Hernando DeSoto explored the North American continent but Chrysler-DeSoto discovered Hemi power with cars like this 1953 Firedome 4-door sedan. Lean how its Tip-Toe Shift helped attract female drivers.
🎵I put in a Slim Whitman tape My wife put on a brand new hair net The kids were in the back seat jumpin' up and down Yellin' "Are we there yet?" And all of us were joined together in one common thought As we rolled down the long and winding Interstate in our '53 DeSoto We're gonna see the biggest ball of twine in Minnesota!!🎶 Even Weird Al thought this car was cool.
I traveled to Florida in my Grandparents 53 DeSoto , in 1955, the back seat was huge for a 7 year old, What I remember, was able to fall asleep easily!!! Nice memory reminder for me,Thanks Steve.😊
Dad had a '51 DeSoto that he bought new. He kept it until about 1963 when he traded it for a '57 New Yorker with a 392 Hemi. I was only a little kid when these cars lived in our driveway, but I remember them quite vividly. The DeSoto was HUGE with a spacious rear seat that you could put a piece of plywood on the floor of. I still have the hood ornament off of it--the only piece that survived (at least here).
I had a 51 Desoto a few years ago. 6 cylinder with the fluid drive transmission. Only had 37000 miles on it! That was a decent car. Rode great and shifted great!
Steve's presentation style is so easy to watch and follow. I first learned who Steve is through Barrett-Jackson, and I thought "This man knows his stuff". Little did I know the depth and breadth of his knowledge, that first auction was the start of my foray into all things Steve. I'm enjoying the experience.
Hello David P, THANK YOU for the kind words. I have done the Barrett-Jackson TV auction vehicle commentary for 18 years! My first event was the debut Palm Beach, FLA auction back in 2005! Anyhoo, Thanks again for watching and writing. -Steve Magnante
@@SteveMagnante I'm finding the burnouts, do-nuts and drag races to be getting tedious on Motor Trend TV. It would be way better if we had the historical knowledge the Steve brought with junk yard crawls. Far more worth watching.
Likely code 308 French Blue exterior paint. Your brochure from Wright Motor Sales at 319 West Campbell Ave in Roanoke, VA is now the home of a bunch of attorneys and criminal defense/bond/etc. places. You can easily see the garage doors and how this could have been a car dealership in the past. The United Way building next to it says "1930" at the top and I wonder if that was part of the dealership at one time. Roanoke is also where Advance Auto Parts got some of its' start. Today they are headquartered in Raleigh, NC and some years back they bought GPI (General Parts Incorporated) which was a large Carquest Parts member. I've been to their HQ in Raleigh and it actually has a real working retail parts store built into it. I knew a few of the players there and they were pretty good people to deal with at the time. My grandmother was born in 1914 and she drove her whole life up through the late 1990s when she started to get dementia and stopped. She had her license for many years as I always remembered her driving. She was the only one of her sisters that drove, the others depended upon their husbands to drive or they took public transit (or they walked). Many of her sisters had cars in their names even though they didn't drive. It wasn't a problem until my aunt (one of her sisters, the last one to pass) moved to Florida in 2019 and tried to register a car (by then, she was about 91 years old). The Florida DMV clerk told her she had to have a license to register a car (other states do not require that you drive to own a car), so she had to put in her son's name. He passed away before she did and the car had to be transferred to another family member. It was a 2002 Civic which in 2019 had under 35,000 original miles on it. I fixed the brake lights for her before she moved to Florida and I was stunned when I saw the mileage. All of the neighborhood kids would stop her at a traffic light or leave a note under the wipers offering to buy it, but she would not sell it as it was my uncle's car. I think one of her grandchildren is using it now. No VIN (actually serial number in 1953), so can't win, but they were produced in Detroit, MI (between serial #s 55,050,001 and 55,127,622) or Los Angeles (Maywood), CA (between serial #s 64,008,001 and 64,015,691). This would have been model code S16 in 1953. The Detroit, MI facility that built these was located at 6000 Wyoming Ave which is a logistics company today and was called "Wyoming Ave Assembly". Chrysler bought it from GM in 1934 and used it up until the end of DeSoto. The Maywood facility operated from 1932 to 1971 and was located 5800 Eastern Ave and Slauson Blvd.
I remember there used to be an abandoned junkyard that several fluid drive vehicles in it also another vehicle that I recall was a 58 Impala convertible that had a 348 tri power but the carbs were missing
My first car was a 1954 Desoto, 4-door with a six cylinder. It had the fully automatic, no clutch pedal. Also, the transmission had a rear pump that allowed to start the engine by catching it in gear.
Whoa, I got excited when you went from 1950 to 60 DeSoto (my birth year favorite). Then, you pointed out the optional long ram engine... I had to excuse myself and open a window (in Michigan). Virg Exner was at his stylistic zenith in 59, 60, and 61. DeSoto, Chrysler 300 and Imperials are my autotrifecta for 60. Woops, I'm going to modify this slightly. I was born on VJ day (9/2/60) which also happens to be approximately when the succeeding year's cars are introduced. So, 61 is the year for my autotrifecta.
