General question about 1949 DeSoto Deluxe 4-door

[MikeInMobileAL]

Hello,

Im going to look at a 1949 DeSoto Deluxe 4-door this week. I have seen a few pics and it looks pretty good from them. I know nothing about DeSotos, and though I have built and driven several collector cars from the 60s and 70s, this will be my first foray into the world of WWII era cars.

This will be a family cruiser intended to take us to car shows and cruise-ins, so we may put a few thousand miles on it each year.

I am familiar with common things to look for on older vehicles, but is there anything in particular that should be looked for when doing a pre-purchase inspection on a 49 DeSoto?

Common engine, suspension, wiring or body rust problems?

The interior seems from the pics to have a bit of mildew on the interior door panels and some rust on the rocker panels. Do the side windows or door seals tend to leak on these?

Are the front suspension components like tie rod ends, center link, drag link, ball joints, etc, available?

Are brake components like master cylinders, wheel cylinders, brake shoes, brake spring kits, drums, etc available?

Are there any parts on the car that will be really expensive, or hard to (or impossible to) find or replace?

I really would appreciate any help that someone could provide with any or all of my questions.

Thank you.

Mike

[Guest De Soto Frank]

Mechanical parts area readily available.

Body panels are not reproduced.

ANY 1940-1960's MoPar tends to leak around the windshield gasket (primarily at the lower corners), which then runs inside the car, at the ends of the dash, drips on the floor, soaking the mat and the jute padding underneath (which stays wet, and rots the floor. This may also account for the musty smell.).

So, lift up any carpet or floor mat and carefully examine the steel floor.

Also, the door window "side sweeps" (felt seal that is supposed to press against the outside of the glass at the bottom of the window opening) - these deteriorate, allowing water to run down inside the door; this leads to the door-bottoms rusting-out( This is true of any car / truck) . Fortunately, the '42-'54 MoPar door rust tends to be on the underside, an area not readily visible unless you lay on the ground and look up at the open door; so repair work can be less intensive.

Rocker panels tend to rust from the inside and bottom; also where the body-mounts attach to body.

Trunk: tend to rust around the perimeter where the floor-pan meets the side panels; also the tire-well.

Front fenders: tend to rust at the rear, lower edge, and behind the vertical brace that is just ahead of the door hinges.

Engine and driveline are pretty sturdy and easily repaired. If the vehicle has more than 60,000 miles on it, the engine may be getting tired. (My '41 De Soto is still going on the original engine, at 103,000 though...)

Brakes - These will need to be completely overhauled (new steel lines and rubber flex hoses, new wheel and master cylinders, turn the drums and have the shoes relined) before you can consider safely driving the car. All the parts are avail, and should run no more than $300-$400.

Tires - same as for the brakes; you'll want new rubber before you put it on the road.

Over-all, they were a very comfortable, dependable car, with nice styling. They make nice drivers still today.

Biggest challenge is the lack of repro parts, so make sure all the trim and body pieces are still on the car.

All the mechanical goodies to keep it running are still readily available.

You might want to check out a site called De Sotoland (www.duricy.com); a font of info for all-things De Soto, and a very supportive on-line forum. Several of teh participants have '49 - '50 De Sotos that are daily drivers.

Good luck !

[Rusty_OToole]

Generally speaking they are one of the most reliable long lived and simple to repair cars ever made.

DeSoto produced thousands of taxicabs and limousines in the 30s and 40s. No doubt you have seen them in old movies.

Some of them racked up 500,000 miles of service.

They have a few peculiar features. Nothing to worry about but if you buy the car you will need to be aware of them.

One is the 6 volt negative ground electrical system. This was in common use in those days on all Chrysler corporation cars, all Ford motor company and Packard cars among others. But it is something to keep in mind - it's easy to put the battery in backwards if you aren't paying attention.

Another is the left hand thread wheel bolts on the left side of the car.

Then there is the Fluid Drive transmission. This is one of the most rugged and long lived transmissions ever made but it does require a special driving technique. It is simple and easy to learn. If you are curious this subject has been covered in depth in other threads in the Chrysler and DeSoto boards.

The Chrysler brakes are excellent for their time but are difficult to set up unless you have the special adjusting tools. There are workarounds for this but it is something to be aware of.

If anything the DeSoto (and Chrysler products generally) suffer from being overbuilt rather than being inferior. The high quality means maintenance and repair can be a little more complex (see above). But you do not suffer from common maladies of cheaper makes such as babbitt bearings with no pressure feed to the crankshaft, wobbly ball bearings in the front wheels, crappy brakes (Chev), beam axle front suspension and overheating engines (Ford flathead) 4 jerk Hydramatic transmission that needs a brain surgeon to fix (GM).

But generally they are very simple and reliable.

[MikeInMobileAL]

Thank you very much for the detailed info. I went by to look at the car today. Its rusted badly behind the grille, in the trunk, door bottoms, etc. I think I will pass.

I really appreciate the info though.

Mike

[Guest De Soto Frank]

That's too bad - did the car live near the coast / Gulf ?

[MikeInMobileAL]

Sorry I havent replied sooner.

I dont know where the car is from, but its currently here on the Gulf Coast.

Mike

[Guest BobBlankenship]

Anyone know if I can get access to dash gauges by opening the dash panel without working up behind dash in close places on my 1949 Desoto 4 door.

I have converted several cars to 12 volts including my 52 Desoto Limo. Now have the 12 volt alternator and battery installed in the 49. While I can reverse the ampmeter in the engine compartment I need to put a runtz on the fuel gauge and change all those dash bulbs. I would like to be able to open up the dash as my 52 was very easy to do.

Bob Blankenship

[JACK M]

Move the seat all of the way back and use a piece of plywood cut to width and lay it on the floor at an angle so that it goes out of the door. Lay the other end on some jack stands so the you might rack out on the plywood with a pillow near the pedals for your nap. When you wake up you may be looking up at your project with a new attitude.