And you thought that huge bumpers were a 1970s thing. This 1949 DeSoto Custom Club Coupe has a pair of huge bumpers, but that just protects this beautiful design, so there’s nothing wrong with that. This Colorado barn find is now in Naples, Florida, and can be found listed here on eBay. The seller is asking $11,995 or you can make an offer.
I don’t know if anyone else is thinking of how fun it would be to spend a weekend polishing this beautiful Salvador Blue car, that oxidized paint is just crying out for some love after so many decades of being hidden away. The seller says that they found this car in a Colorado barn and the last time it was driven was in 1966! They bought it at an estate sale in 2019, moved it to a storage building in Nebraska, and finally shipped it to their house in Florida.
They have three other vintage cars in the process of being restored so it’s either sell this one or set it aside for a while, which is why it’s listed on eBay. The Custom trim level was the top pick in this era, with the DeLuxe just under that. This car still has the rare side window rain deflectors and the seller says that it’s all original, totally complete, and rust-free. I know, does it get any better than that? This car originally would have had “low-pressure super-cushion tires”, and these look original, but can they still be from 1949? Probably not.
Well, it actually does get better, as this car is at a shop right now getting the brake system and fuel system rebuilt so it’ll be a running, driving, and stopping car. All for $11,995? Not bad, as Hagerty is at $16,500 for a #3 good-condition car. The interior looks nice overall, with some normal wear on the armrests and seat fabric. As a Club Coupe, this one has a usable back seat, which is sort of visible, but not really, in this photo. We don’t get a full photo of the back seat, but I have to believe that it’s in nice shape. The Custom came standard with DeSoto’s “Tip-Toe Hydraulic Shift” Fluid-Drive transmission, so a clutch was involved but it wasn’t a full-on manual.
Thankfully, they did include an engine photo! One afternoon detailing this engine compartment would make a huge difference. It should be a Chrysler-sourced 237-cu.in. L-head inline-six, which would have had 112 horsepower and 195 lb-ft of torque when new. The seller had it “purring like a kitten” while running off of an auxiliary gas can, but it’s currently getting the 16-gallon gas tank and lines repaired/refreshed so it should be a usable, drivable car again. I hope that the keep-original-and-maintain votes are more than the restore-and/or-restomod votes on this one! How would you vote?
I’d put an old hemi on it
Wondering how tip toe works. Clutch to get it moving and then it shifts itself? I know more than one person on this site will know
I’m sure there are people with better knowledge than what I have, but this is what I remember. You have what is basically a regular 4-speed gearbox and clutch, but then there’s also a torque converter and a hydraulic function that shifts between 1-2 and 3-4. So you start using the clutch putting it in first. Then as you lift the throttle it will automatically shift to second. Then again you use the clutch moving the shift lever to the high side going to 3rd, and then it will shift automatically between 3rd and 4th.
The closest I’ve had was a -53 Fiat 1900 that had a column shifted 5-speed tranny and both clutch and torque converter. You could essentially select say 3rd gear and then drive all day just like an automatic just using throttle and brake. It would surely not accelerate quickly from traffic lights but if in no hurry it worked well. I think this DeSoto is similar that once you got to the 3-4 gears you could stay there as long as you were not rushed to accelerate from stops.
The clutch is only needed to shift to reverse or neutral normally. The car starts off in second gear and shifts to third (high gear) around 30 MPH when you momentarily lift your foot from the accelerator. It actually has two forward positions. The first shifts between 1st and 2nd, while the other uses 2nd and 3rd for normal stop and go driving. Worked well and fairly trouble free.
BF: “All for $11,995? Not bad, as Hagerty is at $16,500 for a #3 good-condition car.”
This looks more like a Hagerty No.4 (fair condition) not No. 3 to me. So $10,900 on the Hagerty value scale. Still not too bad, if you like these lackluster Keller-era cars, but values for these are going down, not up, per Hagerty, so getting your resto/refurb money back could be a challenge.
You’re 100% right, tiger66 – I was thinking that if a person had to sink two or three thousand into it they wouldn’t be above the #3 value, not that it was at that value in its current condition. This is a classic men-wearing-hats-era Keller car with that high greenhouse, isn’t it? I really like this one for some reason.
My father had one of these cars. I doubt that he ever used the 1-2 position.
He would step on the clutch to put the lever in the 3-4 position and that was where t stayed. Accelerate, take foot off accelerator ad wait for a faint click, and voila, you were in 4th. For passing another car, floor the accelerator and the transmission down shifted to 3rd gear.
