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I just restored a 61 DeSoto from a rust bucket that was last licensed in 82. I had picked up the car on April 14th and found out, that the hidden rusted, far exceeded the unrusted, but not until I had made a commitment to my wife that we would take it to Reno for "hot August Night", and it would be black not white. I removed the sheet metal someone put in the trunk and there was no trunk, just gas tank looking at me. Headlight buckets all rusted away. So, spent a month ordering www tires, a back to original upholstery kit weather-stripping, and running from stat to state finding parts. Both rear quarter panels and some trunk floor parts from a 60 Chry in southern Oregon (Had to make most of the trunk floor). R/F door and both front door glass from a 61 Chry. 4/D H/T in Vancouver, WA. A 62 Chry 300 front clip from central Oregon that I redid the grill sheet metal to fit the DeSoto grill. That gave me 2 1/2 months to completely strip out, windows, chrome, interior, pull engine & tranny, replace and or repair body stuff, replace all brake shoes, wheel cylinders & master cylinder, brake lines & hoses, radiator, alternator, fuel pump and lines, rebuilt carb, tune up ! parts, paint and put it back together. Being retired sure helped. I worked all night before the morning we left, with just some small trim pieces to be installed on the interior. (Did that at wife's rest stops.) No time for a test drive. Had to meet someone at 9 am. 70 miles down the freeway on the way. Spare Parts -- spare tire, a jack, some hand tools and a wire kit. Almost all parts for 361ci engine available at all auto parts. 2,000 miles and 10 days later, we be back. Only problem -- one idle mixture on carb. plugged but was an easy fix. Have before and after PIC. I can e-mail them but have no web page. How old are YOU GUYS getting???? --- 62 <>Roy<> Roy Asbjornsen 16418 71 Ave E Puyallup WA 98375 (253)531-5359 |
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