Hey - I'm new to the board. I have a decent 1960 DeSoto Adventurer 4dr that needs the treatment. It has the 383 4bbl that runs o.k. but horrid all-drum brakes that are scary and hard to work on - I plan to convert to discs. It's black and my first plan was to paint the wheels red and find some small center hub caps and thin beauty rings. (Where do I get them?) Anyone got any photos of 1960 or 1961 Chrysler or DeSotos that have gotten the treatment? I just got the fenderskirts for it this week. Any good ideas out there? -Robert in K.C.
I must disagree, there's nothing wrong with a four-door. How about leaving the rims black, blackwalls, small center caps and a heavy-duty suspension? I'd definitely p*** on the skirts, as well. Otherwise it'll just be another dumb rockabilly barge with red wheels and skirts... and leopard print seats and a fluffy dash!
Wow...That is seriously harsh on the new guy. From here it sounds like a cool ride. I have a 59 Chrysler and I love it. As to the four door bias, don' t let it get you down. Some of my rides have been twos and some fours...who cares, if it is your ride, dig it, drive it and do your thing to it. As to the black with red wheels. it is kinda done to death. Tighten up the torsion bars up front, put some mild blocks out back, have someone do some cool striping on it (or better yet, try your own hand) and throw on some cool old caps from a swap meet. Whatever you do, post a pick and drive it every day. Don't sweat the brakes too much. If it is anything like my 59, it can't get out of its own way anyhow. True
Welcome. Don't listen to the "it's a four door, burn it" bull ****. Lower it, maybe go with pinstripe whitewalls, black steelies, spider centers, and beuty rings. Kind of an early '60's mild cruiser look. I think I'd leave the skirts off. Have some pinstriping done, maybe some scallops. Just some ideas. Most importantly, make it your own and drive the wheels off of it.
on a car as wild as that, think color. i saw a flat black 61 impala once with yellow wheels that looked pretty neat. maybe go for some heavy flake in your wheels, might be different and *****in. drum brakes aren't so bad. do it once or twice and they're no sweat. real simple. discs are better, but expect to pay. the deal with nixing the skirts is this. th cars that the belong on are generally smooth with graceful lines, therefore covering the back wheels can extend that idea. early 60s cars are wild, therefore the smoothing feature is kinda unnecessary. usually you only see them on lowriders because lowriders tend to put everything they can on a car, whereas the custom guys remove stuff that doesn't jive and occasionally add little stuff to improve the groove of the whole deal.
Welcome. Sounds like the start of a cool Desoto, and a unique ride also. At least here in Illinois there aren't many around. For wheels, how about chrome reverse? I wouldn't use the skirts it doesn't really need them to look smooth. As for the brakes, drums can work pretty well, if they have a good complete rebuild, with high quality parts and replacing everything ( shoes, springs, master and wheel cylinders, lines etc). By the way there's nothing wrong with a four door, if you like it, that's all that counts.
Wow.... It's just a case of, "If ya cant take a joke, stay off the beach" or don't go swimming in a fountain, if he's in Kansas City. Which is the only thing we know from the Non-introduction to the black with red wheels four door wannabe-rockerbilly-scenester-car. It needs some Black Fly decals in the windows, and three Iron Cross mirrors too!!!! I repeat... If ya can't take a joke, stay off the ****in beach!!!
Robert, Post us a pic or two, it'll help get the juices flowing. I've never been a big moredoor fan myself, but I've always wanted to build a Checker, so I'm guessing that your old hooptie will do just fine. And drop me a note, I'm just across town, I'll let you buy me coffee. Oh an one other thing fountains are like the Muddy MO any more better stay out of 'em.
My ol' man had one for a while when I was a kid - cool car! Used to drive it around the block when he wasn't home - layed rubber real good - no licence of course.
