Denny Aungst’s ‘36 DeSoto S1 Touring Sedan

Denny Aungst’s ‘36 DeSoto

S1 Touring Sedan

The Background Story:

This car was bought in 1975 by my wife's Uncle, Charlie, for her cousin, David, when he was 12 and too young to drive. It was found through an ad in the local newspaper and when they went to see it in Hartleton, there it was covered in a barn, bjust like Melissa and I saw it when we went to buy it. After towing it home and eventually getting the car running, they drove it around their back alley for fun, but the plan was to restore the car.

They did a few smaller things like replace the brake pads, but never got to restore the car and it had been garaged almost 30 years. Why was that? Her cousin, David, moved away to Utah for college after graduation, found a wife, bought a house, had two kids, and decided to stay. He never got a chance to move the vehicle to his new home.

At family functions during the years Melissa and I were dating, her family knew we enjoyed classic cars and would mention this old “Packard” that was in Charlie’s garage. They felt it may be something we should go look at and maybe even make an offer to buy it. Charlie agreed to let us see the car, but we never got the opportunity to drive the two hours to his place and check it out.

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The car had the original owner's card and antique plate still on it when we picked it up. The original antique plate was even in the trunk. In Pennsylvania, the owner of a plate can transfer it with the car just by writing a release note to the new owner. Melissa’s Uncle had not gotten the plate transfered to him, so we attempted to track down the previous owner from almost 30 years before. A little research showed that Mr. Boney had passed away in '79 and obviously, get a hand written note from him. The state would not transfer that plate to the car. Too bad, what a cool early numbered plate that would have been. To the right is a picture of the very early permanent antique owners card.

Once we got it home, it was assessed for what it needed to be put on the road again after such a long “sleep”. After we changed all the fluids, the car fired up with only a new battery and fresh gas in the fuel tank. However, it would not stay running. Turns out the fuel line was just blocked from rust inside the gas tank which needed to be flushed.

Further inspection revealed the brakes didn't function, but they only needed to be bled and flushed. The wheels had nothing but rust for a finish and the tires were dry rotten. We decided to install a new set of Firestone wide whites and paint the wheels. The spare tire had the original pin-striping, so we left that wheel untouched. That will give us the pattern to have the pin-striping painted on the freshly painted wheels.

The muffler was missing, so I installed a new one with a custom bent replacement exhaust pipe set. I then wanted to see why the car leaned slightly and the tires did not align properly.

Time passed and in 2005 our phone rang. Melissa's Cousin passed away at a very young age of 42. Her Aunt and Uncle were giving us the opportunity to buy the car and keep it in the family. We made time to hop in the car and drive to their place and check it out. How could anyone pass this up?

The car was crammed in a garage and completely covered with boxes. The only thing we could see at first was the grill and trunk. Even with such a quick view, we could see it was a DeSoto. Not a Packard, but still a very interesting find. After moving a few things, we gave the car a good once over and made a deal to purchase the vehicle. A couple weeks later, arrangements were completed to truck it to Pine Grove on August 13th, 2005.

Ad Scans

Instruction Booklet

Repair Manual

Production numbers & model code index

A look at the suspension showed us there were loose lower control arm bushings, a bad tie rod, and shot rear spring shackle bushings. A hunt found us the parts we needed and the suspension was made safe.

See a page of images of my original suspension parts and their replacement by clicking on the images to the left and right... (Both are on a single web page.)

We thought we were now ready to put a tag on the car. The license application we then submitted for the new plate was returned to us 3 times. The first rejection said that there was some rust on the running boards and needed to be painted. A little touch up paint and we resubmitted. The second rejection came with the statement that the bumpers needed to be re-chromed. A bit of touch up with chrome paint got us by for the next submission. The final rejection came back with no defects, but a suggestion to resubmit the 4th time with new pictures. They told us that there was too much glare from the sunlight on the chrome causing the picture to not be clear enough for their files. Some new pics and we finally had our plate.

Front Suspension Repair

Rear Shackle Repair

Now that it was legal, we got it out for some driving. Everything on this car worked great. The wipers (vacuum powered) run fine, the windshield turns out freely, the windows roll free, the gauges all work fine, as do the lights. We did notice a cooling issue and were prompted to flush the radiator and block. After clearing the honeycomb radiator and block of years of dirt and rust scale, the temperature now ran cool. This lead to another issue.

We spotted a trickle of water running down the block onto the ground. After scraping away the old grease-like deposits of oil and dirt on the block, we found two eight inch cracks in the original block. Not wanting to replace the engine with the original casting numbers, we temporarily coated the block with JB weld. This sealed the block and we have been driving it since with no leaks or any other issues. We did find an “S-3” cast engine locally from a 1937 Desoto which is on stand by in case the original engine fails.

Click on the image to the left to view the images of my original engine and what I found to replace it. My original plan was to get the car running first, then (eventually) tear it down for a restoration.