I owned a 52 Desoto, the transmission was called "Fluid-Diive" I believe, I passed many newer cars in the snow with that car! Also the dash was painted with the most beautiful simulated wood grain pattern I've ever seen! Flathead 6 cy. She was affectionately known as the "grey lady".
I remember back when I was six years old in 1962 one of my friends at the time, George, his dad had one of these that he used as a work car. It was even the same color. I can remember riding in it and remembering when it shifted from low to high it would make a thunking sound. As I remember you only used the clutch for shifting it into and out of gear or going from forward to reverse. These and 1949-50 Buicks always reminded me of cars with buck teeth.
The grille is the most valuable thing there, I'm surprised it is still there, that's the one they want for custom 49-51 Mercuries and so forth. But if I'd waited Steve covered it. The '58 DeSoto ragtop we flipped out of a Middletown NY area junkyard some 15 years ago had a wedge, I think 57 was the last year for the DeSoto Hemi, although Chrysler New Yorker and Imperial had the 392 in 1958.
Man that must have been a beautiful looking big boat back in its hay day’s! Specially with that front grill! I believe those front grills where used on those custom 49 Mercury lead sleds.👌😎👍
Fluid Torque Drive! My dad had one in his 1951 Imperial 2 door Club Coupe, 331 Hemi, PS, PB and electric windows and yes, a mohair interior! What a car it was!
When I was a kid my dad had a 1948 Desoto Custom Deluxe, it had a flathead 6, with the fluid drive. All I remember, is in the winter it was cold. It had a heater, and a fan to defog the rear window. Just wasn't as warm as cars are Today. I was born in Ohio, and we had a few cold winters. Then from the Desoto, my dad bought a 1953 Plymouth, the Cranbrook, probably the cheapest Plymouth in 1953. I remember the heater in that thing was better than the Desoto. Not by much, just a little. No air conditioning on either.
Steve, great video, I actually learned a couple things about these cars as an owner of one myself.. That said, I hope you don't mind me posting here but I do have the pretty much same exact car even down to the color for sale in case anyone is interested. Still has the 276 HEMI in it and it runs and drives. Located in So Cal...
Funny back in the day everything was standard shift. Now everything is automatic. I don’t think many people under 30 can drive a stick anymore. Let alone a 3 on the tree
I love a manual transmission automatic transmission is kinda boring. Doesn't matter if it's a 55 horsepower Suzuki samurai or a big POWERFUL v8 I love a manual
I remember the light green DeSoto my dad had. The thing I remember most was the hood ornament which was the head of DeSoto with an amber plastic face that lit up when the headlights were turned on. I'm pretty sure that it wasn't a V8. My dad never got a V8. It was always a sucky, sluggish 6. When we were at a stoplight I always felt that we needed a push to get going.
I grew up with my dad's '50 DeSoto Custom! GREAT CAR! It wasn't too swift on take-off but could run down the highway at 90 mph COMFORTABLY all day, MUCH MORE than I could say for the '65 Buick Special that replaced it! The Buick was CRAP (poor assembly, leaked like a sieve from new!) and a MISERABLE ride!
Thanks Steve! Man, I love DeSotos, and so many of the ‘lost’ brands. I hope someone in the future builds a car replicator, like the thing they had in Star Trek (I think, I’m not much of a Trekkie).
Hey! My dad has the same exact car sitting in his back yard. He bought in 1980 in Hollywood, California for $250. It had been in a front-end fender bender in the late 50's and parked for 20 years until the owner passed away.
Man even the four door sedans were cool in the 50s, this one even has a hood scoop!!! So cool!!! Haha, my name is Marty but I'm not the guy needing the hubcap, but that was pretty cool!!!
Always loved the DeSoto's. If you run out of content to showcase, think about doing a series on the drive train. There's a lot of nuances that were in the past with companies looking for ways to advance technology.. You hinted at it here with the semi-automatic tranny. I learn more about the past car companies here from what you do than I do on my own! Thanks.
Hello Canelo, Thanks for watching and writing. Man, i wish I had some access to Mexican junkyards because - as you probably know - Mexico had lots of cars and trucks that were similar to U.S.-speck models BUT with little details that set them apart. Like I know the Super Bee nameplate lived on into the 1970's in Mexico where it was over and out after 1971. Also, many Mexican cars have Metric speedometers that read up to "200"...kilometers that is! I lived in Los Angels for 17 years and frequented the many self-serve auto dismantlers around L.A. and occasionally encountered mexican-market cars that were driven into the U.S. and junked here. They often had these interesting details and really opened my eyes to the fact that Mexican-built cars and trucks are like cousins to U.S. models but very different in certain ways. Please go scope out some Mexican Gold for me! Thanks again for writing, -Esteban Magnante
Another cool crawl, Steve! When you decide to work on the REMcharger, how about having Bernardston clearing off a patch of dirt right next to the road. Then get some baggy pajamas and some sandals and rebuild your engine like they do in 'Pakastani trucks'. Why not make it a real challenge! Just a thought! 🤔
Yup! you haven't lived life unless you have been laying on your back in the dirt, mud , rain or snow replacing a starter or a rotted out section of the brake line! Extra points for straddling a ditch or jumping a curb so you could get under the car because you didn't have a jack!
