desoto1939

The original gas and bolton brake and clutch pads that were delivered when the car was new were brown in color. These have become as scarse as hen teeth. You now can oly get the aftermarket replacement pedals and they all come in black. The brake and clutch pedal all should have a ribbed effect in the face of the pad. POC does check for brown pedal pads and gas pedal if you plan to have your car judged by them. Most AACA people are not aware of the difference so long as they look to be a match and are of the appearance to be correct. The black gas pedals do show up on ebay. Contact roberts, Andy B to see if he has any in stock. I use the same style on my 39 Desoto Rich Hartung Desoto1939@aol.com

This is rich HArtung and I live near Valley Forge NAtional Park in PA in the town of Audubon, PA and have a 39 Desoto Desoto1939@aol.com

Do not seal the lid. MAke a thin paper gasket to help sealthe lid. ALso make sure the bolt that screws into the lid should have a small hole in it to help with reliaving the pressure in the MC. Rich Hartung

There is a Desoto/Fargo right hand driver truck currently on Ebay: Here is the link: http://cgi.ebay.com/DeSoto-FK4-60-1-1-2-Ton-1942-DeSoto-Truck-1939-1940-1941-1946-1947-Dodge-Fargo_W0QQitemZ180435775299QQcmdZViewItemQQptZUS_Cars_Trucks?hash=item2a02cf6f43

I got mine for my 39 Desoto from restoration supply in Winber, PA www.restorationspecialties.com 814-467-9842 It was a perfect fit and the unit was done 12 years ago. Rich HArtung

Young Ed: i had a similar issue with my 99 Dodge Grand Caravan. As the plastic lens start to age they start to get grazed and yellow and scratched. Even if you polish them they still have the grazing in them and the small scratches deduss the light beam. Keeping them cleaned and polished will help but will not make them any brighter. You migh go to a more intense light bright white light and this might also help. Also determine the cost of the new light bulbs versu the cost of the new headlights. If you try the new bulbs and they do not make that big of a difference and if you can take them back then I would try this first, but if you are stuck with the bulbs then go for the len lens. Also how old is the car and do you plan to get it for a lot longer. Rich Hartung

THe pricing of the Chryler family determine what car you could afford. The Chrysler family in pricing was this: Chrysler Imperial Chrysler DeSoto Dodge Plymouth It was the same as it is now the car companies have a high to ow range on their cars with in each brand. The plymouth was the average day car chryler being if you had some money. The dealerships paired a high price car with a lower priced car. Chrylser/Dodge Desoto/Plymouth The Desoto was also known as the poormans Chrysler. Also the Desoto was also know to be the experimental car for the Chryslers. If they wanted to try out something new they would put it on the Desoto first. Rich hartung

They do not fit the 39 desotos and earlier desoto that for sure Rich Hartung

According to my AEA book if you have the carb model E7A1 then the rebuld kit is carter 1384 this would have been used for all 46-48 Chryslers with the flat 8. if youhad the stomberg then the carb model is AAVS-2 and the repair kit is RK-132 Rich HArtung desoto1939@aol.com

Did any one take note that in all of the pictures of the car carriers that they could only deliver 4 cars or vehicles at one time as compared to what they now carry on the modern car carriers. Just a point of interest. Also nice to see that the Mopars were being delivered with a Dodge COE truck. I wonder if this was done by choice or just by accident. rich Hartung desoto1939@aol.com

I was on ebay today and I noticed that the lisitings for frank Mitchell are now being listed as : AMS Obsolete-Formerly Mitchell's Does anybody have any information if they have been sold or if frank has just changed his name to protect the innocent????????????? rich hartung Desoto1939@aol.com

46-48 D24 Crakshaft seal Rope type 5415 Bolton type 5400 1940-41 rope 5416 42 early 5415 42 later bolton 5400 49-50 Rope 5415 bolot on 5400 51-55 6cyl 51-up split type 5412 51 early bolt on 5400 53-55 v8 5414 1937-39 5416 Just saw on ebay item number 140270813155 1942-52 rope style sold by frank mitchell This info came from a NAtional seals catalog that I had a work with me. You just lucked out Rich HArtung Desoto1939@aol.com

Joe: Let you know what htye change and also if they will accept our old parts to be fixed via mail and their address and contact. rich hartung

Norm: I perfectly understand your position on this topic.And like you state some guys just like to own their own tools. rich

More time then not these two items are rebuilt. I put a rebuilt PP and clutch plate in my 39 Desoto15 years ago and do not have an issues. The pp is taken apart and they install new springs and reface the plate and then adjust the fingers so that they are all even when you press the clutch pedal. On the clutch disk they also check the springs in the unit and then remove and replace the two clutch disks and make sure it is straight. When you go to have an alternator replaced in a modern car you are more often getting a rebuilt item. Contact Tennesee Clutch and Supply 800-262-5882 1995 Nolensville Rd, NAshville, TN 37211 ask for randy. They quoted me a price of 70 to rebuild my Borg and Beck units. These are a very standard item for them. even with shipping to and from it still might be cheaper than getting from NAPA. They might even beable to press on a new bearing for the Throwout unit. Call around in your area there might even be a rebuild shop that might even match their cost and then you have a local supplier. To insure that you are getting you old unit back you might want to mark the unit with a stamp or some paint. Rich Hartung

