Rusty_OToole

As far as I am concerned the guy who didn't know cars didn't always have computers was right. For an ordinary person in his everyday life this would be totally useless information. I expect he does know all kinds of things that are far more useful that are a closed book to me like what an ipad is for. One thing that is a never ending marvel to me is the mechanical controls that were devised before computers came along. The Stanley Steamer had a whole set of automatic controls for water, oil, steam, etc that were perfectly ingenious and invented before 1900. Probably some adapted from steam locomotives and stationary power plants.

I didn't say they were ugly. They look pleasant enough in their practical way. Like Aunt Mildred in her Sunday hat. Nice enough if rather boring. While a 49 Buick, Studebaker or Mercury seems to have more style to it. Virgil Exner started at Chrysler in 1949, too late to do anything about the 49s or 50s. But the 51 and 52 models show more style in their face lifts, the 53 and 54 are what the 49 should have looked like, and in 55 and later he really gets to show his stuff. This was a radical change for Chrysler Corporation and I am curious how it came about.

What I am interested in specifically is who styled the 49s? Or were they designed by the engineering department with no styling input at all? Chrysler styling is a funny business. I have seen pictures of clay models made by Deitrich in the late 30s. They were much better looking than the cars they produced yet looked practically identical. Apparently when styling came up with a design, they handed it over to engineering and after that had no further input. Engineering did as they pleased with it. They changed the lines slightly for reasons of their own and the result was much less pleasing than the original, although you can't put your finger on a single obvious difference. In spite of this they made some good looking cars in the thirties and forties. I would not put them in the same class as the 41-47 Packard or the better GM styles but they weren't bad. It's the 49s that bother me. Has anyone else noticed that you could line up a 49 Plymouth, Dodge, DeSoto and Chrysler and other than the grille they look identical?

I thought Briggs made all Chrysler bodies until Chrysler bought out Briggs in 1954? With the exception of certain special models like the 39 Hayes coupes, the Imperial limousines bodied by Derham, and woodie station wagons and T&C bodies? I have seen Budd labels in early thirties Chryslers but thought the Budd connection ended with the Airflow.

Deitrich was proud of the job he did face lifting the 38 body for 39 including a V shaped windshield and new roof. This surprised me as I always thought they were 2 different cars. But no, the 39 was a revamped 38. If you compare the 39 and 40 you will see they were very similar. Either the 40 was a heavily revamped 39 or the 40 design followed the 39 quite closely. From 40 on you can see the resemblance year to year. If you are in doubt look at the back of the 4 door sedan body. The trunk lid and rear quarters hardly change at all from 40 to 48 while the body remains more or less the same, with different fenders and door contours and larger windows. You need to compare one year with the next to see how clever they were in getting a new look without ever scrapping the old car body completely. The only point I am in doubt about is the 39-40. Were these 2 different cars or one car heavily revamped? Given the corporate attitude toward styling, I find it easy to believe they did not spend the money on a new body unless they had to and that did not occur until 49. But could be convinced if I see evidence to the contrary. So, it seems the Chrysler reputation for putting engineering ahead of style was true. Engineering had the upper hand until the mid fifties and even after that, styling did not have the freedom and control they did at GM. What I can't seem to pin down is who did the styling in those years? Was there anyone at Chrysler with the title Head of Styling or Vice President In Charge Of Looking Halfway Decent?

I have been trying to find out who was in charge of styling at Chrysler Corporation. It was Ray Deitrich from 1934 to 1938. Walter Chrysler thought a lot of him but the other top brass there hated his guts, and when Walter Chrysler died they fired him at once. Then in 1949 K T Keller hired Virgil Exner who was responsible for the new direction Chrysler took in the fifties. But who did the work from 1938 to 1949? It is an odd period in Chrysler styling, basically they used the same 1938 body, suitably restyled, during this whole period, actually 1938 models to the early 1949s. The "new" 1949 models look like they were designed for no reason at all, according to one critic. Is it possible that no one was in charge? This does not seem possible. Maybe Briggs employees took up the slack. Briggs made Chrysler's bodies during this period after all. Can anyone clear this up?

Any good name brand 10W30 motor oil will be fine. Some prefer to use Shell Rotella 15W40, they feel it offers extra protection. It is very good oil and you will not go wrong using it. For the Fluid Drive unit and transmission, the factory recommends 10 motor oil. Some on this board use TDH Tractor Fluid, ISO 32 grade. TDH stands for transmission, differential and hydraulic oil so it should be good for your transmission.

Even Ford, the cheapest car on the market, offered closed models (sedan and coupe) before 1920. But they cost TWICE AS MUCH as the roadster and touring. Naturally, most buyers bought the cheaper models. Closed cars were also heavier, more prone to developing squeaks and rattles, and nervous persons did not fancy being surrounded by all that plate glass in case of an accident. Hudson (Essex) deserves credit for putting the closed car over with the public. But other developments, like safety glass and better and cheaper methods of making car bodies counted too.

