- Seller: Pull A Part
- Location: Lithonia, Georgia
- Mileage: 111,111 Shown
- Chassis #: 5934817
- Title Status: Clean
I’m always ready to tip my proverbial cap to anyone who is willing to put in some extra effort to save a car or find it a better situation. We’ve all bemoaned the salvage yards that clear out their vintage inventory by making a date with the mobile crusher, and we’ve all felt helpless knowing that there could have been one more part to buy, one more car to rescue. The folks at Pull-A-Part in Lithonia, Georgia, could have taken the easy way out with this ’48 DeSoto Custom, but they decided to post it here on Barn Finds Auctions with no reserve in an effort to find it a good home.
Although this ’48 Custom Club Coupe would make an excellent parts car, I hope someone decides to revive it, whether it is in the form of a ratty driver or something a little better. It will take a lot of work, but the seller says that the body is in good overall shape. It would be fun to spend a day knocking down the surface rust with a scuffing pad and some Comet, just to see how the DeSoto looks after lavishing a little elbow grease on it. Wipe on clearcoats are in vogue these days, so that’s always a potential avenue when you’re done (although it may need a right rear fender).
The engine is a 236-cubic-inch DeSoto six cylinder, which was rated at 109 horsepower. It appears to still have the old Ball and Ball EV-series carburetor, and parts for those are readily available online. Odds are that this old flathead six hasn’t run for some time, so you may have a “will it run” project of your own on your hands; you can emulate your favorite YouTube personalities and have a good time in the garage. It may not be a terrible idea to pull the head and check that the valves are not stuck; additionally, these DeSotos have solid lifters, so an adjustment check might not be a bad idea either. A three-speed manual transmission was standard, with “Fluid Drive” a $121 option (the seller hasn’t mentioned if this car has it or not).
Yes, the interior has seen some stuff, such as mice. Probably a lot of them.
There’s a lot of fun to be had with an inexpensive old car. You could buy this DeSoto as a family project and just drive it around the back forty once you get it running. Otherwise, this is clearly an ambitious project or a parts car, but we’ve featured a good number of 1946 to 1948 Chrysler products here on Barn Finds, which says something about their quality construction and long-lasting durability. I think we can all thank the seller for giving this old car a chance. There’s no reserve, so bid now!
Bid On This Auction
James Powell bid $300.00 2025-03-19 16:15:46
back in 1951, on a hot day, even with the windows rolled down, my dad put a pound of butter that was carefully wrapped to keep it insulated and placed it under the front seat of our 48 DeSoto “protecting” it from sunlight and heat. The hour long drive on that hot day was more than the butter could handle. It melted and over a few weeks the remnants of what had been butter became something that smelled like some kind of wild cheese. The odor lasted until joy riders hot wired and stole the DeSoto in 1956. The smell must have been more than they could handle as the car was found on a local island stopped in front of a tree. Oh, by the way, the brakes weren’t in too good of shape when they took it either. Wonder if this coupe smells like old cheese?
Current bid is $100 bucks so you’re gettin’ this thing for nothin’. Stick a wrench on the crank and see if the engine turns even a little, hopefully yes. Then get out the shop-vac and an air hose ( and a dust mask) and get after it,see what’s left inside. Next is a bucket of suds and see what’s left of the outside. All this is more than most are willing to do. Then there’s all new wheel and master cylinders, brake and fuel lines, clean the radiator and fuel tank, hoeses belt battery tires and a seat cover. That’s a lot of work, lot of money, but you didn’t give anything for it to start with and if you don’t run into any major issues you’ve got something neat and fun to ride around in!
I’m with you. I like old cars with a little crust. Make it a driver. Something you can enjoy. Smile, roll the windows down, and let the wind blow through your hair. Elbow grease, time and effort are required. But it could be fun and rewarding for the right person. H
It’s not a cheap car considering it has a $500 buyers premium.
Yikes! I took my drivers test at 17 in that exact model and with fluid drive. Thank God the inspector never made me do parallel parking. And, yeah, in case you’re wondering, I’m an old fart. 84.
It has fluid drive. You can see the fluid drive emblem just below the DeSoto emblem above the grill on the driver’s side of the car.
The toothy grille would make even Buicks of the era demur!
This yard is a few miles from where I lived until two months ago and I would go looking there occasionally. They had an area where they put a few of the older vehicles that were brought in. One of the guys on the Dodge truck forum, Sweptline.com, was searching for some rare parts and had been searching for a long time. I happened to spot what he was searching for. I confirmed that he would pay shipping if I removed them and packed them up, so I did. He was extremely happy and I was too knowing that I had helped preserve a rare truck.
The grilles on these always remind me of the early (not foil) electric shavers. If I ever bought a Mopar, it would be a Desoto from this era.
I know it’s a different car but when I saw the front end I immediately thought of Howard Cunningham on Happy Days. The man loved his Desoto :)