The Forward Look Network
The Forward Look Network
Search | Statistics | User Listing Forums | Chat | eBay | Calendars | Albums | Skins | Language
You are logged in as a guest. ( logon | register )

1958 DeSoto Firedome Convertible - East Coast
Moderators: Lancer Mike

Jump to page : 1 2
Now viewing page 2 [50 messages per page]		View previous thread :: View next thread
   Forward Look Local Regions -> Rocky Mountain RegionMessage format
 
Lancer Mike
Posted 2010-04-25 12:15 AM (#220126 - in reply to #220117)
Subject: RE: 1958 DeSoto Firedome Convertible - East Coast



500020002000500100100
Location: The Mile High City		These days, it is such a small set of owners that I wouldn't exclude anyone just for having a short wheel base. I think the hood ornament was still interchangeable with our cars!

Johnny still want a milk shake!
Top of the page Bottom of the page
roadkillontheweb
Posted 2010-04-25 12:30 AM (#220128 - in reply to #220117)
Subject: RE: 1958 DeSoto Firedome Convertible - East Coast



Expert

Posts: 1357
10001001001002525
Location: Iowa USA
Doctor DeSoto - 2010-04-24 10:51 PM

Lancer Mike - 2010-04-25 8:03 PM

Jorgen - that may well be it! I am waiting for confirmation. Amazing! The exterior looks to be Steel Gray with a Pearl White sweep - an interesting color combination.

For my part, a Firesweep is definitely not a Dodge and a Diplomat is definitely not a Plymouth. Both cars are not only badged as DeSotos, but also carry the DeSoto front bumper and unique styling queues. True, both cars were constructed differently than the long wheel base cars, but the basic fact is that Mother MoPar put the DeSoto name on them and DeSotos they are!


***********************************************************************

They also carried some pretty heavy styling queues from Dodge and Plymouth. In the
Diplomat's case, are there ANY same parts as those used on a full size DeSoto ?

Not sure why I have such a black-and-white outlook, but to me there are the Adventurer,
Fireflite, and Firedome, and then there are these hybrids. It probably stems from my wrecking
yard days - the Sweeps were good for very little interchangeable parts. Few people wanted
DeSoto parts. Fewer still came asking for Dodge parts. Never saw such a critter as a Diplomat !




The front bumper, grille, some side trim and hubcaps are probably the very few things that the Diplomats had in common with the long wheelbase Desotos.
There is a real good reason that you never saw such a critter. They were an export only model and they were not sold in Canada. They also offered body styles that were not available in the state side Desotos like the 2-door wagon.



(58DIPL1.JPG)



Attachments
----------------
Attachments 58DIPL1.JPG (108KB - 269 downloads)
Top of the page Bottom of the page
roadkillontheweb
Posted 2010-04-25 12:36 AM (#220131 - in reply to #220126)
Subject: RE: 1958 DeSoto Firedome Convertible - East Coast



Expert

Posts: 1357
10001001001002525
Location: Iowa USA
Lancer Mike - 2010-04-24 11:15 PM

These days, it is such a small set of owners that I wouldn't exclude anyone just for having a short wheel base. I think the hood ornament was still interchangeable with our cars!

Johnny still want a milk shake!


Actually the kids name is Danny, his dad Guston Periat is in the full size. I'd be smiling too if she was riding with me.
Top of the page Bottom of the page
Doctor DeSoto
Posted 2010-04-25 2:14 AM (#220136 - in reply to #220126)
Subject: RE: 1958 DeSoto Firedome Convertible - East Coast



5000500050005000200050025
Location: Parts Unknown
Lancer Mike - 2010-04-25 9:15 PM

These days, it is such a small set of owners that I wouldn't exclude anyone just for having a short wheel base.


****************************************************

I would welcome anyone with ANY of these cars to join in on the fun, but when I think "DeSoto convertible", I think 57 or 58,
and just the full size models. The others are just out there in their own special "orbit". I would have a hard time not changing
a 58 Diplomat into a Plymouth. I understand it is a very unique and rare car, but a 58 Plymouth rates top shelf in my book ...
best looking car Plymouth ever built !
Top of the page Bottom of the page
chrysler300c
Posted 2010-04-25 2:52 PM (#220177 - in reply to #218569)
Subject: RE: 1958 DeSoto Firedome Convertible - East Coast



Expert ,, George Passed away July 28th 2021, He will be Missed

Posts: 1295
1000100100252525
Location: Twin Falls, Idaho		Beautiful!!

