This pair of DeSoto Firesweeps has been listed on craigslist for a month now, sporting old-school Maine license plates and posted on the New Hampshire classifieds. The coupe is a rare one-year only model and is quite rough; the sedan is in better condition but less desirable. Both cars are posted here on craigslist for $6,999 or best offer. The seller will also consider trades for a low mileage 6.4L Hemi motor. Be sure to go here if the ad disappears.
While not dramatically different from the Dodge Coronet on which it was based, the DeSoto likely checks some boxes for Mopar enthusiasts as an interesting alternative with a short production span. Whether that gets your blood pumping is a matter of personal opinion, as these were marketed as low-cost entries when new. The sedan seen here barely fits on that rented U-Haul trailer but likely met the weight limits due to not having an engine.
The seller notes the sedan does offer a lot of potential spares, “…with a lot of really good chrome and super solid front clip to use on the hardtop.” The front clip was based on the Coronet while the DeSoto signature features were limited to the rear tail fins. Still, the two-door Sportsman hardtop is a rare find and quite handsome even in its rough condition; if the sedan provides some of the replacement metal necessary to restore it back to glory, this project pair starts to look more appealing. The interior of the sedan is rough but not a total loss.
The Sportsman also features the “…original one year-only 350 cubic inch big block and Powerflite automatic transmission.” The seller doesn’t spell out whether it still turns over by hand but if original denotes numbers matching, the coupe looks better and better. Whether it’s worth the cost of restoration is another story, as the seller explains it will need lots of replacement metal, “…including quarter patches, rockers, floor, and trunk floor.” So tell us, readers: should we read into the fact that this intriguing pair of DeSotos has been on craigslist for a month with no takers, or is the project too big to tackle?
Both cool cars & I’d love a crack at the sedan because who else will have another at a meet? Downside is these aren’t shoebox bowties so you can’t build one entirely from a Danchuk catalog.
I didn’t know the 58 350 was used in anything but the Fury. Hmm, learn something new every day.
Yes, there were four different versions of the 350 offered in 1958:
2 barrel used in DeSoto Firesweep
4 barrel standard in Dodge Custom Royal and station wagons
2-4 barrel optional in the Fury
Fuel Injected optional in the Fury
Replace the “DESOTO” on the hood and trunk with “IMPALA SS”…someone will buy it.
I remember around 1962 my mom had a gold/white DESOTO ADVENTURER that had a 2 x 4 barrel hemi engine. I also remember the speedometer showed I believe 160 MPH and an automatic station finder radio, Not to mention power brakes, steering, seat, windows and dual antennas. What a great classic. The best looking Grill and car among all Desoto’s.
If that two door is hopeless, so fix that 4 door.
But 7000$ is fahr too much
The Coupe’s striking and modestly proportioned rear fenders make it a real pleasing site to look at it. If there are 70 to 80 year olds looking at these childhood cars a lot of them may not be physically or financially capable to restore them.
It’s up to 60 and under to take care of it. If someone has the money and time I think the coupe is worth salvaging.
When I was a kid, the old man had a ’59 DeSoto. It was the 1st car I remember riding in. I don’t recall a 160 mph speedometer, but it did change colors. The package tray of the back window was wide enough to lay on, the old man would hit the brakes, we’d go flyin’. He’d yell at us for doing that, but we thought it was fun.
For the record, DeSoto had been around since 1929.
And ended in 1961 sadly.
I’m with Tim S. The sedan is the better of
the pair and should be tackled first. It has a sinister look to it that would scare the pants off your neighbors when parked in front of your house. It just screams
Mafia staff car and would be a blast to drive. Would restore back to original but
add some vintage air to make it more
comfortable to drive in the summer here
in Florida (heat index was over 110°yesterday) Never knew that Chrysler made a 350 cube V-8 though.
I always thought that 361 was the biggest
engine available in ’58 with the exception
of the 392 hemis that were used in the
Imperial only. Either one of these cars
would be ideal for a 440 V-8 swap if the
original engines could not be rebuilt.
