DeSoto

[cheesy]

Just being artsy.

[cheesy]

Nice day for a drive.

[Bruces]

Your car and place look great Cheesy !

[cheesy]

Thanks.

[cheesy]

Lost the charging system a week ago. Mrs.C and I did a meat run to Creston, IL. Then down to Mendota, East to Plano to check out the Rural King, then home. About 125 miles, all told. Somewhere between Plano and home, the charging system packed it in. Don’t know if it was the generator or the regulator but I figure this is a good time to install the 6v positive ground alternator I built for my Dad years ago.
I’ll need to fab the brackets, but that’s why I have all those toys that make sparks.

[Sport Rider]

have you considered changing it over to a 12 volt system, or is that just a no-no from a historical value perspective?

[cheesy]

If it had a manual transmission, it would already be 12 volt. The semi automatic transmission, I think it’s called an M6, shifts via solenoids, governors, and relays. None are available in 12 volt negative ground.

[Sport Rider]

time to put a crate motor and nice 6 speed auto in it.

[cheesy]

Originally Posted by Sport Rider

time to put a crate motor and nice 6 speed auto in it.

Nah, I prefer to keep it classy.
Way back when I had my 52 Ford F2, I was a member of the now defunct Kane County Gear Heads. I pulled into a local cruise night and one of the club officers, who didn’t know me, wanted to know when I was going to drop a SBC in it. I told him never and popped the hood to show him my built dual carb, dual exhaust, dual point Mallory ignitioned 215ci OHV six banger. Told him it was the only true one off in the club. He walked away.


My SIL has it now. Needs a good cleaning.

All that said, looks like I will be the next owner of my Dads’ 68 Ranchero. That has a 289 punched out to 305, 10:1 heads, headers, alum intake, 4bbl Holley and reworked C4 transmission. The rear axle is an 8” with 3:73 gears.

[Sport Rider]

that should burn off some of the rubber on the rear wheels appropriately.

[wheelbender6]

Originally Posted by Sport Rider

time to put a crate motor and nice 6 speed auto in it.

I know its tempting to stick a fire dome hemi in there, but I would stick with the original 6 as long as I could get parts for it.

I hopped up a slant 6 when I was younger. Just a 4bbl, ignition advance springs and headers. I later added sure grip rear and 4 speed. The used v8 cars were always much more expensive and they were in much tougher condition.

[wheelbender6]

Dual carbs are always more impressive than a single. That truck must have been a blast to own.

[cheesy]

Originally Posted by wheelbender6

Dual carbs are always more impressive than a single. That truck must have been a blast to own.

It was. If I hadn’t had the body half off when I got “Promoted”, I’d probably still have it.

[cheesy]

Diesel project is on hold for a couple weeks. DeSoto stuff needs doing. Popped the hood last week and spotted coolant on the side of the block. Little closer look and I spy a leaking expansion plug. Oh goody. Not a bad job but I have to drain the coolant to do it. Trip to NAPA was pretty interesting.

I need an inch and five eighths freeze plug.

What kind of vehicle?

Sigh. A 1948 DeSoto S-11 Custom Club Coupe with a 237 ci flat head six and Fluid Drive. No A/C.

Sir, my computer doesn’t list that part for that car.

Is there an old guy that works here?

Older dude comes out. Whadyaneed?

Inch and five eighth freeze plug.

That it?

Yep.

Old dude looks on computer and says one in stock. He goes back to get it. Comes back empty handed. Lyin’ computer.
Can have one tomorrow.

Never mind. One freeze plug isn’t worth this amount of brain damage.

So, I go home and open up my Mopar parts book, get the part number, cross reference it on google, get the Dorman number, and order a box full from Amazon.

So, the main reason I opened the hood was to see why the generator wasn’t charging. Commutator is just about worn away so the generator has gone to that big junk pile in the sky. Time to figure how to install the Delco 6v positive ground alternator. Last time I tried, it was 25F in my old garage and I said “Screw this”.
Turns out that enough people have done this mod that there is now an aftermarket lower mount available. Yay! Mount will be here next week, along with a 3/4” pulley. I still have to make the adjustable upper mount but I have steel and a plasma cutter. What works out here is that the bolt that holds that upper mount in place is threaded through the water jacket. So got to drain the coolant anyway. Kill two birds with one stone.

[Emerikol]

I used to get my kicks going into parts stores and asking the young bucks behind the counter for a water pump to go on my 1967 Volkswagen Beetle. After reading this, I think I'm just going to start asking for DeSoto parts!