Customs New driver/mild custom1953 Desoto

very nice find

 

<hr style="color: rgb(229, 229, 229); background-color: rgb(229, 229, 229);" size="1"> <!-- / icon and title --> <!-- message --> The Desoto is coming along. I just got my invoice from Custom Metal Finishing. I am building a crate today to ship out the dash, and the last few bits. Around the 20th of January I should have a chrome dash, garnish, bumpers, and a few other pretty things.

I have a bunch of powder coat back, and it looks great. I was going to coat the floors top and bottom with lizard skin with the body on the frame. I have already pulled the front clip to powder coat the inner fenders, and nose the hood. The frame was only a steering box and 10 body mounts away from going to powder coating. The way I look at it, the time spent putting it back together is actually less than wire brushing and spraying paint, and I will have a much higher level of detail. I got everything loose, and should be dropping the frame off after Christmas. I had planned to have the car off the lift by Jan 1, and just be waiting on my hop up parts and chrome. Now it looks more like Feb 1, and I will have a lot of reassembly to do.

The difference of working on a super clean car is amazing. I feel like I am working a 1953 Desoto in 1959. I only have some powder coat pics on my phone, the rest will have to wait for the next day I get back to the shop in North Carolina.

I am still on target for the Lone Star Round up.

 

Earl Edgerton called me this afternoon. My aluminum head is done. George Asche should be sending my intake, exhaust, 3 carbs and overdrive out soon. My wiring harness will be shipping to ynz next week. The engine goes to the machine shop next week. Lots of parts out, waiting for stuff to start rolling back in.

Happy New Year to my Hamb family!

 

Man I love it when a plan starts coming together...gonna be a sweet looking and running ride when you are done with it

 

Damn!!! You are knocking this project out quick!!! Im glad you decided to go with the chrome dash, I think itll be TITS

 

I wish it was going faster. The car was nice enough to be a clean driver as is. I made the right choice to start with the best car I could find. It is so much easier to make a super clean mild custom when you do not have to fix rust/redneck. Spending all my time making the fit and finish on finished parts is fun. I have not had to fix anything that was broken, rusted, molested.

I have no other hands helping me work on the Desoto. I have a frame off going on a 1969 f100, and a 1972 rs z28 Camaro. I have lots of help on the Camaro, and a extra set of hands with the F100. The The z28 is just a good home for a crazy 355 sbc that was setting in the shop. The Camaro will find a new home, the F100 will replace my 1972 gmc lwb daily driver. I am trying to step up the quality and output of the projects in my shop. Check the pics in my profile of the shop. It makes getting work done much easier. I only do this for fun. When it stops being fun, it makes the long hours, and sleepless nights suck.

I spent the last few years of my life busting my ass building the new shop. This is the stuff I dreamed of working on in the shop. Tonight I am working on the 3x2 383 sbc that is going in the 5 year old project 1953 chevrolet 2dr sedan. Life is good.

 

Keep it going!
http://vorhese.com/gallery/album265

 

Well bits and pieces are sloooowly coming in. The nice running flat head is getting a full rebuild, and balance, so much for cheap fast and easy. I have realized way fucking cool, super slick, with as much performance as you can squeeze out of a flat six is very high dollar per horsepower. Can't have a slow custom, right?

 

Got the wiring harness pulled and boxed up to send it to YNZ. They are making me a cloth wrapped wiring harness same as the stock with all the factory style connections. It will look right under the hood.

Got the intake and carbs in the mail from George Asche. Little steps.

 

Looking good man... this thing is gonna be stellar...

 

Just found out my paint and body man is closing his shop. I am 4-5weeks away from paint, but damn. He would have had it back to me in 1-2weeks. It is a simple respray, same color. Just covering the shaved holes. I guess I will start looking for a reasonably priced, good fast painter. That will be easy

I have kind of changed gears from budget custom, to top shelf custom.

 

sorry about your painter... good luck...

as for budget to top shelf, I figured that was gonna happen, you damn perfectionist you...

 

That car is just begging for a set of Olds Fiesta caps.

 

White tuck and roll, with a green insert. I have been looking at a few 50's Caddy fabrics, waiting to see if the crew at Austin Speed Shop finds anything else/better. As far as hubcaps, I have missed a few vintage sets on ebay. The nice 1957 Lancer copies will work until I can find the real deal, but I have not got them yet. I am really holding out for a set of real caps, Lancer, or Fiesta would work.

 

That would most definitely work.

 

Hi Guys - keep up the info flow
I;m down under in NZ and just loving whats happening here. I've been a fan of the 55 onward desotos yet this is absolutely great and the cars looks "spoton"
Anyrate thats my .02c worth

 

Frame on the ground, frame on the ground!!! I am dropping it off Thursday with my Powdercoater. I have to weld the front shock mounts on, add a few threaded weld in mounts, and tag and bag all the clutch,brake hardware.

It got too dark to take outside pics, but the frame is loaded on the trailer, engine is on the stand, ready to go to My super special engine builder.

 

I think you butt dialed me twice yesterday, I tried calling back but you didn't answer... lol.... frame on the ground.

 

Now I have an issue. I am not feeling the body seams. I was going to just do a nice respray. The car had a pretty nice paint job, so all I was going to redo was the trunk and hood where I shaved a few things. The rear seams are bothering me, and I think the fuel filler needs to be moved into the trunk. I want to weld up the seams and rear bumper filler panel.


What do you guys think?

My simple mild custom has become a major frame off. At least I have done it before, so I know what I am getting into.

 

I was trying to call you and got busy with a customer, so yeah I was talking out my ass at least once.

 

Beautiful Desoto Jason, but why did you put a '50 Merc grille in it? JK HAHA Steven.

 

do what you feel you need to do or you won't be happy later...

lol... Totalled the Dakota and was trying to find the title so they can cut me check, didn't hear it ring at first.

 

I know I am going to hear that often... Oh and "I bet you wish it had a Hemi" The car will be right in every way, at least for what it is, different.

 

I know you hated that truck, just hope it was not a bad accident, no injuries I hope.

 

I know you're pretty far into your engine already, but I've got a '53 276 Hemi complete for a hell of a smokin deal if you're ever interested. I have several Desoto Hemis. Not lookin to sell them, but just offering a good complete one if you ever like. Sorry about the Merc comment Jason, I just could'nt help it. Steven.

 

I thought about a Hemi for this car, but once I started finding all the cool stuff for the flat6 I was hooked. I will pm you about the 276, for the next project

 

Hey Heavy, the fuel filler is at a horrible place. Always splashes out. If I could move it to the trunk I would.

 

Yeah I was looking at it last night and it looked like a pimple on a hot porn stars ass...well maybe a pretty, corn fed girls ass.

The top of the pocket inside the trunk will take the fillneck with room to spare. I was not looking at changing it until I started looking at all the seams back there. They all have to go.

Damn car should be named SnowBall.

 

weld up the seams and move the filler into the trunk or build one thats flush with door. cooler yet make the tailight hinge so the filler is hidden.

 

The Seams will go away. The Hinged taillight would be cool. I have seen it, but did not even think about it last night.