I don't think there is anything quite as "early '50s" as this 1954 Desoto sedan. This is a Brookline model that looked good just parked along my Mainstreet. Now, driving on it (here it is just outside the city limits sign on Main) - Well, it's fantastic!!!!
To begin, I disassembled the Brookline. The body alone (without bumpers) weights 6.8 oz.
I fiddle with a WBB sedan chassis. Sans body, it weights 7.0 oz.
By adjusting the wheelbase a couple of notches I get a length that seems compatible with the DeSoto body.
I check where I am going to have to remove metal in the Brookline body to avoid interference. You can see I have marked on the inside of the DeSoto all the metal that must go - using a pencil.
Up to the workshop. I wrap the entire Brookline body in tape for protection, inside, too, just in case.
Fantastic!!! A Dremel with small saw wheel cuts through this soft metal like butter.
Removing all the metal at the rear takes just 30 seconds! That up front takes four minutes.
I study things and cut the front of the chassis like this. Unfortunately, while chassis is not made of soft metal like the Brookline body. The Dremel struggled: I used a bandsaw with a new metal-cutting saw blade.
I study spacing and such a bit, then use Loctite repair putty to fill in as shown in front and back. Note in back i also use it to hold the rear bumper in place, too.
Not shown: The chassis slips right into place. It's not quite level and perfect. I do a bit of checking - then filing and cutting with a fine file and blade, etc., to get the fitjust right - another 15 minutes of so . . . I drill three holes in the repair putty where the three WBB chassis mounting holes are and use the original WBB screws to hold chassis to body.
Done! My super-heavy (13 oz!!!) Brookline-WBB 'Streets 1954 Desoto. It is gorgeous. Just 95 minutes including a short break. Stu Bailey, Roscoe, and Kookie like it, but frankly hope anyone owning a DeSoto will just drive on by and not even stop. Eventually, I might paint the hub caps, but it looks godd to me for now.
Here it is running down my Main Street. As I reported on another thread, these WBB sedan chassis - at least all of them I have - have very weak center pickup springs to the point they don't seem to make really solid electrical contact. That makes stutter a bit as they run, and you can see a trace of that here. I tried to stretch the front spring on this chassis slightly (while it was still in place) and that seemed to help just slightly. That and the 13 oz total weight make for smoother running, though. I'll figure out how to completely fix this weak-spring problem soon. Otherwise I am very pleased - enough to call it a day for now!
