Hello DeSoto fans. The car that I am selling belonged to my Dad for the past 7 or 8 years, but was passed on to me upon his passing a few months ago. I will do the best I can to describe the car, but hopefully the pictures can do most of the talking for me.
1951 DeSoto Deluxe Coupe. When he purchased it..... he had the upholstery professionally redone including seats/headliner/carpeting/door panels, new paint by a local shop, new exhaust system, new shocks, new tires, and new door and window seals. The engine was also shot when he bought it, so from what I understand....my father became a member of the DeSoto club and got in touch with one of the members from Michigan who had the correct motor for that car. My dad purchased the rebuilt motor and installed it in the car that you see here. The story, as I know it, was that the guy who he purchased the rebuilt motor from was a retired Chrysler engineer who was also on the Ramchargers Race Team at Chrysler. So this is not the original motor for this car, but it is a correct exact replacement for it. From what I have been told, DeSoto didn't have motor numbers back then so there is not a "numbers matching" issue here.
He drove it on many of our local antique auto trips around the Midwest, and I would guess that he probably put 3000 miles on it in the last 5 years or so....since the rebuilt motor was installed. The odometer states something like 78,000 miles, but the engine in the car has far less miles on it since it was rebuilt. I would say that the paint job was pretty good, but certainly not a car that you are going to win "best paint" at a car show. There is a pretty good scratch on the car on the right front fender that you can see from one of the pictures. I think he did that backing out of the garage at some point. Chrome bumpers were pitted, so he had them sandblasted smooth and painted. Most all chrome is fair to good, but with pitting here and there. The pot metal inside of the car (heater controls) are really pitted. Steering wheel has some worn areas and shows it was used. All glass looked good to me. The underneath of the car is super solid, but does have some minor surface rust on most everything. I crawled under the car and everything looks solid, especially the floors and trunk bottom.
The car is located in Clinton Iowa, in a storage unit, and I am located in Aurora Illinois. If you want to see the car/inspect/drive it you will have to call/email me and I will get a hold of a local guy who can meet you at the storage unit. OR you can type in..... 1951 DeSoto..... into Utube and view it being started and running there.
There is no warranty on this vehicle and we can work out the payment process but I would prefer cash/wired money to my bank account/check. All funds will have to clear before I send the car on its way. Title is clear and in my name. Not sure what the value is of this car, but I guess the bidders will determine that. Doing a search on NADA.com for 1951 Deluxe 2 Door Coupe came back with a $6K low retail....$9K Mid Retail....and $21K High retail. Car is definitely not a low retail, nor is it a high retail car....but it is somewhere in the middle. Reserve is practical and somewhere around the Mid retail number.
My cell number is 630 542 8253 if you want to ask me any questions that the pictures can't answer for you. You can text me at this number as well. Please remember that this wasn't my car and I do not know a lot of the details on it....so I have described it the best that I can. I will be out of town when the auction ends, so bare with me if the car hits the reserve and you win the auction....and give me a day or two to get back to you. Thanks for looking/bidding. Brent