Plymouth and Dodge made lots of handsome cars during the mid-Fifties, but from a hobby standpoint the Tri-Five Chevys (1955-1957) and to a lesser degree the same-era Fords have grabbed much of the attention. That doesn’t mean being a little different can’t deliver big payoffs. That’s the case with this 1956 Plymouth Belvedere two-door sedan restomod. The red and white paint, shiny trim, whitewall tires, and full wheel covers make this Belvedere look like a handsome restoration, but that’s not true once the hood is popped to display a powerful 408-cu.in. Mopar stroker engine that’s backed by a TorqueFlite transmission and a Trac-Lok Dana 60 rear end. Four-wheel disc brakes are behind the NOS wheel covers and the steering is an updated rack-and-pinion setup. Outside of the powerful exhaust rumble the only other performance hint is the slightly lowered stance. This 1956 Plymouth is a true sleeper or as the seller describes the car “a wolf in sheep’s clothing.” A Mopar 360-cu.in. V-8 was built by Blueprint Engines and stroked to 408-cu.in. The provided dyno sheet shows 391 horsepower at 5,200 rpm and 462 lb-ft of torque at 4,000 rpm. An Edelbrock aluminum intake manifold is topped by an Edelbrock carburetor, the ignition is from MSD, and the Sanderson headers are ceramic coated. The seller says the camshaft is a little “lumpy,” but the engine produces adequate vacuum for the power brakes. An aluminum radiator and twin puller fans keep the engine cool, the seller notes. The TorqueFlite three-speed automatic transmission and torque converter are Street Fighter units from TCI. The Dana 60 Trac-Lok positraction rear end has 3.54:1 gears and performance Strange Engineering axles. There are approximately 3,200 miles on the engine and transmission, according to the seller, who adds that cold starts “generally need to be revved up for a minute or two,” but there isn’t any smoke. The only drivetrain weeping is reported to be “someplace on the transmission,” but the transmission does “perform very well with no funny noises or clunks,” per the seller. The shifter is a B&M Quick Silver unit. This 1956 Belvedere received a frame-off restoration with the bulk of the bodywork and paint done by The Chrome Grille in Venice, Florida. The front fenders were replaced with rust-free ones from Arizona, and the floorpans, rear quarters, and rocker panels received 1956 Plymouth-specific repair panels from Black Car LLC, per the seller. The car was stripped to bare metal before the original Cherry Red and Eggshell White paint was applied in 2007. The seller reports no dents, scratches, paint chips, or swirls. All the glass and the windshield were replaced during the restoration, but a new rear window couldn’t be found, so there are some reported light scratches on it. All the seals were replaced during the restoration and remain in “excellent” condition, per the seller. All the stainless trim was professionally straightened and polished, and all the chrome parts were re-plated. The custom interior was designed and installed by Hoyt’s Auto Upholstery using bucket seats from a 2005 Nissan Altima along with a center console from the same Altima. Premium white vinyl was used along with 1955 DeSoto red cloth accent panels. Extra DeSoto material comes with the car. The driver’s seat is power actuated, an Ididit tilt steering column is topped by a custom Grant wheel, and a Painless Wiring harness replaced the original wiring. The seller describes the carpet and headliner condition as “very good” and adds that nothing is missing in the way of interior trim. All the gauges were new when the car was restored and still work well, per the seller. There is a custom stereo, and the trunk was upholstered to match the interior. The car has won a Best Interior award. A Fat Man Fabrications front frame stub kit was grafted to the original Plymouth chassis. The kit provided power rack-and-pinion steering, power disc brakes, and a 3-inch-lower stance. Jamco 3-inch lowering springs were installed in back. The rear disc brakes are from Master Power Brakes. The steel wheels are 15-inch Lincoln units with NOS Plymouth wheel covers and radial whitewall tires, sized 205/75R15, that were installed in August 2021. All the suspension components are reported to be in “excellent” working condition.