Is killroad backwards related to trend motor backwards? I think so! Sour grapes aside, I must give HUGE PROPS to Roadkill creator DAVID FREIBURGER. A 101-percent car dude! Thanks for watching and writing. -Steve Magnante
I can remember seeing those photos of the junkyard and we would open the hood and say wow it's Amy but then we say maybe someday we can find some of those 427 Fords...😮
Hi Steve, good video! Way back in the early 1950s and below, GM, Ford and Chrysler did not have interchangeable engines, components or parts with there other brands of there cars. You are correct in regards to a rear bolt on fender V.s. a welded on rear quarter panel. Bolt-on rear fenders where phased out in the 1950s, except for the VW Beetle, but in the mean time the the panel that the rear fender was bolted to was the quarter panel. You mentioned the first real Chrysler automatic was transmission was a TorqueFlite, (3 speed) not so, it was a PowerFlite, (2 speed) Please reply. Dave...
Loved the 60 Desotos you mentioned. Why? When I started building model kits, one of my early ones was the Johan 60 Desoto Adventurer USA oldies reissue and it was always a favourite. Still have never seen a '60 in real life...☹
If you really would like to have one of these it seems like Joe out at the rust ranch and he's tied in with Mr Good pliers on his channel out in the middle of the country. I saw a very nice survivor but it did have a stuck engine. I'm not going to swear to the exact make and model but did have the hemi in it. As far as the shifter and parking brake on the drive line assembly. My old Chevy / GMC trucks a lot of them over the years have had that driveline parking brake. I find it interesting that there's one on the car maybe it's more prevalent than I ever knew. We were usually dropping V8 and whatever more late model transmissions we can get our hands on back in those days. I've got a 67 or 68 1 ton Chevy with the same basic gear selection. I think you mentioned it on one of your earlier episodes but it reverse and set the parking brake is how you parked it. As always I enjoy the peripheral information but you throw in with your vehicles. It always seems seamless
That's an M6 transmission. It's a 4spd. 4th gear is a direct drive. L is 1st and 2nd gear, D is 3rd and 4th gear. You can just leave it in Drive and start from a stop in 3rd gear. It's kinda of slug off the line in D. L will make it pull hard, but the shift from 1 to 2 is pretty damn slow. I know the New Yorkers cam with 3.43 gears. They go 70mph on the highway pretty drama free. I love it when you cover some of the earlier stuff.
Cool deal with the hubcap hookup! Now, a question, if I may. I was wondering if you (or another knowledgeable person here) could enlighten me as to how the semi-automatic transmission worked? Was the column selector gear changed using the clutch? Was the clutch use to shift from L to D? I guess that's two gears, then the third gear was a switch-activated overdrive?
I have read that you were meant to leave it in third and the overdrive kicked in when you let up on the gas. OD cars always came with a lower rear gear (higher numeric). The only difference was the “fluid coupling”. A clutch pedal was there with “safety clutch” embossed on the pad. Some prewar Packards had a similar setup.
I can remember seeing a lot of those cars in the junkyard and weed open the hood and say wow it's a hemi..... We always look under the Ford hoods hoping to find a 427 side oiler. 😅
Always enjoy your videos, Steve. I can't believe you do that all in one take ! Also, love going to Bernardston Auto Salvage. I've been buying parts from them for over 25 years. Are you aware that they also have a 52 Desoto (first year of the Desoto Hemi) with the engine intact ? Just a couple of minor corrections. 1954 was the last year of the Desoto 6 cyl engine. Also, There were 11 teeth on the 53, not 10. One must've been removed from your featured car, probably to complete a restoration.
Steve, In a way, this 'Tip-Toe' transmission reminds me of the 'Torque Drive' transmission Chevy had from '68-'71. Seemed like it was Detroit's way of offering the convenience of an automatic without the full price tag of one. Basically the transmission does most of the work, but you gotta chip in too! I've yet to see a Torque Drive in a Chevy from that time period, and the same could be said of the Tip-Toe. Fascinating stuff!
All 46 - 52, and most 1953, Chryslers, and most 46 - 53 DeSotos, and most 1949 - 53 Dodges had this semi automatic. Chrysler called it Prest Matic starting 1949, DeSoto called it Tip Toe Shift, and Dodge called it Gyromatic. These were all itinerations of Chrysler's Fluid Drive setup.
