'38 P5 "Roadking" Dash Picture?

[36 Ply]

CHuDWah-

Sorry, I don't have any information that you don't already have, but I must say, you've certainly done your research.

Good luck with your dashboard project.

Regards,

Pat O'Connor

[CHuDWah]

Sorry it?s taken me so long to reply - I probably should have posted more info to start.  First, my P5 BC is a street rod.  Just so you know, I didn?t ?butcher? an original car ? it was rodded when I bought it.  It?s too much modified to make a good restoration candidate but I do want to restore the body and interior to the extent possible.  Except for the ashtray, the cast trim is missing from the dash ? that?s why I?m trying to confirm what it looks like.  I confess I?m a newbie when it comes to old Plymouths and I don?t have a lot of reference material.  Info on P5/P6 is hard to come by ? as you know, sales of 1938 models fell by almost half from 1937 so they?re somewhat rare.  Anyway, from pictures I?ve collected of BCs and parts (mostly stuff on eBay), I?ve pieced together what I think is correct.  I realize a lot can get changed on a car in 70 years and some of my pictures are of street rods on which the authenticity of the dash is suspect.  However, there is consistency of the following between at least two cars, at least one of which appears to be authentic.

For all the following, the basic dash is the 38-style with the speedometer and quad gauge in the raised center, glove box doors on both sides of it, and switch/knob panel at the bottom center.  The differences are the cast trim.

I have pictures of several P6s.  Some have the 37-style bumpers with the ?pinched? ends and some have the rounded type.  All have the larger 38-style headlights but some are the early high mounts and some are the later low mounts.  All have the dash with the barred center and three bars on the glove box.  The die cast center is not solid ? the spaces between the bars are open.  There is a backing plate that goes behind it and shows through the openings ? presumably the ?paint to match? refers to this piece.  The radio head (or delete plate) and ashtray are separate pieces.  I believe the cast parts were polished but otherwise unfinished.  There is a recess in the dash for the die cast and backing plate.  The glove box door has three bars that I believe are separate pieces.  The door has three rows of three holes where the bars attach ? that seems to be overkill if the bars were cast as one piece.

I have pictures of three P5s that have a dash with no recess, no ashtray, and no cast trim except for a 37-style radio delete.  They all have the 37-style bumpers and the smaller 37-style headlights that are high mounted.

My P5 also does not have the recess in the center of the dash but the glove box door has one row of three holes.  That is consistent with pictures I have of a car that has the 38-style radio delete, ashtray, and one bar on the glove box door, but does not have the barred center section.  That car has the larger, low-mounted headlights and the rounded bumpers.  My car does not have the original headlights but it does have the low mounts and rounded bumpers.

From the information in your parts book, it appears some P5s did have the P6-style dash.  This is pure conjecture but maybe the dash was changed from the first type (with the 37-style radio delete) to the second type (with one bar on the glove box) when the headlights were lowered, and then to the P6-style sometime before the Business became the Roadking?  That is consistent with the available info - if so, it means the second type was used for less than two months.  Maybe all this is well known but I?ve never found any mention of different P5 dashes.  I?d be interested in any comments/additions anyone may have.

[Jim Benjaminson]

The center panel is shown 3 times - for each type of dash finish (painted, dark wood grain, light wood grain).  Each has a note reading "paint to match panel" - whatever that means!  The fake glove box door and the real door appear to have slightly different trim on the Road King with light grain -- that is - it has the 3 horizontal bars on it (like the other two dash boards) but the area BETWEEN the 3 horizontal bars appears to be natural while the P5 business is painted in between and the P6 Deluxe is grained in between.  If you want to e-mail me your address, I'll make a copy and send to you....JB

[CHuDWah]

Thanx for the info but I should have been more specific.  I'm interested in differences in the diecast trim on the dash.  P6 has three "stripes" on each side panel but I understand P5 has only one.  Are there any differences in the center section - i.e., the instrument/ashtray/radio-head surround?

[Jim Benjaminson]

I believe its pictured in one of the parts books.  Found it in the master parts book D8575 Volume 2.  The grain pattern is the same as the Deluxe - it is just lighter in color.  The "business" panel was painted in dark sable.  "Roadking" light grain - "Deluxe" dark grain.  I don't think the photo would copy well enough but the grain pattern is the same - its just lighter in color......

[CHuDWah]

I will be most grateful if someone would post a picture of a '38 P5 "Roadking" dash.  I know what the P6 "Deluxe" looks like but I understand the P5 trim is different.  TIA for any help.