'57-'58 DeSoto or Chrysler non-300C style resin hood - any sources?

[buffalobill]

I'm building a late '50s Mopar concept car based on the AMT 300C kit, and want to use a hood that would have been used on the '57-'58 Chrysler Windsor or New Yorker models. An alternate would be the '57-'58 DeSoto hood. [Note: I'm not referring to the '57 Dodge-type front clips that were used on some of the DeSoto 'base' models in '57.]

I suppose I could fashion a hood using the front portion of a '56 Ford hood mated to the aft portion of the 300C's hood, but I'd hope that someone else has already tackled such a project.

Anybody know of a source for such a hood? Thanks!

Edited September 18, 2009 by buffalobill

[dimaxion]

I'm building a late '50s Mopar concept car based on the AMT 300C kit, and want to use a hood that would have been used on the '57-'58 Chrysler Windsor or New Yorker models. An alternate would be the '57-'58 DeSoto hood. [Note: I'm not referring to the '57 Dodge-type front clips that were used on some of the DeSoto 'base' models in '57.]

I suppose I could fashion a hood using the front portion of a '56 Ford hood mated to the aft portion of the 300C's hood, but I'd hope that someone else has already tackled such a project.

Anybody know of a source for such a hood? Thanks!

Modelhaus sells a '57 DeSoto kit . Contact them for your hood . Thanx..

[MrObsessive]

If I'm not mistaken, the Modelhaus DeSoto is sold as a curbside with the hood molded in. He'd probably have to buy the whole body and cut the hood out..............a lotta work for just a hood, not to mention a trifle expensive.

Here's the link to The Modelhaus '57 DeSoto. Don may sell the body separate but I'd call to see.

[charlie8575]

The Modelhaus kit is a curbside, and has the hold molded in as part of the body.

R&R has a '57 that has a separate hood. If you contact Steve at Resinrealm.net, who handles their distribution, he might be able to scare up a loose hood for you. From looking at it, I think it's a Firedome, which is the senior-series De Soto you want.

Charlie Larkin

[buffalobill]

Thanks for the several tips re: the '57 DeSoto Firedome hood! I'll contact Resin Realm as you suggested and see if I can purchase that hood, as that would be a good starting point for I'd only have to fill in the 'opening' @ the leading edge of the hood - and that's only if that had been molded open, and not just in relief.

[MrObsessive]

The hood is molded open on the R&R '57..........I had a whole kit but just got rid of it recently on eBay. The quality was.........well let's just say not up to Modelhaus standards.

Here are a couple pics of the R&R DeSoto..................

[buffalobill]

Bill -

If that R&R hood is available as a standalone piece, and reasonably priced, I could work w/ it for my 'concept car'. As soon as I sort out how to post images on here, I'll download some pics of the model as it is now (it's been sitting in a box for a couple of yrs). It's got a mildly chopped '65 Impala roof & windshield, a more crisply styled deck lid w/ the license plate recess filled in, slightly toned-down tail fins w/ the '57 Chrysler lenses frenched in, and a rolled rear pan. It will eventually have a typical late '50s style of concept-car interior and wheels w/ wide whites. I may use a modified '57 DeSoto bumper/grill, although I'm also considrering an inverted '60 Pontiac grill and blade-style front & rear bumpers, along w/ rolled pans.

I appreciate you posting the pic of the R&R hood.

Bill