I always go from Steve to watching Merc Benz King. So cool to see and learn. Junkyard digs needs its own show at this point people would pay money to take classes and learn about these vehicles and you could do it remotely.
That transmission was a clever adaptation of existing parts. Overdrive kicked in when you let up on the gas, giving you a sort of “2 speed powerglide” effect. I believe it always started out in 3rd non OD. The “fluid coupling” was NOT a “torque converter”. I believe GM held the patent on those.
Steel bumpers, steel hoods, and steel grills. Cars were built to be durable and pedestrians were expendable. I bet a lot more people would look both ways before crossing 6 lanes of traffic instead of staring mindlessly at their phones if cars were still built like this
Steve has no reluctance sticking his fingers in the air scoop! A true junkyard enthusiast has no fear of things that fly, slither or sting! Wondering if that’s the original license plate under that hubcap..
Hello dave zul, I get pretty "brave" in the winter. BUT make it the middle of summer and I make sure I'm not about to punch a hole in a basketball-sized hornet's nest! I came close a time or two! But again, most of the creepy crawlies slumber when it gets cold. Thanks again for watching and writing. -Steve Magnante
So true... when you open the door of a car that’s been in the yard since the ‘60s or ‘70s and it sounds like a newspaper ripping... that’s no newspaper! Awesome work, many thanks!
My favorite grill ornament. I know one of John wards icon derelict series had a similar grill , with one gold tooth .....art Morrison chassis, Corvette ls7, perfect interior and patina.....could be slick
The hubcap hookup was perfect. Thanks for these videos Steve,there’s a lot of us that appreciate the effort. Keep them coming.
🎵I put in a Slim Whitman tape
My wife put on a brand new hair net
The kids were in the back seat jumpin' up and down
Yellin' "Are we there yet?"
And all of us were joined together in one common thought
As we rolled down the long and winding Interstate in our '53 DeSoto
We're gonna see the biggest ball of twine in Minnesota!!🎶
Even Weird Al thought this car was cool.
Yeah, but the "largest ball of twine" Weird Al referenced, is only one of four....in the world.😁
But it IS the largest in the state.
I traveled to Florida in my Grandparents 53 DeSoto , in 1955, the back seat was huge for a 7 year old, What I remember, was able to fall asleep easily!!! Nice memory reminder for me,Thanks Steve.😊
Thanks for sharing!
Dad had a '51 DeSoto that he bought new. He kept it until about 1963 when he traded it for a '57 New Yorker with a 392 Hemi. I was only a little kid when these cars lived in our driveway, but I remember them quite vividly. The DeSoto was HUGE with a spacious rear seat that you could put a piece of plywood on the floor of. I still have the hood ornament off of it--the only piece that survived (at least here).
I had a 51 Desoto a few years ago. 6 cylinder with the fluid drive transmission. Only had 37000 miles on it! That was a decent car. Rode great and shifted great!
Thanks for sharing
Steve's presentation style is so easy to watch and follow. I first learned who Steve is through Barrett-Jackson, and I thought "This man knows his stuff". Little did I know the depth and breadth of his knowledge, that first auction was the start of my foray into all things Steve. I'm enjoying the experience.
Hello David P, THANK YOU for the kind words. I have done the Barrett-Jackson TV auction vehicle commentary for 18 years! My first event was the debut Palm Beach, FLA auction back in 2005! Anyhoo, Thanks again for watching and writing. -Steve Magnante
@@SteveMagnante I'm finding the burnouts, do-nuts and drag races to be getting tedious on Motor Trend TV. It would be way better if we had the historical knowledge the Steve brought with junk yard crawls. Far more worth watching.
I had a 53' DeSoto (blue) 4dr flathead 6 fluid drive, it was a sweet ride. Early 70's ... I miss her
That is one of the coolest looking V8 emblems I've seen yet. Good for a shop wall 👍
My dad had a 59 Desoto Firedome Black white interior 4 door loved the fins and push button in the dash. Thanks for the memories 👍
What an incredibly interesting transmission & parking brake configuration
Likely code 308 French Blue exterior paint. Your brochure from Wright Motor Sales at 319 West Campbell Ave in Roanoke, VA is now the home of a bunch of attorneys and criminal defense/bond/etc. places. You can easily see the garage doors and how this could have been a car dealership in the past. The United Way building next to it says "1930" at the top and I wonder if that was part of the dealership at one time. Roanoke is also where Advance Auto Parts got some of its' start. Today they are headquartered in Raleigh, NC and some years back they bought GPI (General Parts Incorporated) which was a large Carquest Parts member. I've been to their HQ in Raleigh and it actually has a real working retail parts store built into it. I knew a few of the players there and they were pretty good people to deal with at the time.
