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Hello All, I own a 1948 DeSoto S-11 Custom Club Coupe. I purchased it in September 2020, it is my first project car & first pre model year 2000 car I've ever owned! Now is a good time to say I'm probably one of the youngest members on here (22-years old), but have a great respect for these old cars and want to keep my 48' DeSoto as stock as sensibly possible. While I've had the car for about 2-1/2 years, I haven't physically done a ton of work to it. I am a read the manual cover-to-cover type of guy. So out of principal, I've taken the last 2 years to study books, forum threads, and videos on these old Mopars before barreling in. Opposed to taking things apart, have no idea what I am looking at, and then end up with a pile of parts and me scratching my head! As such, in these past 2 years, I've learnt ton about flathead engines, or L-head if we're being technical, Lockheed drum brakes, the Tip-Toe shift transmission (My DeSoto has the M5), the difference between the semi-auto shifting transmission and Fluid Drive coupling, and how to properly repair and maintain a 6-Volt positive ground electrical system. Now I feel decently prepared to finally get my hands dirty and work towards getting my 1948 DeSoto back on the road! A little background on my car. It spent most of it's life, both active and while it sat for several decades, in Worcester, MA. It is now in NEPA (Northeastern Pennsylvania). It has 118,700 miles on the odometer. It was last on the road/inspected in April 1960. The black paint is original as far as I can tell. It has the original 237ci flathead engine in it, including the "S11" stamp on the side of the block! It has the M5 Tip-Toe shift transmission with Fluid Drive coupling. The wiring harness....exists, but I would not dare to put a 6-Volt battery in to even "see what works". All the wires in the engine bay, under the dash, and in the trunk are crusty, corroded, and the cloth insulation crumbles at the slightest movement. On a positive note, none of the wheels are locked up, so hopefully when I go to pull the drums off it won't be a nightmare. Unfortunately, said original S11 engine is locked up. Before everyone types-up all of their remedies to freeing up a stuck engine, I already know what the cylinder walls look like....it would do serious damage if I did manage to free it up. Two members from the Maryland Chapter of the National DeSoto Club graciously made a house call this past October 2022 and helped pull the cylinder head....the diagnosis is not good. A broken head gasket right between cylinders 3 and 4. Those two cylinders must have sat full of coolant for decades and rusted the cylinder walls and pistons in place. As long as the block is not cracked, I do intend on reusing the original block, but it will definitely have to be bored-over .030, .040, .060..?? What are my plans: A full mechanical and electrical restoration, but keep the body work to a minimum. I don't want to create a show car with perfect paint, I would never drive it if I did. There are definitely some rust issues that need to be addressed. The chrome rocker panels are hiding the majority of the rust. It needs both inner and outer rocker panels on both sides. Also, the trunk pan is quite thin on the driver's side, so much so, the seem running along the inner wheel well has separated! Currently, I am planning and gearing up for an engine pull in the next month or two. I already have an engine puller, load leveler, and engine stand. I plan to do the complete disassembly myself: intake and exhaust manifolds, valves, tappets, camshaft, pistons, crankshaft, etc. Then I will take it to a machine shop and have it boiled out (get that rust, scale, and sludge out!). Have it checked for cracks, and if it passes, then have them tell me how much it needs to be bored-out to get to all clean/fresh metal. Aside from the boring-over, I'll have the machine shop deck the top of the block, install new valve guides, and maybe have them install new valves and lap them. I am definitely getting all new valves, just not sure yet if I'm going to lap them or have the machine shop do it. All other reassembly I plan to do myself. As I've said, I've spent the past 2 years researching. I've actually read through many threads on here as a guest for over a year! I figured it might be fun/helpful to create an account now that the work is starting so I can post my progress updates! Thanks for reading! Carl I know you all love photos, so here are a few, and so you can see the unfortunate state of my engine! Obligatory photo when I rolled it out of the garage this past Fall 2022: A photo I found of my DeSoto at an auction before I purchased it: Driver's side rear quarter panel. Worst of the visual body panel rust. But the rocker panels are hiding the nasty reality...: Current state of the interior: How the engine bay looked when I first got the car: Original S11 stamping!: Immediately after removing the cylinder head, prior to any vacuuming/clean-up - October 2022: Cylinder 3 & 4 Close-up...Yikes!: Broken head gasket:

