Hi everyone, I picked up a '59 Desoto Firedome 4 dr sedan that was pretty rough but I'd like to make a mild 60's style custom out of it. The original frame on the car is toast plus it needs new brakes, leaf springs, bushings, etc. so now's the time for some modern amenities! Does anyone know of a somewhat modern frame that would make a good candidate for a swap? Thanks in advance for your replies! Lisa
None of them work as well as the origial does. It's just C-channel in the back where they all tend to rot, not hard to fabricate.
What he said......................The real killer on those frames, (in my mind), would be where the torsion bars mount, if that area was bad rotten......
Mine is rotted from the spring perch just before the kick up back (bumper fell off because both rails are so rotten) and it's rotten through where the steering box is mounted. It is also deeply pitted in the same place on the other (pass) side.
If the frame is that rotten hows the body? Panels arent exactly easy to get for a 59 Desoto. Anything can be fixed but i have to wonder if it wouldnt be better to start with a more solid car.
The rusted parts of the car have been replaced with new sheet metal. Besides the frame, I'll replace the decklid, quarters and the tailpanel. Many of these cars (at least the ones I could afford) are fairly rusted unless they've lived in a drier climate.
I plan on running the factory 383. Here is the deal, I am a chick that is teaching myself how to weld so please be kind. As someone else pointed out, "you really wouldn't want to learn on something nice, would you?" I read the HAMB build threads constantly and try to absorb the information contained in them so I can use it when I work on the car. Here is a link to what I am working on and what I've done thus far. http://www.forwardlook.net/forums/photos/photo-thumbnails.asp?albumid=381
Im all for saving every Desoto, but it seems that if youre going to have to replace all that stuff and the frame too moneywise im not sure how you'd come out on top. Ive looked for rust free panels for years, last fender i bought was shipped from Canada. Post some pics!
Wow, i gotta give it to you for not giving up on that one. I sure would have. Plenty of practice! Your a little past looking for a better body by now. Looks like your doing some good work. Glad it got saved!
Thanks guys, each and every day I am on here reading and learning. Then I go out to the garage and try to apply the things I've "learned". After I got the car started and drove it around the yard with bolts through the shocks so the rear wouldn't drag on the ground, I couldn't give up on her. A little voice in my head said, "if she goes to the scrapper, she'll be recycled into a Honda or something-you can't let that happen!" And so, I bought some metal and a welder-the rust is history.
Looking pretty good. Should have looked for a frame before you did the floor pan repair, any frame other than original will probably result in modifying the body mounts and floor pan. Now you might get to redo the floors. You might be to use a frame from a pickup under your car, or you might end up doing a front frame clip and repairing the rear frame. The place to start would be with some measurements, you need to know the wheel base length and the width of the frame at the motor, at the passenger compartment, and at the rear axle for starters. A general shape of the frame might help to know as well. The good news is in that era, I believe the Desoto used the same frame as a Chrysler. Much as I hate to say it, a mid 70s big GM car might be a closer fit then anything else. Just for the record, I usually start with rusted junk most people would have thrown away. Some people can't understand that to some of us, time is easier to come by then money. Gene
WoW!!! I have to say I´m impressed by Your dedication and perseverance with a project of this magnitude, and your attitude of tackling this all as a learning experience! Also that´s the coolest choice of car. I don´t care what anybody says what kind of effort it´s "worth", all I know is once You´re done with it, not only will You have the most unique kind of car to drive, the skills you will have gained in the process will be priceless! I don´t know what "other" frame might fit underneath of it, I would think Your best bet would be to just try and find a better frame from another, similar car. Any 57-59 Soto or Chrysler of similar wheelbase should work. Even if You might have to go out a ways to get it, I just think You´d thank yourself later. I see You´re in with the FL-group and everything, maybe that would provide a lead on one? Good luck!
