry/help/othere...herengines.php


I suspect your car is an export model orginally intended for a RHD market and built in US (based on the VIN). The export cars were typically a mixture of Dodge/Plymouth or Plymouth/Desoto. I am not sure whether they were shipped as complete cars or kits with final assembly overseas. My dad toured one or more of the Chrysler plants in about 1950-1951. I will ask him if he remembers seeing any RHD cars on the assembly line.

I saw a VIN number listing Online covering US production and Canadian production yesterday listing the ranges of VIN numbers, but I can't seem to find it today. US built Dodges in 1949 seem to start with a 3 or 4 as the most significant digit, but I think the total S/N is 8 digits long. Canadian built cars seem to start with a 9 as the most signaificant digit. I have a master Mopar parts book (cars only) covering a range of years including 1949. I will take a look in it (in the next couple of days) and see if it has any detail on your particular model. I am pretty sure that the book includes the RHD models. I will also look and see if there is any information on the engine with your prefix.

You probably already saw this, but there is a short description on the Dodge Kingsway on Wikpedia. See link
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dodge_Kingsway

Also, here is another one like your friend's car but located in South Africa. Maybe the seller could tell you what engine is in his car (based on the engine block stamp number) and whethere it is also an American build by the VIN# and/or build plate. The air cleaner on that car looks very different that typically on US cars (but maybe it was special for the South Africa climate.) The US market ones typically have a higher narrower oil bath air cleaner painted black.
http://www.sedgeclasscars.com/details.php?CarID=750

You car is designated as a D32C. Therefore, I think the original engine probably would have used that prefix or D32.
See link below.
http://www430.pair.com/p15d24/mopar_...p/t-10780.html

Also, here is a 1950 version export which is very similar to your friend's car. It has the 218 cu. in, engine, which was the size used in the US Plymouth for that year. The US Dodge used the 230. So I suspect the original engine that was in your car was a 218 cu. in. See link below
http://www.shannons.com.au/auctions/...5F16LETGA942C1

 

I found the listing of VINs for 1949 including your SN. See link below.

http://www.allpar.com/old/model-guide/

Also I edited my previous post and added some more info.

 

That's great, thanks for taking the time to do all that CHRYNY it's very much appreciated!

I'll go through those links and see what comes up.

Thanks once again!
Mike