We hope each and every one of you is doing well and staying healthy during the current pandemic. An important part of staying healthy, both physically and mentally, is getting out and moving as much as you can. So, we were glad to hear that reader Mike N has been getting out for walks to stay active. And as an added bonus, he walks past this derelict classic. He hasn’t been able to figure out what it is and it’s been driving him nuts, so he thought he’d send us some photos and see if we could identify it. So, take a look and let him know down in the comments what you think it is.
So, 50 points to anyone that can guess the year, make, and model without looking it up! Those of you that have keen memories and have been following the site for a few years, might have a bit of an advantage, but I think this one will still be a good challenge. Our thanks to Mike for sharing his sighting with us!
While we want to encourage everyone to keep practicing social distancing, be sure to get out and stretch those legs. Oh and don’t forget to send us any interesting finds you might come across! You can send your photos to us via mail@barnfinds.com.
1950 DeSoto?
1951De Soto Custom or Deluxe…
1951 DeSoto Traveller — A Limo length sedan with a pass-through from the trunk to the passenger compartment. The barely noticeable luggage rack on the roof is a giveaway. Often used by hotels and resorts.
Chrysler made a similar model long wheelbase Windsor called a Suburban.
Best guess, 1951 DeSoto Deluxe, appears to be missing the famous DeSoto hood ornament.
My guess also. Early 50’s Desoto. The grille is a give away
yup
Gonna have to try harder than that. I knew right away it was a DeSoto, years I’m not too sure about, but probably has the flathead in line 6, and maybe that funky ” fluid drive”, but not a hemi, that, I believe came in ’53. In it’s day, I bet this was a nice car.
The first hemi engine for De Soto was 1952 first how many for a Chrysler was 1951. I learned to drive on a 1952 De Soto hemi engine fluid drive transmission that car looks like a 19
Its definitely a early ’50s DeSoto, but take a look at the back and the roof rack. Mike told me it looks like a Limo. So I’m thinking this one is a Suburban! Thoughts?
Bingo, now, how do we split the points?
https://www.allpar.com/cars/desoto/suburban-1951.html
very interesting reading.
+1 to C5’s comment.
Great Link!
That was a fascinating read!
It’s most likely a ’52 DeSoto. Definitely not 1950, could be a ’51. That grill was used on ’51 and ’52 models only. They brought out a new body shell in ’53, but some late ’52 models got titled as ’53s.
I agree it is a ’52 DeSoto. As for the model, I’ll say Firedome, although I’m not sure they used Firedome and Fireflight back then.
’52’s had a hood scoop. I had one.
It’s clearly a 1951, you can tell by the tail lights.
This is fun and could be a new feature. Not to upstage you, Josh, but can anyone name this ultra heavy duty truck?
Oshkosh?
My first antique car at 15 a 53 desoto but def not exact !
Toothy grin!
J-
J-
Aaaarrrrgh! ‘ Makes me feel old. When I was 15, ’53 DeSotos were two years old!
It’s not ultra heavy duty, just a two-ton 4×4 International.
I have a tougher challenge…as I’ve been rooting through a bunch of CB magazines from the mid Sixties there are many photos of dashboards with rigs hung beneath them. One was an early Corvair, another a 66 Oldsmobile.
If the sitemeisters are up for it the magazines can be found at americanradiohistory.com.
One photo I saved has a new Hy-Gain antenna mounted on the trunk lid of a 1968 Charger R/T. Can’t tell if it’s a rotbox or numbers matching but it looked pretty good.
1937 Chevvy Maple Leaf
Power wagon
It’s an old metal tractor seat.
I think it’s a ‘52 DeSoto.
Diamond T ?
Kenworth.
Maybe a White?
I’ll go with White too.
I believe it’s an International, probably late 40’s to early 50’s
I’m thinking 1950 Desoto. My Dad had a 1950 Plymouth and they look very similar except for the toothy grille on the Desoto.
On the truck, I’m going to guess Diamond T.
The DeSoto is a ‘51: the rounded hood is 51-2 and the taillights are 50-51 so…
1952 DeSoto Suburban
This is a 1953 DeSoto 4 door Sedan Deluxe.
Where do you get parts for old semi’s like the one pictured here?
You don’t see old trucks on the highway. I would imagine there is a group of truck restorers that know of how to put them back on the road.
It’s a dump truck. And yes there is.
https://aths.org/
Why do fools get such a kick out of busting windows?
They’re lucky I’ve never caught them because there would be some real sorry vandals.
1953
Front axle looks like 4WD? Walter Sno-Fighter?
