Not Your Typical Hauler

            Five years ago Don DeBorde got another car. When he went looking he wanted a larger car that, for personal reasons, he could haul some things with. Instead of buying something conventional like a mini-van, he bought a 1948 Dodge Club Coupe.

            “I guess I’ve been a car guy my whole life,” the Middletown man said. In fact he owns a 1941 Chrysler Sedan, a Ford Model A Roadster and is currently working on restoring a 1931 Model A Coupe. With those cars and that history it’s little wonder Don went looking for a classic post war car.

            Like all of the big auto makers in the US, Chrysler was flourishing following the end of World War II. With the move to the suburbs and the growing road system, more and more people were living the American dream of owning their own home and a car to go with it.

            But the Dodge Club Coupe, one of the D 25 designated cars, wasn’t built in the large numbers that some of the other Chrysler models. In fact, only 4072 Club Coupes were built between 1946 and 1948, making Don’s car pretty rare.

            While Don had to make some changes out of necessity or out of his own designs, the car is still close to original in many ways.

            “I cleaned up the interior and put in new carpet,” he said. “Otherwise it’s all stock.”

            He had to re-do the front fender which can be a difficult task with these cars. “Parts, especially body parts, are very hard to find,” he said. He managed to find a stock replacement and put it to use.

            While the original Dodge body pieces are difficult to find, the Plymouth P 15 parts will easily fit and while a lot of collectors have used these in their restorations, Don hasn’t had to.

            There were some areas where Don wanted to update the car to enhance the ride. First he replaced the standard 251 cubic inch straight six with a 318 to give it more power on trips. He also added air conditioning, disc brakes and rack and pinion steering. He has also lowered the car a little and admits that it has an air ride suspension.

            With those changes Don has driven the car not only around town and to car shows but he’s taken it out on the road.

            “We drove it to Colorado and back last summer,” he said. “We’ve driven it to Louisville and Kalamazoo. It rides great.”

            In his travels Don hasn’t bothered to see what kind of gas mileage he gets with this classic. “I just fill it up when it needs gas,” he said.

            It’s obvious that he isn’t concentrating on gas mileage. Why would he when he can drive this beautiful machine halfway across the country.