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sharing pictures of my 1948 s11c long wheelbase sedan. I purchased this car on ebay as a barn find a little over a year ago. it was originally a funeral coach, in holm PA. it was put away in a barn for 35 years, and was in very rough ugly shape when I purchased it. if the site allows I will post a before and after picture. although its not complete yet, I have put it on the road to enjoy some local car shows. I hav restored many cars as a hobbyist, this was the most challenging. but the moment I found it on ebay, I wanted to get my hands on it and bring it back to its original elegance.
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Great idea this picture gallery, I think I earned my bragging rights".
thanks for looking
-Bill Cypher
Bill...that's some incredible progress in a year's time. The after photos look fantastic! What are those small emblems or lights just past the front wheels?
Mark
Very Cool!
It's supposed to be fun!
1949 De Soto Custom Convertible (project)
Bill...that's some incredible progress in a year's time. The after photos look fantastic! What are those small emblems or lights just past the front wheels?
Mark
Thanks Mark They are lights, I do not think they are original to the car. most likely added years ago to light the ground around the car, maybe because the car was a funeral coach ? The set that was on the car when I bought it were completely shot, However I found a very nice set at Hershey last year, I was very happy to find the exact lights. They seem period correct, ( heavy glass ,pot metal,) One other interesting accessory I found on the car is a device in the trunk that drops sand or grit on the rear tire at the flip of the (gripmaster) switch on the steering column. Gotta love it!
Super nice! Thanks for sharing. When you get a chance, some intereior shots would be welcome as it probably has the jump seats, etc.
"It's delightful, it's delovely, it's DeSoto"
"It's delightful, it's delovely, it's DeSoto"
Yes it has jump seats ,I have all the seats at a trim shop for resto at the moment but I will send pics when I re install them , My wife and I restored the door panels , and I restored the interior window frames . the seats had to be left to a professional. PS If you look up 1948 Desoto limo barn find you will see plenty of photos and discussion about my car, It kind of went viral on the net when it was for sale .
Bill,
That car is sweet! I am anxious to see the interior too.
In the meantime, I wonder if you could get me a photo of the left (distributor) side of the engine. A close-up of the connection between the oil filter and the block is what I am after. Early 1948 cars would have had three bosses on the side of the block, one with a plug in it and two with oil lines. Later cars would have had what looks like a mounting pad with two tapped bolt holes. That pad would also have one oil line and a plug. Below that would be a boss with an oil line in it.
Brent Jacobsen
Owner of a 1952 Desoto Firedome
just posting some updated pictures of my 48 Desoto long wheelbase. "I guess the other got lost"
since the last photo I posted. the interior has been done. my wife and I did the door panels ourselves . the headliner is still original , and the seats were left to a professional. added some flower vases as this car began life as a funeral coach.
What a sweet looking ride! Hope you are enjoying it out on the road a lot as you certainly won't see yourself coming and going. Great job on the interior door panels too - you and your wife are to be commended.
"It's delightful, it's delovely, it's DeSoto"
@fredroman Thanks, The door panels were challenging , I had to make new cards out of pvc . I would say the most difficult thing was opening up that very small stainless molding at the bottom of the door without damaging it. the cloth gets pinched in it, The factory used staples threw the stainless steele, I used very small screws and nuts, All in all I would say I saved myself about a grand doing it myself. My wife made the Desoto pillow as a gift. As for enjoying it, The weather here is still bad. and with the virus no car shows . I want to change the universal joints but they are not available, The car runs and drives ok but under a load it makes a grumbling sound from under the car, It has three u joints , I hope replacing them makes the noise go away, Do you have any leads
as to where I can get them? Thanks Bill.
Hi Bill,
I have a hunch that you tried Rock Auto, eBay, etc. with no success. I don't have any specific leads but I do know there are custom made driveshafts available. If there is a shop in your vicinity, you should contact them and see what they might be able to do for you. If they are unable, they might be able to suggest a shop they are familiar with. You'll just have to keep trying until you get a hit and go from there - even if you have to go quite a distance to solve your problem.
There might be others on this forum that had a personal experience with a similar situation as yours and can chime in on this conversation.
Good luck and keep us posted as you proceed with finding a suitable repair or replacement.
Fred
"It's delightful, it's delovely, it's DeSoto"
@fredroman Thanks Fred, My understanding is that Andy Bernboum is in the presses of having them reproduced ,So I will wait and see as the car is still drivable. Bill.
Hey Bill....I've never had this done but have seen folks advertise in MoPar club publications that they will reman your driveshaft and replace the ball and trunnion style ujoints in favor of more modern and readily available cross type ujoints. Can't say I can point you to a specific provider but they are out there.
Mark
