1960 Desoto

[David Bogard]

Just buttoned this one up last night, my Grandpa's (on my mother's side) brand of choice. The wonderful big old Desoto! Tamiya Mica Red interior knocked down with flat, Tamiya Metallc Black exterior, a ton of Bare Metal Foil, a few washes here and there, and overall, how I miss those old Johan kits like this! Grandpa would have liked this build and I remember this being his last "new" car. I also remember those two-lane trips and he'd pass every car along the way! To a young kid, that car literally flew!

[Tom Birky]

Of course it flew, it has batwings! Cool looking car David. Much patience on the foil too. Is imca red a metallic or just a shade of red? Wanting to do a red interior car and was just wondering what would look realistic...not too bright, not too dark.

Thx for the pics...love winged cars.

Tb

[sentsat71]

That is one cool looking build!!

[Dirtman]

What's nice about this car is that it's not just a build for builds sake. It's a memory!! And a good one at that! Means more!
Nice job!

Rett

[Olderndirt]

Do not underestimate the power of some of these old land yachts. When I was in high school, a friend that was a little older than I, asked if I would help him get his grandmas old car running so the family could sell it. We went to her home,and there in the garage was a Desoto a year or two older than your model. It had gold toned trim, and looked like a cross between a batmobile and an aircraft carrier. When we raised the hood, we got a whole lot more interested. It had a medium sized hemi in it, with factory two fours. We got it running, and smoked the tires off of it that afternoon. We had so much fun street racing it, because of the way it looked.

  Olderndirt

[Dirtman]

Thanks fellas. Rett hit the nail on the head and what makes this type of build so fun is that I think about old Grandpa all the time I'm working on it. Camel straight dangling from his mouth, arm cocked out the window, me on the other side trying to do the same (except my arm wasn't nearly long enough!) and watching him lay out and take a look, then dart back in while a car zoomed past in the other direction; and then a couple more of those; and then he'd traump it and out we'd swing with that low-pitched (wonderful sounding) moan from the motor and off we'd go flying by sometimes two or three "homesteaders" (as he'd call them)! Rustling wind blowing through the car, the old country music station playing in the background, the smells, the stories (about fishing or about old Aunt Edith's husband who got shot stealing a horse, or whatever), the excitement. . . the whole deal! Cars didn't just take you to Walgreen's to get your prescriptions filled back then. No sirree! They took you from childhood to manhood and they were cherished members of the family!

Okay, I've got to quit this and drive down to get my cholesterol pills re-filled. Probably pick up a double-cheeseburger along the way. . .

Yup, my Grandpa taught me how to drive in a '36 Ford Pick Up. Guess I was around 9 or 10 then. But I had been driving tractors for a while even at that time. Those old farmers used what they had to, even if it was a little kid. I lived with them from '44 to '50. Good grandparents and good times....

[James2]

Lovely build, you can never go wrong with a classic.