Hello, My name is Alex and I'm picking up a 1951 DeSoto Custom locally for about $500 bucks. Its a complete car in fair drivable condition. The interior is in decent shape and the glass and body are straight/good condition. I absolutely LOVE it! I will probably be posting here in regards to this car. I would like to ask a few questions like identifying what size flat six is in it such as a 236.5/237? Also can parts like the under chassis master cylinder be gotten ahold of easy or are there MC rebuild kits, also clutch kits, wheel cylinders, etc? Also what is the 'fluid drive' transmission? Seems just like a manual that shifts up and down like an automatic or is there a shift pattern? I am going to get a shop manual as well . Thanks!

A fellow has a beautiful 1938 DeSoto S5 business coupe, but is lacking some interior & trim parts. For the most, he'd need to find the glove box door and the lock - see attached ref.pic. Anyone who could help him out, please? Thanks, Uncle-Pekka

Greetings! I recently bought a 1937 Desoto rumble seat coupe, looks mostly complete but the engine is seized and in pieces so I would like to find a bolt in replacement engine for now. I found a 1951 Desoto engine with a S15 stamp on the block. Would this engine be a bolt in replacement for my 1937 engine? Main concerns are will the large plate style 1937 front engine mount work and will my 1937 transmission work with the engine. I have the 1937 parts from the flywheel back available. Also is there reference material anywhere that explains the differences between the Dodge/Chrysler/Desoto flat sixes as far as interchange?

I have a 1949 Desoto custom. She's got transmission problems. As in it won't stay in 2nd gear. It has the fluid drive tip toe trans. It starts out fine . shifts into second and go's for a while then pops out of gear with a loud clunk. I have taken it into a shop and it looks like the pump is bad and the housing and syncros also the speed blocking ring. Thats what they're telling me. I don't know that much about transmissions. Anyway We are not finding any parts for this trans. Can anyone steer me in a good direction where I might find parts?. Or someone who can machine the extention housing?. Or possibly buy one in good condition? Thanks

I’ve got a 1950 desoto that I just got home and it does run, but as soon as you connect the negative battery cable to the battery (cable running to solenoid) the starter is spinning, I can crank the motor over this way if I push the lever for the bendix in and out to engage the teeth to the flywheel this is how I got it started, but the only way to prevent the starter from spinning is to pull the cable off of the battery, I have only previously worked on dodges and Plymouth’s which do not have this type of set up. I know these solenoids are pretty much impossible to get, is there any way they can be repaired? I’ve seen a few rebuild kits for them on eBay, but I don’t really even understand how they work, any help would be appreciated thanks.

Hello, Im pretty dam certain at least, I have a fluid drive car. Theres sort of a brake drum looking thing that threads to the transmission input shaft. Id like to put everything back together. The transmission is together but its all neen took out. I also am gonna need a flywheel and a clutch kit?? I have a shop book on the way from ebay. Please help!

What does the Stamp Number S15 33157 refer to?

It's a 1950 DeSoto sportsman coupe there were only 4600 were made, it makes it the very first year of the official hardtop for Chrysler it has a 237 Flathead six with a fluid drive trans

Hey all! Just found this forum and thought it’d be a fantastic place to gain some knowledge and see some cool cars... Just got my first old Mopar...a 1941 DeSoto S-8 2-door sedan. I’ve always loved the 1939-1942 Mopar stuff, and was like excited to snag this amazing project. Now that I’m home from college on breaks it’s a little easier to find the time to give it the love it needs. Looking forward to hearing from you guys!

