Mike P - found this old post very informative. I have a question about this part - "With one exception that I’m aware of Chrysler engines were in Chryslers, Dodge in Dodge and Desoto’s in Desoto’s. The exception to this is the 1957 Dodge D501s which used the 56 version of Chryslers 354 Hemi (from the 56 300B). Since there were less than 100 of these cars made chances of coming across one are petty remote."

In 1967 I bought a '57 Dodge convert with a duel-quad hemi that turned out to have a flat cam. When ordering a replacement the parts man asked for the engine number, and then told me "that's not a Dodge number, its a DeSoto." Years later I recall seeing something online about a very small number of '57 Dodges having a DeSoto hemi with two 4bbls. Can you shed any light on this? Was the D501 a Chrysler or DeSoto motor?

Incidently, after 6 months of high school senior fun, I traded the Dodge in on a VW - I got $100 for it - and then totalled the VW the day before college started.