How many YEARS did he wait for SMS to do the upholstery???

George
Top of the page Bottom of the page
1959 Belvedere Conv
Posted 2010-04-25 8:54 PM (#220236 - in reply to #218569)
Subject: Re: 1958 DeSoto Firedome Convertible - East Coast


Elite Veteran

Posts: 1107
1000100
Location: Arvada, Colorado (NW Denver Metro Area)		Adding fuel to the fire....Plymouth quarters, Plymouth car. Dodge quarters...Dodge cars etc. These mutts are from the Chrysler Marketing department concoctions to go after a certain demographic market niche. 3/4 of the car sheet metal is Plymouth...

With that being said I will take this De Soto Diplomat with the Plymouth quarters convertible any day! Any FL convert is outstanding! By the way...what does the VIN say it is?

In Mexico all Dodge Cars, in the 70's and 80"s,were called Darts even if it was a Diplomat or Aspen. It had Dart badging on it. Marketing at it again!

Edited by 1959 Belvedere Conv 2010-04-25 8:55 PM
Top of the page Bottom of the page
Doctor DeSoto
Posted 2010-04-25 9:15 PM (#220245 - in reply to #220236)
Subject: Re: 1958 DeSoto Firedome Convertible - East Coast



5000500050005000200050025
Location: Parts Unknown		John,

Talk R E A L slow to me and 'splain from a business perspective how it is a money maker
to make all these mix-n-match cars rather than just build the same car for all markets.

My business education tells me that costs are reduced in huge volume production, and that
small run specialty production is costly. None of these "concoctions" were ever built in large
numbers to justify the trouble of even figuring out how to do it, let alone special parts tooling.

What gives ?

Stupified in Spokane.
Top of the page Bottom of the page
roadkillontheweb
Posted 2010-04-25 11:50 PM (#220277 - in reply to #218569)
Subject: Re: 1958 DeSoto Firedome Convertible - East Coast



Expert

Posts: 1357
10001001001002525
Location: Iowa USA		John
The car carries a plymouth VIN number. When the owner a Dodge dealer tried to do a records search through Chrysler historical they responded back it must have been made in Canada because they had no record of it. There were two problems, the car was titled as a 59. Not sure why? it may not have been sold until then?? and they were checking the Desoto records. I resubbmitted his request and told them to check the Plymouth assembly line records in Detroit and they found the records that confirmed it was originally exported to Hawaii and of course Hawaii did not become a state until the next year 1959 so it was considered an export market. The letter back from Chrysler historical with the build sheet stated it was a very rare car. I never had them state anything like that on either of my 57 Adventurers.

Doc
Sometimes the roads in the market (like Mexico) would be very difficult to navigate in a big ol Chrysler or Desoto so the smaller Plymouth bodies worked better for them. Other times the local governemt wanted a model that could be easily distinguished from cars that were smuggled in without paying the import tariffs. There was very little special parts tooling required. Most were made with off the shelf parts just not bolted on the same platform. On the 58 abovea Firesweep front clip and bumper were off the shelf, interior was Plymouth and the dash looked like the plymouth dash but said Desoto instead (not a complicated job) a couple different nameplates and some slightly different side trim but not too different. It was not that hard to make the series stand out but be made with mostly off the shelf parts.

In 1960 they switched and started using Dodge platforms instead of Plymouth bodies and continued this through 1964 with the South African assembled Desoto Rebels and Diplomats of 1962-64 that were made locally from CKD parts (Complete Knock Down)
Top of the page Bottom of the page
Jump to page : 1 2
Now viewing page 2 [50 messages per page]
Jump to forum :
Search this forum
Printer friendly version
E-mail a link to this thread

* * * This site contains affiliate links for which we may be compensated * * *


(Delete all cookies set by this site)