My grandmother was born in 1914 and she drove her whole life up through the late 1990s when she started to get dementia and stopped. She had her license for many years as I always remembered her driving. She was the only one of her sisters that drove, the others depended upon their husbands to drive or they took public transit (or they walked). Many of her sisters had cars in their names even though they didn't drive. It wasn't a problem until my aunt (one of her sisters, the last one to pass) moved to Florida in 2019 and tried to register a car (by then, she was about 91 years old). The Florida DMV clerk told her she had to have a license to register a car (other states do not require that you drive to own a car), so she had to put in her son's name. He passed away before she did and the car had to be transferred to another family member. It was a 2002 Civic which in 2019 had under 35,000 original miles on it. I fixed the brake lights for her before she moved to Florida and I was stunned when I saw the mileage. All of the neighborhood kids would stop her at a traffic light or leave a note under the wipers offering to buy it, but she would not sell it as it was my uncle's car. I think one of her grandchildren is using it now.
No VIN (actually serial number in 1953), so can't win, but they were produced in Detroit, MI (between serial #s 55,050,001 and 55,127,622) or Los Angeles (Maywood), CA (between serial #s 64,008,001 and 64,015,691). This would have been model code S16 in 1953. The Detroit, MI facility that built these was located at 6000 Wyoming Ave which is a logistics company today and was called "Wyoming Ave Assembly". Chrysler bought it from GM in 1934 and used it up until the end of DeSoto. The Maywood facility operated from 1932 to 1971 and was located 5800 Eastern Ave and Slauson Blvd.
I remember there used to be an abandoned junkyard that several fluid drive vehicles in it also another vehicle that I recall was a 58 Impala convertible that had a 348 tri power but the carbs were missing
@@garymckee8857 Probably all long gone now.
@@googleusergp Yes that was in the 80's , there was also a 57 Pontiac dark green two door hardtop in there.
My first car was a 1954 Desoto, 4-door with a six cylinder. It had the fully automatic, no clutch pedal. Also, the transmission had a rear pump that allowed to start the engine by catching it in gear.
64 Dodge had the rear pump. Cool, start a dead car without jumper cables.
Whoa, I got excited when you went from 1950 to 60 DeSoto (my birth year favorite). Then, you pointed out the optional long ram engine... I had to excuse myself and open a window (in Michigan). Virg Exner was at his stylistic zenith in 59, 60, and 61. DeSoto, Chrysler 300 and Imperials are my autotrifecta for 60. Woops, I'm going to modify this slightly. I was born on VJ day (9/2/60) which also happens to be approximately when the succeeding year's cars are introduced. So, 61 is the year for my autotrifecta.
Now that's COOL!!!!!!!!!!!!! 😍
Merry Christmas Shane and Steve! Thank you guys so much for the great daily videos, I love them.
I owned a 52 Desoto, the transmission was called "Fluid-Diive" I believe, I passed many newer cars in the snow with that car! Also the dash was painted with the most beautiful simulated wood grain pattern I've ever seen! Flathead 6 cy. She was affectionately known as the "grey lady".
I remember back when I was six years old in 1962 one of my friends at the time, George, his dad had one of these that he used as a work car. It was even the same color. I can remember riding in it and remembering when it shifted from low to high it would make a thunking sound. As I remember you only used the clutch for shifting it into and out of gear or going from forward to reverse. These and 1949-50 Buicks always reminded me of cars with buck teeth.
My dad called them clunkomatics.
The grille is the most valuable thing there, I'm surprised it is still there, that's the one they want for custom 49-51 Mercuries and so forth. But if I'd waited Steve covered it.
The '58 DeSoto ragtop we flipped out of a Middletown NY area junkyard some 15 years ago had a wedge, I think 57 was the last year for the DeSoto Hemi, although Chrysler New Yorker and Imperial had the 392 in 1958.
A company called Hot Heads does make aftermarket parts for those engines nowadays, in case anyone is looking for parts.
Love the grab handles at the back of the front seat.
Man that must have been a beautiful looking big boat back in its hay day’s! Specially with that front grill! I believe those front grills where used on those custom 49 Mercury lead sleds.👌😎👍
OMG! That dear is the fuel of nightmares! I am seeing it everywhere! 😳
What deer?
Yes indeed, what deer? Thanks for watching and writing. -Steve Magnante
@@johnkranyics281 6:12
@@SteveMagnante lol. Mean trick. Now I’m getting a psychiatric evaluation for Xmas! 🦌🤪🦌
Fluid Torque Drive! My dad had one in his 1951 Imperial 2 door Club Coupe, 331 Hemi, PS, PB and electric windows and yes, a mohair interior! What a car it was!
You and Super Shane make a great team. Tell him thank you.
When I was a kid my dad had a 1948 Desoto Custom Deluxe, it had a flathead 6, with the fluid drive. All I remember, is in the winter it was cold. It had a heater, and a fan to defog the rear window. Just wasn't as warm as cars are Today. I was born in Ohio, and we had a few cold winters. Then from the Desoto, my dad bought a 1953 Plymouth, the Cranbrook, probably the cheapest Plymouth in 1953. I remember the heater in that thing was better than the Desoto. Not by much, just a little. No air conditioning on either.