HA! Burn it....oh that's funny. Now back to business, I caught my 58 Chev 4 door on fire once, but I threw water on it instead of the 5 gallons of gas sitting in the trunk----can you imagine what I could have done with 5 grand in insurance money? Don't worry, I have a 56 DeSoto 4 door. Yes she's ugly but I can't take her to the scales. As for the visor bit, hey now DeSoto sometimes put stainless visors on their cars! Mine has one.....totally odelay essay. I do like 4 doors though, you can get your drunk friends in and out easier, they hold an ice chest like nobodies business and they make good fun when you cut the tops off! x Brandy
This goes back to a certain Hamber that has posted on this thread. He caught alot of **** for putting a visor on his Galaxie(?) if I remember correctly. Farmall
Just busting your chops man, with the amount of **** you took, a lesser man would've walked out of this place. Farmall
Damn, that thing is cool! To do it in the rat rod cliche would be unbelievably cruel. I forgot to mention in my first post - it needs a built 440. Then you'll need disc brakes for sure.
Funny thing about discs Cheese. With a very few exceptions you couldn't even order discs on a big block car from MOPAR until; about '72 or 3. They didn't think that discs would stop a big(heavy) car as well as drums. Personaly I like discs as well as drums, and I'm not a pureist by no means. just thought I'd throw that out there.
If you plan on putting something else on, SELL ME THOSE HUBCAPS! I have always liked those. And don't worry about the stereotypical comments like "Well, he has a 4dr, he must be hung like a moose", it just isn't always the case. Sell the lower SS trim to a restorer and use the money on a set of Supremes and some lowering blocks. unscrew the torsion bars, get it re-aligned and rebuild the brakes. OR Keep the trim, flip the tires over to the blackwall side and squint and it looks like the batmobile.
cool ****ing car for sure. think low, think smooth. what color is the interior? think bright somewhere. gold metallic wheels, no hubbies, maybe spiders if you can afford em, or chrome reverse or astro supremes and thin whites. neat car, it's old enough to wear wide whites and new enough to wear thin whites, and the styling on it is OUT THERE!
Well brake wise try AAJ Brakes. They have a website and are easy to work with. Basic kit should run around $200 but you still have to by the rotors, calipers and lines. When it comes to what to do. Pick a style and stick with but ultimately you have to like it because you are driving it. In my opinion, bag it, shave the door handles and no skirts. The car is long enough with out adding the skirts. After that you have to pick the look you want. Don't try and make a car built in 60 look like a 50's custom. Astros with skinny white walls but I prefer the black wall and a nice cap. Paint wise pinstriping is good in moderation and flaking the roof may not be a bad idea. Lots of people don't like my car but lots do. I don't care either way cause I like it.
Ooooh, 46, nice job on the photoshop versions. Seeing the one without the lower trim reinforces the idea -- get the car low and lose that trim. I would simply squirrel it away in the garage for later if I ever wanted to sell the car (it IS a 4-door afterall). I sincerely doubt you'd be able to find that trim again if you decided you wanted it back. Slim, if you paint your wheels red, I'll personally burn your car myself. Oh, and if you manage to get the car that low, and remove the trim, I will let you run skirts. Squint. Picture it. Yeah.
If ya lived out here in Hollyweird yo could make some fair walking around money renting that car out to the movie studios, but only if it stays bone stock looking! Save that one the way it's been saved for the last 45 years and keep looking for a "cool" car to make even Kooler with the custom treatment. You know what I mean... your an artist. Yea, welcome to the HAMB too... cool stuff in your CV too... Landscape architect huh? Do you do fountains and all that?
I haven't had time to do this in a while, but I had to do a quick photoshop. I dropped it and shaved the handles. Also painted the roof a little.
Got to say it, but "the treatment" sounds like a very bad idea.. Red rims would change a potential spaceship into a farm-tractor in imho.. Lots of good advice in this thread though. Lowered/airbags, some thin whitewalls, maybe astros, some shaving and cleaning up, any shade of metallic paint with flattener and you are ready for outer space.
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