This wagon was inspired by the first ICON Derelict wagon. Our client found the car and shipped it to us. The body condition was excellent, and the patina exceptional. We basically repeated the proven mechanical engineering equation established on the first Mopar wagon, with a few improvements based on our long term use of the first wagon. Specifically, we learned that the A/C system could use a little more umph, and that the stock wiper system was not worth restoring. So we fit the best Vintage Air climate control system we could (same one we love in our ICON BR projects), and we worked to re-engineer the wiper system with a modern 12V three speed motor and improved linkage, while keeping the arms and blades as close to original appearance as possible. We also did a more custom approach to the interior design.
• Art Morrison chassis • 6.1 HEMI fuel injected V8 • Mopar five speed automatic transmission • Wilwood power disc brakes (6 piston/4 piston) • Custom stainless steel fuel system • MIL Spec wiring harness, built from scratch • Hidden A/C and heat • Modern wiper system • Polyurea coated body underside • Extensive use of Dynamat sound deadener products • All new weatherstripping • Custom two-tone More & Giles lsubtle leather interior, with NOS Mopar 1950’s wool woven inserts • Rolls Royce wool carpet • Stock reproduction headliner • Hidden audio system, Bluetooth dependent, four speakers plus amp & bass
Although the teeth on this DeSoto had seen more care over the years than our 51 (she must have flossed plenty!), we still decided to give it a cronk, and brass plate one of the teeth.
Low stance, but not so low that it is a pain to drive. Such factors are always decided after consulting the client, and gaining a deep understanding of their style and how they will use the vehicle. Additionally, the coil-over design allows the client to alter the stance (raise or lower) of the vehicle down the road.
Nice rump, right? We kept the old Yellowstone sticker, but deleted a bunch of other, less interesting stickers. There was a peace symbol on the left rear D pillar. Even though we removed it, there remains its ghost. Subtle and neat once you discover it.
The 51-54 Mopar wagons have such a great body shape and size. There were Dodge, Chrysler and DeSoto versions. The biggest difference between them was the front end design, but the rear sheetmatal design was perfect and consistent on all. The iconic DeSoto toothed grill is, by far, the coolest.
Although it still appears stock, it's not. We did significant sheet metal fabrication work starting from the bottom of the white area. We deleted a bunch of levers for the old ventilation system, keeping only the slider for the cowl vent. A/C vents were designed to be low profile to keep the original styling as much as possible. We built small louvers that fit under the dash and painted them to match the lower modified dash. All other original dash switch knobs were repurposed and adapted to modern switches.
Comfortable and refined, with no pretentions. Note the two tone leather, and how well it works with both the wool plaid and the colors of the body panels.
Starting in 1953, the design of the rear seat changed. Still has the cool outboard arm rests, but now it is a two piece seat instead of the four piece design. Folds flat to extend the wood cargo deck when needed.
Focal speakers were set behind the leather door panel, then the leather was perforated. Stereo volume is controlled by the original AM radio knob, then the audio source is Bluetooth to your phone. No visible modern audio components, which is great.
This woven wool is original to Mopar cars of this vintage. We were lucky enough to source this material for integration into this build. Once we secured this fabric, we next researched and chose matching leather...
Don't you just love these gauges? We simply cleaned the visible elements, then replaced all of the movements with reliable, modern components. The clock was converted to quartz.
We went all-out on the steering wheel because the original was all but gone. Since there was no tooling for this wheel, we had to create the molds and everything. Major money pit, but it really came out great.
Note the french stitched leather covering the inner wheel wells and the pinch bulb wrapped in leather around the seams of the wood panels. Great trick to add some finish quality and eliminate rattles.
This hidden compartment under the rear deck wood was originally for the spare tire. Our modern wheel and tire will not fit here, so we reshaped the floor to allow for a larger fuel tank, then used the interior compartment for the amplifier and bass. We also fabricated a rack that holds two cans of Fix-A-Flat just in case...
When we say we apply Dynamat coatings, we mean it. The body is first coated in a heat cured polyurea, then once that cures, we use Dynamat on the interior surfaces of the body tub and doors. This time consuming step adds significant value in the sound deadening and vibration dampening properties.
Although we are familiar and comfortable with the new 6.4 HEMI motor, both the client and the team at ICON preferred the aesthetic of the cast aluminum intake on the previous 6.1 version. So, we tracked down the last new one available, and integrated it into the build. With just over 425 HP, still plenty of fun!!
Large 34 gallon stainless steel TIG welded fuel tank, with in-tank fuel pump and baffles. External filter and stainless steel plumbing up to the motor. We also added a removable access panel in the floor of the body, to ease future service of the tank and pump.
