Unregistered users may browse the website, but in order to participate in the forums and view select pages (such as "Club Contacts" and "Classified Ads") a user account is required. Click HERE to email the webmaster and request a free account. The National DeSoto Club uses real names rather than pseudonyms. Notify the webmaster of your user name preference (Johnathon Doe vs. John Doe, etc.), preferred email address, and password request.
The repaint is an amateur job, but looks nice from several feet back. Some rust repair appears to have been done under the doors. Underside looks pretty good but for a small rust perforation in the gas pedal area. The frame is full of dirt. Any ideas how to get that out?
I've done a brake job installing new hoses, wheel cylinders and shoes from Kanter. My rear drums are turned down a little out of spec, but braking seems to be pretty good. My car has Power Brakes and I'm thankful the Master Cylinder works good. I replaced the King Pins and upper and lower suspension pivot pins while I was doing the brake job.
My RH exhaust manifold was cracked, and the heat riser valve seized. I couldn't locate a suitable replacement so I installed Sanderson's block hugger headers. These were a tight fit on the Left side and I had to trim the top of the motor mount a bit to get it to fit. Steering clearance was also an issue, but my buddy Jeff installed really low profile head pipes and I lost very little steering travel. One issue I'm having is with the choke heat. I welded a 3/8 OD pipe down most of the length of one of the header pipes and attached that to the existing choke heat pipe. I don't seem to get any reaction from the choke at all. I had to manually turn it off to make the car run properly, but that's not going to work long term!
I used glass pack mufflers and the car has a really sweet hot-rod sound. Its nice and quiet at low rpm and cruise, but has a deep bark when you get on the gas.
I plan to install radial tires soon and get the front end aligned. I'm hoping my local alignment shop is up to the task. The car is really quite nice to drive and my family is amazed at the room inside. Has anyone successfully installed seat belts in one of these? I'm a little concerned about letting my kids ride in it.....
Somebody correct me if I'm wrong but doesn't the choke housing have a small amount of vacuum running through it to draw some of the heat up to it? Is that working? Maybe I should do dome research before I speak. I've used good old JC Whitney for belts and they work fine. It's not a bad idea to reinforce the floor pan with a plate where the belts mount. Looks like a great car!
Tim Mabry
The Lost Cause Garage
47 Suburban
57 Sportsman 4dr HT
The stock choke uses heat from a the right hand exhaust manifold to warm up the spring and open the choke. The heater tube goes into the manifold through the hot gasses and then into a chamber cast into the manifold which has a little hole in it to allow the flow of air into the heater tube. There is vacuum applied to this tube at the carburetor.
So I think you need to switch to a hand choke if you are using headers.
Good Luck
Steve
Steve, I welded a 5/16 diameter steel pipe down one of the header tubes and connected it to the choke heat tube hoping to emulate the stock choke's heat tube inside the manifold. The tube doesn't seem to warm up at all(at the carb), so I checked for vacuum at the choke thermostat housing, and am not getting any. The heat tube inside the old exhaust manifold was broken, sending raw exhaust up the tube and into the choke housing. The housing interior of the housing is carboned up pretty bad from exposure to the exhaust gasses. I cleaned it up, but am still getting no vacuum. I ordered a carb kit from NAPA and will disassemble the carb once I get it.
BTW, I couldn't get the carb kit from my local NAPA without paying a bunch of freight. The local parts man said that the warehouse is no longer stocking that kit and the nearest one he could locate is in Connecticut. I ordered the kit online for a bit cheaper than the local store could get it. I hope this kit is not permanently being discontinued......
I think you might still have a problem with the standard choke. The headers are steel and shed heat much quicker than the cast iron manifolds. Also, you have no heat riser so that will slow down the warm-up. I have a '56 that had a bad heater tube and carbon did plug up the little port in the carb that applies vacuum to the tube.
Good Luck
Steve
Steve,
The guy who rebuilt my '55 carb said it looked like exhaust gases were getting into the choke. You mentioned that you had that problem on a '56. What did you do to solve the problem? I currently show no side effects if in fact exhaust is getting to the choke coil, but how do you know??
Mark
If you are getting exhaust in the choke then the heater tube is probably cracked or corroded inside the exhaust manifold. The tube goes into the manifold and through the hot gasses and then into a chamber cast into the manifold above the heat riser.
I fixed mine by getting a long drill bit and drilling the tube out of the manifold all the way down into the heat chamber. It came out in pieces. Obviously, you need to remove the manifold for this project. I made a new tube out of brake line. For best results, the heat tube should be insulated.
The automatic choke can be cleaned with throttle body cleaner and you might have to get a bit of safety wire to clear the carbon out of the vacuum passages.
Good Luck
Steve
More work done!
My gas tank had a pinhole above the seam, so I steam cleaned it, etched the rust out and put "Redcoat" inside. No more leak (for now) I also replaced the faulty original sending unit with a reproduction purchased from Burnbaum. I've done several gas tanks this way, but this one was complicated by the non-removable fuel pickup in the bottom of the tank. I was really worried about plugging up the screen or whatever is down there. I gently blew compressed air through the tube while the coating was drying to prevent plugging and it seems to have worked.
I rebuilt the carb. Other than being full of rust, accelerator pump leather shrunk up and throttle lever loose on the shaft it was in pretty good shape. The choke control housing was full of carbon from my bad heat tube in the exhaust manifold. I did have some trouble getting the carb kit from NAPA. It sounds like they might be discontinuing it. I ended up ordering it from NAPA online because my local store wanted $20 to ship it in.
As mentioned in another thread, I installed a Pertronix ignitor module in the distributor P/N 1383P6
Interior work, windshield replacement and the radio are now on my to-do list.
Steve
I've spent many hours recently gutting out my interior and repairing some rust through on the front floor panels. The repair panels available from Classic 2 Current fit pretty well. Taking the advice of a body man friend, I glued the panels in instead of welding.
This weekend the re-assembly began in earnest. I replaced the wind lace, and got started on installing the headliner. Replacing the windlace is certainly not a quick easy job!
Steve
Hi, Steve. I had the same prob. with my 55. I read that a vintage tbird choke tube is available and it is stainless. I replaced mine with a chunk of fuel line and cleaned out the carb choke and so far it works fine. I had a 55 dodge about 10 years ago and my mechanic replaced the choke cover with an electric choke and it worked slick but I can not find a source for a 6 volt cover. I bought a choke oven on ebay some time back and if my set up fails i'll instal that. It is a small metal box that mounts on the intake manifold with a mechanical lever to the choke cam. It was a common after-market item. good luck and good work. dave
Hi Dave, I found that an electric choke cover from a Holley 4 barrel carb will fit right on the Carter. You just have to pull the bi-metal coil out and turn it so the opposite side faces out and it will correctly activate the choke. My car has a 12 volt charging and starting system, while the rest of the car operates on 6 volt, so I plan to use a 6 volt coil relay triggered by the ignition switch to send 12 volts to the choke. My fingers are crossed that this choke housing will pull the choke off at the correct rate. So far, I haven't run the car with it on.
Steve Hart
thanks, Steve. I'm saving this file for later use. dave