Much closer to a #4 than a 3. I agree the price it way too high. Might bring 7k on a good day. I would be interested at 5k. The tip toe shift is a handicap not a plus. A 3sp with overdrive would be nice. I wish them the best.
I am partial to these DeSotos and I had a1950 Sedan for most of the 1990’s. That grill is a real eye catcher and the light up hood ornament is definitely delightful and delovely! Fluid Drive was a semi automatic and all you really needed the clutch for was to move the column mounted shifter between forward and reverse. Normal operation was to move the shifter into the first gear position that would be in the same location as a conventional manual transmission by depressing the”safety clutch”. Once you let the clutch out you accelerated to about 15-20 mph and then lifted your foot off the gas pedal and the transmission would shift automatically to high gear. You would actually hear a little “clunk” as the transmission shifted itself into high gear. No need to move the shifter or depress the clutch on stopping. The fluid coupling would allow the transmission to remain in gear while stopped without stalling the engine. This system wasn’t the fastest but it worked as intended and was reasonably reliable. These are comfortable nice riding cars. They have reasonable stopping power as there’s two wheel cylinders for each wheel’s brakes. I could cruise my DeSoto at freeway speeds for hours. They are solid and well built cars and whoever buys this will be pleasantly rewarded. I’d be all over this if I had indoor storage for it. From my view this is a good buy.
I would think its pretty rare to find a high line coupe , it seems most of these were 4 door models and most of the survivors seem to be base models. While it still has the stodgy body style that Chrysler products used , in a coupe it looks much better.
I’ve got a 54 Coronado and it’s built like a tank! Hemi and Powerflite. I’d be all over this if I had a place to put it.
This one is definitely worth restoring and would make a nice daily driver that would be out of the ordinary. Price is not too bad either, for what you are getting.
I agree with Carbob, the grille and hood ornament are attention-getters. I love DeSotos and all “orphan” makes. If this thing wasn’t across the country from me I’d be making an offfer.
A very clean, original Desoto and he’s asking a fair price for this one that can be enjoyed as is. It would be sharp restored back to its original color. Great find
Hagglety condition and value guide is mediocre, this gem looks good and is in the ballpark price wise with today’s toilet paper money , if the buyer lives in Florida, they’ll need that Hemi to keep up with traffic, some cosmetic work and for $15k or less, nice cruiser.
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These cars can be driven in 3rd and 4th all day. My father had one that he drove all over the country, and I doubt if he ever used 1st and 2nd.
I have a beautiful black club coupe 1948 DeSoto thanks to barn finds April 2020. Prior to discovering this car on barn finds. I had thought that these were out of my price range because they were so beautiful. Short of it is saw it on this website. Contacted the owner about the listing on eBay which was just within an hour or so from where I live and today, nearly 2 and 1/2 years later. I’m loving this car so much. I can’t go anywhere without people stopping me to ask me questions. Absolutely love this car!
Mr. Sheiner, I just saw your drop-dead gorgeous black 1948 Club Coupe that you bought a couple of years ago (https://barnfinds.com/bf-classified-magnificent-1948-desoto-club-coupe/), and wow, that’s as nice as it gets!
As far as it being a DeLuxe or Custom, a Custom would have had “Custom” badges on each side of the hood. Otherwise, it’s hard to tell, as they also came with a “plastic steering wheel, foam rubber seat cushions, and tailored front carpets”, as per the Wild About Cars website.
http://wildaboutcarsonline.com/cgi-bin/pub9990262549620.cgi?itemid=9990495561783&&searchword=1948%20desoto&categoryid=9990262549620&onebyonesearch=1&action=viewad&page=1&placeonpage=2&totaldisplayed=30&categoryid=9970488665846
Congratulations on owning such a beautiful classic car, I hope you enjoy it for decades to come!
Thank you for your kind words about my car. It is indeed a “Custom” as show by badging on the driver side below the spotlight/sideview mirror.
https://1drv.ms/u/s!ApZsEQos9gumumtyANziXuGfSdtx?e=9DS1qg
The seller is asking, IMO a very fair price for this Desoto in its current condition. Maybe 25 years ago you may have snagged a gem like this one for $3500. Those days are no more. This Old gal can be bought and enjoyed right away for what I think is a fair price. You’ll be turning heads at every local car show.