1937 Desoto Has A 1 Piece Engine Hood?

[keithb7]

I was at a drop in car classic/vintage gathering this evening, Tons of interest in my '38 Chrysler tonight. I had a good time meeting new Mopar lovers. Someone told me that because I owned 2 1938 Mopars, I "probably owned 2/3rds of all the local flathead Mopar cars". Lol. 

 

I did meet a guy tonight with a 1937 Dodge sedan. He's fitting a 1937 Desoto body on it. He found out the hard way that the Desoto body, frame, and wheel base is about 2" longer. THe 25" stock Desoto engine vs 23" long engine in the Dodge I assume too. He told me that his 1937 Desoto has a 1 piece engine hood. I had no idea. I thought they were all split hoods back in the 30's. I've never actually seen a 30's Desoto, so there's that.

 

I met a couple new connections who are tempting me with spare removed stock parts. I have a few numbers to follow up on. I do indeed like stocking up on spare parts for my personal use. I am interested to see how the leads unfold here in the next few weeks.

 

I forgot to take some photos. I was too enamored with all the attention my Royal was getting.  It's a weekly drop-in so I'll be back.

Edited August 5, 2021 by keithb7

[RobertKB]

I owned a 1937 DeSoto for a short time. It was very rough but I bought it because it had an overdrive transmission. Unfortunately the overdrive had disintegrated so I sold the car for parts. However, I can confirm it had an alligator (one piece) hood. DeSoto always did things a little differently. 

[desoto1939]

Yes the 37 desotohad a 1 piece hood and to open the hood you twisted the hood ornament to unlatch the hood an raise it up like an alligator mouth would open.  I think the 38 desoto had the same style hood and then 1939 they went back the the butterfly hood that opened from the sides with the center hingle so it looked like to wings of the butterfly when both half's were opened.

 

 

Rich Hartung

desoto1939@aol.com

[keithb7]

Here it is, to complete this thread.

 

 

[Andydodge]

The differences and yet the sameness between our mopars over the various years I suppose can be the result of the price points that the brands were designed to work in, the actual markets that they were in and the times.......my 1940 Dodge in the USA was as I understand it, marketed as a mid ranged price car, doing battle with GM's Pontiac, Frods Mercury, Nash, cheaper Hudsons and the like, but some design features would have been used in and out of fashion like the alligator hood, exposed or deleted running boards and  for example 1942's DeSotos concealed headlights, reprising the 36-37 Cord........whilst they wouldn't really suit my 1940 Dodge those genuine 1937 DeSoto ribbed bumpers are a real stylised feature matching the horizontal grille and its trailing edges like no other could........the fact that aluminium reproductions of these bumpers are available speaks volumes of the effect they had then and now........

............and even in 1939, when our mopars each had slightly differing headlight shape to the eternal consternation of modern restorers, each headlight, although different has a recurring theme about them which when viewed as a whole stylistically link them together as "1939 Mopar Headlights" .............lol......talk about verbosity.....lol...........andyd