As for the hardtop, restomod it!
My first car was a 1957 Dodge Custom Royal Lancer 2 DR HT with the 350 4 BBL. Does this actually have a Powerflight, which was a 2 speed automatic vs Torquefllght, the more common,by 1958, 3 speed?
I think they have been listed for a month because they are too far from civilization.
People worry more about the shipping cost than what they pay for the cars.
Can’t tell for sure, but looks like a push button selector behind that mess hanging from the door rubber.
I had a beautiful ’59 Dodge wagon w/361 4 barrel and the Torque Flight transmission.
back in the day when my dad was looking for a second car for the family, seems like I remember him looking at a Desoto ( don’t remember what year, just that it had fins) and leaving it behind ( I believe it was in a garage) said something about parts availability … who knows?
The coupe is certainly worth saving. I’ve seen restored examples bring six figures at auction. Lots of room here.
HARDTOP…..is that what youse guys are saying is a coupe ? Look it up….
That’s a hardtop car – not a coupe with a post – which I could check – but don’t think they offered one.
And the Desoto line wasn’t copied from the Dodge line up….look at a 1956 comparison….
But like other makes they were on the way out….good run though !
My brother had a pair of Desotos, both 1957s.2 and 4 door. The 57s had 341 and 345 hemis in them. Unfortunately all hemis were discontinued in 1958 except for the Imperial with a 392 ci. 1958 was the last year of the early hemi as a workhorse engine. The 426 returned a few years later but it was not the reliable work horse that the early hemis were. The 426 was a single purpose engine, total performance.
Don’t forget The Chrysler 300 C one year only 1957 had the 392 Hemi engines in them as well not just the imperials
READ ONLY IF YOU LIKE A SHORT STORY AND REMINISCING !
I had a great friend back in Senior High School who had a 1958 Plymouth Belvedere 2 door hard top. It had a 350 cu. in. big block single 4 barrel carb, wedge head engine in it from the factory. It also had the Torque Flight 3 speed push button automatic.The car ran good the way it was. But then the rear end went out of it. My uncle had a big junk yard at the time. There was a 1957 Plymouth Savoy 6 Cylinder in the yard that he said we could get the rear end out of for $5.00 if we took it out ourselves [mid winter frozen down in the mud, swamp and ice].Till we got it out, we did not think it was so cheap anymore! We were both kids at the time so we did not know anything about rear end ratios at the time. WOW! We really woke that car up. As I know now–after all the years–that the factory put lower gear ratios in the 6 cylinder cars back then for low end power. Let me tell you we were out racing about every night after that. As far as I know, the car was never beaten in a race for the remainder of time he owned the car–about 3 more years. I always thought he had a cool idea–He had a little bottle of ink white out in the glove compartment and
after he beat another car race then either he or I would get out under the hood and we would paint on the radiator in as small letters as we could the year and make of car we beat. One would paint while the other would hold the flashlight. The flashlight tells the story when this outlaw racing was being done. There were so many till the end that we could not find any place to put any more listings on the radiator. Everybody said that my friend would die in a car wreck . He was one of the hardest drivers I had ever ridden with. Later on we worked at the same place. He as a truck driver, I as a mechanic. Yes he drove a truck just as hard as the cars. He had very bad allergies . He took a vacation finally after about 10 years of working with no time off. While on this vacation he ate something that
had pecans in it and his throat swelled shut and he died of suffocation at the young age of 29. We often wondered what the next owner of that car thought when he opened the hood and saw all of the cars listed on that radiator?? Oh what good times . So glad my friend and I had time to share them.
My first car was a 49 Desoto 2 door. inline 6. I could put everyone I knew in that car and go the drive in. Dealership stripped out oil pan plug. Motor came apart on the way home. They gave me a 59 belvedere for my trouble. Both good cars.
are these still for sale and what is the prices , my car is a firedome so many parts will not work
is this add still relevent ? i have a 58 desoto two door firedome which is in need of a total restoration like floors and rocker panels and new interior which i can get the interior reprodctions , i belong to the national desoto club