desoto1939

Most guys get the mechanicals working to at least get the car road worthy to make sure they have a car they can drive for awhile. Then decide it they want to do a full up resto or a partial resto. Also alot depends on how mush $$$$$ you have to spend on the car, the cost to value ration is one thing to consider. You can spend alot of money for a 4 door sedan with a full resto, including the interior, redoing the dashboard and all of the garnish moldings. This alone will cost you a lot of money if it is done professionaly figure 2K and then you have the interior cloth and headliner and rubber mat and ro rug for the car. If the car is a low production model and then car is in great shape and is not missing alot of parts then you have a great foundation to start with. So the first questions that you need to ask yourself is, What do I plan to do with this car. Am i going for a full resto and Point judging, then cannot drive the car until you have gotton to the point that you want as a finaly judged car. AACA National 1st car then you need to do a full up resto. Attend at leaset two AACA meets so your car can be judged. First you need to win a 1st Junior adn then the next show you can then compete for a 1st Senior, But if there are better cars you still could not make enought points to get your 1st Senior award. Then you have to attend another AACA event. You will also have to protest the car in between each show and fix any issues that theymight find. You will also need a good vehicle to pull the car on your trailer since you do not want to get any road grime on the undercarrage. The car has to look as if it came out of the Dealership today just like a freshly made car, Perfect in every way. Or do you want a nice driver that has a nice paint job and the mechanicals are good and you have a safe car? This is the first step then decide from that point on what to fix and repair. Rich Hartung Desoto1939@aol.com

I have persoanlly visited the White Post restoration facility several times. The National Desoto Club held one of their annual convnetions on the White Post property. They had just completed a restoration of a 57 Desoto at that time. Also when Billy Thompson was alive, he was the owner of White Post, he would host a weekend event onhis property for all car owners to attend. His shop was open to visitiros to look at what his skilled craftsmen do. we did notice at that time he did not have the new computerized equipment but was using the good old lathes inwhich they miced the piece they were working on. So the restores in his shop had to have the tecnical and also work experience skills to get the job done properly. White post has always done great work. They drill out the cylinders and then instert a sleeve and then they make sure this is at the correct spec for each item. Costly but done right and then you still hvae the old original part but new guts onthe inside. Rich Hartung Desoto1939@aol.com

If brass was sooooooo bad then why did they make the thermostats out of BRASS. I have also asked this same vender that lives on the West Coast the same answer and he can not provide an answer. Brass Thermostats have been used in our cars and they stay there for many years. Even if there isa chemical reaction and with the amount of iron block material I also do not think there isa a problem to e concerned about. desoto1939@aol.com Rich HArtung

They made a fanblade tool that was tack welded onto a flat bar. The flat bar was long enough to extend past the fan blade. They used a 1/2 inch socket that was cut down in depth. I have the same tool and the tool fits in between the back of the rad and then you can slip the socket onto the bolts that holds the fan blade onto the pump. I uput some tape in the end of the socket to hold the bolt when it has been removed. So loosen the generator and get slack in the fab belt. reach in with the tool and get a hold of one of the bolts then the fan blade is free to turn by hand and you can then get the bolt to unthread it self from the water pump end. Just do the opposite to install. If you would like to see a picture of the tool write to me and I will send you a copy..There are a couple on the bay right now. Rich Hartung Desoto1939@aol

go to Monroe shocks on the web and look in the search page. They still carry shocks for our cars. Dodge 48 Front 5752 rear 3100 Rich Hartung Desoto1939@aol.com

This should be listed in your Parts manual. Write to me I have a Wagner Brake catalog and if you have the mopar number I might beable to cross reference the Wagner number. Rich Hartung Desoto1939@aol.com

How old is the coil? That also might be the issue. The internal winding may have broken and when cool the the wires touch but when they warm and het hot they could have a slight break and then pull apart and then you lose the spark. Then engine then cools off and the cars starts again but when gets hot the situation is repeated. I knew a friend that had replaced the lowere rad hose and this hose had an internal spring to keep the hose open. When they chnaged the original hose with a replacement they did not install the spring. When the car started to get hot the lower hose colapased and the engine would then get hot and it would basically shutdown. Took them awhile to figure this out. I do not think this is your issue but just passing along information. Just a thought Rich HArtung desoto1939@aol.com

Hey Don: Very nice posting on the Fluid Drive information, always great to read information. My 39 Desoto did not have FD but the 39 Chryslers had that as an option. That is strange because Desoto seemed to be the experimental car for the Chrysler. Rich HArtung Desoto1939@aol.com

Try this link to the MOOG Suspension parts Universal sawy Bar bushings> The video also tells you how to measure the thinkness of your swapbar to ge the proper bushing. This might help you get what you need. http://www.moog-suspension-parts.com/Universal-Sway-Bar-Bushings.asp Rich Hartung desoto1939@aol.com

I think they used the bolt to prevent a mechanic from just thinking it is a regular grease fitting and then put the grease gun on the zerk and give it a full push and then the force of the grease then goes past the seal and then you need a brake show replacement. You are to remove the bolt and then push the grease into the hole with your finger tip this prevents you from over greasing the bearing. So it really should not be done with a zerk put done by packing the hole by hand. Rich Hartung Desoto1939@aol.com

Joe: Looked in my Wagner brake catalog: 1119410 equal wagner Frame tee FC10593 1118161 equals wagner axle tee FC10592 The next number that someone provided for the 49 is not in my x-reference number under the Mopar section

A picture of what you are asking about would be very helpful. Do you have overdrive in your car? If you do this might be part of the kickdown wiring to get the overdrive to engage and disengage. Since you also have fluid drive there could be selinoids that are involved to make this work. I have a 39 Desoto so i do not have FD but just adding some comments. Post some pictures so we can help you.

