Bingster

Okay, now that I have the skinny on Atlas, how about a fella that does business as PartsforU? I've spoken with him on the phone a few times and he seems like a nice guy. Sells NOS. Anybody dealt with him?

Anybody had any dealings with Atlas Obsolete Parts on ebay? Specifically their cotton lacquered spark plug wires. They say they're flawless and I'll love them.

I believe Mitchells has new ones as well. Any word on their rubber stuff?

I need to replace the upper and lower front control arm bumpers on my DeSoto sedan. I know that Steele will revulcanize your old cores but I don't want to wait that long right now. I have found some aftermarket bumpers including Andy B. as well as some NOS. I don't know about the rubber with NOS. Is it better to get new ones? This isn't a super critical part as far as manufacturing tolerances go, so I would think that as long as the rubber quality is good an aftermarket would be fine. Any thoughts or guidance??

Thanks for the photos and input. I'll do some checking.

I'm in need of the passenger side rear fender stainless trim molding for my '47 DeSoto S-11 sedan. I have the driver's side and know of a source for a NOS driver's side rear fender molding. However, the passenger side molding is hard to find. It seems to me that they could be interchangeable. It would make sense that DeSoto would make one to fit both sides and save on tooling costs. Does anybody know if the right and left side moldings are identical?

Lee Iacocca has a web site and I e-mailed him to say that I think he should be in the headlines commenting on the bailouts. It seems to me that there should be a think tank in Washington with folks like Iacocca. I read his books and anybody who could bail out Chrysler at that time and pay back the government loan should be consulted.

I'm a little hesitant about working under the car for any extended length of time. My mechanic friend has told me some horror stories about guys getting crushed. I figure that I'll do the front brakes, then jack up the rear and do those brakes, and when the car can move and stop under its own power, we can put it on the hoist. Then I can finish off the underneath.

At the present time I can only get back about to the oil pan. When I bought the car I asked the garage owner if I could do the brakes while it was still in his garage. He said yes, if it didn't take too long. A year later I am still there, delays for various reasons but mainly because I went and redid everything I could reach. This was only possible because the garage guy and I hit it off pretty well and he likes the company when I come over to work on "Carlo."

Try this!

For some reason I cannot upload the image from my computer for attachment here. Any suggestions?

Hi! I have been a member for about a year but have not been able to post much due to an outdated computer. That problem is solved and you will hear from me a bit more often. This is my project car, a 1947 DeSoto S-11 Sedan. I took this photo about a year ago and the car still looks pretty much the same except the grill and front bumper are off now too. I have completely overhauled the front brakes - that is - they have been disassembled, appropriate parts sandblasted and painted, and new parts on hand for assembly. The inner fender wells have been taken down to metal and all frame members in the front and suspension parts taken down also. After painting I hope it all goes back together properly! The floor pan is out and sandblasted, and in need of a small patch welded in. I've refurbished the brake and clutch pedals as well. There was so much grease/dirt on everything that it took a long time just to get everything back down to metal. But I did it, at least back to the oil pan. When the front is done I'll raise up the rear. I'm going to repaint the car black - base and clear coat - and rechrome everything. New glass. The interior is shot so that has to be done. The car will be a driver not a show car, but I want to get as much of the car restored as possible while I am repairing things. The car sat idle in Iowa winters for about ten years or so. Remarkably there is little rust on the sheet metal. The engine fired right up at the time I bought it. I'm hoping that an oil change, new plugs and such is all that it'll need to get it back on the road. A year ago I was new to the classic car world and was pointed in the direction of Andy B. for parts. I did buy new wheel cylinders from him for the front brakes. They look okay but we'll see how they perform. For the rears I'll have them resleeved. I've learned from you guys!! This is a great web site. I feel pretty confident that you folks can talk me through any problem I may incur. The biggest hurdle - at least in my mind - is getting the brakes adjusted properly. I sent for info on building a brake adjusting tool but haven't done it yet. There is a fella near here who they say can work on classics cars and knows what he's doing. I'll probably use him for back-up if I screw up. Take care.

The arm rests on the front doors of my '47 DeSoto are shot. Can an upholsterer take the core and rebuild them with new foam and fabric, or do I need to get some better ones somewhere?

I have a couple of cans of Eastwood's Extreme Chassis Black. It is a spray consistency from the can. Boy it's thin. But I guess you have to carefully build coats. Anybody have any experience with it?

