auburnseeker

The wayfarers just don't command alot of money. The subject one I have examined the photos of before when I first saw it listed about a month ago and it needs alot of work to fimish it off. With 35G invested and it in the state it's in with the quality of work I can see, I think a potential buyer may find alot wrong. At 35G you should have a car that's alot closer to being finished with better finish work already under way. It's a 10G car and that's about it unfortunately. Probably why it's still for sale.

Maybe if we let our mothers pick out our girlfriends, less of us would be divorced.

But then again it's still not a real conv't which will probably matter to 99 percent of the prospective buyers. I've had guys pick genuine cars apart. I always try to be very knowledgable about every car I buy, but it seems every car I sell is sold to the world's leadning expert on that particular car, or atleast they act like they are.

Actually that craigslist price is closer to reality than the real ad. I doubt that car will sell for much more than 8,000. It's a somewhat unpopular car in an unpopular color. A guy with 12 G in his pocket has alot of choices out there in 30's sedans. I've seen some nice 35 36 Chrysler products for less than he's asking and they are much better proportioned cars. Kind of strange as well. Who scams with a Desoto 4 door sedan?

If you could post some photos. a few of the outside and inside, under the hood, underneath even, we could probably give you a good starting point. When was the last time it ran and drove would be very helpful as well. The body style makes a huge difference in value as well and even location will affect it some. Color even affects value or atleast sale ability.

So now you can be the guy that the guy in the time machine pays a visit to and works you over for not fixing it back in the old days when parts were still available. Just kidding. You do what you have to do to make things work. I bet as you know there are alot of not quite right cars out there that look very correct until you dig into them. Atleast they are back on the road and not in the corner of the garage awaiting that ellusive part the owner never seems to be able to find.

If you find a non purist, seems like coupe money would be a good comp maybe a tad more. To any purist, they will run away from it if they find out it's not original. It kind of falls into the hot rod category. Are there any comps out there for 59 caddy hot rods? Might be a tough sell down the road.

There are some wood pieces laying in front of it that looks alot like parts for it. If so and they are disassembled that's not a good sign that it's good. You usually don't disassemble the wood unless you are replacing pieces of it.

But the parts value is very strange. I have a 1936 Cord everything for it is expensive, but try to sell the parts, and they hardly bring anything unless someone is in a bind. There was a very similar year and probably condition, though it hadn't been disassembled at all Plymouth Woody for sale (pre war) around here last year or the year before. Needed to be fully restored but was complete, not rusty and all the wood was intact. I didn't examine to say if it needed all new wood or only some, but they started it at 18G. I think they were closer to 10G when I stopped seeing it advertised for sale, so I think it sold. The exact number, I'm not sure. If it's complete you could shoot for low teens and hope. It's all in how good everything is and what it needs.

No love for the cars of my youth. When you look at late 1970's to the 1980's Few come to mind worth even considering. Atleast the pickups weren't too bad.

If you check further down. that hub is specific to the cars listed in my hub and drum post a few above so it looks like you are limited to just those cars and might as well get a whole assembly.

Atlas lists it in their cross reference chart, so they may have it. If they do have it, hold onto your wallet though. I don't think it will be cheap. Their number appears to be 862-399. It might be worth a look and please double check my info to make sure everything is correct side wise atleast before ordering one. http://atlasobsoleteparts.homestead.com/files/xref16to1999.htm

This is the actual page from the parts book. You may have to scroll down to see it. http://www.jholst.net/55-58-parts-manual/wheels.pdf

That's strange but someone is selling that part number as a reupped number for a brake pedal pad. I think someone made a mistake. According to the book and I double checked it as of 1958, that 1637337 number is for your brake hub and drum.

I just went through the parts book again and the hub and drum as an assembly for your car is part number 1637336 for the Right hand side and 1637337 for the LH side. That is used on 1956 Desoto Firedome, 1956 New Yorker and Windsor Wagons and all 1956 Chrysler Imperials. The way it's written I think it may only be Desoto Firedome wagons but I'm not 100 percent sure on that.

I like the 49 Grille best. I'll shoot for a 49 if I find one. I'm not incredibly picky though, just has to be rust free and not need everything. There was a pretty nice one I think last year in Hemmings for under 20 G and I think that was close to 15G. It was a pretty good buy in my opinion and in Maryland or WV I think. Now that I have the space I don't have the money or time for any more projects. I guess you can't win.

Should be able to find a used one from a western junkyard or a guy that just rodded his. As it shows all dodge Desoto and Chrysler Wagons used the same drum. Seems atleast with Chrysler, the hub would be the same as well. Not sure if the Dodge or Desoto hubs would interchange as well, without looking up that number as well. I figured with that chart they were implying just the drums, nothing else.

I still have room in the garage one of these days for a Dodge Wayfarer roadster if the timing is right when I find one some day.

That Desoto sold as well only a couple days after being listed. There is a twin to it for sale in NJ for 20G. I thought it was the same car being flipped, but a close examination shows it's a different though near twin car.

I wouldn't take the chance on the 55 part. If it was free or cheap, maybe, but at 400 a pop, I would look for the right one. I would guess the other numbers for Chrysler were probably for an imperial or maybe a commercial chassis/ limo if they offered one.

Here is a brake drum interchange chart. Looks like Desoto wagon fits front and rear. http://www.jholst.net/interchange/4-brake.pdf

I just ran this through my books and it looks like your car is a C71 windsor Estate wagon as how they Phrased it. According to the book, the side doesn't matter. The part number is 1637335 for a new one as of about 1958 when the book was printed and it covers all 1955 to 1958 Cars. It looks that it only fits 1956 Cars. It does however fit Dodge Desoto and Chrysler models D63-D500, which is Dodge, C70 and C73 Chrysler, C71 and C72 Chrysler estate wagons, which are Windsor and New Yorker. It fits S23 Desoto which I would guess might be a wagon. Good luck.

You want a car top buy cheap parts for, buy an AMC mid 50's to 60's. I can't give those parts away, and we are talking beautiful chrome diecast tail light assemblies. I'm lucky to get a bid at 14.99 when i list them. Stepdown Hudsons and newer are also really cheap to buy parts for. I wish I could find the parts for my 47 Hudson like I do for the 48 and newers.

A few resources I checked, seem to show the brake drum fits 55 then some 49-54 applications but none listed it as fitting a 56. If someone doesn't get to it sooner, I'll try to check my parts book for a Number in a little bit and post it.

One thing to remember with those pullers is a little time is the best medicine for that drum to come off. Get it on tight about as tight as you dare, then let it sit even a day or so if possible. You may need to come back and add a little more tension if it gives a tiny bit. After a while you will hear that pop. Then you can proceed. Be sure to leave the nut on a few threads so the whole unit doesn't come flying off. Every old car that's been touched in the past, is a can of worms. Remember for 20 to 30 years of their life they were used cheap transportation and sometimes the right parts were hard to find, so some guy making minimum wage did what he had to do to get it back together to make work on Monday morning with what he had available. Good luck.