This is the style that is used on my 39 Desoto and bolts to the frame in the engine compartment. I have one of these as an extra. Note that the line that come from the master cylinder has a biggler line then the lines going to the brakes.. So be careful when buying these brake blocks. Rich HArtung Desoto1939@aol.com

Joe: can you look in your parts book and find the part number. I have a Wagner brake catalog and it shows several variations for the junction block. If you send me the Mopar number I might able to cross reference the number to a wagner number. I will give it a try but can not guarantee if they are listed. Try the bay I found a used one for my 39 desoto on there. These are not cheap if you get an original Rich Hartung Desoto1939@aol.com

Can you take a picture of the engine compartment down by the lower pully so we can see what you current have on the front. Maybe the pointer tab has rusted off or it might have been broken off. If it is not there the best that you might beable to get is a general sence as to how smooth the engine runs and if you get any pinging. Keep us posted. Rich HArtung

Joe: Make sure there is nothing binding. You shoukld be able to push the housing foward away from the end of the main shaft and the pin and the roller bearing and the end caps then should bottom out at the other end of the housing. Are the flat end pieces that hold the rooler bearing and needle bearing siitng inthe croove correctly. This should be a very smooth operation and the pin should slide very easily in and out of the housing. I also received you email about the pin tool. Rich HArtung

When you say cleveland style are you refering to the old Pin and trunion style ujoint witht he metal housing and the pin in the end of the Driveshaft then has the end caps with the needle bearing and a rubber or leather boot? There are a couple of compnaies and one in Texas that can make you a modern drive shaft that has a slip joint on the one end. They use the new spicer type cross style u joints and these can also be lubed with a regular grease gun. I think the cost for the entire unit runs around $400 plus shipping. The old style Detroits UJ with the housing and internal parts also run around 150 so then you have approx $300 and then the rebuilding and an old DS. Yoiu can just remive the old DS and then install the new one and it should just bolt right up. Nice part about the new DS is that you should get an extra set of the ujoints as spares and the modern joints are easier to get and cheaper and can be luberd easiser and you do not have to take them apart. See no reason why you can not convert. Rich HArtung desoto1939@aol.com

Brian this is the tool that I also have and also the upper control arm bushing tool. Rich HArtung

anyone notice that the two shutoff valves for the heater are all open to permit water to circulate thru the heater. I do not know when the picture was taken but if the weather is warm then you have hot water and heat coming into the passenger compartment. I have dual shutoff valves on my 39 Desoto one onthe waterpump and another on the head of the block at the rear. This are shutoff right now. Over all this is a very nice presentable car. Keep up the good work. Rich HArtung

Joe: Since you are taking the entire U joint apart witht eh tool that I sent you to push out the pin i do not think you will have any issue with the orientation. I am also assuming that you are putting on the complete new assembly including the housing and also new internal parts. Also check to see if you new housings have a zerk fitting near the large flange where the flat plate clips onto the housing. If you have these then you can lubricate the internal every year with your lub gun. If not then you might want to tap the housing and then install a zerk fitting while the housing is more easily to work while it is off the car. I would get a grease gun and then insall CV Joint grease in that gun and use on the u joints. Keep us posted on how you make out with this project. Rich Hartung

Brian I have the miller tool that is used to hold the lower control in position and then you screw in the outer bushings. This prevents the control arm ends from being pushed into far. Rich Hartung desoto1939@aol.com

Do you have rusty springs inthe rear, can you see the rust on the leafs., You could go to a spring shop have them take the springs down and then have them put the anti squeek between eah spring leaf. Try spaying the leaf with penetrating oil this might help. Rich HArtung

How about going to an Alternator for your car and get the highest amp that you possibly can get. If this is a driver than go that route. Rich HArtung Desoto1939@aol.com

I will be attending a wedding in August 15/19 and the wedding is in the Rutland Vermont area. Rich Hartung Desoto1939@aol.com

The original horn relays for our cars would have been made By Autolite. But other electrical vendors such ad P&D, Echlins, Blue Streak, Delco, Sorrenson, NApa, to name a few also made components to fit our cars. I have offered up to the members a cross reference listing so that you can track you various parts. When you look into the various catalogs you will generally find that if it is now an Autolite catalog but say is a P&D catalog they will also list the Autolite part number to help the counter person get the replacement part that their respective shop is dealing with. remember there were alot of independent part dealers and it according to which vendor gave them the best price that htye did busin ess with so you wil have a lot of cross over. If you are going for a points car then the correct manufacturer of component needs to be onthe car but if a driver no one cares. If you want a copy of the X -reference contact me. Here is the X -refernece catalog. So if you know your autolite distributor cap number then you can look under the other various manufacturers and find their respective part number for your car. This goes back to at least 38-39 and up to 1962. The cost is $15 delivered to your home and willbe on a CD. Great reference material when searching for parts at a swap meet. Rich HArtung Desoto1939@aol.com