Thanks for the photos. That helps a great deal.

Thanks very much. I appreciate the info.

I have a 1947 DeSoto S-11 Custom sedan that I am restoring and can't figure out if the deck lid weatherstripping was glued to the deck lid itself or the channel groove around the trunk. Anybody know and if so, where can I get a match?

There is a Mopar site called partsforu.com that deals in NOS for Mopars. I have a 1947 DeSoto S-ll and want to order some parts from them. Does anybody have any experience with them? Thanks.

On the front side chrome trim pieces on my 1947 Desoto custom sedan, they are held on by a short piece of threaded screw stock with a nut a little off center of the middle. These screws unscrewed inside the fender wells and came out okay, and I was going to buy new thread stock and nuts to make new ones. Then it occurred to me how would I keep the nut from turning as I attempted to screw the threaded rod back into the trim piece? I assume that the factory nut is fixed onto the rod permanently. Does anybody know why they used such a screw as opposed to an ordinary head type screw? Can you get these original types anywhere? Can you make them with rod and nuts and simply glue the net in place on the rod? Or, just replace them with screws? Thanks. David

What is the stock tire size for a DeSoto Custom Sedan?

Hello: I am relatively new to this forum and cannot post at home due to an outdated computer. I have to post at the local library. At any rate, I wanted to contact you two fellas and anybody else who owns a 1947 DeSoto. I have a '47 DeSoto Custom Sedan that I recently bought and am in the process of getting it road worthy. The engine (flathead 6) runs fine but the brake system is shot, and I am completely rebuilding it. I have done considerable research on parts suppliers, and have already purchased the front wheel cylinders from Andy B. I've heard good and bad about his parts. I don't particularly care about his attitude except I don't like what I've heard about his return policy. Anyway, I do need a right rear fender trim piece. Also front door arm rests. I assume that mine could be rebuilt from the metal core, egh? Has anybody done business with Ed Speigal? He says he has a ton of NOS parts for DeSotos. He does list on e-bay. He says he has a repro of the clear plastic Flying Lady hood ornament on my hood. $150. He says it's 5% smaller than original. Anybody seen these or have one? Mine is intact but cracked like a cold marble dropped into boiling water. And what is the factory color for the transmission/fluid drive housing on a '47 DeSoto Custom? I have removed the floor pan over the hump and have comepletely degreased the tranny and fluid drive housing along with the clutch and brake stuff. I see some of the brake and clutch parts were yellow or maybe that's the primer? I think everything is pretty straight forward so far with respect to getting parts. I guess I just want to be sure of some good reliable parts suppliers. I won't know what's what with the operation of this car until I finish the brakes and get it rolling. It sat for about ten or twelve years outside but is in remarkably good condition with little rust for an Iowa car. I hear that it had sat inside for a number of years before that with a layer of dust on it. The odometer says 23,000 and that must be 123,000, right? But when I had the MC honed out, the fella said it looked very good for a '47. Even as I take the old grease and dirt off the parts, they seem in pretty good shape. Well, you guys who have a '47 DeSoto would be great help to me with any info you might have. I am on a limited budget like a lot of you, but I do want to do it right as I am going through the car. It is going to be a driver my work car - and so it doesn't have to be show quality. I can't respond to you within this post at home but we could e-mail for now. But I think if you answer the above questions on the forum that will satisfy me for awhile. Merry Christmas to all on the forum. Thanks, David Perata - Bingster

I live in Iowa and cannot post on my home computer cause it's outdated. I have to post at the local library. I sent an e-mail to MacTexas and don't know if he ever recieved it. If you are reading this I'd appreciate your letting me know. Thanks. David

Am looking for a steering wheel for my 1947 DeSotop Custom Sedan. Mine is cracked in a million places. I have read how to fix it, but would like a better wheel. The car is a driver but I'd like a nice feeling wheel. Any suggestions?

I have a 1947 DeSoto Custom that I just bought and am doing the brakes, which led me under the floor panel and into the Master cylinder and pedals, etc. It looked like the Titanic after being under wanter for all those years! Dirt dirt dirt. Couldn't indentify a thing. Anyway, I've cleaned it all down to bare metal and there is a seal on the left side of the transmission (looking forward from the driver's seat) that goes over the clutch shifting fork where it enters the Fluid Drive bell housing. It is a metal frame with leather serving as the seal. I removed the frame and will make a new seal, but want to know if anybody knows where I can get a new seal.