Vehicle Description
Frankly, no American car manufacturer was building ugly cars in
pre-war 1934, but this gorgeous Plymouth 5-Window Rumble Seat coupe
manages to stand out among the sea of Fords and Chevys and
absolutely knock it out of the park. An already unusual design
based on the make alone, it's punctuated by a gorgeous color
combination, just the right vintage stance, and a smooth-running,
dependable Ford drivetrain under the livery. This is one of those
rare hot rods that just draws a crowd without even trying very
hard.
Car's like this Plymouth PE R-S Coupe were very well-received by
the American public, so much so that the factory couldn't keep up
with demand, and eventually the '34 model marked a huge milestone
for Plymouth: their 1 millionth car produced, and they reached that
mark twice as fast as Ford. They were immensely popular because
they were very stylish and intuitively designed for their
relatively cheap price, they came in several variations (see PE,
PF, PG, PFXX models and their respective submodels if you want your
head to spin), and were made incredibly well by the factory. In
fact, models like this PE that were born with independent front
suspension were too expensive to make, so Plymouth had to drop the
feature the following year. There's simply no arguing that the 1934
Plymouths were among the best-looking cars of the period and the
restoration on this handsome sedan did nothing to diminish those
looks. The slick black paint is a handsome, elegant choice, and the
rounded art-deco shape of the sweeping fenders, roof line, and
rumble seat rear end has never looked better. In 1934, mono-tone
paint jobs were the norm and while the paint isn't 1930s lacquer,
the modern finish shines up well and the super-cool wooden running
boards do great job breaking up the paint with a bit of contrast.
Obviously, a ton of time went into the build when it was completed
a few years ago, and they made sure that all the bodywork was ready
for primetime, which means the suicide doors fit well, the hood is
aligned just right, and all the period details were retained. Sure,
it shows some minor signs of use, but a lot of it are the swirl
marks acquired from washing this beauty each weekend, so a
buff-and-polish will easily restore some former glory. The roof
hasn't been chopped, a continental kit and matching black steamer
trunk hang out back. and even the ornate 'sailing ship' hood
ornament is still in place, giving the car a dignified look that
fits the period. Lots of bright chrome provides great contrast to
the sinister black finish, there's no question that this was a very
expensive build a few years ago.
With a 114-inch wheelbase, there's plenty of room inside, where it
has been handsomely reupholstered in tan ultraleather upholstery
that's in excellent condition. The bench is wide and very
comfortable, showing almost no signs of use, and the upholstery is
continued on the beautifully appointed door panels and rumble seat
out back. They skipped any pretense of making it look 100% like a
1934 Plymouth inside, but that's OK because the handsome trim work
shows well, and that addition of a couple modern amenities make it
a very comfortable place to be on a road trip. The original dash
was augmented with some very nice accents, including a custom bezel
in the center that houses controls for the A/C unit, the gear
selector layout, and the AM/FM/CD/AUX/Back-up Camera head unit and
LED screen. Remarkably, all the original gauges were retained and
they're operating as they should, while a tilt column and
leather-wrapped banjo steering wheel were added to anchor the
cabin. Black carpets add a plush feeling that speaks softly of
luxury and the headliner above finished off the interior
beautifully, further proof that nothing was overlooked during this
restoration.
For power, this coupe uses a Ford 302 cubic inch V8 topped by an
Edelbrock 4-barrel carburetor and aluminum intake manifold. It
provides reliable power that won't let you down and is always easy
to service. Accessories are tucked in tight to the block so they
fit under the pointed hood and there's a big radiator (notice the
cap was brought under the hood in '34 for the first time) and
electric fan up front to keep it cool effortlessly. The smooth
firewall gives it a functional industrial look and cast iron
exhaust manifolds mean that it's relatively quiet and cool inside.
The transmission is a tough C4 3-speed automatic feeding what
appears to be a Ford 9-inch rear end, so no worries about breakage
here either. Dual glasspack-style mufflers give it that purring
old-school rod soundtrack and the suspension uses a Mustang II
style clip up front and leaf springs out back, so it's comfortable
and familiar-feeling on the road. Power steering and power front
disc brakes ensure an easy drive each time out, and the classic
chrome wire wheels are a great choice to finish off the look,
wearing 215/70/15 radials around each one.
With the huge variance in models when it was new, along with the
fact that Pre-War Plymouths are so hard to come by today, you're
looking at one of the most difficult and expensive hotrods to
build. But the former owners pulled it off and made an incredibly
special car. Pedigree and performance come together perfectly,
which means this '34 won't last long. Call today!
