New Project: 1956 Seville 4 door hardtop

Tim,

Looks like you have a challenge. Information from the data plate is as follows:

PT 424 Paint: Shell Pink lower, White upper
BO 24 Body: 4-door Seville (Hard Top)
TR 565 Trim: Gray cloth & Vinyl
TR 3 Transmission: Powerflite Automatic
PS 1 Power Steering
PB 5 Power Brakes
AG 6 Accessory Group 6
CS 2 Color Sweep (usually same as upper color)

The Accessory Group 6 consisted of the following:

Heater-Fresh Air
White Side Walls
Dual Exhaust
Basic Accessory Group

The Basic Accessory Group consisted of the following:

Hand Brake Signal
Prismatic Mirror
Outside Rearview Mirror
Vanity Mirror
License Plate Frame

Maybe someone can help with the scheduling numbers.

I enjoyed learning about McPherson college last night on Chasing Classic Cars.

Mac

I would think that if the basic accessory group included the license plate frame, you would see them all over the place. I hardly ever see them, though. Do you think they were too much of a nuisance when the plate got changed and people just tossed them aside instead of reinstalling them?

Tim

After learning the '56 Adventurer that you have worked on was only going
to be sold to a very high dollar buyer I quit asking about the price and
would just "check" on the car as we passed through Idaho springs. About
2004 I tried to purchase an 2 door SeVille ( that is still at the same
spot in Pueblo ). I thought it was very good looking and all. The owner
keeps saying they are going to put it back on the road.

Back in 1956 The SeVille was the base priced De Soto and could it be the
first owner may have thought $$$ for this and that was "to much" or just
not needed. An 4 door - to me - makes me think of an Family Person or
slighty older person with needs to use access to the back seat.

Gotta find out why the first owner wanted or accepted the appointments
and options to fully answer the questions. Who mostly drove the car during
the first three years. Where did they live and do will give an clue.

The License Plate Frame ( or other items like it ) was not yet thought of as
it is in 2012. I agree with you that it may have gone bye bye in time.

Rodger & Gabby
COS

Although the basic accessory group would have been part of all of the six accessory groups, a car could be ordered without any of the six accessory groups. In this case there would be no front plate holder. A car could be equipped from a list of accessories without ordering an accessory group.

I believe all front bumpers had holes in the lower lip for mounting the plate holder. If your state did not require a front plate, a plate holder may not have been ordered. I also wonder if these holders were treated like hubcaps which arrived at the dealer in the trunk to be mounted by the dealer?

Mac

Mac,

I think Tim is talking about the chrome plated license plate frame for the rear plate. It's a ribbed chrome frame that - if I recall correctly - covers only three quarters of the plate. Tim, is this correct?

Mark

Yes Mark, that is what I was assuming the basic accessory group included.

What Mac says makes sense (and I hadn't considered it) that a car could be ordered without the "basic" accessory group. When I first saw it included in the basic group, I immediately jumped to a conclusion that they pretty well came on every car.

Mr. Blackwell's Adventurer does still have it's plate frame, and yes, it covers the top and most of the right and left sides.

I was assuming the license plate holder in question was for the front plate as shown on these 49 models. My mistake.

Mac

Here's a picture as of today on the current status of the '56 Seville.

Ready for the sheetmetal to be taken for media blasting.

When I am next home, I can confirm the decoding, but everything seems to look good that I can see. The data plate is the more unusual style (Detroit had two versions). The style that is on this car was used on the cars built late in the year.

The license plate frame is indeed the three-piece rear frame with the ribs. Most cars should have this, but they are EXTREMELY hard to find. I would assume they either were never put on the car from the factory/dealer or they got taken off one of the times the plates were changed.

Just wondering, what are the current exterior colors?

Shell Pink/White/Gunk

Tim, at least you have a wonderful parts car to help in this restoration.