But where customs of the '50s usually rely solely on the body modifications to define the build, Ed updated the car's drivetrain as well. When he opens the hood, most folks take a breath at the sight of the 528 hemi from Indy Cylinder Heads-a builder of performance Mopar-based engines for some time, supplying Ed with a beast of a motor (an Eagle eight-bolt crank, Wiseco pistons set up on a 10.25:1 compression ratio, a COMP Cams camshaft, and a Demon 800 carb) that was backed to a 4L60E trans.
Twin 16-inch Perma Cool electric fans cool the engine with the help of a custom aluminum radiator from Evan's Radiator in Pottstown, Pennsylvania. Ed then built his own header system (having them ceramic coated), which works with a 3-inch stainless exhaust system made by Jim Detman (Leechburg, Pennsylvania), who also used a pair of Flowmaster mufflers.
Of course if he was going to go to this extent in the body and drivetrain, the stock suspension would also need updating, so Ed also added an Indy front unit from a Dodge Dakota (which also gave up its power rack-and-pinion). The rear suspension makes use of a Lincoln Continental 9-inch (3.55:1), a four-link from Outlaw Performance, a Lincoln antiroll bar, and a Panhard bar from Speedway Motors.
Once satisfied with the way the car would operate, Ed rolled his DeSoto into the paint booth and squirted several coats of PPG black basecoat along with an accent cove done in '56 DeSoto Avenger gold. And though he likes the way the paintjob turned out, Ed already knows how high maintenance it is to have a black paintjob, but he really couldn't imagine the car in any other color combination.
So after working on the car for just shy of three years, the 69-year-old has finally got what he wanted, and he's guaranteed he won't see another one parked next to him at the next big car show!