Help with my 1937 Desoto S3

Hello all, my name is Mike.

I purchased a 1937 Desoto S3 5 window business coupe this last summer. It needs a lot of work, however it is very cool. The straight six runs real well. I do not have it road worthy yet, but I am working on it. I have not purchased a repair manual for it yet.

A few questions: Where does the speedometer drive from? I cannot find anything on the tranny for a cable hook up.

The tranny is a 3 speed on the floor. It is made up of two boxes. One in front with the shifter on top. This box has its own fill plug, level plug and drain plug. The rear box also has a fill plug, level plug as well as a drain plug. Why the two boxes? What type of oil should be used in the tranny?

On the rear box is the parking brake drum and linkage on the right side. It also has another linkage set up on the same side, but directly accross the tranny is a small threaded shaft with a nut on it sticking out of the left side. This short shaft has flats on it as if it is to have a lever attached to it. What would this shaft be for?

Thank you for any help/insight you may have....

Thank you, Mike

 

Get a manual! Speedo drive will be at the rear of the "second"box somewhere. That second box is either a overdrive or a "free wheel" both were common in that era. ODs will also have some electrial wire conections for the controls as well as a lever. Free wheels only have a control lever.