1949 Desoto Deluxe Woodie Station Wagon Restored to Concour #1 Rare

1949 Desoto Deluxe "Woodie" Station Wagon

8-Passenger
(3-Row Seating)

Restored #1 Concour Condition

$160K+ Restoration

2017 FIRST PLACE 1941-1949

NATIONAL DESOTO CLUB MEET

San Diego 2017

SAN MARINO MOTOR CLASSIC CONCOURS

2nd Place 2016

3rd Place 2017

Nut & Bolt

4-Year Body-Off Rotisserie Restoration (2012-2016)

(1000 Miles since Restoration)

RARE ONE YEAR BUILT WAGON
Varnished White Ash & Mahogany Wood Doors

VIN #6224544

Body # S13S W 1263
(Deluxe - Detroit Built)

Production: 1 of 850 Built in 1949

(one year production mid 1949 - mid 1950)
1 of possibly 12 left

Stock Color: Andante Green Metallic

Body & Paint by:

Stone's Metal Shop - Gardena, CA

Showtime Paint - Gardena, CA

"WOOD N CARR"
DOUG CARR WOOD RESTORATION
($53000)

Flathead 6-Cylinder (236 cu in)

Fluid Drive "Tip-Toe" Semi-Automatic Transmission

TOTALLY REBUILT ENGINE & TRANSMISSION

(built to modern specs for modern gasoline)
Rebuilt Radiator

Carburetor

New Wiring Harness from Rhode Island Wiring

(exact colored loom)

New Underhood Heater Air Duct
New Hydraulic Drum Brakes

Rebuilt Original Starter

Brand New Coker Vintage Look Radials

($1500 including balance)

Body built by US Body & Forging

(rather than Chrysler)

Correct Original Seat Material from SMS Auto Fabrics

All New Correct Keys from Jessers Classic Keys in Akron

(Disassembled & Rebuilt Doors, Glove Box, Ignition)

NOS PARTS

Complete Grille

Hood Ornament

Medallions

Horn Ring & Button

Hubcaps

Dash Gauges & Lenses

Walk-Around Video:

https://youtu.be/Do2HMgcsNFo

Drive-by Video:

https://youtu.be/qhMdnQHb8LQ

Start-Up Video:

https://youtu.be/2hBi5lIVxE4

Shifting the Fluid-Drive Transmission:

https://youtu.be/EAoyRPiA6iM

NOTE: My large format pictures are hosted on my ImageShack account to the eBay ad. Sometimes if your computer is old or you have a slow connection the pictures will take some time to load below this text. There are over 200 pictures linked to this ad and it may take some time, a couple of minutes for them to load, but it is worth it. If they do not load you can go directly to my ImageShack Account to view all pictures and blow them up at this link:

https://imageshack.com/a/azWo/1

US Body & Forging Body # S13-S W 1263

Over $160K in Restoration Work:

Normally I list everything that has been done to an automobile during a restoration. This would simply be way too much information to put into this ad. Every single receipt comes with the car to document this comprehensive restoration. If you study the pictures you will see that there simply is NOTHING that was not redone in this museum piece. Not ONE THING was not restored, rechromed, rebushed, rewired etc etc etc. No stone was left unturned, this is literally a BRAND NEW CAR, done to a concour level of restoration. The car was stripped to a shell, removed from the frame and then a brand new car emerged over a four year period. This is as new a car as I have ever seen. Mechanically every component works to perfection, including the clock and the radio. The engine and transmission and brakes all work flawlessly. It floats down the road at 60-65 mph effortlessly.

HISTORY

The 1949 Desoto Deluxe Wagon is considered by many to be one of the most significant "Woodies" of all time. Not only is it strikingly stylish to look at but it is beyond rare as it was only built for one year. These cars were very expensive at the time of production. It is estimated that only twelve of the 1450 original built remain. You will never arrive at a show and have to compete against another. You simply NEVER see a 1949 Desoto Deluxe Wagon at car shows.

