Is there such a thing as a cool Desoto?

There are still DeSoto trucks and busses being made in Turkey. No longer related to MoPaR but the name still lives. Originally retrimmed Plymouths got exported to South and Central America as Desoto Diplomats. I believe Africa and Turkey got them also, then the Fargo trucks got sent there badged as DeSotos. there was a big assembly plant in Turkey where the knockdowns were assembled, in the late 40's early 50's. And somebody is selling NOS stuff from Turkey on Ebay so there must have been significant stores of parts there also.

 

I think my 34 Desoto Airflow is cool. Others may not but I like it,that's all that matters to me,LOL. Young guys ask me what kind of car it is and when I say Desoto they just give a blank look and say WHAT!

 

If this '47 DeSoto suburban isn't cool right where it sits here in Texas, then I've lost the definition.

Yeah, same body as the Happy Days car.

 

DeSoto trucks were exports. Probably why you have not seen one.

 

Wow, StillOutThere. Looks like a little TLC, the right wheels & boots
and the right paint are all this would need to be an eye-opener!
It's begging for adoption. Is it up for adoption? What county is it in?

 

Four-door cars are cool when they’re built as four-door cars, and not as “I couldn’t afford a two door” cars.

The thing to focus your mind on is: DON’T YOU DARE SHAVE THE REAR DOOR HANDLES. That’s poseur stuff.

When you end up with a four-door car you are best served to build it one of two ways:

1) Cruiser. Do a cosmetic restoration of the exterior with nice, shiny paint. Lower it over period-appropriate whitewalls (wide whites on an early-fifties car) with a powerful, mild engine (360 perhaps? Save the little Hemi for something without a hood), and an automatic transmission. Don’t forget to make sure you’ve got plenty of sound deadening, a really nice interior, and creature comforts like a good sound system, heat, and air conditioning. You want to build a car that your lady friends are always asking to ride places in.

2) Sleeper. Leave the exterior “patinaed”. Static drop over an Art Morrison style road-racing chassis with gray-center mags or wide, black-powdercoated steel wheels wearing sticky rubber. Injected 392 Chrysler backed with a 6-speed manual. Five point harness on the stock bench seat and a roll cage hidden amongst the rest of the original interior. I got yer grampa car right here, buddy.

Enjoy!

-Dave

 

Love mopars of the 30s, theyre so damn classy.

Is this the one that was satin black for a long time? angel hair interior? humpback? nice car anyways.

If im not mistakeing there is a kustom red one same model year, that is awesome. Slammed and all.

Ahah... i think you are a great guy, and i seem to understand you really put a lot of sweat and blood, as your cousin says into your little sled.
Infact, althou i totally understand your current choice i really hope the car gets finished the way it deserves, either by you or whoever. It really is a nice car, and a model you dont see often. At least done well, there quite a few of these hacked w/ horrible proportions.

 

I have a few pictures of some of the "Howard Cunningham" style of Desotos. If I'm not mistaken, these cars were considered limos. I really like the green custom in these pictures. Saw it at the 20th Leadsled Spectacular in Wichita back in 2000. With the chop, it looked 2 miles long.

The other ones are too street roddy for my taste, but it's still cool to see old Desotos being saved and used..........E

 

I have one of those 'strange export models' as garden art down under the trees. '57 DeSoto front....'57 Plymouth rear. I bought it for the running 313 poly..the body and frame are too far gone for salvation.

I also have the light blue 'real' '57 sportsman and there isn't a thing apart from the grille that's the same on the two cars.

 

I always thought these were cool...

 

Will be some day

 

I know you were looking for 2 or 4 door sedans but I remember seeing a couple of awesome Desoto woody wagons in the woody thread recently !!!

 

I want it

 

I guess everyone lied to me then cause , everyone loved the 46 I did

 

yep my one those was pretty cool .. wasnt that one though

 

Anne in our hot-rod club has a Hemi-powered two-door of that model, kool-as!!

 

Ive always liked 47s and the "rainfall grille, so heres another pic of a cool one.
The black n white pic is a 51 Suburban limousine, and the 59 is a pillarless 4 door firedome sportsman. Love the "rocket launcher" tail lights.

The name "Desoto" is of latin origins, and borrowed from a Spanish conquistador, but you all proberbly already knew that.

 

when i was in junior high (1970-73) our library was chock full of national geographics from the 1950s and that's when i first learned years of cars, mainly chevies, and other cars.. i remember seeing ads for the 1957 desoto. fireflights and firesweeps, and remember how cool they were because i hadnt recalled ever seeing them around.. IMO there aint no such thing as an uncool 1950s car, its true the grills are in demand for customs, but also i believe desoto was the only other non pontiac with the illuminating hood ornament..

 

have always totally dug the rocket tailights of the 57-59 dodges and desotos

 

This is a great looking chopped Desoto....

 

Just picked this cool 40 desoto coupe up

http://i1080.photobucket.com/albums/j323/mcerda972/1940desoto.jpg

 

there the same as a dodge coronet.. i think there 4 doors are good looking cars, they have somewhat the same lines.

 

I kinda like my 56. Still rockin the Hemi too.

 

56Firedome, I always felt the '56 reaend was HEADED in the right direction, stylistically on Exner's part. But it didn't quite work, stock, IMO; the weakest element of an otherwise fine treatment.

YOU, however, have done something original and special there! I respect it, dude.

 

BTW, It looks good partially shaved, too! Have you thought about using the '56 Sportsman/Adventurer headlight bezels, though? Much more delicate effect -- day & night, IMO. And I stress, that is just my own eye.

 

To answer your original question... uh... no.

Seems as though Google was right this time.



Sam

 

Thanks for the kind words. Ive had an eye out for a clean set of those bezels for a little while now. I wanted to french the headlights but the shape of the fender tops doesnt make that too easy IMO.

 

Sam, I beg to differ. Maybe we should ask GotGas' opinion, too. And I don't think Google is always right.

 

bad ass!!!