thrashingcows

Wow outdoor swap meet already!! Nice score!! Definitely go back...bring the rain gear and umbrella this time...

Here's a pic of the box's on the inner fender I think your talking about. If I had the car home I would crawl underneath and know for sure...but since all I have is pics then I have to rely on your wealth of info to help deduce what tranny I may have.

Would love to but it's 1200 miles away....

Yes I'm new here as well and just came across this. This is one of the few modern comforts, A/C, I will want to add to my 48.

Thanks for the info. Here's a closer pic of the carb, does it show anything that would make you believe it is not the fluid drive 3 speed? So if I get this right there is a manual 3 speed, mostly in Dodge and plymouths. And then a fluid drive 3 speed. And then a Fluid drive "Tip-Toe" 4speed tranny. Did I get that right?

Rockwood...Thanks for the info and advice. Does the data tag on the firewall tell what engine and trans the car came with? I have a good picture of that. There is a "Fluid drive" emblem on the glove box door. It is red with silver/chrome lettering. Anyway to tell from the engine compartment or interior which tranny I might have?

I have no experience with these cars, just from what I've read. I do not know how stout the fluid drive trannies are? How are they for sitting for a couple decades and then being thrown back into service? The only reason I'm considering the manual 3 speed is that the rebuilt motor comes with the tranny as a complete unit. It's originally from a 47 Canadian plymouth. Was rebuilt and used for a few miles then the project changed direction and was removed for a more "Hot rod" theme. This From what the seller has stated so far from our e-mails. I kind of prefer the manual shifted 3 speed, since there are less problems to go wrong, unlike all the stuff added to the fluid drive trannies.

That was posted on one of the other boards I frequent. Good info. I have personally made up the ATF-Acetone mix. I did this after my last tranny service, filtered the fluid and then got the acetone from my neighbor, he's a fiberglass man and gets it for free!! Haven't really had a chance to use it yet, sure the new desoto will give me plenty of opportunities though....

Congrats!! I hope my 2 daughters, now 7 and 8, want to help the old man wrench on the old cars. Time will tell.

Aero31313...Nice work!! Almost all "new" panels require some fitment, tis the price we pay. At least you were able to make everything work.

...... I think I like Fernando. I haven't got the car home yet, still in S. Cali, but I think the name suites it so far. So unless I think the name doesn't suite the car when it gets home, I will call it Fernando. Thanks guys!!

Nice photo...makes you wonder.

From the pic you posted it sure looks like anodized aluminum. But I didn't think they were using that technology back in the 40's.

Well I see at least 7 plugs so it's got one of them new fangled VeeAtes. I thought Hudson or Kaiser with the vent under the headlamp??

I'm a newbie too...But love the stance of your car...maybe a little lower then what I would personally go for...but looks cool.

I am leaning towards keeping the flathead six as my means of powering the car. I'm not really a head snapping kind of guy, so as long as it can get up and go and get me cruising I trhink I will probably go that route....for now at least. I will eventually build my Hemi , but maybe a different project will come along for that engine.

Thanks for the welcome guys!! Frankie47...did you just name my car Fernando?.... Jim freaked me out there for a minute with the claim it was a Plysoto...I had to go back and double check. I was aware of the Plysoto's and knew they didn't run the same doors as the Desoto and Chyslers. Greg g....Who is Hernando? Another Desoto on the board? As for the cars in the background, the guy had to buy a "lot" of 46-48 desoto's to get the single convertible he wanted. Most are parts cars but the 2dr sedan was too nice to part out so he offered it to me. Blueskies...I will probably keep the block and stuff as spares. I just need to get it running and driving quickly. So another running motor and tranny will be quicker and easier for now.

Is that original piece stainless or aluminum? Regardless if it that rare you could get it straightened and re-polished. Might not be super cheap but definitely an option. I had some aluminum rocker panel trim that were bent and beat up pretty badly, I couldn't find better. I had a local fellow straighten and polish them. This was 15 years ago and I think it cost me about $350.

Here's a link to an old thread...might have some helpful info. http://www430.pair.com/p15d24/mopar_forum/showthread.php?t=11374&highlight=harmonic+balancer

Hope to contribute what I can and learn lots about the mopars of this era.

Now one issue the car has is the motor is toast. There is no oil pan and no piston or rods in the block. My guess is the motor spun a bearing, they started to repair things then abandoned the car. So I'm looking for another flatty 6 for it or even considering loosing the flatty 6 and going small block dodge and a 727. I've put a want ad on CL locally and received a few responses. One fellow has a complete rebuilt 1947 25" flatty with all accessories and a new clutch for the manual 3 speed for about $1K. Now does anyone know if the tranny mount and clutch linkage will be the same going from the fluid drive to a true manual 3 speed?

I've been a mopar man for over 20+ years, and I've been on many mopar forums over the years and I've also been over on the HAMB for a while now. I have been trying to figure out what car I wanted for some time now. I had really wanted a late 20's early 30's rod but due to my size, 6'8" and 275lbs I decided after looking and talking to rod owners that I just wouldn't be comfortable in one of those. I had been drawn to the 46-48 mopar for some time now and I finally decided that I wanted a 46-48 Desoto...sorry it's not a Dodge or plymouth...hope you can make an exception for me. So I did a lot of searching, looked at some 4dr sedans and a couple 2dr coupes, and finally came across some pics of a 2dr sedan....I instantly fell in love and knew the car I had to have. I started searching for a 46-48 Desoto 2dr sedan. I eventually got a response to one of my on-line want ads form a fellow in southern California. Well after a lot of pics, info and such it's almost a done deal. Just waiting on the title and such to finish the deal. This is a 48 Desoto 2dr sedan. Here are a couple pics, My plans for the car is to get it running and driving and safetied, so I can register it and get proper insurance. Once that's done it will get dropped a few inches front and rear. Some wide whites with full wheel covers for now, plan on going artillery rims eventually. Kind of a traditional cruiser? I'm torn now between keeping with the flathead 6 or putting the 331 Hemi in it I had originally planned? Regardless of motor I decide I want to swap in one of Ma' mopars OD833 trannies, and an 8 3/4 rear end.