If you are on the search for an early 1950s Dodge or DeSoto project car, then this might just be the place to look. The owner of this collection of six vehicles has decided to clear the lot and is asking $1,500 each for the vehicles. This would be a chance to pick through a number of cars, and to secure the best prospect for your project. The collection is located in Clarkston, Washington, and listed for sale here on Craigslist. I have to say a big thank you to Barn Finder Matt R for spotting this collection for us.
It appears that in this collection we get three cars of each make. All of the cars wear a healthy coating of surface corrosion, but all of the bodies look to be surprisingly solid. The owner doesn’t provide any information about the floors and frames of any of the vehicles, and the information that he does supply is pretty generalized. So the reality is that these are vehicles that will really need a personal inspection to determine their condition. Apart from appearing to be solid, they all seem to be fairly complete. There are one or two little trim pieces missing, but otherwise, the trim all looks suitable to be restored, while the glass in all vehicles appears to be present and in good condition.
The DeSotos all have one thing in common, and that is that they are all fitted with 276ci Hemi V8 engines. It looks like the collection includes a pair of 1952 Firedomes and a single 1953 model. What isn’t clear is what transmissions are fitted to the vehicles, but once again, it does appear that the vehicles are at least intact mechanically.
As with the DeSotos, the Dodges are all fitted with the same engines. In this case, what you get is what I believe is a 230ci flathead straight-six engine. Once again, transmissions are an unknown. Also in a similar vein to the DeSotos, it looks like the Dodges are spread over two separate model years. It looks like there is a single 1950 Coronet, and a pair of 1951 model Coronets. In a further parallel with the DeSotos, they all seem to be mechanically complete. The frustration with all of the cars as there is no indication of the condition of any of the engines, so once again, it will all come down to personal inspection to determine this.
I won’t say that opportunities to pick a single project car from a collection are rare, but they do happen from time to time. For a person who is looking for a project car, this is a chance to pick through a collection and to choose the car that best suits their particular needs. It’s also a chance to secure a project car at an affordable price. That’s the combination that makes this slightly unusual.
This is cool, yet sad, in a way. Cool, that someone clearly had a passion for these types of cars, enough to gather several, and sadly now, it’s over. Never did anything with them and nobody is going to want this stuff. Unless someone shares the same passion, which isn’t likely today, these cars aren’t going anywhere, except to the shredder. Somebody might yank the hemi’s for a rat rod, but cars like this have to be nice for an attraction, and I doubt many today want pour thousands of dollars into an old DeSoto or Dodge to fix up.
On the other hand ( there’s always another hand dontcha know) ……..this is the perfect place for a youngun to pick up a car at a reasonable price and spend the rest of their days tinkering with it. I would take the ’52? De Soto? hardtop.
In a country of 300 million people there HAS to be some kids bitten by the bug…..Lord, I hope so.
Crickets chirping,,,
You’d have to yank the I-phone out of Junior’s hands first. Then get redy for him to ask the same question 3 different times.
“As we rolled down the long and winding Interstate in a 53 DeSota
We’re gonna see the biggest ball of twine in Minnesota”
I can see a Hemi-powered restomod eating up highway with the grandkids in the back, pickled wieners and empty YooHoo bottles rolling around the floor…
My second car (before I was old enough to get a drivers license) was a 53 DeSoto with a Firedome 276 hemi and fluid drive trans. I wish many times I still had that car so to restomod, so this article caught my attention. Sadly the De’s are all 4 door – mine was a 2 door.
The 2 door hardtop is a Dodge. In December of 1950, my Father bought a new 1951 Dodge Wayfarer Convertible. In 1955, a red light runner totaled it ,and it was replaced with a 1951 Dodge 2 door hardtop Diplomat. I recognize the 3 piece rear window. The Wayfarer had 3 speed manual with fluid drive.The Diplomat had a Gyromatic semi automatic, making it as slow as a city bus.
I was told when I looked them over 5 years ago that they were not for sale.
I’m not certain, but I think that the newest Desoto is a 54, not a 53. The 53 Chrysler had 2 chrome bars on the rear window (3 pieces of glass) while the 54 had a single window. I think the Desoto paralleled the Chrysler in that regard, but am not sure. Perhaps someone on BF knows the answer.
Being in Eastern WA, Cancer shouldn’t be a huge issue with these cars. They are not something fully restore and expect to even break even on. These are cars to fix up take to a local show and drive not to restore to concurs condition , they never were that kind of car.
Back when I was around 12 years old my father had a used 52 Dodge coupe with that ridiculous gyromatic. After he crashed it one night into a guardrail, pounded out the dents, left the front bumper off, used it for a couple more months, then gave it to me.
As a project, and how I loved convertibles, together we cut the top off of it. I also cut the steering wheel ala Buck Rogers. (Not a good idea as it didn’t have power steering) Painted large flowers all over it (flower power 1965) and drove it all over our farm and private road for awhile.
Parts cars.
Except for coupe.
These cars were tougher than farm tractors.
My Dad used one as a log skidder
These would all have been desirable cars for taxi’s, especially the six cylinder ones. These were known to go a million miles as taxi’s because of there simplicity and durability. These engines are low compression strokers that didn’t have a bunch of horse power but did have a lot of tourque. They could lumber around at 1500 rpm all day long and never over heat. These engines also had a full pressure oiling system and shell type bearings. So well built were these engines that they were still being produced long after Chrysler Corp was putting them into cars. They were reliable industrial engines after 1959. Unfortunately Howard’s right nobody wants them, which is a shame as they are fantastic cars. Thats the way it goes is if they were 2 door cars they might have a chance but not these old 4 door cars. Brakes are more problematic on these older cars with cylinders rusting out on the inside and leaking. And manually adjusting brakes are not well understood these days and are often not set correctly. I’m a big fan of this era of Mopars and kind of wish I had the means to rescue these cars, but as a city dweller I have room for only one project car which is my 1951 dodge Mayfair 2 door hardtop. Nice find though.
Ship them to Cuba, they still use these as taxis with Perkins diesels in them.
This article caught my eye because my family lived in Clarkston, Wa. for over 40 years, and our last house in the Clarkston Heights is about two blocks from this location. I wish Bill all the luck in selling these things, but in the words of one of my wife’s nephew/collector–“the first thing an advertised car needs is DESIRABILITY”. IMO, unless someone wants to take chance on a vintage Hemi, these things are nearly worthless. I really do hope Bill finds a buyer, but don’t see anywhere near $1500 for any of them. Hope I’m 100% wrong–
locally there are 3 Desotos for sale, 2 are 1949, one is 1951, all run and drive, one is a 30,000 mile survivor that is in truly beautiful shape, its been for sale now for over 2 years with an asking price of 9.000.00 its a 4 door sedan, no takers, there is also a 2 door door that is a very nice, clean car, runs/drives, asking $7500.00 again no takers, and there is a 1951 4 door that some one “RESTORED”…… it has a cheap paint job and poorly done interior, it is a usable car as it sits, price is 5500.00 i dont see any one spending thousands of dollars restoring any one of these that are shown for sale, but they would make a good rat rod, or fun driver if you didnt have to dump tons of cash into them. I have a 1954 Imperial limo that i SAVED last year, 331 hemi, 4 bbl, dual exhaust car, that runs/drives, it was $2000.00 and i regret the purchase now as it is costing me so much for parts and repairs. Sad, these were such good cars when new and they lasted forever if properly maintained and stored, but the cost to really restore one is 10 times its actual worth. I hope some one buys them and just makes running drivers out of them.