Now, I'm relatively new to pre 60s mopars. From what I can read from "anonymous" sources (like Wiki and Allpar) they made the DeSoto Suburban until 54. From 52 to 54 I haven't seen any ads or the like for Suburbans, only 8 passenger sedans. The same wheel base (I think) but doesn't have the pass through to the trunk. So ultimately, was there a Firedome or Powermaster Suburban from 52-54? -RC

Hi, You've probably been asked this question many times already, but here goes :- Will a DeSoto 'Spitfire' flathead (out of a 1950 D/Soto) fit directly on to the mounts of a 230 Dodge Wayfarer or would there be some fabrication needed. I am aware that the D/Soto motor is 2 inches longer,- just wondering if it would fit without too much engineering. Any advice welcome.Regards B.B. p.s I know that the 'Spitfire' logo is just a marketing ploy.

ETA: this will be my build thread for my 1951 DeSoto....join along for the ride. Hey everyone, I have a couple questions regarding my 51 DeSoto. 1.) Rust Repair: I have been slowly disassembling this car for a little over a week now and i have been discovering all sorts of fun rust pockets as i continue to dig deeper. The Frame (so far) is solid and appears to be straight. The car was in an accident sometime in the 1980's and was effectively left as such. I have found rust on both rockers (inner and Outer) the Drivers side is far worse than the passenger side, as i can see into the car. Also, the floor along the drivers side is completely through including the panels at the foot-well. The passenger side is also through in the front as well. I have all of the patch panels to complete the job. However, here is the situation, i am a completely inexperienced welder as i have no prior training and am frankly pretty terrible at it. Do I even attempt this or should I find a shop to complete this leg of the work? I am not mechanically inept but i am still trying to learn. I am however willing to learn the welding trade but i feel as if i am over my head in this one. 2.) If I am to even attempt this repair i want to remove the body and do a frame off restoration. I want to do it right the first time. How do i remove the body as effectively as possible in a driveway? I have heard of the trailer jack approach. Is it feasible to remove the body before tackling the rust or should I complete the repair before removing the body? I am planning on adding pictures to this thread later today when i get home so that those that wish to see what im dealing with can get a better idea of my situation. Thanks again, Justin

Hello everyone, Last August I bought a 1951 DeSoto Custom on a whim. I knew absolutely nothing about this car and when I saw it's condition sitting on the side of the road I knew I wanted it. It's basically a solid car with a few issues here and there. I'm rebuilding it slowly and at the same time am rebuilding myself. I won't get into complete details but I was in the Army for 5 years with one tour to Iraq. In essence the car is a lot like myself, damaged. So I'm rebuilding this car to hopefully rebuild myself psychologically. Currently, I am studying insurance and risk management at Temple University graduating this May. I hope to make the best of this site as I was recommended to come here for all things DeSoto. If you haven't already, I previously posted a thread about my steering wheel, please have look if you can help me out. Thanks again. -Justin

I've decided to put a 318 V8 & automatic transmission in my '47' Desoto. Just wondering if anyone else has done this? Or if they have any pictures or advice. I've posted a few pics of my cars & the progress I've made. I am using the original Desoto frame with home made mounts, I also plan to use the original suspension, rear end, and as much of the original car as possible. I'm only interested in a stock 318 upgrade + auto trans & 12v electrical. Its not going to be a street rod, just something i can drive fairly reliably.

Hi Everyone, long time no post! I have a 1951 DeSoto Custom (S15) with a 250.5 L6 and a two range Fluid drive transmission. Currently the issue I'm having is that when driving the car, when its cold there are no problems, but as it heats up I start to notice a squeaking coming out of what sounds to be the transmission. This only happens when I am driving along after the car has shifted out of underdrive and I am not accelerating any more. I notice a squeaking that is speed dependent (faster if I'm driving faster) when I let off the gas to coast along. Any thoughts on what this might be?