Team-BHP - Restoring 1956 Dodge Kingsway

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Originally Posted by manishalive (Post 3234177)

By the way his son was in India just recently, to promote his company - House of Marley, may be this shoot has do something with that.

Yeah, saw him on TV during one of the recent India cricket matches. Name is Rohan Marley, if I caught it right.

Hi Shahbaaz,

if you care for your car, why not rebuild??

Ghosh, if memories serve me correct, rebuilt a burnt out caddy in Calcutta , I am told the car drives well.

Gautama Sen even did a TV show featuring that car.

I rebuilt our Desoto burnt to the ground in a fire at home, ran the car for years thereafter without problems.

if you have the inclination, it can be done:D

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Originally Posted by SHAHBAAZ (Post 3239052)

@karlosdeville,
Duniya gol hai man!!! Awsome..I am getting goose bums continuously from the time I have seen your post. Thanks a lot buddy.
Sorry for not remembering the name of building but attached here are few more snaps(Good and bad times).
The previous owner Aspi Irani had a flat in the same building but stayed in cotter-gate area/camp.
When we visited Dr. Grant(Ruby hall) for my Daddy treatment, we happened to just peep into the premises and got a view of this car and since then it took around 2 to 3 years for us to convince the owner to sell it to us. This was when me and my cousin were still in 11th std. Finally when I was in my 1st yr of engineering I was able to own it.

Hi . Just could not resist myself when I read the passion you have for the Dodge Kingsway . I am posting photos of the car I have just restored. Sorry for your car . Not that it cannot be restored but spares are becoming very difficult to find to very expensive . You could locate another car and restore it. Contact me if you need help . Cheers & enjoy the snaps .

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Originally Posted by Aarjay (Post 3244523)

Aarjay bro needed your help man.Is it possiblefor you to mail me more pictures of restoration , mainly interior . If you documented the entire process it will be of great help for me , since i'm restoring the same. please:

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Originally Posted by Bulldogji (Post 3241252)

Bulldogji, its so severely damaged that rebuilding it will be a very difficult task. But I am in a hunt of a body shell..

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Originally Posted by SHAHBAAZ (Post 3279912)

Bulldogji, its so severely damaged that rebuilding it will be a very difficult task. But I am in a hunt of a body shell..

Gosh! Is it really damaged to that extent? :Shockked: But, as Bulldogji said, rebuilding burnt cars is definitely possible!

Anyways, wishing you luck in this endeavor! Kingsways were lovely cars! :thumbs up. They are second on my list, the first being the W111 Fintail!

Anyway! Which year is yours? Is it a 1956 one? It could be so, going by the registration number, which is BML9913. When was this photograph taken? I guess in the late Eighties.

Lastly, is it still running on its original six cylinder petrol mill?

Cheers!

Fintail/Heckflosse!

Quote:

Originally Posted by SHAHBAAZ (Post 3279912)

Bulldogji, its so severely damaged that rebuilding it will be a very difficult task. But I am in a hunt of a body shell..

Shahbaaz,

Obviously I cannot fully appreciate the damage to the body shell of the car just by looking at the photos you posted, but from the photos, the body metal does not show much damage. Of course all the plastics would have been melted, including all the gauges, steering wheel, rubber hoses for brakes etc., and replacing them would be very expensive in itself.

A restoration is possible as some have already said but in my opinion, the cost of bringing the car back to life again would probably be around the region of the price of a good working Kingsway with the correct engine. In other words, it would make sense to buy a working Kingsway. Just my thoughts.

If the car has sentimental value, rebuild, otherwise as MBZ suggests, will be cheaper to buy another 56 Kingsway.

I rebuilt our Desoto purely out of sentiment, and of course everything was much cheaper then.

I recently came across my old diary enumerating costs, advances to tin smiths and painters were twenty rupees, thirty rupees etc.:uncontrol.

Good old days, never to return. The Desoto was bought second hand from Air India for five hundred rupees in 1948 or 49 :D

Quote:

Originally Posted by Bulldogji (Post 3282359)

I rebuilt our Desoto purely out of sentiment, and of course everything was much cheaper then.

I recently came across my old diary enumerating costs, advances to tin smiths and painters were twenty rupees, thirty rupees etc.:uncontrol.

Good old days, never to return. The Desoto was bought second hand from Air India for five hundred rupees in 1948 or 49 :D

I don't think I have seen your DeSoto - Can you please share some pictures? Period pictures especially welcome:)

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Originally Posted by karlosdeville (Post 3283623)

I don't think I have seen your DeSoto - Can you please share some pictures? Period pictures especially welcome:)

Karl,

The Desoto was burnt in Feb 1982' back on the road by around end of the same year and n regular use till 1986 . Sadly, the gear box solenoids were stolen thereafter and I parked the car planning to get them from the US, this never happened, so now the poor car has become my retirement project. The body has badly corroded, engine not started since then, BUT, I will before my maker calls, get her running to Mahableshwar again:D

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Originally Posted by jyobeb (Post 4154608)

Hi guys! I'm planning on restoring a 56 Kingsway! Any and all help would be greatly appreciated. Please share information on parts availability and even a donor car if possible.

Hi there,
What are all the parts needed at the moment? How good/bad is the car? Is it running at present? Any pics. you could share of the car in the current state?

Quote:

Originally Posted by jyobeb (Post 4154608)

Hi guys! I'm planning on restoring a 56 Kingsway! Any and all help would be greatly appreciated. Please share information on parts availability and even a donor car if possible.

Hi,
Do let me know what parts you require. Recently restored my 56 and am happy to help with whatever you need with regards to pictures etc