It certainly was hot and humid on August 4 as my wife and I set out on a subject-finding mission to nearby Mascoutah. With my deadline for today’s story looming high over my head and not having any idea what my subject car was going to be, I figured the Mascoutah Homecoming celebration would be a good place to find one. I was correct.
There were 163 cars of all types on display, nearly all in immaculate condition and thankfully, under mature shade trees. The car I chose is the 1956 Plymouth Savoy with an interesting story from Perry Reed — but what else would you expect? The car was purchased new by a farmer in Pittsburg, Illinois, and was coated in Plymouth Pearl Gray. As the car began to age and deteriorate, the farmer used it to haul hay out to the fields in the trunk.
Once Perry’s dad Howard got hold of this gem, he began a total restoration with a little help from his friends. Exterior changes included new paint (black and Toyota Supra Radiant Red) while mechanicals including the engine, brakes and undercarriage. The interior was reworked by Ross Page of Upholstery by Page in Herrin, Illinois.
Mike Jude, a friend and owner of Jude’s Auto Body in West Frankfort, Illinois, was also very involved with the project. Howard, who turned 92 last Thursday, is a veteran of the Korean War and World War II, and a recipient of two purple hearts and numerous other medals The result is a very interesting and unique “mild custom” car that you won’t see anywhere else. It is powered by the original cast iron, straight-six flat head motor which has been totally rebuilt.
Perry fitted a y-pipe with dual exhaust from the mid-section to the rear and he says he gets comments from people saying it makes the car sound like there is a V-8 under the hood. Plymouth had a lengthy list of options for 1956 including three V-8 engines; power steering, brakes, windows and seat; AM radio; backup lights and many more. New for 1956 Plymouths were dash-mounted, push-button automatic transmission controls and a 12-volt electrical system.
The public was all about the “jet age” in the mid-fifties and Plymouth played it up on the cover of their brochure for 1956 with the headline reading “The all-new Aerodynamic Plymouth ’56.” Born and raised in West Frankfort, Perry is a retired over-the-road trucker who started riding along with his uncle at the age of seven. At the age of 14, Perry rode along with his uncle on a long interstate trip to drop a load.
His uncle was not feeling well, and he asked Perry if he thought he could drive the semi. He said he could and got behind the wheel of the tractor-trailer and drove it successfully home! Perry and his wife Myrtle live in West Frankfort with their two “kids,” 7-year-old dachshund Sally and 8-year-old dachshund Frank. Both are from the same mother and father, but separate dachshund liters! FIN MAN FACTOID: On January 10, 1956, the new for 1956 Plymouth Fury ran the Flying Mile at Daytona Beach, Florida hitting a speed of 124 miles per hour.
It was timed at 0-60 mph in 9.6 seconds and reached the quarter-mile mark in that same time frame. Tri-Power Trivia: 1.
Name all the models of the Plymouth lineup for 1956. 2. Finish the lyric of this 1956 hit song: “What will be, ______.
” Then, name the song, artist and what Alfred Hitchcock film it was made for. 3. On June 30, 1956, the news for the day included a report of a mid-air collision of two commercial airliners.
Where did this take place? Tri-Power Trivia answers: 1. The entry level Plaza; mid-level Savoy; Belvedere and the sub-series Fury. The Wagons were Suburbans, Custom Suburbans and Sport Suburbans.
2. “will be.” The song was “Que Sera, Sera (Whatever Will Be, Will Be)” sung by Doris Day, and the film was “The Man Who Knew Too Much.
” 3. The Grand Canyon National Park in Arizona..
