Projects First Desoto builder I have seen

Old DeSotos with hoods that can be shut to cover Gen III Hemi's make great donor cars for hot rods with open hoods. Not that I would EVER do anything like that...

 

It is bad***! It just has the look that stops me every time I see it.

 

That thing is beautiful. When you get tired of it I have room in my shop.....

 

I went to high school with a guy that drove an old De Soto with Fluid Drive. Now I have been driving manual transmissions for sixty years but I don't understand the Fluid Drive. I mean sometimes he would use the cluch and sometimes not! I realize there was a fluid coupling in there but what was the clutch pedal for?

 

Yes it is! 55-61.

 

It's all spelled out in this simple 24-page booklet
http://www.oldcarbrochures.com/stat...1948 Chrysler Fluid Drive Booklet/image1.html

 

All true. One could also opt for the (terrible) semi-automatic 4 speed, called, in it's various applications, "Gyro-Matic", "Vacu-Matic" and who knows what else the marketing department came up with. My wagon (with the lovely 276 Hemi) was so equipped, and it must have been a real slug. I had a really nice '41 Chrysler with the same trans behind the nearly indestructible straight 6, which I drove in high school and until my late 20's. The trans had a high and low range, with two speeds in each. One could start in low range, low gear, then shift it with the throttle into the "High" gear in low range, then shift manually into "High" range, which would be 4th, since one was already in the higher of the two gears. Or, for even more leisurely performance, start out on high range, low gear, or 3rd, then shift it with the throttle (by just letting off the gas and wait for the "CLUNK" when it shifted) into 4th. They were pretty reliable, and people wanted an automatic transmission desperately, so they sold a bunch of the things. Not much fun to drive however. We had a '48 Dodge with a 3 speed manual behind the fluid drive coupling, and would run circles around my Chrysler, but it was still a turtle...

 

Cool, I've got a 56 330 hemi that needs a full rebuild sitting in the shed. Matched late model hemi and od trans sure sounds like a way to do some fast cross country miles without a fuss though. Plenty of donors around here.

In truth I have always liked that body style since the cars were new.

 

That’s not necessarily a good criteria to aim for. If that’s your priority go buy a new car.

The nostalgia factor and feeling of an old car with a vintage drivetrain is gone forever with that kind of thinking.
Seriously if that’s what you want visit your local dealership and they can help you out.
Leave the vintage stuff to the guys who appreciate and love it.

 

A Forward look Desoto is on my list of cars I need.

 

Gotta love the cool older DeSoto's.
They were stylish and cl***y, and they were just very different in a cool way!

 

1950 Desotos were built by orthodontists.. those grilles are cool

 

If guys thought like this they would never have put flatheads in Model As or OHV motors in 32 Fords...Hot Rodding was always about horsepower....Was it traditional to leave the Model T behind for the new model A or in a few years to move on to the V8 cars...Would I put a new Gen III 1000hp hemi in my old Hemi powered 34 Ford...You betcha in a heartbeat....

 

Nonsense. I said nothing about not modifying or swapping engines to improve the horsepower and performance.
In case you missed it that’s what the traditional hot rod scene was and is based on as well as the theme of this forum.

This forum isn’t accepting of the LS swaps and I highly doubt that your wannabe Hemi Gen III (Hemi in name only) would be accepted here either.

If you’re interested in ripping the soul out of your old vintage ride by attempting to turn it into one of the latest Detroit offerings then you have missed the point entirely.

 

Yeah, while the GenIII does make copious amounts of power it also requires an PHD in Computer Science to figure out the operational side of things. For me, a FiTech would be a stretch in a hot rod but, your ride your choice.

 

I do, and I did. It's hot rodding. I just don't show photos of it here with the hood up.

 

YOU ARE!

 

A great deal on swap mounts......................... ,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,, Traditional as apple pie...shoe horn a 265 , 283 , 327... Small block chevy is my engine of choice...

 

If anyone needs contact info on this bad boy, you can PM me...
Near the Spokane area.

 

Making HP from vintage drive trains cost a lot of money.
Maintaining a vintage hot rod to the HAMB standards costs a lot of money.
Some of us with less money then either of those two options would require, that want to participate in this hobby have to do what we can. Its really pretty sad when we can adapt modern power trains and go faster for less money, but those are the facts. Hot rodding used to be all about going as fast as you can., improve the brakes, and improve the handling.

If all we need to do to be able to participate in a hot rod board that keeps the appearance of the cars we love is to keep the hood closed, that is the route we have to go.

We keep hearing there are other places where we can go on the web that have vintage looking vehicles with modern drive trains, but there is not. I've spent a lot of time looking.

That Desoto would be a cool looking car, and could be a lot of fun, but its a bit too big for my tastes.

 

Looks like an easy builder.
Doesn’t even need paint.
Clean it up, make it go and stop.
No engine? We’re car guys. We got **** laying around or know how to scrounge.
Fast? Pfffffft. It’s a cruiser. Drop it and drive.
Yank a 318/360 or 413/440 out of a motorhome. Those can be hauled off cheap.

 

Way back in H.S. I rolled into my pals place ( in my 56 D-500 Dodge )
He coulld not hustle me fast enough to come look at what his boss gave him to run errands in.
A 56 DeSoto with two times four, gas flushers, Atop the factory Hemi.
Being excited was never his M.O.

 

And 700HP is need for?

 

I drive that ride with a stock slant 6

 

Fun watching that one come together here and in person. I think he was in his teen when he started it?

 

If you have to ask…

 

I thought that was what a hotrod was....Something with horsepower....

 

So what this is a restoration site for hotrods....LOL...That's why I left.....I like performance old or new....

 

I’m sure there’s other websites that like modern EFI engines in older vehicles.
Speaking of horsepower, why would you think so many run a FH Ford V8? Certainly (for most) isn’t a neck snapping experience