Projects Sold the truck, bought a car ('53 Desoto)

Here ya go Mackster. I hope these were what you were lookin for.



Yeah, my underside needs to be wiped

 

Love the James D rendering. Gonna be killer.

-Dave

 

I found a replacement steering wheel. This ones out of a '57 Savoy. I'm also in the progress of re-doing my dash. The dash and steering wheel will be painted an off white with a metalic cobalt blue.

Looks like shit now.

 

Quick update on the car. I've decided to shave the door handles, cuz I ain't payin' no $95 per handle for re-plating. I'll go with the simple "skeleton key" approach I found in another thread here on the HAMB.

 

I got the dash done finally. Ain't she perty
(sorry for the dark pics, I've for the glass all taped off for paint)

 

Lookin' great, keep up the good work. Now I gotta get around to getting my family hauler back on the road...

 

Dash looks dashing! really cool! keep going pal! you got this!!

 

Hey Mack, do you have a source for the small knobs for the shifter and turn signal lever? Just like the steering wheel, that ivory bakelite just falls apart more and more everytime I touch it.

 

WOW, your doing an awesome job man, love your work and your creativity.

Brent

 

I installed 2 1/2" lowering blocks in the rear today. Made them myself from 2 1/2 square steel tubing I had here in stock. Quick trip down to the local spring shop for four new U-bolts (can you believe they only charged me $25???) The whole process took less than an hour to unbolt throw in the blocks and install the new U-bolts. I couldn't believe how easily everything came apart, and the coolest thing is that the lugnuts, shock bolts, and U-bolts all used the same 3/4" socket!

I took before and after pics, I'll post them tomorrow after I upload them onto my comp. Unfortunately my fears came true, my exhaust hits the axle now. INFACT, the car didnt really get the whole 2 1/2" lower because now all the weight of the car is resting on my pipes, that are resting ontop of the axle tube. Looks like I'll be ordering some mandrel bent 90*s

 

Stock ride height minus 59 years of settling

after 2 1/2" blocks installed

I can't believe how fast the sun went down.

Again, this isn't sitting where it should. The car is still resting on the tail pipes. I have two new mandrel bent 90*s on the way now.

 

I wanna drop the front just to the top of the whitewall. so not a whole lot, perhaps about 1.5 - 2 inches. The rear is going to come down a tad more, just not with blocks.

 

Hey, I dont have a source for the knobs. I am using a socal shifter know and a bare metal on the blinkers. I have seem some on Ebay but the prices are out of my range! In my car the engine is really low and i can only drop it three inches in the front and four in the back (i can go more in the back....)

 

Did you have to shorten your driveshaft when you lowered your car? I went to change my pinion seal and noticed when the car is up in the air the driveshaft is bottomed out, so I am assuming when the car is on the ground it will want to be shorter yet.

I'll probably do a pocket drop in the front.

 

I dropped by the Stitch's today. Man I can't wait till these suckers are finished. Diamonds baby! Diamonds!

Pearl naugahyde with midnight blue vynel. This is just the skin for the front seat base, still needs to be installed.

 

I think I nailed it with the color choices. Couldn't have had a better match, if I don't say so myself

 

My newly restored steering wheel, all covered in bondo dust.




Time to get rid of the UGLY

 

oh man, that's gonna look killer all put together

 

Thanks Everette, I think that visor would've been too much. I'm glad its gonna get put to good use. I just noticed how similar our grill openings are, thats insane.

I've been struggling to get time to work on the car, I'm so damn close to getting this in paint its not even funny. I gotta stay on the upholsterers case so I can have my seats back by the time the cars together.

 

Got my front seat today. Man, It's more comfortable than the sofa in my living room He says I need to break it in to get the fabrics to settle. Looks like I'll havta put some miles on...

 

The car is looking great. Thanks for keeping us updated. Keep them coming.

 

Thanks Dman. Not much to report other that slappin' on the mud, sanding it all off, slap on some more mud, take it off....

When I find the fucker that tapdanced on my roof I'm gonna kick his ass! I hate body work, if I ever get rich I'm gonna start farming it out.

 

Finally! Some 2k HS primer shot on the car, half way there Two coats took an entire gallon

 

sweet car, love odd cars. it will be nice to see a 4dr saved, rather than turned into a parts car.

 

What do you mean "odd cars"? Ya know what the most common question I get asked is? "What kind of car is it?" I usually fire back with ''its a Desoto." 90% of the time they come back with "oh, who made Desotos?"

I also had somebody ask me how I got a Mercury grill to fit in my desoto...he was serious too!

Well I started block sanding with 220grit today. The 2k primer I bought was well worth the money, I'd definately buy it again. Got it from NAPA, its ACME 2k HS primer. I think my cost was around $90 a gallon.

 

'Bout damn time!


dscn0121 by Fazekas Industries, on Flickr

 

dscn0120 by Fazekas Industries, on Flickr

dscn0119 by Fazekas Industries, on Flickr

dscn0118 by Fazekas Industries, on Flickr

 

I'm having issues with my shift linkages. Does anyone here have experience with the M6 transmissions? For some reason I can not get it to go in forward gears, but will shift into reverse just fine...

 

The car looks nice, the Olds headlight rings work really well with that grille, and the Packard tail lights are a natural with the DeSoto bumper. Nice mild custom. Surprised not to see the skirts though, not finished yet, or?

 

I just finished putting it together earlier today. The skirts still need some tweaking, but I'll get them on soon. I'm just burnt out from all the sanding, and I want to drive the car. Man, I can't believe its memorial day weekend allready.

I'm still waiting on the rest of my interior. Also, almost all of my stainless trim is junk. The PO used stovebolts to hold it all on the car, he just drilled through the stainless and bolted it on. I've got a TIG welder, but I will need ALOT of practice before I can fix all that trim. Honestly, I think I would be better off finding another 53-54 Desoto