New member intro : '57 Desoto Firesweep

[commando1]

Please read: Lengthy but it's a textbook in itself.

http://www.forabodiesonly.com/mopar/showthread.php?t=157182

 

[baker53]

Thanks, will do.

 

[baker53]

I think I found the issue with the brakes on the Desoto. The alignment holes on the rear drums were distorted. The run-out on the right rear was .070" and the left rear was .150". I setup the right rear drum on the mill and indexed the five holes and re-bore them and the run-out on the right rear is now .007" I'll do the left rear drum in the morning and then try things out again. I could see chattering marks on the rear shoes and that is what I think I was feeling. BTW, the run-out on the front drums was around .007"

 

[baker53]

Started pulling out the old exhaust system. The cross-over pipe and the intermediate pipe going to the muffler looked to be in great condition. I have a NOS cross-over pipe, but I may not put it in due to the great condition of the one already on the car. The muffler and tailpipe are another story. Really rusted up. I have a NOS muffler that will go on the car and I think the old tail pipe will be useable as a model for the tubing bender at the muffler shop.

 

[baker53]

Any one know what mounted in the hole to the left of the parking brake handle? I am thinking it was a lamp to indicate that the parking brake was engaged.

 

[saforwardlook]

Yes, the park brake lamp, or at least that is what my 57 Chrysler has there. I wish I had another one for you, but I do not. You might try John from Big M Automotive in California, who might have one. He is also on this site.

 

[Brads70]

Nice car, love it!

 

[baker53]

saforwardlook: Thanks for the suggestion. I have some stuff on order from John, BIG M, I'll try and contact him and see if he has one.

Brads70: Thanks for the comment on the car. Making slow, but sure progress.

 

[baker53]

I received the replacement fuel sender and like the first one it has an incorrect range. It should be 10-200 ohms and is 10-124 ohms. I am going to send both of them back and hopefully, get a refund.
I did pull the original sender from the tank and was able to clean it up and re-install it. It works and I now can see how much gas is in the tank.

 

[N8-96XJ]

It is so cool to see the way you are going about this restoration. It takes knowledge from many different fields to do this right. I am a machinist by day and I enjoyed your .007" reference to your brake problems. Should be better than it was originally! Also, you are definitely up on your electrical problem solving skills ( I wish I was, I hate electrical gremlins ). It takes a jack of all trades to restore cars! I really like this thread. Good job!

 

[baker53]

N8-96XJ: Thanks for the comments. I am now retired, but my work career was in the Oil and Gas measurement business. Work was in the area of design and manufacture of flow computers and gas chromatographs. The mechanical stuff was an escape for me and I have always enjoyed working on the old cars. Unfortunately, getting up and down and twisting into impossible positions is getting tougher. I am 68 and starting to feel it. I have a small machine shop here and it has been used quite a bit for these car projects.

 

[N8-96XJ]

Well your knowledge and experience definitely shows in your work. This is going to be a wonderful car. I hope you get as much enjoyment out of driving it as you seem to be getting from fixing her up!

 

[baker53]

Talk about a big mess. I forgot how fast the oil came out of the drain plug on the 325 engine. It overflowed my plastic oil collector and I spent a while cleaning up the mess. That oil filter canister is no joy to work with either, but all is well now and the Firesweep has 7 quarts of fresh oil and a new filter.

 

[bluefury361]

That oil filter canister is no joy to work with either, but all is well now and the Firesweep has 7 quarts of fresh oil and a new filter.

I know what you mean. I got tired of the oil canisters on my 318's and modified all of them to use spin on filters. It's simple really.

 

[baker53]

bluefury361: If you have some info on where to get the adapter for a spin-on type filter, please pass it along.

 

[baker53]

Time to tackle the floors on the Firesweep. For the most part, floors are not too bad, but still lots of patching to be done. I have after-market floor panels for the front and will cut portions of them to be be welded in.

 

[bluefury361]

bluefury361: If you have some info on where to get the adapter for a spin-on type filter, please pass it along.

There are several ways to do that Bill. I use the filter screw-on nipple and plate from a 62 and later A or LA engine, (you'll need a gasket between the plate and block), for a straight down facing filter.
Some later 360's used a housing that faces the filter forward if there is a clearence issue.

Hot heads makes custom filter adapters for early Mopar engines also.
Here are a couple links that may help.

http://www.google.com/images?hl=en&..._group&ei=wlcyU526AtTOqQGSzoCgCA&ved=0CD0QsAQ


http://www.ebay.com/itm/Mopar-OIL-F...ies&hash=item4ad27f45af&vxp=mtr#ht_1401wt_788

http://www.hothemiheads.com/desoto/oiling_system/oil_filter_adapter_30d.html

 

[VAN HELSING]

Hi Bill,

Love your Desoto, really like the color combination. I remember seeing your before and after engine paint shots on the FL forum a little while back. Must have took you ages to clean all that gunk off the engine to repaint it, it came up really nice I reckon !!

Bill, if you get a chance, could you post up a shot or two of your trunk floor please?

I got a trunk floor pan from John at Big M a while back sent to me down here in Australia. It was from a 59 Firesweep and was exactly the same as my trunk floor pan in my 59 Dodge.

I'm just interested in seeing if the 57' Desoto's also have the same trunk floor as my 59 Dodge ( I suspect they do ).

From your floor pan pics it looks like your floors are also the same as 59 Dodge.

Cheers,

Terry.

 

[baker53]

Hi Terry, Thanks for the comments on the Desoto. Yes, there was a lot of dirt and grime on the engine and I used a pressure washer and spray de-greaser on it and a lot of wire brush time. I attached some pictures of the trunk on my Firesweep. Hope they provide enough detail for you.

 

[VAN HELSING]

Thanks Bill for the pics, your trunk floor is much better than mine ( mines beyond repair ) but I can still see that it's exactly the same as my 59 Dodge trunk floor so it seems that '57 ( probably '58 ) and 59 Desoto's have the same trunk floor as '59 Dodge ( and probably also '57 and '58 Dodge as well ).

Even the swage lines in your trunk floor are the same as mine Bill.

Also looks like your floor pans are also the same as my 59 Dodge as well.

Interesting for others to know this when they are chasing replacement floors/trunk floors for 57 to 59 Desotos and Dodge, broadens the options.

Thanks again Bill,

Cheers,

Terry,