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dear members
I live in Holland and recently joined the Desoto club.
I would love to buy a Desoto 2 door 1951 car.
Old parts are not easy to get in Europe, so I would like to update it to a modern car. I would like to put in a new engine and gearbox and also the rest of the mechanical parts, like e.g. drive train- engine, transmission, suspension, brakes, steering and electrical wiring. All this to make it a nice car to cruise with.
Are there engines that suit this all the best?
I look forward to any answer that will help me in my search for a great Desoto
with kind regards
Jan Hermans
Good afternoon Jan,
You are taking on a huge project that will cost a small fortune. I suggest buying a complete car ready to enjoy as it would be much less expensive in the long run.
I'm not sure as to the costs in Holland compared to here in the US but I suspect they would be greater with shipping involved. Keep in mind that there will be a lot of time involved as well. So many people get hooked on a project and then after a few months of exasperation, they get discouraged and drop it like a hot potato. Then they never recoup their investment and never get any enjoyment.
Keep your eye open for a number DeSoto candidates, not just a '51 coupe, that
you can live with. This opens up the field significantly. For example, my favorite
DeSoto is a 1960 Fireflite 2 door hardtop. These are very expensive to find if in excellent condition. I discovered a '59 DeSoto Firesweep 4 door with only 21,000 miles and in like new factory original condition. This car cost me at least half of what an equivalent '60 Fireflite 2 door hardtop would cost and I am able to enjoy
it any time. This '59 is so unique and so striking that it gets more attention than I could ever imagine and has won more awards than I ever expected. In short, this car makes me happy and feel good and that's what counts the most. Is it my dream car? No, but my dream is fulfilled.
I'm talking from experience but whatever your decision is, I wish you the best of
success.
"It's delightful, it's delovely, it's DeSoto"
"It's delightful, it's delovely, it's DeSoto"
If you do buy a '51 coupe or Sportsman, you won't need to modify the mechanicals. All parts ara available, either new or used. The car also has enough umph to get around Holland in style.
Have a nice day
Steve