Closed cars were available from the beginning but did not become popular until the 20s. It was the Essex coach that put the closed car over. In 1922 they offered the 2 door Coach model for only $300 more than the touring car. The next year it was $100 more, in 1924 they were the same price, and by 1925 the Coach was cheaper than the touring. Nothing like it had been seen before. The Essex Coach became a best seller and other makers soon followed with lower priced closed cars of their own. Before 1930 closed cars outsold open cars even in the cheaper makes. By 1937 the traditional roadster and touring were dead. Convertibles continued to be made, in small numbers, at a cost considerably higher than their sedan counterparts.

In 1946 there was a fad for half timbered cars. Kits were made for Nash, Chevrolet and possibly other cars that did not offer a woody the way Chrysler and Ford did. Never heard of a Lincoln but that does not prove that no one built one.

The car I know of has a rear bumper. I will check on condition and get back to you.

They used to publish registration figures by make. Sales and production figures usually differed, even when broken down by model year and calendar year.

You mention one piece of chrome is missing. I now know where there is a 59 DeSoto sedan available for parts. If you need anything, let me know and I will get it for you.

What motor?

Let's keep in mind that we are talking about vehicles now 100 years old or close to it, that were not made in large quantities. In a way it is surprising any survive at all.

If you are rebuilding the engine or cannot set the valves hot, set them to the same spec cold. Then check again when you get it running. Chrysler products were set "hot" and I am sure they never heated them up before they set them at the factory. They would be checked at the 1000 mile service, after the engine had some break in miles.

A while back I read a story about Louis Chevrolet and Billy Durant that said one of the reasons Chevrolet quit General Motors was an argument with Durant over cigarettes. Chevrolet smoked hand rolled cigarettes and for some reason this got on Durant's nerves. He asked him to stop smoking, or switch to cigars, and even offered to pay for the cigars. He argued that it looked bad for a big business executive to smoke cheap cigarettes like a cowboy. This did not go down well with Chevrolet. He always got mad and ended up shouting "I'm not your poodle! You bought my company, you did not buy me!" etc etc and storming out the door. Mrs. Durant explained that it was not so much the cigarettes as the way he smoked them. Chevrolet would roll a cigarette, stick it in the corner of his mouth and smoke it down to the butt without taking it out of his mouth, like a French street corner tough. This drove Durant crazy. He couldn't bear it. He would say something to Chevrolet, and Chevrolet would blow up. This happened again and again. Durant would come home shaking with rage and frustration after one of their arguments. In the end Chevrolet sold his General Motors stock, quit the company and went off to start the Frontenac company to make speed equipment for Fords and other cars.

I understand the six cylinder is MUCH easier and cheaper to get parts for, so many were made for cars, trucks, industrial motors etc. while the eights, some parts are nearly impossible to get, and very costly.

On the chrome issue... have been looking into a new process to "paint" chrome. It is not paint as such, it is a coating that sprays on like paint and looks just like chrome. The preparation is easier than for chrome, the white metal can be repaired primered and painted then the chrome sprayed on. The coating will go on over paint or plastic as well as metal. See a part being "chromed" in less than 2 minutes. Spectra Chrome Metalizing Process.mp4 - YouTube Does anyone have any knowledge or experience of this product?

Your picture gave me a turn, I thought the 52 was my old 52 New Yorker. The only one I ever saw in that particular 2 tone combination, Gull Gray and Superior Blue. You have 2 beauties there, I hope you have a lot of nice drives.

It could also be the regulator is toast, it may be the reason the generator blew. Better get it checked.

If the generator was bad your battery could be very discharged. In that case when you rev the engine the ammeter could show a high charge but should never be pegged all the way over. After a few minutes the meter should come down. In normal use the ammeter will go up a little after a start but come back to just above the middle. When the engine slows down the charge will go down, in fact in winter with the lights heater wipers on the meter would often show a discharge in slow traffic.

That's why they make experimental cars. They all seem like a good idea until you get a good look at them. Then they hide the dogs and only produce the good ones. Saw an article on that car a few years back, apparently the custom made body work was very, very heavy. The finished car needed heavy springs and reinforced suspension. It was sold to someone and saw limited street use but really was never meant to be used, it was built purely for show.

Some of the smaller White trucks of that era used six cylinder flathead engines bought from Packard.

I know in 58 hot rodders were using bucket seats out of Chev panel trucks,which they cut down or modified, and foreign sports car seats like Austin Healey and Triumph if they could get them, or even VW beetle. Buckets in US cars were not available at that time except for Tbirds. Corvette seats were molded into the body.