Fantastic stuff Steve! 👍👍💯🇺🇸
Always loved that look on the Mercury's
Good morning Steve and everyone.
I still watch you bet your life with Groucho Marx his sponsor was
DeSoto.
Steve, great video, I actually learned a couple things about these cars as an owner of one myself.. That said, I hope you don't mind me posting here but I do have the pretty much same exact car even down to the color for sale in case anyone is interested. Still has the 276 HEMI in it and it runs and drives. Located in So Cal...
Mr. B. Here ! Merry Christmas to you and your family ! Most important thank you for taken me back in time and seen the cars of this kid’s pass .
Glad you enjoyed it
Maybe suggest to Mrs. B. to get you your own account.
@@joshuagibson2520 You don’t get it, Mrs. B & I are a team . Merry Christmas !
@@debbiebermudez5890 hey Mr B and Mrs B happy holidays 🖒🎅
@@vet-7174 Same to you and yours ! Merry Christmas !
Funny back in the day everything was standard shift. Now everything is automatic. I don’t think many people under 30 can drive a stick anymore. Let alone a 3 on the tree
@@Scalihoo oh yeah the right rpm and feel your way up and down shifting.
Yup! Folks nowadays are soft and entitled. 🤔🤔
I love a manual transmission automatic transmission is kinda boring. Doesn't matter if it's a 55 horsepower Suzuki samurai or a big POWERFUL v8 I love a manual
My son turns 22 next month. Like me, he learned to drive stick as a teenager, and he's owned 5-speed Mustangs since around 2018 or so.
You said it brother! This generation is just getting spoiled and lazy.
I have always Loved the Brake drum at the back of the Transmission, Great Design, Should be on every car, That car will not move on any hill.
I remember the light green DeSoto my dad had. The thing I remember most was the hood ornament which was the head of DeSoto with an amber plastic face that lit up when the headlights were turned on. I'm pretty sure that it wasn't a V8. My dad never got a V8. It was always a sucky, sluggish 6. When we were at a stoplight I always felt that we needed a push to get going.
I grew up with my dad's '50 DeSoto Custom! GREAT CAR! It wasn't too swift on take-off but could run down the highway at 90 mph COMFORTABLY all day, MUCH MORE than I could say for the '65 Buick Special that replaced it! The Buick was CRAP (poor assembly, leaked like a sieve from new!) and a MISERABLE ride!
Thanks Steve! Man, I love DeSotos, and so many of the ‘lost’ brands. I hope someone in the future builds a car replicator, like the thing they had in Star Trek (I think, I’m not much of a Trekkie).
Good morning to all keep up with the great videos
Thank you! Will do!
@@SteveMagnante yeah it's fun man
Steve if you watched'' What's My Line'' 50's show you can notice that Desoto was a great sponsor. 👍
I believe that the Lawrence Welk show was also sponsored by Desoto back in the late 50's or early 60's.
Hey! My dad has the same exact car sitting in his back yard. He bought in 1980 in Hollywood, California for $250. It had been in a front-end fender bender in the late 50's and parked for 20 years until the owner passed away.
Man even the four door sedans were cool in the 50s, this one even has a hood scoop!!! So cool!!!
Haha, my name is Marty but I'm not the guy needing the hubcap, but that was pretty cool!!!
Classic episode
The front end of that car is really awesome 😎
Always loved the DeSoto's. If you run out of content to showcase, think about doing a series on the drive train. There's a lot of nuances that were in the past with companies looking for ways to advance technology.. You hinted at it here with the semi-automatic tranny. I learn more about the past car companies here from what you do than I do on my own! Thanks.
Your videos are the best sir. Greetings from Reynosa,Mexico.
Hello Canelo, Thanks for watching and writing. Man, i wish I had some access to Mexican junkyards because - as you probably know - Mexico had lots of cars and trucks that were similar to U.S.-speck models BUT with little details that set them apart. Like I know the Super Bee nameplate lived on into the 1970's in Mexico where it was over and out after 1971. Also, many Mexican cars have Metric speedometers that read up to "200"...kilometers that is! I lived in Los Angels for 17 years and frequented the many self-serve auto dismantlers around L.A. and occasionally encountered mexican-market cars that were driven into the U.S. and junked here. They often had these interesting details and really opened my eyes to the fact that Mexican-built cars and trucks are like cousins to U.S. models but very different in certain ways. Please go scope out some Mexican Gold for me! Thanks again for writing, -Esteban Magnante
Another cool crawl, Steve! When you decide to work on the REMcharger, how about having Bernardston clearing off a
patch of dirt right next to the road. Then get some baggy pajamas and some sandals and rebuild your engine like they do
in 'Pakastani trucks'. Why not make it a real challenge! Just a thought! 🤔
Yup! you haven't lived life unless you have been laying on your back in the dirt, mud , rain or snow replacing a starter or a rotted out section of the brake line! Extra points for straddling a ditch or jumping a curb so you could get under the car because you didn't have a jack!