I think Wheeler Dealer’s did an episode on a DeSoto like this but it was the car version. I think it had the same toothy grin, though.
Funny, I thought the grille was from a Mercury. And my family had a DeSoto Suburban brand new! A great car-
It’s a 1951 look at the tail lghts
I think it’s an International.
53 desoto firedome
1951 DeSoto.
Yep. ’51.
51 or 52 DeSota Deluxe
What ever it is, it has a ’49 to ’51 Mercury grille… oh wait… most of the Mercurys have that grille… oh wait… Maybe they came from… oh wait… what were we talking about? Oh yeah… a big ol’ un-identified truck… I sure am glad I don’t have A.D.D. … oh look, a squirrel!
Desoto,1954, There is another one located on a farm in Laurel Delaware You can see it from Rt. 13 north it’s a 4 door. if someone buys it and needs parts. One in De has glass but a damaged rear door on the drivers side.
54’s have a one piece curved windshield and different grille
1951 DeSoto Custom?
Looks like the car from happy days.
looks like a 53 Merc from the front but the back SCREAMS 49-52 Plymouth
I was gonna say ’52, because my grandpa’s ’53 had a one-piece windshield. But I’m pretty sure the ’51 consensus has it right.
That was my first automatic drive, and probably my biggest early car as well. The phrase “Sitting in the living room and driving the house” kept coming to mind …
The Desoto limo was probably a NY taxi cab. The roof rack was a very common feature on these long wheelbase taxis.
The truck looks like a Diamond T.
51 Desoto limousine
Steve,
I’ve done a lot of investigating of the NYC taxicabs over the years, and I am familiar with the Taxicab Commission requirements and regulations.
Back then DeSoto ruled the NYC taxicab world, as they were willing to use the Chrysler Windsor 7-passenger body with the small DeSoto 6-cylinder engine.
While DeSoto did offer the “Traveler” with the roof rack, often used by hotels and resorts, the NYC regulations for taxicabs forbid roof racks, instead allowing the cars to have folding rear trunk racks.
So this is not a NYC Taxicab.
Howard,it looks like a 30’s Indiana.
Got to wonder how many California ’49 and ’50 Mercs are still running around with DeSoto grills. Victor on Custom Garage has a ’50 or’51 custom Merc tail dragger convertible with this grill in it. The grill looks huge, even on a car as big as the Merc.
Yawn, waking up , WOW, I didn’t mean to derail the thread. The truck pictured, ( leaning forward with anticipation),,,is a 1946(ish )Marmon-Herrington. It’s a stout mother. It is located near me in a freight yard and appeared to be a CDOT highway truck. It had no name badges, but the vin. tag confirmed it is a M-H model MH555. Thanks to all that tried, anyone else got one?
https://www.pinterest.com/pin/344384702754358284/
Marmon – Herrington did not manufacture trucks, they modified trucks for specific purposes. Still need to know what the base truck is.
You may be thinking of the Marmon-Herrington 4×4 Ford conversions. M-H did indeed build cars, trucks, and FWD( I believe) parcel vans. They offered a tank for WW2, but was rejected. After the war, the heavy truck market faded and they concentrated on 4×4 conversions.
Upon further review, M-H looks to be the likely choice. It’s not an Oshkosh. They had their name across the top of the radiator shell. It’s not an FWD. They had a larger grill.
52 Desoto Deluxe
1952 Desoto Deluxe
FOR SURE, it’s a 1951 DeSoto Suburban….A suburban because of the luggage rack, and a ’51 because of the tail lights. The ’52 six cylinder cars did NOT have the hood scoop, but they had taillights without the crosspieces of chrome. The reader who said the trunk passes through to the interior is right. These long wheelbase cars with suicide rear dorors had 2 regular bench seats, and a smaller, but ‘full width’ 3rd seat which could fold down, and with the 2nd seat (on tracks) moved all the way forward against the back of the front seat, you had about 6 ft clear space..all-wood floor with chrome strips running its length. Heavy for that 6 cylinder engine, but our ’47 Suburban pulled a 21 ft trailer.
51 DeSoto – – – my mother had one – – -I parted one out when I was customizing my 51 Chevy 2 dr and used the grille teeth and the tail lights on the Chevy. Not my mothers though one that was in a salvage yard.
Sold the Chevy after all the Frenched headlights and custom interior.
Bought a 42 Mercury 4 dr. all original 35k mile car. and on and on – – –
hi is the Black 1961 desoto still avaiebly??:Arne
Huh??
1949 mercury
DeSoto Tail Lights