Try Clay Kossuth in Catawissa, Mo. They have 42 acres of Mopars up on that hill. Clay and Rosie are some of the best. Honest and good friends to boot...if anyone has a decent frame, they will. Mark
I've been under dozens of these. They rot behind the rear leaf spring perches, and at the kickup for the rear axle. If that's solid, or only has small holes, the frame is easily savable. It's not even that heavy of metal, when I was cutting up a junkyard '58 to get the bumper with good tips it only took a few seconds to slice through the top of the frame rails. And the rear section of the frame doesn't have any fancy compound curves or anything in it. Even that arch area can be patched, but would most easily be done cutting out pieces from plate and doing the sides seperate from the top and bottom. Toss the rearend and get a '70s Mopar or even a Ford 9" rear because you don't want to deal with those tapered axles - pulling the drums is a pain in the behind. The front brakes can be changed to disc with a kit, or upgraded to newer (mid-60s) Mopar brakes without a lot of work. You might hit www.forwardlook.net, there is all kinds of support there. At least one guy who is a '59 DeSoto nut and has about a dozen of them - I think he even used parts car tin to put an enduro car together, so he might have some frame swap ideas. Whatever you do protect the tail lenses with your life, replacements are expensive. There are some repop panels for the Dodge/Plymouth but I'm not sure what can be had for the DeSoto/Chrysler body - they do share some pieces though.
I have done the frame swap several times on old cars, and really, the only frame that fits well is the original. Its worth it to get a frame shipped up from down south, or even an entire parts car. You will have some money into the parts car, but you will be far far ahead in the long run. You will be amazed how much little shit will be needed that only a parts car can supply.
You may want to shield your eyes, the attached images are pretty graphic... Ok, I can't figure out how to "multi-quote" but in response to Rusty New Yorker: I am a member of the Forward Look site and have put descriptions as well as photos up for them to see-they are all in agreement that the frame needs replacing. From what I've been told, if it has that many soft spots, it probably has more that I haven't found yet. I've also been in contact with several FL members, including the fella that has the '59 Desotos. He has described the frames to me and some of those have soft spots. I'm inclined to think that any Desoto frame that's got that build up of dirt just in front of the kick up may well be soft in the same place as mine. The rear axle will be addressed with the frame swap, no matter what frame I use. I also found the repop panels on Eb*y, they are on my wish list! Thanks again for the responses everyone! Lisa
That's how my chassis is looking too! I was trying to fix it but , I think I'm going with a S10 chassis .
I think you are off to a great start ! No matter what you do with the car it will never be worth less than what you started with ...my concern when deciding to patch a frame that bad is that they rust from the inside as well....I dont know how well I would trust the rest of the frame that you think may be solid....I had a friend in Ont. who put a Canadian 57 or 58 Dodge on a Lincoln town car chassis, first time he ever took on a project like that and it turned out great didnt even have to relocate the motor trans .He had about 2 grand in it on the road. Whatever you choose to do its a fantastic learning experience , you will never be intimidated by any future projects . Good luck and please keep us updated on your progress.
Hello Lisa, Nice project you are working on. I have a 59 Dodge Custom Royal lancer. The engine and braking system were shot when I bought the car from my father-in law. Finding out that parts were not easy to come by for this car I decided to install a 79 Camaro front frame clip, it is the same width as the Dodge 58 inches. I used a 79 trans-am rear end with disc brakes and built a 4 link set up with air bags front & rear. I used a Chevy 350/700r rearend has 3.73 gears. I used a 79 Dodge aspen tilt column. The Camaro frame slides right in the stock Dodge frame were it kicks up. This will lower car about 4 inches. You will lose the torsion bar set-up ( good thing!!!!!) for the better riding suspension. Lisa if I knew how to post picture On this thread ( I am still tring to figure this out) you could see how I did my car. See pic in album of car. If you have any question or need some advise pm me glad to help you out.
-Hang in there!! you are doing a great job for a beginner, I fabricated the whole floor and trunkfloor of a 57 Firesweep a couple of years ago,these cars are worth the struggle!!
Ouch, I bet you could make a whole new frame from 2x4 steel but that frame is pretty far gone. You are a brave soul.
Oh Lisa, you are a brave little soldier!!!! As has been said, the easiest/best frame to use is one designed for the car so I strongly recommend trying to find a suitable replacement. Swapping to a different frame, ford/gm, may be doable but many thing have to be close in order to provide what you need, otherwise your time/money/energy could be used to fab a frame from scratch. Either way, once the body has been removed and you have complete access to the frame then you can start measuring and/or comparing. Frames can be shipped by truck freight, and a good supplier may be able to remove the crossmembers and band the pieces together to make it easier to handle. Certainly try the 'yard' in Missouri, and also check with these guys: http://www.imperialclub.com/Part/Yards/index.htm I'm sure that there are plenty more place out there... .
The Jalopy Journal