@@throckmorton8477 the epitome of shade tree, backyard mechanics.
That would be car-azy! Maybe work it into an episode of killroad backwards.
Is killroad backwards related to trend motor backwards? I think so! Sour grapes aside, I must give HUGE PROPS to Roadkill creator DAVID FREIBURGER. A 101-percent car dude! Thanks for watching and writing. -Steve Magnante
I can remember seeing those photos of the junkyard and we would open the hood and say wow it's Amy but then we say maybe someday we can find some of those 427 Fords...😮
Thanks Steve very informative
Thanks Steve for such another awesome wake up story about old cars I think this one would be worth saving
For sure it would make a cool rat rod! Checkout the progress on the Silent Malibu I saved from Steve’s video @neshpro6521
Honestly I'd fix it's needs and find that hemi.and leave it in AS FOUND condition.
@@samcraig3924 yep I plan on doing the same just let the rust show off!!!
Glad you enjoyed it
Love Mopars of this area . Where had some good ones from this area 👍🏻💯🇦🇺
Lookin' sharp Steve!! This is a great example of good ol' American steel! It's also depressing what is now the American auto situation? ✌️ from Iowa
My father dropped a 413, 727 and rear from a Imperial into a 56 Desoto wagon when the 6 broke. My mother went street racing with it on the way to A&P.
Oh those grill teeth! Would look good on my Merc!
That hood ornament would be killer a 60 Chevy Impala as a scoop for a brake cooler duct for the rear brakes.
Anybody else been here in the Christmas bells in the last few videos
You have a gift for making a ugly-ass rusted out hulk interesting! Great job of combining facts, trivia and editorializing.
Hi Steve, good video! Way back in the early 1950s and below, GM, Ford and Chrysler did not have interchangeable engines, components or parts with there other brands of there cars. You are correct in regards to a rear bolt on fender V.s. a welded on rear quarter panel. Bolt-on rear fenders where phased out in the 1950s, except for the VW Beetle, but in the mean time the the panel that the rear fender was bolted to was the quarter panel. You mentioned the first real Chrysler automatic was transmission was a TorqueFlite, (3 speed) not so, it was a PowerFlite, (2 speed) Please reply. Dave...
Good class room Steve thank you.
Glad you enjoyed it
What a beautiful front end that car has.
Good Sunday Morning - Mags Rusty Army !
My aunt and uncle had a giant Desoto with shark teeth and there next car was a little Dodge Dart.
Yep Mr C. from Happy Days drove a 48 De Soto wagon....try picking up chicks in that tank!
Loved this video!
Good video Steve on the DeSoto I learned a lot
Glad you enjoyed it
That grill reminds me of the buck tooth Buicks from that era..................
Loved the 60 Desotos you mentioned. Why? When I started building model kits, one of my early ones was the Johan 60 Desoto Adventurer USA oldies reissue and it was always a favourite. Still have never seen a '60 in real life...☹
Rudolph Dieselhead looking very scary this season lol!
I'd like to think there is someone out there looking for that DeSoto's firewall ;)
If you really would like to have one of these it seems like Joe out at the rust ranch and he's tied in with Mr Good pliers on his channel out in the middle of the country. I saw a very nice survivor but it did have a stuck engine. I'm not going to swear to the exact make and model but did have the hemi in it. As far as the shifter and parking brake on the drive line assembly. My old Chevy / GMC trucks a lot of them over the years have had that driveline parking brake. I find it interesting that there's one on the car maybe it's more prevalent than I ever knew. We were usually dropping V8 and whatever more late model transmissions we can get our hands on back in those days. I've got a 67 or 68 1 ton Chevy with the same basic gear selection. I think you mentioned it on one of your earlier episodes but it reverse and set the parking brake is how you parked it. As always I enjoy the peripheral information but you throw in with your vehicles. It always seems seamless
That's an M6 transmission. It's a 4spd. 4th gear is a direct drive. L is 1st and 2nd gear, D is 3rd and 4th gear. You can just leave it in Drive and start from a stop in 3rd gear. It's kinda of slug off the line in D. L will make it pull hard, but the shift from 1 to 2 is pretty damn slow. I know the New Yorkers cam with 3.43 gears. They go 70mph on the highway pretty drama free. I love it when you cover some of the earlier stuff.
Cool deal with the hubcap hookup! Now, a question, if I may. I was wondering if you (or another knowledgeable person here) could enlighten me as to how the semi-automatic transmission worked? Was the column selector gear changed using the clutch? Was the clutch use to shift from L to D? I guess that's two gears, then the third gear was a switch-activated overdrive?
