MarcDeSoto

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.

I was looking at my original volt. regulator for my 48 DeSoto. the cover looks faded and worn with a bit of surface rust starting. so I was curious to see what the inside looked like. I unscrewed the two screws holding the cover on and was surprised to see that time had not touched the inside electrical points and resistors! They looked as clean and shiny as the day they were assembled in 1948. Shows what blocking air, light, and water can do for preserving something! I wonder if I should do something like drag paper between the points or spray some contact cleaner on it before I put it into service again?

here is the recall article from Harbor Freight. The owner of Harbor Freight says that they found that the 3 ton red replacement jack stands could also be defective and are now on recall. But he said he is so embarrassed by the jack stand recalls that Harbor Freight will take any of its Pittsburg jack stands back, 3, 6, or even 12 ton for a gift card or cash refund! After reading the article again, I should put a disclaimer that I think that's what it said. here's the paragraph where I got that. It may not mean that you can return all of your jack stands. I don't know, what do you think? "Smidt asked anyone who owns jack stands from either recall to return them for a refund or store credit. He said the company “investigated” all of its Pittsburgh steel jack stands including the 3-ton, 6-ton and 12-ton and found no defects. However, anyone who owns one may return it for a refund or store credit." https://www.pennlive.com/life/2020/07/harbor-freight-recalls-some-jack-stands-meant-to-replace-recalled-jack-stands.html

I put a Fulton sun visor on my 50 Chrysler back in about 1981. It's good if you live in a very hot area, but it also makes you feel like you're driving in a tunnel. You will get tunnel vision. If you decide to mount it, you will need one of those plastic prism devices that reflects the color of the changing lights.

Should I unscrew the fluid drive to at least check the level of the fluid?

Funny, I've been around pre-war Chryslers and DeSotos, but I've never driven or ridden in one! The oldest car I've ever driven personally was a 41 Plymouth coupe. It was just a test drive though. Now that I'm getting my 48 DeSoto ready to start, I'm wondering about my clutch and my transmission. The new clutch was put in some 35 years ago and has been engaged all this time. I'm thinking of removing the clutch and checking the flywheel just to see that it hasn't rusted in place. The transmission always worked fine, so I haven't done anything to it except that I'm going to install a new wiring harness. Other than drain the oil and refill it, and reconnect the shift levers, I guess there's nothing else to do to it before starting the car for the first time?

Where do you guys get all of these OD's. I thought they were very rare? I've never heard of an OD on a semi-auto transmission. I have a 48 DeSoto with the Tip-Toe Shift trans. I remember it did well on the freeway, and that was with a worn out engine with compression readings of 25, 55, 35, 60, 45, 30! It made it home on the 100 mile drive, but only ran for another week! It has a 3.73 rear end. My 1950 Plymouth 3 on the tree, forget it. At 55, the engine sounded like it was about to explode with no 4th gear.

Then you're doing it right for a change! Now I want to hear from the guys who own a pre-war Vacamatic semi-auto transmission. Do they drive about the same as the post war M-5's except for using engine vacuum for the upshift?

I think those Plymouth transmissions were called Hy Drives? In the 46-51 M-5 and M-6 fluid drive transmissions, I've noticed a lot of drivers shift down to first at stop lights trying to get faster take offs, and then shift up where I guess they would be skipping 3rd and be in 4th. This goes against Chrysler's recommendation to start in 3rd. Do you think starting in 1st and then up shifting is a bad idea? I think FTD torque drive cars require a 13 gallon oil change. Is that correct? I think Chrysler got the fully automatic Torque Flight in 1954? Does Torque Flight still use the electric wiring harness like an M-6 with a governor and solenoid? Or does it work without electric parts?

Thanks dodge! Wow, those Chrysler transmission engineers were busy in those years. I 've never driven a fluid torque drive trans. Are they much superior to the M-5 and M-6 transmissions?

I have an M-5 semi-auto trans on my 1948 DeSoto. In 1949, DeSoto, Chrysler, and Dodge used the new M-6 transmissions. These transmissions are very similar in function. The only difference that I can see is that the M-6 transmission has a different type open circuit breaker relay, and the M-5 transmission has an enclosed black box relay. Another difference is that the M-5 solenoid has one wire going to it, and the M-6 solenoid has two wires. I guess this was to simplify the electrical harness somehow. Are there any other differences in these two transmissions such as gears, input shafts, interrupter switches, etc?

Your Wayfarer looks great in dark green! Good luck on it!

Here's the Trouble Shooting filmstrip on your transmission. http://www.mymopar.com/index.php?pid=382

Hey, I thought this thing would have started by now. Did you buy the correct spark plugs? You need flat head plugs of course.