MarcDeSoto

T120, That 36 DeSoto coupe sounds really nice and I have only rarely, maybe never, seen a 36 DeSoto in the last 40 years of being in this hobby.

I guess if there is someone else who owns a Canadian Airflow DeSoto they could say what bumpers they have. Or someone with a U.S. Parts List could say what bumpers the 35 DeSoto has and you could cross reference.

Yes, who knows? The Canadian DeSoto might have had 34 Chrysler bumpers maybe to use up the excess bumpers available from 1934?

The 35 Desoto that T120 referred to at Sotheby's auction has 34 Chrysler bumpers. I don't think the DeSoto factory ever used them on DeSotos, but that's a question for the Airflow Club. I'm guessing that Airflow bumpers are so rare, that you have to use what is available if the correct bumpers are not available.

One thing I should tell you to do is to find out what is not original on the car, and then determine if it would be possible to buy the correct parts. I can tell you right now that you don't have original bumpers on that 35 Airflow. The rear bumper is from a 49 Plymouth, and the front bumper is from a 34 Chrysler Airflow. Make sure the engine and trans are original. I just purchased a 1935 DeSoto color brochure and put some of its pages on the Nat. DeSoto Club's Facebook page. On the DeSoto, the overdrive transmission was optional, so it would be a plus if this car had it. The dash looks original which is a big plus. Beautiful dash and interiors in these cars. I think they are just beautiful cars period. Some might call them ugly, but when I compare an Airflow to a Packard or a Cord, my God, those are the ugly cars, not DeSoto Airflows. Put them side by side and you will see what I mean. First pic is a 34 Chrysler Airflow. Second pic is a 34 DeSoto Airflow. 3rd pic is a 35 DeSoto Airflow. Fourth pic is a 36 DeSoto Airflow.

This is a good filmstrip from 1949 on how to troubleshoot the M-6 transmission. To address your problem, skip to 8:00 minutes in. http://www.mymopar.com/index.php?pid=382

Make sure they grind the camshaft and put in new camshaft bearings. Also have a machine shop grind the crankshaft journals and get undersize bearing inserts. Take the oil pressure relief valve out before they put the block in the boil out tank or the valve will rust tight and blow your oil gauge when you start the engine. After they put in the valve guides make sure they knurl them to reduce oil consumption and make a better fit for the valves. Knurling the valve guides puts a spiral groove in the guides which reduces excessive clearance and makes it harder for oil to go up the guides and escape. Does that price include installing and starting up the new engine?

Yes the fluid drive does have studs on it. Yes I think the bell housing goes on before you install the fluid drive because the bell housing is what supports the back part of the engine on the frame. Bolts, what bolts? The fluid drive doesn't have any. It has studs. The studs go through the crankshaft holes and nuts go on the studs. You tighten them gradually going around from stud to stud to 55 to 60 foot pounds. Of course, you can't get a torque wrench in there because it's too tight. I have special long Miller wrenches for this job that you tighten to what feels like 55 ft. lbs. It's been a long time since I've done this so I would like DodgeB4ya to verify my statements.

Greg, can you put the link to that upholstery video? I tried to find it on YouTube but couldn't. Thanks, Marc.

Hick, did the headliner come as a pre-sewn kit and where did you buy it?

Jeff I think you may have answered your own question here. As you say the front seat bottom wears out first. So apparently this car was reupholstered so long ago the front seat was still good. Then the seat cover over it wore out! If the seat bottom in front is still good, that's a good sign for the rest of the seat upholstery.

Knowing these cars as I do for over 40 years, you got the upholstery a bit wrong. The only original upholstery on the seats is the front seat with the beige color and thin stripes. Chrysler never used a thick striped material like that on the back seat. The bottom part of the front seat is the original broadcloth wool material used on many Chrysler cars of that era, including my 48 DeSoto.

Here's a good 1949 MoPar filmstrip on how to adjust the tappets: http://www.mymopar.com/index.php?pid=558

These are the long thin type tappet wrenches you need. You need the 1/2" and 7/16" sizes on two different wrenches. https://www.ebay.com/itm/Craftsman-1-2-x-9-16-AND-3-8-x-7-16-Open-End-Thin-Tappet-Wrenchs-No-2-USA/124069413533?hash=item1ce31d029d:g:6wwAAOSws5FeLIFN

So you didn't rebuild your transmission, but your rear axle? As far as the new U-joints, ask Bernbaum. he had some made but they were bad.