Sorry for the bad picture...my daughter took it on her phone while I was driving past it yesterday. Can you tell me what it is? I know it's a Chrysler 2 door...but that's it. Haven't stopped to take a closer look at it yet. Wondering if this car has any potential to be a cool cruiser. I don't have the skills needed to do a chop or anything like that. I could handle and engine and suspension swap and other basics. If anyone knows of a project on a similar car here on the Hamb, please point me to that thread.
Very cool if it's a 2 door. Jay Leno's Garage has a video of one of those but it was a Town & Country wagon they stuck a DeSoto front end on. It had late model suspension and drivetrain but the exterior/interior was left stock and unrestored.
It looks like a cool project, if you talk to the person selling it, you may not have to do too much to it...
Looks like a 53 Chrysler Windsor, it was on the lower-end of the Chrysler line with a big flathead 6 under the hood. Definitely has potential if it's complete and solid.
They have an unusual split grille that looks radical with a complete de-chroming. There was one in my town that was mildly customized and it looked great. And the 265 flathead six should have plenty of torque for cruising.
Dan, check this thread: http://www.jalopyjournal.com/forum/showthread.php?t=398148&highlight=53+desoto .
And they sound great with a split manifold and dual glass packs. It has the potential to be a nice cruiser but it isn't one you want to spend tons of money on. If the six is good I'd run it. If it was bad I'd find a good running 360 in a donor rig with matching trans and rear end that I could drive home, make sure it's all dialed in and then pull it and do the swap.
dull, stodgy, slow, poor styling. I grew up when those cars were daily drivers. NO ONE would ever consider one for a traditional hotrod------or a custom. Its just an old car and undesirable
manyolcars is telling the truth. But today times have changed. Cars we never would have considered back in the day are rare now, and even a little bit cool. I like old Chryslers, they are well built cars and capable on today's roads without modification. That one looks like a 2 door sedan which is nice, and rather rare like maybe there are 5 or 10 4 doors for every 2 door. Not as cool as a hardtop or wagon. I would buy it if it was decent. That one looks kind of rough. I would probably buy it anyway but for you, if it isn't decent don't mess with it. They are not the kind of car you can sink a lot of money in because if you do, they don't sell for much dough. Now if it was a Ford, Mercury or Cadillac it might be different but old Chryslers are an acquired taste. On the good side they are tough and well made, not very complicated, parts are available reasonable, engines are easy and cheap to rebuild, transmissions tough and easy to fix. On the bad side, not very cool or desirable, body and trim parts not easy to find. Kind of stodgy and boring to drive but comfortable.
You are certainly entitled to your own opinion, just not your own facts... If you should ever find yourself in the possession of such a fine automobile then please make it available to those of us who want one. Not everyone wants a Phurd or shiverlay. .
Seriously. I was wondering if I was really reading that on an OLD car forum or if I had stumbled into some alternate universe...
Let's be serious. ANY car from before 1955 is a turd compared to the cheapest new car on a purely functional basis.
Oh sure... I could drive a modern car everyday but I choose to drive the car in my Avitar 118 miles round trip to work 4 days a week. It has a flathead with overdrive and gets 18mpg. The only thing that really sucks is the vacuum wipers (pun intended) and lack of A/C in the summertime... but like I said... I would prefer almost ANY old car for a daily driver before my wife's new car. Maybe I am just weird that way. Edit - Of course my daily drive is out here in the beautiful Texas hill country with no city traffic... that may also be a factor for me.
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