Hello, and what’s my body code?

[Carryall50]

Hello all, I’m new to this place and new to classic cars.

I just purchased a 1950 DeSoto Carryall and I’m not sure what the body code is or where to find it on this thing?

[greg g]

What do you mean by body code? Then DeSoto model number is S 14,. That's the number that should be on the engine above the generator.the cars serial number should be on one or the other front door pillar.

[Worden18]

1 hour ago, Carryall50 said:

Hello all, I’m new to this place and new to classic cars.

I just purchased a 1950 DeSoto Carryall and I’m not sure what the body code is or where to find it on this thing?

Post pics please ?

[Carryall50]

Ok, S 14 that’s what I was wanting to know. Thank you

I would love to post pictures but they are larger than 3mb and it doesn’t give me an option to resize them. I am doing all of this from my IPhone.

[Carryall50]

I figured it out!!!

[Carryall50]

On the trailer but dirty!

[Carryall50]

Stopped by the car wash on the way home so the woman would be more accepting of my new purchase!

Old car cleans up pretty good.

[Carryall50]

Interior needs some work, seats recovered at least.

but one of my favorite features of the Carryall is the fold flat back seat with the wood floor.

[greg g]

Nice grab.  Did it win the award for best adaptive use of duct tape???  Do you know what transmission it has?  When you get to tune up parts cap, rotor, points etc, you need to specify distributor number.  On a plate on the side of the distributor, starts with three letters ,IGS, IAT or similar followed by 4 other 5 numbers. There are three or four different distributors that interchange but use different parts.  Also on the front top drivers side of the engine is a flat casting pad with a number yours should start with s14 if it's the original to the car.  Also the stock electrical set up is six volt positive ground.

 

Good luck

[Bob Riding]

9 hours ago, Carryall50 said:

Interior needs some work, seats recovered at least.

but one of my favorite features of the Carryall is the fold flat back seat with the wood floor.

Crazy that Desoto interrupted that nice wooden "floor" with the spare! You would have thought that they could have hidden it underneath, or made a continental kit, or something. I love your upholstery pattern and color. I am planning to do a similar style on my '52 Suburban.

[greg g]

Saw one of those live several years ago.  Parked next to it was a Kaiser Traveller. Similar concept but had a hatch back.

[greg g]

Kaiser did a better job managing the spare, but what did it do to fuel tank size.

 

 

[greg g]

Need this??

 

https://www.ebay.com/itm/DESOTO-Tail-Light-1951-to-1953/143302684072?hash=item215d816da8:g:ErsAAOSwM1Fcn8~B&redirect=mobile

[Carryall50]

3 hours ago, greg g said:

Nice grab.  Did it win the award for best adaptive use of duct tape???  Do you know what transmission it has?  When you get to tune up parts cap, rotor, points etc, you need to specify distributor number.  On a plate on the side of the distributor, starts with three letters ,IGS, IAT or similar followed by 4 other 5 numbers. There are three or four different distributors that interchange but use different parts.  Also on the front top drivers side of the engine is a flat casting pad with a number yours should start with s14 if it's the original to the car.  Also the stock electrical set up is six volt positive ground.

 

Good luck

It has the Tip-Toe transmission in it.

i picked up a new battery for it yesterday and it cranks over but has a weak spark from the coil, I’m going to try to hot wire the coil first to see if that helps before I change it or any other components because it has original wiring and I’m not sure how much current it’s passing along. 

Also, it looks like someone has put a newer points and condenser in it and I was wondering if there are different condensers for 12v and 6v set-ups and if so maybe someone installed the wrong one.

[Carryall50]

2 hours ago, Bob Riding said:

Crazy that Desoto interrupted that nice wooden "floor" with the spare! You would have thought that they could have hidden it underneath, or made a continental kit, or something. I love your upholstery pattern and color. I am planning to do a similar style on my '52 Suburban.

I thought the same thing about the spare, but the wood and set-up with the back seat/trunk is what pushed me over the edge on the decision to purchase.

[Carryall50]

1 hour ago, greg g said:

Need this??

 

https://www.ebay.com/itm/DESOTO-Tail-Light-1951-to-1953/143302684072?hash=item215d816da8:g:ErsAAOSwM1Fcn8~B&redirect=mobile

No, I have at least 2 pairs of those in a box inside the car but if you zoom in on the passenger side fender you can see that someone replaced it with one that fit but is not for this car (different tail light)

[greg g]

The spark on most of these cars is more akin to Briggs and Stratton than any modern comparisons.  You may want to do a compression test before trying to start her up. They are prone to having valves stick open if they have been sitting on the top of a cam lobe for a while.  One thing, the spark plugs are short reach so make sure you don't screw in the compression Gage in too far.  If it's got champion plugs replace them with ac45 or autolite 306 I think, I'm running the AC.

 

[Carryall50]

6 hours ago, greg g said:

The spark on most of these cars is more akin to Briggs and Stratton than any modern comparisons.  You may want to do a compression test before trying to start her up. They are prone to having valves stick open if they have been sitting on the top of a cam lobe for a while.  One thing, the spark plugs are short reach so make sure you don't screw in the compression Gage in too far.  If it's got champion plugs replace them with ac45 or autolite 306 I think, I'm running the AC.

 

According to info on here and in the service manual I have, it says the spark from the coil should be bright blue and jump at least 1/4 inch.

My spark is not blue and can only make like an 1/8 inch jump.

Also, are these plugs original or at least very old? Lol

[B-Watson]

On 9/19/2019 at 10:17 AM, Carryall50 said:

No, I have at least 2 pairs of those in a box inside the car but if you zoom in on the passenger side fender you can see that someone replaced it with one that fit but is not for this car (different tail light)

 

The right side looks to be for a 1950-52 Dodge.  The left looks to fit a 1950-51 DeSoto taillight.   The 1952 taillamp is longer as it also holds the back up light.   The back up light on 1950-51 models were mounted in the space between the trunk lid and the fender.   The 1953 DeSoto tailiights are different again.

 

 

[B-Watson]

On 9/19/2019 at 8:30 AM, greg g said:

Kaiser did a better job managing the spare, but what did it do to fuel tank size.

 

 

 

 

Now you know where Chrysler got the idea for placing the spare under the floor on the 1960 Valiant.

 

The earlier 1949-50 models had the spare inside the left side, rear door.   However, access was restricted as they welded the door shut before heading to the paint department.

 

 

 

 

[greg g]

I was going to say that the weight of the spare in the door would have put quite a load on the hinge pins.  A bit of welding rod would have remedied that a non issue!