whats wrong with a 55 desoto

I'm working on getting a 54 desoto I found. The grill isn't nearly as cool.

 

I must like them because I have so dam many of em.

 

The parts are a hell of a lot more scarce than a chevy or ford. That's probably one reason. The teeth of the 53 are pretty desirable, luckily the baby hemi 276 isnt.
My 53

 

Might want to take "James D" offer, best dam photoshopper on the H.A.M.B. IMO...

 

I think they are pretty cool. And a '57 Adventure is really cool. Mr. C's was about a 48 or so and his had a luggage rack on top of it .. Not cool .. The 55 had the shifter stickin' out of the dash. My dad had a 55 Chrysler New Yorker. Went like hell for the day. Wasn't too hot out of the hole because of the two speed Power Flight but once wound up went good. Had the old 331 with a 4 bbl and duals. Goofy tail lights though. Looked like they got the car together and said "Oh shit, we forgot the tail lights" and just went to JC Whiteny and got some and stuck 'em on...

 

Things change as time goes on. My uncle bought a 55 2dr ht for his generous offer of $300 back in 66 or 67. It was not worth anything but it was his friends car (who passed away) and he wanted to help the widow.

He hated it because of the gas mileage. My cousin and I were 14-15, and we, just like everyone else, thought is was " a big OLD tanky barge".

Fast forward and just imagine finding a mint one tucked away. I think it would draw a crowd at a show. That was a decade of glitz & chrome & fins.

 

Hello rusty. I think I'm going to buy that 55 for the hemi and grill. Probably part it out. Will pass on parts cheap if you are willing to pay shipping to the land down under.

 

I think ANYONE who says '55~'56 DeSoto's are ugly must be Blind.

True they have a bit much Gawdy chrome, but thats easily fixed.

These cars have better lines & lend to a mild custom treatment very well ... Moreso than any custom, '57 Chevy.

Beside's Gil Gonzales had one, Remeber when Kurt had his Butt parked on it on American Graffiti ?

 

'55s are great, but '56s are even better.

But the '57s are best.

The '55-56 Mopars were incredibly well built, solid cars. Even the 2dr hardtops didn't suffer from rust too badly. I find '55s pretty often around here but don't see many '56s. There is one each in 4dr sedan bodystyle being driven in my neighborhood.

I don't know why everyone plucks the Hemi out of them, the DeSoto Hemis are a royal pain in the ass to deal with. The tall deck 330/341/345s have enough cubes to make them worthwhile but still not as easy to deal with as the Chryslers.

 

I'd drive one, but I don't have one. Neat looking cars for sure!

 

i dont think its just the 55 desoto..maybe its desotos in general.i dont think they look that bad ,in fact they like the chyslers had some pretty neat options for the time(55) .electric windows &seats.a/c mounted in the truck.neat scoops on the rear quarters for air to enter...hemi motors . big horse power.maybe they where alittle ahead of there time ...most people think of the desoto as chyslers bastard little sister.it was!maybe the old hot roders are still mad cause the hemi killed there beloved flathead!!!!hmm when you think about it ,they took desoto parts and made there fords/merc look better.

 

Just for the record, I did not mean they were undesireable for a project, I simply recapped the reasons there aren't many around, and one reason was that they never got much attention from custom car enthusiasts.

I could mention that the 331, 354 and 392 Hemi was popular, but "baby" hemis" simply were not, so early DeSoto hemis were not generally searched out....until today, when the goal is not big power, just old parts.

Another issue would be that, any popularity of the grill parts was non-existant after about '61. That demand did not start up again until recently. In the mean time, many more were junked out!

Today, all of the odd cars and parts that were never demand items, 4-doors.....6 cylinders....poor engine designs...have suddenly become fashionable. Finding a DeSoto today is even more rare for all of these reasons. Build it!

 

My Dad had a '55 New Yorker too! 331 Hemi, Green & yellow 2-door. I'll always have a soft spot for that car. We usually went on vacation at 100 MPH.

 

I could mention that the 331, 354 and 392 Hemi was popular, but "baby" hemis" simply were not, so early DeSoto hemis were not generally searched out....until today, when the goal is not big power, just old parts.


Not true at all !!! The DeSoto 291 dominated the under 300 cu in class at Bonnivile in the Mid '50s

Was also 1of the first if THE first Drag engine to do 200mph.

The Short deck DeSoto was a very popular small inch class Hemi for a LONG time.

I know a guy with an Injected 330 that ran Jr Fuel class that was very hard to beat in the '60s

You dont hear about them to much cus they didnt run in the Big inch class's..

Do some research & you will finf there were MANY DeSoto's in all aspects of racing... Even Dirt track

By the way.... mine HAS big Power !

 

DeSoto has done alright with his. Mopars have always been on the "less travelled road", that's the way their enthusiasts seem to like it.

 

thanks for the replies, didnt think I would get that many, I got the car on a trip to the US and I was on a tight budget so for 3k 2 years ago,I thought it was ok considering prices of more popular stuff, I researched for 2 months before I went of all my options. it was a running and part restored, I got a disk brake adaptor off ebay an the el cheapo 20's coz the white walls and wide steelies were gunna cost twice as much, when u are on holidays its hard to find the bargains so you gota go with what you find some times, its guna have candy orange for the body flash and roof and main body color will be vanilla , jus got a bunch of cream leather off ebay so my trimmer mate is gun go nuts on it, slammed on its guts and painted up it should look ok, it wont be everyones cup of tea but it will do me until I can afford a decent a model tudor, what is it with a models ,stockers seem to have dropped heaps in the last 12 months, tidy runner for 6-8k??

 

Do they have punctuation and capitalization in Australia?

 

Hey, he put US in caps!

 

Yes, but its on the wrong side.

 

wow, I'm trying to delete that image

 

My first car was a DeSoto...1956 Sportsman 2 dr. H-top. Had all the bells and whistles. Cool car. Wouldn't mind havin' another.

 

Im an electrician not an english teacher, Im also a lazy typer

 

i dunno...but this is cool

 

Well lazy typer, have some respect for the people you want to read what you type.

 

I passed on one a few years ago. There just seems to be something missing in the lines for me, can't put my finger on it.

Like someone said about the other 55's overshadowing it, maybe the fact that the 57-58 DeSoto is 1000x cooler has the same effect (apples to oranges, I know).

 

I've seen worse. Remember the bellytank's "I'm into hotrods, not gramer...?" Ha! At least its not that bullshit text mesage crap.

 

I like 55-56 DeSotos. I'd probably want to swap to at least a late 50's iron Torqueflite and get three speeds in it, though.

They are rot prone, primarily in the rear frame rails, as are all the 55-56 Mopars.

We have a '55 New Yorker 4dr that would be a great cruiser, extra doors or not, but no one seems to much care. You could just about drive it home, I don't know what shape the brake lines are in.

 

got pics? PM me

 

That's a nice '55. Like the wire wheels. A doctor in town had a '56 New Yorker. Had power everything, wire wheels and a record player that pulled out from under the dash and played 45's. It was solid black. I'd give a left nut for that one now. My Dads was a New Yorker St. Regis. Was sort of coral and white. Cool old ride ..

 

anyone got anymore info on this yellow and green 55?