These Wagons were powered by the 236 cubic-inch, flathead 6-cylinder engine that developed 112 horsepower. Mopar's Fluid Drive Transmission is a wonderful semi-automatic transmission that is simple to operate. Don't be scared off if you don't want to be clutching in traffic....once in gear and have started rolling you do not have to use the clutch. It has a high and low range that shifts as an automatic. you can start in high and come to a light without putting in the clutch and take off..it will run through the gears. Pretty cool.

"DE-WOODY”

I certainly would not be stepping out of bounds if I said this was the nicest 1949 Desoto Woodie Wagon in the World. There, I said it and it feels good. I have been judging Concour level automobiles for over 25 years and I have never seen a Desoto Woody Wagon like this one. I have never seen a better Woody Wagon of any make better than this one. There is supposedly only twelve of these remaining. My friend has put over seven years of research and over $160K into this masterpiece of rare motorcar.

The 3rd owner of this car has owned it since 2012 and been a wonderful steward of its restoration process and ownership. It has been stored since the restoration was complete in 2015 in a garage in San Clemente "the Best Climate in the World”, where it has been under cover the entire time and driven just 1000 miles.

Just as a matter of reference, I have been judging cars at all types of show levels for over 25 years and have extensive experience in restoration of many makes of cars. I am extremely picky and probably grade more on the lower side when evaluating vehicles. I would consider a 10 on my scale to be a Concour Quality vehicle, just so you have a reference. This car is a VERY high quality motorcar, it is a complete concour condition ready for a museum or a trip cross-country. This car was driven to all three shows that it has been entered into and was considered the top car in the National Desoto Meet in San Diego in 2017 for the 1941-1949 Class. This is as good as it gets.

My friend Malcolm had been looking for a spectacular example of the 49 Desoto Deluxe Woodie for a number of years and bought this car from the second owner. The entire history of this car is known and there is supporting documentation in the records that come with the car. Originally the car was purchased by Larry Lewin in New York City and lived out in Bayside, Long Island. Larry owned the car from 1949-1993 when he sold it to Robert M. Willman, President of of Willman Property Group of Elsah, Illinois. Wilman sold it to the current owner in September of 2011. The vehicle was restored from the ground up from 2011-2015, with most of the work done by Stones Metal Work (Brian Stone) of Gardena, CA. Paint work was done by Showtime Paint in Gardena, CA and wood by Doug Carr (Wood n Carr). Interior was completely restored by Erwin's Custom Upholstery in Pasadena, CA.

The Body is stunning and shows the extremely high level of artisans that worked on this vehicle. All panels are flawless and in exacting alignment as to the factory build. The car was painted with a high-end PPG Delstar Acrylic Enamel to give it a very authentic to 1949 look with a modern durable paint. The paint is flat and mirror-like in its application. Not a fault to be found anywhere on the body or paint. The paint and body are a 10. Period.

The upper tailgate with the three hinges is, in itself, a work of art. Its a clever hinged rear bumper which provides clearance for the spare tire when the tailgate is down. The spare tire is neatly concealed in its own compartment in the tailgate, while freeing up interior space. These cars were the most expensive Woody available. Its the only year for the Scalloped rear tailgate and embedded rear spare that is cut out to open the spare tire compartment.

The exterior wood is ash frame with mahogany panels and was redone over two years by renowned Woodie restorer Doug Carr. The wood inside and out is in absolutely stunning condition. I would rate the wood at a 10 out of 10.

When the interior was stripped out and rebuilt to brand new, nothing was left to chance. This is one of those intangibles that you don't necessarily see on first pass, but just adds so much to the overall highest-quality feel of the interior. I took some close up pictures of the gauges, shift lever and chrome work on the interior to show the level of perfection in this little gem. The headliner and carpeting are all top quality and the fit is superb. Nine Yards of Brown Horsehair Carpet was ordered from Hirsch Automotive at $794. All window rubber and felt is brand new. All chrome parts on the interior and exterior as well, were redone to the highest standards of show chrome.

