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Hello NDC Members. I thought i would poke my head in and say hello. I recently acquired my Father's 49 custom 4 door (long back story) as he can no longer drive any vehicle. I haven't retrieved it from his garage yet so no pictures 
....yet.
It was purchased about 27 some odd years ago and was last driven about 6 years ago so it's gonna need a little love. It is an original 35,000 (give or take) mile gem. 27 or so years ago, I had a 51 Mercury M52 Sedan and decided to sell it and use the proceeds to buy my Father a 49 DeSoto...the car that his idol, his older brother Jack had when he died at an early age in 1954. Uncle Jack's DeSoto was a 49 Custom 4 door in Dove Gray (Dad calls it Gunmetal Gray). I couldn't find a Dove Gray one but i did find a black one in Dayton,Oh., own by a preacher. I took Dad, along with my oldest son, to look at it and he almost cried. One look at the battery and it was obvious that it had been "jumped" with 12 volt. Fried cables. A short trip to the local NAPA solved that in short order. We made a deal and around 3 hours later, we were on our way back to Cleveland with Dad's new Fluid Drive treasure. My son drove my car and Dad drove the DeSoto with me riding shotgun. The look on Dad's face as he drove was unbelievable and priceless...He was in his glory ! Over the years, I put accessories on it like wide whites, fender skirts, curb finders, headlight visors, etc. for that "50's feel" for Dad.
Forward to 2017...At 82 years old, Dad called me up and said: You need to come and take these cars. I said why?? He said I can't keep after them anymore. I felt sick. His love for all things cars is what gave me my love for cars and trucks. I went over to the house and he had three titles layed out on the kitchen table. The DeSoto, a 01 LeSabre with 22,+ miles, and a 04 LeSabre with 37,+ miles.
All he said was, make sure I get to my doctor appointments !
I was at a loss for words. So now, as a legacy to both my Dad and Uncle Jack, I have three treasured vehicles that I will keep, maintain, and enjoy as they would have. There will be a few rides to the doctor's office in the 49 !
I apologize for the lengthy introduction but I felt it was relevant. I have many more stories about my family's Chrysler's... 
I look forward to interacting with like-minded folks !
Welcome to the group Don. Very interesting story, enjoyed reading it.
If you haven't done it yet I would urge you to join the NDC. If you are still in Cleveland, or Ohio, I think you would enjoy the Buckeye Chapter of the NDC. Good group of people. I expect some of them to reply with a welcome to their group.
Would love to see some pic's of the '49 or better yet get to see the car. Our Great Lakes Chapter meets at the Ypsilanti Orphan Show, Ypsilanti Mich. in Sept.. You are welcome to join us. Les
What series 1949 Desoto do you have?
The first series was a continuation of the S-11 "Happy Days" Desoto
Second series was completely new and was introduced in early 1949. Both cars had the waterfall grille with the Second series having a larger vertical rectangular turn signal than did the First series. Second series had what could be called tacked on taillights. The colors were also different
Les, I intend to join the NDC as well as the Buckeye chapter as I am now south of Cleveland. Thank You for the reply.
Bob, My apologies for not mentioning that it is the second series. My Grandfather was a true Chrysler man so over years my family has had many. Including a Howard Cunningham 48 DeSoto (not a Suburban, no roof rack 
). Thank You for the reply.
Don,
Great story, thanks for sharing. I'm a former Clevelander with a lot of family still in the area. Where exactly are you located now, south of Cleveland?
The northern Ohio DeSoto group has an annual gathering that is fast approaching. Although I've never been able to attend, many of my DeSoto pals have attended and speak highly of what a great event they attended. The event is the 3-D Picnic this Sunday, August 12. See the attached flyer for complete details. Your dad may enjoy this event as well as yourself. Hope you can make it.
Mark
Don,
My name is Bill Noble, and I'm one of those Buckeye members that Mark warned you about; lol.
I understand that you did not make it to the 3-D picnic near Chagrin Falls last Saturday. That's too bad - in the 18 years that Nosol and Haddix have been hosting this annual picnic, there's never been a 1949 De Soto present; you would have made history! Even without your car, I think you (and your dad) would have had a good time. (I wasn't feeling too well that morning, so I didn't feel like making the Dayton-to-Cleveland round-trip drive; maybe next year.)
The next Buckeye Chapter meeting will be on 30 September in Tiffin. A young lady, who is one of our members, is planning on putting on a car show as her senior-year project for her high school. More details on this show/meeting will be forthcoming.
I have a good 1949 De Soto story to tell you, but it's too long for this post - it will just have to wait until we get together.
Bill
