Disabled-accessible Hot-rod or "Sled"! ( ? )

Butchie · May 08, 2004, 01:00:42 PM

You are meaning my "inbox" here? - in my laptop ( Outlook Exp. )? Never found it amigo!

Quote from: "Leon"Check your inbox, I sent you a PM with Jerry's number.

Butchie · May 08, 2004, 01:06:56 PM

Hey amigo... thanks for the courteous and detailed reply! Gave this all some long hard thinking... and also pow-wowed with kin who might help me out with getting it here... But that, and everything else I'd have to farm-out for help with to ressurect the DeSoto just looks overwhelming partner!! Likely WAY more than I could chew right now.... especially in that I'm really hoping for a good ride "soon"!! As things are- it'd be at least a few years to get done I'd think. Hope YOU will one day have her back to "cherry"!! - Butchie

Quote from: "1FATGMC"
Quote from: "Butchie"Too much man! Are you saying YOU have this old Desoto for sale? If so... can you tell me more? i.e. - How much ( $ ) and whats the story on motor and drivetrain etc.?

I bought the car a couple years ago in Missouri and towed it to Utah about a year ago. I haven't had any time to work on it as I've been building my house (which is now basically done).

Someone put an AMC 6 in it. Desoto didn't have the hemi in '51 so originally it had a flathead 6. I haven't tried to get the 6 running as I was going to put a sbc in it. The brakes on the left front are fozen, so it doesn't roll too good right now. In the next couple months I'll try and get it rolling and see if the AMC runs. It is the same motor as in my Jeep.

I wanted to get this car running for us to use on trips, but now have a couple other projects ahead of it. I haven't been pushing selling it, but did put a for sale sign in the window to keep people from asking me all the time if it was for sale. If you thought it would do the job for you I would consider selling it for what it cost and my expenses getting it to Utah. Right now the for sale sign is higher than that.

It has rust in the trunk, bottoms of the doors and rockers. Someone has screwed in large patch panels to the floors and there is more rust in the floors and probably some other areas I don't know about yet. If I did the car I would replace the whole floor area. This could probably get expensive if you had to farm this work out. The car is pretty straight. It has repair damage to the right rear fender (cracked bondo) and the trim is missing on that fender. The original front seat is gone and the dash is a little butchered with a radio install someone did. Actually I haven't had a lot of time to look at it myself yet. I was going to change the front suspension (although some people rebuild these), french the headlights, remove some of the trim, do something different with the taillights and lower it. As far as I can tell they made about 300 of these cars that year. There are jump seats behind the front seat that fold into the floor and the rear seat is completly behing the rear door so there is about 31 inches from the back of the front seat to the front of the rear seat.

The car is a project car, not a jump in it and drive away. I think with the right paint job and some minor custom touches it would be a nice car. If you are interested in any more details, why don't you e-mail me with your e-mail address.

c ya, Sum

GPster · May 08, 2004, 07:34:50 PM

Do you need something to drive now and just dreaming of what would be nice or do you have something now and planning on a project? I can understand your not wanting to stay in your chair. For ten years I walked every place I wanted to go and people thought I wanted to be healthy. I have a 3 wheel bicycle and at least when I ride it I am looking people eye-to-eye. Riding a chair can make you feel like everyone is lookind down on you. At least sitting in the driver's seat of a vehicle can give you a little more sense of importance. Maybe you can pick a time and a day and we can use the CHAT to talk about it. GPster

Butchie · May 08, 2004, 08:38:54 PM

Oh, I have a Chevy S-10 I'm driving now ( with the extended cab/3rd door features that gives me a place to stash the chair! ) But I'm getting this increasing ache to slip into a real hot-rod, or custom sled... a lifelong hope and dream- and the sooner the better. As to the chair gig... I dont care what people think about me or have any hang-ups about my disability! I only want OUT of the chair while driving ( as opposed to rides set up to drive FROM the wheelchair )- because wheelchairs just AINT built for comfort!! After 6 to 8 hours in the saddle- I call my chair "The Iron Maiden". The driver seat in my truck by comparison is heaven!!

Lord hug you tight... - Butchie

Quote from: "GPster"Do you need something to drive now and just dreaming of what would be nice or do you have something now and planning on a project? I can understand your not wanting to stay in your chair. For ten years I walked every place I wanted to go and people thought I wanted to be healthy. I have a 3 wheel bicycle and at least when I ride it I am looking people eye-to-eye. Riding a chair can make you feel like everyone is lookind down on you. At least sitting in the driver's seat of a vehicle can give you a little more sense of importance. Maybe you can pick a time and a day and we can use the CHAT to talk about it. GPster

Leon · May 09, 2004, 03:01:21 AM

Quote from: "Butchie"You are meaning my "inbox" here? - in my laptop ( Outlook Exp. )? Never found it amigo!

Check your inbox on the RRT, on the main page right above "Rodder's Roundtable Forum" there should be a spot that mentions your inbox. check there or e-mail me biesiade at ridgenet.net (replace "at" with @)