"MARY LOU IS A WHAT?"

I've joined a few different Facebook groups for 1955/1956 Dodges.  I learned about the possibility of getting a "build card".  A build card provides the specs on the car as it came down the assembly line...what engine it had and what accessories, etc.  There was no cost to order but I had to provide a copy of the title to the car and the Serial Number (no VIN numbers back then).

OUR BUILD CARD

The Serial Number alone would not have told us what we have (see below).

The Serial Number can be found on our car when you open the driver’s side door (ours is 34922295). From this number, we can determine our car was built in Detroit and the 31,047^th car built that year. 

We learned we do NOT have a Dodge ROYAL Lancer but rather a CORONET Lancer.  The number 216 circled on the build card indicates a Coronet Lancer with a V-8 engine (see charts below). 

Royal below with number 226

Here are model numbers for all 1955 Dodges

Lancer was the designation for hardtop or convertible (although I've seen it used describing 4-door cars as well).  The bodies were the same for Coronet, Royal and Custom Royal.  Some of the differences were the trim and the Custom Royal got bolted on chrome fins.  There were 26,727 Coronet Lancers built that year (about 24% of total Coronet production and about 8.5% of total Dodge production that year).  A new 1955 Dodge Coronet Lancer would have cost $2260.  The average car that year cost $1900.

SO...we will need to change our car show sign and our license plates but who would have known with all of the badging and some of the chrome removed?  We are glad to know more about her.

FUN FACT!  Mary Lou was "born" (assembled) on May 20, 1955.  May 20 is our wedding anniversary 😊💕

Below is the email I received with the build card.  We can see that the car was delivered to a now-defunct dealer in Burlington, IA.

Hello Alan,

Thank you for your patience while we work through our orders. Attached please find the copy of the build card for your vehicle. The selling dealer was Sheagren-Hunt Company, located in Burlington, IA.

Please note, we cannot reprint build cards any differently.  The build cards were put on microfilm many years before they arrived to the archives.  Everything possible has been done to provide you with the best copy from our files.  We cannot make the build cards any larger or clearer, than what has been provided to you. 

We are also unable to provide the decoding of the build records due to a high volume of requests and limited staffing.  I apologize for the inconvenience this may have caused you.

We hope you find this information useful.

Danielle Szostak-Viers

Stellantis Historical Services

12501 Chrysler Freeway

CIMS 410-11-21

Detroit, MI 48288

 

2ND ANNUAL GRAND CAR SHOW ~ THE SHORES RETIREMENT COMMUNITY

We attended the 2nd Annual GRAND Car Show for the residents of Copper Shores Village Retirement Community in Pleasant Hill on Sunday.  Beautiful weather and a great turnout.  Sunny never really came out and breezy.

We weren't expecting much...didn't think it was getting the publicity.  We learned they had 6 cars last year...WAY more than that this year! 😃

Had a nice time visiting with the residents...these cars brought back so many memories for them.

Jesse was there singing

This Packard Super 8 limo literally stole the show and 1st place.  From what I can tell it's a 1940.

Skyliner

1961 Mercury Monterey...not much changed on the vehicle

Nice '51 Woody

Gary Pullen's Merc and I believe his son's '66 Galaxie

This 1952 Chevy ragtop was just incredible

Interior of the '52

Walt broke the '62 Bel Air out of the barn ("she's real fine my 409...")

VFW #3 2023

 Wow...beautiful weather for this one.  Around 70 and less humid.  Bill and Maggie were out along with Walt and Marie and we had a nice evening visiting with them.  And of course the cars!

Walt and Marie's '39 Ford Cabriolet

This 1966 Ford Fairlane 500 convertible was a intriguing color.  The owner told Cindy he matched the color to a bath towel his wife showed him.  Check out the interior as well!

                                                   Amazing 1939 Packard Super 8.                                                                                    This is rolling history.  Packard was considered a luxury vehicle and it shows.

Mr. Edsel brought out yet another convertible.

Here are some additional photos (photo credit Tommy Shaw) that were posted to VFW page

Jesse's Monte

Walt making the rounds

Photographer Tommy Shaw's Track T Roadster

We've met Kyle who owns this Monte

This couple has been out in 3 different Studes

Cindy's favorite

Yellow '54 a close second for her

We made the cut!

JAMMERS

Sue Brose sitting with their '63

Gary Pullen's Roush Mustang

Arne's '53

Beep Beep!

Larry and Jane's country cousin 😁

Cory Grimes '55

And me top right gesturing about something