Joe, i contact the Tennesse clutch rebuilder and he quted me a price of $70 to rebuild me presure plate and clutch plate. This just makes sence when you have pulled the trans down and out and the PP and clutch. For htis prices of knowing that i have a matched set and everyhting is new then the minimal cost out weighs the though of even putting in the used items again. If the units had very few miles on them and if i new that going in then I would reuse but my opinion is to replace and then you know this is a good item that shoudl not have to be looked at for a long time. Rich Hartung

I quess i have to comment here on this topic. The special tools to make it easier to work on a vintage and even modern car. i have been collecting some of the vintage 1930-40 Miller Tools that were used on our Mopar vehicels. I only buy what I can use and only if they are at a decent price. Yes I have the Miller MT19 Brake gage for setting the Lockheed brakes and also the Ammco brake gage 1750. These tool s have been very handy for me. I have offered to lend these tools out to people that might need them and other tools. But in one case a gentleman from the National DeSoto Club stated that he wanted to have his own set of tools. I explained to him that he would probably only use the tool one in the entire lifetime of his ownership of the car and that the fee to ship the tool to his house plus a deposit on the tool would be returned upon the tool getting back to me. He opted to spend over $400 for the Ammco tool and it would have only cost him no more that $25 for the shipping of the tool both directions. So i guess some of us like to have our own tools but if I can get a specilaty tool froma freind that is great but why purchase if you can borrow or even pay a small fee for a tool. Go figure I guess we like to brag that we have the tool and someone else does not and hold onto the items. I like to help others when in need. Also one other guy in a club had the same offer for the brake tool and when I told him of the deposit he stated that he was an engineer and would make his own tool. Go figure by the time he got the materials and contructed the tool he could of had the correct tool and did the job with out any hassles and still saved on his time and effort, go figure. Rich Hartung Desoto1939@aol.com Rich

Jibjob: did you have the sisson choke adjusted correctly?. There is a hole in the pivot rod that corresponds to a slot in the bottom of the unit that rests on the manifold. You need to slide a small rod down throught the hole into the slot. I have the correct sisson wire toll but have used a bicycle spoke and this works perfectly. Then you adjust the butterfly. Yes this choke will work every time when you start the car and then when it is warmed up then is releases. Is the lever onyour choke on the right or left side of the unit? If its on the left it would fit my 39 Desoto if onthe left it is for the 49 and up cars. Rich HArtung desoto1939@aol.com

The original hood hinge foe the butterfly style hood were pot metal. I have seen on ebay a stainless steel hood hinge. The nice part about SS is that you can buff the hinge and they willnot pit. But on the originals the end at the fron of the hood was capped off or filled in and at the rear of the hood it was open. Most people will not know the difference. You need to use the inner bracket to hold the hinge in place to bolt it down on the cowel and the radiator grill. Go with the SS unit it is also cheaper than finding an NOS and then having to plate it and you can have it cut to the size you need. Rich Hartung desoto1939@aol.com

If I rememebr correctly the Mopars still used 16 in rims and did not switch until around 49 to the 15 inch rims. The bolt pattern onthe 15 and 16 is the same. Am I correct or am I misinformed on this topic. Rich Hartung:confused:

I have seen accessory books for the 39 Chryslers that showed an under seat heater so they should be available from 39 and up. Again as someone stated these were not factory installed but were added on at the dealerships. i rememebr in the 50s when my dad purchased cars that the heater was an extra item and not a standard item. I will try to find this info inmy 39 Desoto accesosry booklet. Rich Hartung 1939 Desoto

The body and undercarriage and frame were not rusted so I decided to do a body on resto and also because of the money and time. Ther cost to do a frameoff did not warrent the return or lack of return of my money so made a safe and reliable driver with a godd presentation. I have had this car for 22 years. If this had been a haynes bodied coupe then I would have done a frame off since there were only 365 made inthe Desoto line and a total of 1000 over all between dodge/Chry and Desoto. Rich Hartung 39 Desoto

So one has to have very deep pockets or they must be insane at that price. If you gave me 20K for my 39 Desoto it would be gone. I do not know where these guys get their prices but when you look at the market how do they justify these prices and when the economy is bad also. Rich Desoto1939@aol.com

I do not understnad how the gasket affect the tightening of the air clearner onto the top of the air horn onthe carb. The cleaner fits down over the openoing and arounf the air horn opening. The cleaner is then sitting on the gasket. I do understand that the gasket has ataper but when you thighten the bot ont he air cleaner it should compress arounf the metal top of the air horn or are you saying that sine the gasket is tapered that the taper is filling the gap so the bolt then tighen the air cleaner. i have a 39 Desoto that does not use the gasket and I have a very tight air cleaner on my unit and it has never fallen off in over 22 years of ownership. Just trying to get an education on this topic. rich Hartung Desoto1939@aol.com

P24: How do you know that the distance betwwen the drum and the toe and also heel are the same distance? Yes the Ammco tool or the MT19 miller gage will set up the shoes at the proper distance at the toe and heel. The two tools insure that the shoes ar inteh proper postion to the arc of the shoe and also drum. I have both tools and I do rent out the Ammco tool since it is a lot cheaper to mail because of the weight of the miller tool which weights in around 30-40 lbs. Contact me regarding the ammco tool. Also go to the tech Archives and look at the two powere point presentation That I did for the AACA convention here in Phila. Get the air out of the system first that is very important. Then we can start with the brake adjustment. rich Hartung Desoto1939@aol.com