1953 DeSoto

Firedome Hemi

s1624178

We are selling three vehicles for a customer. This gentleman is 96 years old and has been a machinist and mechanically oriented during his life, and has taken good care of his cars. Here is what we know about this particular vehicle. 1953 Desoto 4 door. 276 c.i. Firedome Hemi. Semi Automatic Transmission. A real interesting trans to drive! This car was bought by our customer from the original owners and has remained the same all of these years. VERY VERY ORIGINAL!! Car has sat for many years and just recently fired up and driven around for this sale. When we picked it up the brakes went to the floor and had to be pumped a few times to stop. Since then we have bled all four wheels and it brakes fine at this point. This vehicle is being sold as is with the intention of the the new owner doing a complete check top to bottom, replacing brake lines where needed, fluids replaced and checked, etc. It starts right up and drives ok. When driving you have to depress the clutch, and select L (gears 1 and 2) or D (gears 3 and 4) depending on load or grade of road. You let the clutch out while still stopped, and it engages that gear. You no longer use the clutch for taking off or stopping, its like an automatic now. If you want to start in L and get to D, you clutch on the run, into D. To shift while in L or D you accelerate and then let off of the gas, you will hear the trans fall into the next gear, then you accelerate again. However, when I would floor it in a higher gear to see if it shifts down into a lower gear to pass.... it seems to shift out of gear and rev up like in neutral. Also, sometimes while backing up it makes noise like something is catching in the driveline somewhere. I rolled back once without the car on, so the trans was not cycling fluid, and it did it again, which makes me think it could be in the emergency brake drum area on the driveshaft, as I was told by the owner that someone once practically pushed the e-brake through the floorboards and locked it all up and had to have it fixed. The wiring is all original, cloth type. In the engine compartment there are bare wires with shielding crusty and falling off. A vacuum line is pinched off on the motor, and looks like it used to route under the car, along the driver frame rail. there is a bracket there with a part missing. Not sure if it was some sort of booster, or hill brake thing or what. Seems to make no difference whatever it was. Has the oil filter disconnected and a Toilet Paper accessory filter mounted instead. If you are not familiar with these you can google it. You have to jiggle the dash light switch to get the dash lights to come on. The temp gauge needle is broken and missing. Cannot get the radio to turn on.Clock does not work either. The ac does not work. Fans for heater etc. work.Other gauges do work.Steering wheel cracked all overOn driver door on the window frame are some empty holes, possibly for an adjustable mirror?Rear window outside trim is separated from vehicle a little, and has some caulking. Rear dash area is distorted from sun.Cigarette lighters work on dash and rear of front seat.Dings here and there on car. Some damage and bad bodywork on passenger front fenderChrome side trim by rear wheel wells has dings and dents, as well as rocker trim on both sides. Leaks oil and trans fluid a little.Could use tune up, etc. Some light tapping, maybe lifters need adjusting, not sure if those were hydraulic or solid. Radiator needs replacing, as old JB Weld patches are leaking. Power steering whines a little. Grill has been painted silver before, we steel wooled it back to the chrome as best we could. Headlight chrome rings are worn. Chrome throughout does have wear and pitting. No rust throughout car that we can find, except some bubble coming up under paint in front of rear bumper. See photos. Older bias ply whitewalls. Some extra seals, and ac parts in trunk. Clear title, currently registered. Please look at all photos. (LINK BELOW) Miles show 49,756. Not sure if or how many times odometer has rolled around. Interior seems original and shows wear. Missing dome lamp lens and bulb. Feel free to call with questions or to come look at the car in person before bidding. Thanks! Located about an hour north of Hollywood, between L.A. and Bakersfield. Please do not ask what the reserve is, if the vehicle does not sell, we will relist with a lower reserve until it does sell. Please be patient. we are doing our best to accommodate the owner and find the market price as well. Joey Dillon, Ridge Route Restoration. 209 606 2869 MORE PHOTOS HERE link On Jun-03-12 at 13:57:57 PDT, seller added the following information: Not sure of transmission fluid or level. Was told it should be 10 weight motor oil, not trans fluid. Who knows whats in it after all these years. Perhaps a fluid change and proper level of fluid would make trans perfect! On Jun-06-12 at 14:22:13 PDT, seller added the following information: Reserve lowered to $3,350 happy bidding!