1951 Desoto Custom -

1951 DeSoto CUSTOM DELUXE Description

1951 Desoto Custom Sedan - SURVIVOR
33,000 Original Miles, unrestored
Unfortunately I have decided to part ways with my 1951 Desoto Custom Sedan after 5 years of ownership. The reason for the sale is due to lack of usage, this car does not have seatbelts and with children, it has been relegated to short neighborhood rides with the dogs.
These cars are very rare even in Sedan form, many were used, abused and destroyed for their famous front grills. I am an avid Mopar collector and had to have this car just based on it's originality and paperwork when I acquired it 5 years ago.
I am the 3rd Owner, and it was purchased new in New Mexico (see documents) You can see in the paperwork that the original owner made this car a radio delete, however it still has an antenna and I have since acquired and NOS radio that I will happily include in the auction incase the next owner would like to install it. This car was garaged it's entire life and other than a dent on the trunk lid (see pics) is as original and perfect as a 68 year old car can be.
I am a private collector and not a dealer, only selling due to lack of use
Body: Original Paint (Not perfect, see pics, it's a 68 year old single stage finish, I use paint lubricant to make it shine, otherwise it's a satin finish due to age) There is a dent on the trunk lid, I have been told that paintless dent repair could be used, but I personally think it adds to the natural patina. Several trim pieces / moldings are not flush with the fenders, agai, it's an original car and I wanted to leave well enough alone
The paint is thin, so I never wax it, only lubicate it with Gibbs every 6 months. If you are looking for a show car paint finish, this is not Desoto you want. Please review the picture, I can always send more of specific areas.
Undercarriage: superficial surface rust, no rot, see pics. Frame is solid
Engine: has never been rebuilt, over my 5 year ownership, I only use Joe Gibbs 15w50 High Zinc oil with yearly changes, I would say it leaves a few droplets of oil in the garage every month, Carb and radiator flushed 4 years ago. I have never overheated in this car, however that being said, you have to plan accordingly, I own many vintage cars and try to avoid bumper to bumper traffic. Older vehicles without electric cooling fans don't like to sit still in warm weather.This flat head is the smoothest engine I have ever driving, many times I don't know if the car is even on until I hit the gas. I have included links to cold start and driving videos.
Head Lights: Original headlights, $500 each if you can find them
Heater: original heater, will melt all passengers in 10 minutes
Transmission: Fluid drive, it was serviced with oil 5 years ago, shifts with no issues.
Suspension is original. Springs/shocks are original, still floats down the road with no issues
Brakes are drums all around, new shoes 4 years ago, stops great but this is not a track day car, for early morning cruising the brakes more than adequate
Interior : Front Bench seat bottom is torn, loosely covered with vinyl, the driver back is also torn (see pic) . Rear seat is Mint. The original material to recover the front seat is available but for my ownership I decided to leave it original, again up to the next caretaker to decide.Every bit of this interior is original from the headliner to the carpet, I could not bring myself to install seatbelts for fear of tearing original trim pieces in the process
Gauges: all gauges work, gauge lights,interior lights, see pics.
Dash: mint conditio, has not been refinished.
Steering Wheel: Mint condition, see pic, the Turn signalstalk is broken off thecolumn, however you can still use the base of the switch to activatethe indicator (see pic)
Vintage Plates Not included
Videos:
Walk around
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=f7rWI9XZqgI&t=27s
Driving
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=W3qUFY10st4
Night Driving
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=geVYMy4ZbUE
This car is for sale locally and this auction can end at any time.
No warranty.
If you're local, please come and take a look. I bought it sight unseen and have been thrilled through my ownership
All checks must be cleared before title / car are transferred
$500 non refundable deposit within 48 hours of purchase
Shipping: I can assist with shipping at the the buyer's cost. I trust this car for travel, it has never let me down, however there are no seatbelts and it's running on bias ply tires, much safer to transport over a long distance