Well, now that the car is on the road, what are we doing to it? Our plans have changed ever so slightly with some input from friends, family, and our experience driving and enjoying the car. Currently, we are still driving it with the cracked engine and have not had a single issue or loss of coolant. We decided to enjoy the car in it’s current state, but I can get into that in a little more detail below:

Our Car in Detail:

A photographic tour of an original survivor...

1936 DeSoto S1 Airstream Deluxe 4 door Touring Sedan

Keep in mind, this car is completely original with the exception of the paint and maintenance or repairs which were performed to keep it safe for the road. We were caught driving this car one day and then approached by one of the writer/photographers for Hemmings Classic Car magazine and decided to really get in depth with this vehicle. (Pick up a back issue from May of 2009, it is a VERY good article taking up four, yes, four pages)

Melissa and I both enjoy the fact that this car is a survivor car. It lets us experience the feeling of what is is like to drive an actual car from the 30s. Unlike a fully restored car, the driver gets to drive with his hands on the original steering wheel, working the original controls, while looking over the original hood through the original glass. Very little or none of it has been replaced with new or reproduction items letting you feel just how the items are broken in or worn through regular use. Driving a survivor car tends to be more of an experience than a ride. The driver learns the car’s quirks, making it feel more like how it probably was years ago when the car saw regular use.

Consider this when you pick up your next drive-able vehicle. What's the overall condition of the vehicle and it’s history? Maybe ask an expert about it’s value in unrestored condition versus restored condition. It is tempting to immediately disassemble a car for restoration. Get it safe and roadworthy first. Driving a car will hint at it’s character and how you feel about it. You just may decide a good cleaning and regular maintenance are all that is in order.

General Information

Year & Make: 1936 DeSoto

Model: S1 Airstream Deluxe 4 door Touring Sedan

Vin: 6045530

Base Price when new: $695.00

Current Exterior Color: Blue (Original color determined to be Autumn gold from sections or paint on firewall, under trunk lid and behind chrome fixtures.)

Production dates from September 1935 to August 1936

Production Numbers:

Total Airstream production in 1936 was 38,710 units.

Total Deluxe model Airstream production was 17,991 units.

Total production of Deluxe 4 door Touring Sedans was 13.093 units.

The engine type is a cast iron flathead straight 6 cylinder with “S-1” DeSoto Casting numbers. I will give you the details I could locate. In my opinion, this engine has not been replaced or rebuilt. It has just over 109,000 miles on it if that is the case.

Year: 1936 Displacement: 241.5 cu. in.

Bore: 3 3/8” Stroke: 4 1/2”

Compression Ratio: 6.5:1 Firing order 1-5-3-6-2-4

Cast numbers on the head: 649856-1 with S-1 cast below and C-1 cast under that as well.

Rated Horsepower:

93 hp @ 3400 RPM (listed in the advertising material.)

27.34 hp (A.M.A. horsepower rating in owners manual.)

Rated Torque: 180 ft/lbs. torque @ 1200 RPM

Pistons: Aluminum alloy with anodic coating with 4 rings per piston

Engine Details

The engine is mounted on what DeSoto and other Chrysler products advertised as “Floating Power”. These were rubber engine mounts to reduce vibration transfered to the body and chassis. The carburetor is a single barrel downdraft style mounted on the original cast iron intake. The choke is controlled by a thermostatic automatic choke mounted on the intake. There is also a thermostatic automatic exhaust manifold heat control that warms the intake during cold starts for better performance during warmup.

The distributor has automatic spark advance controlled by a vacuum line from the carburetor to the vacuum advance unit. There is a remote oil filter mounted on the head which takes in oil from the pressure feed and deposits it back to the crankcase through 2 small hoses. There is a changeable filter currently on the vehicle that was added at some later date. The original filter was a sealed unit which we found bolted to the side of the block directly aside of the oil pump.

The transmission is the factory cast iron, three speed, manual non-synchronized transmission with helical cut gears and came with a spiral bevel gear rear axel. (Our car does not have the overdrive option available with this model which came with a hypoid rear axel.) This is backed by a drive shaft mounted emergency brake controlled by the lever on the floor of the driver’s compartment. The universal joints are the standard bearing type you may see on more modern cars.

This transmission is controlled by a single-plate, dry disc type clutch. The clutch disc is spring cushioned for less shudder. The bell housing has screen lined ventilation for clutch cooling while keeping debris from entering the clutch area.

Transmission Details

Chassis Details

The front suspension is an independent coil sprung suspension while the rear is a multi-leaf spring suspension with rubber bushing shackles and spring mounts. The recoil action is controlled by 4 knee-action shocks, one located at each corner. The cars originally had what DeSoto advertised as "Airwheel" pressed steel spoke wheels with 6.25x16” tube type tires on for what Chrysler called "Magic Carpet Ride." As the tires were bad, I installed a wide white firewall Firestone tire and powdercoated the wheels for durability. The original pinstripe is on the spare and will be installed on the wheels.