I have read that you were meant to leave it in third and the overdrive kicked in when you let up on the gas. OD cars always came with a lower rear gear (higher numeric). The only difference was the “fluid coupling”. A clutch pedal was there with “safety clutch” embossed on the pad. Some prewar Packards had a similar setup.
I can remember seeing a lot of those cars in the junkyard and weed open the hood and say wow it's a hemi..... We always look under the Ford hoods hoping to find a 427 side oiler. 😅
Great car Steve
In my '49 DeSoto the transmission was called 'Touch-Toe' transmission.
Always enjoy your videos, Steve. I can't believe you do that all in one take ! Also, love going to Bernardston Auto Salvage. I've been buying parts from them for over 25 years. Are you aware that they also have a 52 Desoto (first year of the Desoto Hemi) with the engine intact ?
Just a couple of minor corrections. 1954 was the last year of the Desoto 6 cyl engine. Also, There were 11 teeth on the 53, not 10. One must've been removed from your featured car, probably to complete a restoration.
I am completely shocked that that teeth grill is still in that car. Also that hood would look nice grafted on a lead sled Merc
Love it MOPAR old school or no car 👍🏻
Would love to drive this car. Don't care about the number of doors. Cool is cool
6:17 The deer and his onterage sleighs me.
Oh dear....-Steve Magnante
Surprised those grill teeth are still there. 🦌🦌
That’s a Redstone booster in the brochure.
Steve,
In a way, this 'Tip-Toe' transmission reminds me of the 'Torque Drive' transmission Chevy had from '68-'71. Seemed like it was Detroit's way of offering the convenience of an automatic without the full price tag of one. Basically the transmission does most of the work, but you gotta chip in too! I've yet to see a Torque Drive in a Chevy from that time period, and the same could be said of the Tip-Toe. Fascinating stuff!
All 46 - 52, and most 1953, Chryslers, and most 46 - 53 DeSotos, and most 1949 - 53 Dodges had this semi automatic. Chrysler called it Prest Matic starting 1949, DeSoto called it Tip Toe Shift, and Dodge called it Gyromatic. These were all itinerations of Chrysler's Fluid Drive setup.
Oh so many parts still good,,great video
Thanks for the visit
I always go from Steve to watching Merc Benz King. So cool to see and learn. Junkyard digs needs its own show at this point people would pay money to take classes and learn about these vehicles and you could do it remotely.
Where is today's upload? Life is too short not to get a junkyard crawl video!! Hope all is well Steve and Shane!!
Love the show Steve but what’s gona happen when the snow hits New England?
Many a DeSoto of this vintage gave its grille to a '50 Merc hotrod.
That transmission was a clever adaptation of existing parts. Overdrive kicked in when you let up on the gas, giving you a sort of “2 speed powerglide” effect. I believe it always started out in 3rd non OD.
The “fluid coupling” was NOT a “torque converter”. I believe GM held the patent on those.
Rode in one to church in the Fifties, ya dig? I’m older than dirt and expect to return to it!
Cool beans, Buttinski
Is Buttinski a polish name?
@@joshuagibson2520 Ukrainian
Coolest grill ever!
Steel bumpers, steel hoods, and steel grills. Cars were built to be durable and pedestrians were expendable. I bet a lot more people would look both ways before crossing 6 lanes of traffic instead of staring mindlessly at their phones if cars were still built like this
Didn't the Fonz hop up the Cuttingham`s DeSoto in one episode of Happy Days?
4:40 Is that the exhaust pipe poking out of the body on the lower right rear just above the bumper?
That’s really cool 😎
Steve has no reluctance sticking his fingers in the air scoop! A true junkyard enthusiast has no fear of things that fly, slither or sting! Wondering if that’s the original license plate under that hubcap..
Hello dave zul, I get pretty "brave" in the winter. BUT make it the middle of summer and I make sure I'm not about to punch a hole in a basketball-sized hornet's nest! I came close a time or two! But again, most of the creepy crawlies slumber when it gets cold. Thanks again for watching and writing. -Steve Magnante
So true... when you open the door of a car that’s been in the yard since the ‘60s or ‘70s and it sounds like a newspaper ripping... that’s no newspaper! Awesome work, many thanks!
-57 was the last year for the DeSoto hemi, Chrysler used their hemi through the -58 model year.
Long LivE Rudolph!!!
My great grandfather always said a dodge won’t start if it come a heavy dew or Rain
The Salt Must Flow 🧂 Reeeeeeeee
I love 💗 the CHRISTMAS BELLS 🔔
My favorite grill ornament. I know one of John wards icon derelict series had a similar grill , with one gold tooth .....art Morrison chassis, Corvette ls7, perfect interior and patina.....could be slick
That deer is always freaked out man
Sounds great!
Unusual to see a junk car with those nice grab handles on the back of the seat. They were mostly used up for garage doors.
I once was in a Desoto