Lee Exline

I finally got the word from the bank that all of the legalities are taken care of and the collection will be going to auction. The beneficiary, the auctioneer and myself will be meeting shortly to set a date (probably some time in October) As soon as I get a date I will let eveyone know! I will also be looking for a place for everyone to get together the night before the sale and have dinner and some social time!

You guys have me all confused! I thought it was more like 10 O'clock and 7:30

Those impatient folks have been very, very good to me over the years! A few years back I bought a Mo Par electrik feul cap new in the box for $25 with shipping off an Ebay seller! the following week I sold a NOS MoPar accessory Electric locking gas cap for $400. Obviously good pictures and descriptions make a heck of a difference! Shortly after that a bunch of NOS electric gas caps started showing up so the price went down but WOW the last few minutes of that auction was fun to watch!

I remember selling an NOS in the box unit for $500, but that was years ago!

I am now the owner of a Desoto Firemite! It is not in the best shape but it is mostly complete and I have the resources to rebuild it from what is left! Currently only 4 others are known still in exsistence so this brings the total to 5. It has the original Vacuum formed polystyrene body that had a bad reputation of falling apart when combined with vibration from the gasoline engine and cold weather. The Robel company made some fiberglass bodied ones that account for 2 of the 4 others known to survive. I will have to get my fiberglass guy that does my other junior bodies to make a mold to make a fiberglass body but at least I have a pattern. My brother just picked it up in LA and is heading home to Oceanside CA. where he will store it for me until I have time to go out and get it! Rough but rare, I am excited! Maybe someday it will look like this again? If you are not familiar with the Desoto Firemite you can learn more on my website www.jrcentral.com

I agree Check the fuel pump! The diaphram is probably bad putting lots of gas into the cranckcase where it will eventually explode, Even with the draft tube the explosion will exceed the ability of it to pass the gas. Check your oil level! it it higher than you filled it? thin and runny?

I have been wanting to go to that show, just too far away! Both of my cars are orphans now

It is in OZ! and yes they are very novel here! It would make a great hauler for my 56 UTE

I have seen the underdash smiths heaters but never a firewall monted one like this one in an Australian manufactured vehicle. Most of them did not have heaters at all! The guy wanted to know what year it was and if it was worth restoring. It is a dually 1 ton or over with open frame and no box of any kind.

It also looks like it has no fan blade on the water pump also? used for polar exploration? No engine cooling fan! Has a heater! Something fishy about that?

The Australian models differ slightly from American production but I am guessing 1954-55? Look at the picture under the hood! Do you see it? a real rare option on an OZ truck! It's got a factory? heater!

163 Miles from there to my house! not bad when you figure I hosted a national convention 600 miles from my home in Rapid City SD. Actually I do not know the family! I knew Chris and Connie! I am not even sure where the money os going? And I don't really care! I heard it was all going to charities but it does not matter to me. What matters is that these cars get good homes. I know Chris would have wanted it that way, And that is the primary driving force behind me getting involved. Chris was a friend, not a close friend but a good car buddy that shared my passion for the Desoto marquee. I was glad to hear that they used his ambulance to transport his body to the graveside, he would have liked that! It made me feel good that I helped him add the ambulance to his collection. I know that this has a potential of being a very large event so I amtreating it like I am ready to host another convention. Just wish the Lawyers would get things wrapped up so a date could be set!

Still have not recieved the release from the lawyers to set a date. As you might guess with an estate this large there are a lot of things that have to be considered! Here are pictures of the cars! My webpage with lots of dirty Desoto pictures The town will be Spencer Iowa, just don't know when?

I also told the huy about this one for sale in OZ Diplomat for sale in OZ it has all of the parts he needs also and since he is in Mexico city shipping will be tough for him any way. If you have a number lying around on the Diplomat in your neck of the woods please send it my way!

I have a guy in Mexico with a Diplomat station wagon that is missing some of the grille pieces that is interested in buying the car just for the front end

I believe that the African assembled cars where made fro CKD componants that were shipped from the states or england. The Aussie bodies were made in Australia with dies that often carried over many years after they left production here. That is why the OZ P15 has a sloped back like the earlier cars.

Pedal configuration is the same as in the states, the shifter is on the left side instead of right. On my 56 the pedals are different but I think they are the same on the earlier versions? You would need shifter linkage, steering box, dash, frame mount for pedals If not whole frame to get hte steering mount? I think you would be better off geting the whole car, If not from Australia then fom south America? Argentina? Driving a RHD car here is a lot of fun! really confuses people!

I was hunting goodies on Ebay OZ when I found this The trunk on the Australian built P15 looks a little different than American made versions. Mirrored dash? Here is the auction if you want to see more

I generally use the religious method of typing! "seek and ye shal find" I used to type with 6 fingers (2 on the left 4 on the right) but then I cut my left index finger top mostly off last year! They sewed it back on but it still does not work right.

It took a while but I finally got the basic descriptions typed out!! Binder Desoto collection main page Boy I wish I would have woke up and listened during typing class in highschool! I remember telling the teacher that I did not plan on being a secretary so I did not need to learn how to type! Jump forward 30 years and I am typing every day.

Yep it's a suburban Here are more pictures

Yes that is what it is! They were available from the dealers in the early 50s and there were a lot of aftermarket ones also.

If you want to look at the subject of my thread you were talking about that said (no dialup) click on the link below. It is a collection of Desoto's that will be for sale this summer! Didn't mean to leave you out of the loop or in download hell. Binder Desoto collection It has a lot of images but they are thumbs so it should even work well on dialup. That page leads to 36 other subpages with more thumbs so your dial up should be able to handle it. If you want to see any of the bigger pictures on the subpages they will only be one at a time and still should load in a reasonable amount of time.

I have used Infanview for many years. It is free and it does a lot plus batch conversions thier website Very easy to use!

I like it! of course I am biased since my two UTEs have been featured in it!