The steering is controlled by a manual steering box and a set of tie rod ends that connect everything together. From stop to stop, the steering wheel needs 4 1/2 turns to make a full sweep. The steering wheel in rather large making power steering unnecessary. When the vehicle is in motion it steers rather easily.

The car is stopped by 4 wheel drum hydraulic brakes. The wheel cylinders were not interchangeable from side to side or front to rear as the bores were all different sizes. The front wheel cylinder had a 1 1/4” bore for the front shoe on the front axel and a 1 3/8” bore for the rear shoe on the front axel. The rear wheel cylinders had a 1 1/8” bore for the front shoe on the rear axel and a 1 1/4” bore for the rear shoe on the rear axel.

The lower pivot or “anchor” bolts are an eccentric bolt and should not be touched unless the have been incorrectly aligned or the shoes have been relined. If they need to be adjusted a dummy drum or something similar can be used to get correct brake shoe positioning when needed. There is an adjusting cam at the midpoint of the shoes for any needed brake adjustment in daily use.

Body Style: (4 door Touring Sedan)

The body is currently original. To my knowledge and to my opinion, no body panels appear to have been replaced.

The only body modifications I have seen was an installation of a “Motorola 65” 6v AM under-dash radio and antenna. This has since been removed, but is in my possession and may be reinstalled on the vehicle.

The original Autumn Gold paint has been covered by a blue color, rattle can or brush paint. This was done sometime approximately 25 years ago or maybe even earlier. The running boards include the original, steel backed, rubber traction mats. They are in the same condition as the rest of the vehicle, but are still the original mats.

In the above picture you can see the two different colors described. Also, this piece of trim is currently the only piece of trim I need for the complete set. It is a small 3 inch long piece located on the passenger side between the door and hood. If you know of anyone who has one for sale, please email me at w31@comcast.net.

Interior Details

The Deluxe model Airstream had a single piece, roll out windshield which on this particular vehicle is also original and functional. This is cleaned by a single, vacuum operated windshield wiper which also functions.

The door glass, when cranked down, first slides back approximately an inch or so before cranking down into the door. This gives you a similar function as “wing windows” that developed many years later. The rear doors are “suicide doors”, opening from the front and swinging toward the rear of the car. The “couch-like” rear seat also has fold out rear vent windows for even more ventilation.

Upholstery material: Original Mohair Color: “Honey colored” or light Tan

Factory Gauges: Includes a fuel gauge, oil pressure gauge, ammeter, water temperature, speedometer, and odometer.

Notes: All gauges are original and functioning. All gauges are back lit when the headlights are lit. The entire interior is the original interior and has not been replaced. The carpet is missing, but the carpeted foot rests and lower door panels are intact. The only missing interior panel is a cowl trim panel at the drivers feet. The dash had a Circassian walnut finish with gold pinstripes, but it has been painted over with blue paint.

There is a blind in the rear window that could be rolled up to block the view into or out of the rear window. This, however is extremely brittle and disintegrates at any attempt to unroll it.

The vehicle’s battery, a 6 volt, is located directly under the drivers seat. It can be accessed by lifting the lower seat cushion and removing a sealed panel. The battery hangs from the bottom of the body. The battery cables are installed as a positive ground system.

There is a heater unit under the dash. Inside is a heater core with with the fan motor located in the engine compartment. The fan itself is also located inside the chrome heater box in the passenger compartment. The motor and fan are connected by a long shaft the connects the two parts. There are two doors on the heater box which are used to regulate how much airflow goes through the heater core and how much heat transfers to the passenger compartment.

Other Details

Dimensions & Capacities:

Wheelbase: 118” Overall length: 196” (16’ 4”) bumper to bumper

Fuel tank: 15 gallons Cooling system: 4 3/4 gallons Engine Oil: 6 quarts

Transmission: 2 1/2 pints (with overdrive - 4 1/2) Rear axel: 3 1/4 pints

Performance:

I have no performance data except fuel mileage.: 23-25 mpg (as advertised in sales ads and brochures.)

Which Parts were missing?

The only parts missing include the original interior carpet and left kick panel at the driver’s feet. The original jack and lug wrench are missing. The running board moulding is missing. One piece of stainless cowl trim (3” long) is missing from the passenger’s side. The hood ornament had one of it’s wings broken off.

Which parts were the easiest?:

The easiest parts turned out to be suspension and brake parts. We found some vendors that stock these items.

What additional improvements are planned:

Current plans include a full brake rebuild with original parts to make them safer. We would like to find the final missing pieces and find a way to remove the blue paint from the original finish of the dash. Future plans may include a restoration, but we would like to enjoy the car as a survivor at this time.

Which parts were hardest to locate?:

The hood ornament was found in Germany. (We have this stored in a curio cabinet until we are ready to restore it.) We still haven’t found the missing cowl trim piece or running board moulding and are considering having them made.