The beautiful original dash features a burl-grain refinish, NOS gauges, and clock set (yes it works). Radio was completely reworked and functions well.
Every mechanical & electrical aspect of the wagon was restored with no expense sparred. The car handles amazingly with virtually very little body lean. It also has no creaks when driving which is rare for woodies. The engine is peppy and the "Fluid-Drive" Tip-toe transmission works flawlessly. The car drives straight down the road at 60-65 mph with ease on a $1500 set of five modern Coker radial tires. The wiring loom is all correct to the original colors from the factory.

I simply cannot say enough about the exterior and interior finish of this phenomenal one-of-a-kind Desoto Deluxe Wagon. It has to be one of the nicest if not the best in the world.

When it comes to rarity you have to look at numbers, this is one of the prime factors of collectability. In this case there were only a total of 1450 of these vehicles made between mid-1949 and mid-1950. If you have been looking for the ultimate in rarity in a Woodie Wagon you may have just found it. If you are a curator for a museum this has to be the finest example of this limited built model in existence. Should you happen to be in the Southern CA area feel free to call for an appointment to view this spectacular Desoto. I can be reached at 949-310-6262 to arrange a viewing or for any other questions. Malcolm's number is available for those wishing to speak with him directly.

While this is a No Reserve Auction, we encourage those who are serious about owning this car to call and engage in a conversation.

TERMS & CONDITIONS:

The car is for sale locally and we reserve the right to cancel this auction at any time before the end of the auction. We do not have a Buy It Now Price listed.

The car will be made available for inspection by serious bidders throughout the auction. Please e-mail us if you would like to see the car. If you prefer, we can arrange to have a qualified, independent, professional mechanic perform a pre-purchase inspection for you (at your expense). It is the buyers responsibility to verifythat all of the sellers information and claims about the car are true and correct prior to the sale of the vehicle.

Winning bidder must contact us within 24 hours of auction end, and make arrangements for payment at that time. A $1500.00deposit is due within 48 hours of end of auction. The deposit can be made by cash (please do not mail cash!), bank check, cashier's check, or bank transfer (preferred). The remainder is due within 7d days of Auction end. The remaining balance must be made in the form of a bank transfer (preferred) Cashier'scheck, or bank check (all forms of payment subject to verification). PayPal will not be accepted as a form of payment for either the deposit or the final payment. If no contact is made within 24 hours we reserve the right to re-list the vehicle, sell it to the next high bidder, or sell it otherwise. Please arrange financing prior to bidding. Once the final balance has been paid, title transfer paperwork will be initiated.
Buyer is responsible for pickup or shipping of this vehicle. If you wish to have it shipped using a service, we will gladly cooperate, you can locate shippers by doing a search for "auto shippers”. We have relationships with both domestic and international shippers should you need some assistance.

This vehicle is being sold as is, where is with no warranty, expressed written or implied. The seller shall not be responsible for the correct description, authenticity, genuineness, or defects herein, and makes no warranty in connection therewith. No allowance or set aside will be made on account of any incorrectness, imperfection, defect or damage. Any descriptions or representations are for identification purposes only and are not to be construed as a warranty of any type. It is the responsibility of the buyer to have thoroughly inspected the vehicle and to have satisfied himself or herself as to the condition and value and to purchase based upon that judgment solely. The seller shall and will make every reasonable effort to disclose any known defects associated with this vehicle at the buyer's request prior to the close of sale. Seller assumes no responsibility for any repairs regardless of any oral statements about the vehicle. Please Check My Feedback- I value my 100% positive rating, and will do my best to keep it.

The winning bidder should have the car insured from the time the final payment is made to us. Once final payment is made, we will exercise a generally accepted standard of care, but the buyer assumes all liability and risk once the final payment is made.
Before delivery of the vehicle, the winning bidder must provide a photocopy of a valid driver's license. Delivery is defined as the time at which physical possession of the car is transferred from us, the seller, to the buyer or the buyers' agent or chosen transport company.
If you are not sure about something, Please ASK. Do not assume anything not listed is included. We reserve the right to cancel bids for excessive negative feedback. We reserve the right to end the listing if the vehicle is no longer available for sale.