1954 Desoto Firedome four door sedan

1954 DeSoto Firedome Description:

This car is being relisted because the buyer refused to complete the transaction because of his inability to transport the car. I'd really don't like leaving this DeSoto out in the weather in my driveway, so I've lowered the reserve to what I think ought to be an attractive level.

Currently, I have two old cars, but only enough garage space for one. So… This 1954 DeSoto Firedome four door runs, drives, and stops. It has an automatic transmission, power steering, and manual brakes.The engine has a professionally rebuilt carburetor, all new hoses, new gaskets on the top end, and runs well (the new carb has not been adjusted, so it is running too rich at present). Chrysler came out with hemi V8s in 1951, and Desoto got them in '52; 1954 is DeSoto's third year with a hemi and its first year with a fully automatic transmission.The heater has been rebuilt with a new heater core and control module. The car has five good tires, with the spare brand new and matching the other four. I cleaned up the trunk, so it looks pretty nice—but not show quality. The battery is new.The original jack is present and functions. The brakes work well; the master cylinder was leaking, so I installed a new one. When I bought the car I thought the body was in good condition, needing little to no sheet metal work. Actually, it’s not really bad, but not as good as I had thought. It looks good in the pictures, but the rockers are rusted out and there is a big hole in the driver’s floorboard (see pictures). I bought replacement sheet metal (inner and outer rocker panels, and a driver’s floorboard) that will come with the car but needs to be installed. The interior is original except for the headliner, which a previous owner replaced, and the carpet. The carpet was a horrible amateur replacement, so I bought new carpets for it which are waiting to be installed when the sheet metal work is done. The seat cushions are worn and the original foam padding has deteriorated, but the seat backs remain in very decent shape. The door panels are just OK; the doors close solidly and the windows all roll up and down easily. The dashboard is very nice, and everything—except the radio—appears to work (the clock is running, but very fast…). The front fenders are good on the outside, but the inner structure is rotted out in front of the inner fenders. I was looking for new front fenders for it, but these could be salvaged by someone who is good with sheet metal. The chrome is generally OK, but not great. I was lucky enough to get some rechromed pieces for it—the hood ornament and base and hood “V”, three teeth for the grill, the chrome surrounds for the grill (the ones on the car are deteriorated)—see pictures. I don’t think they are show quality, but they are great for a driver. The stainless strip on the left front fender is dented, but I have a nicer replacement for it, and two better (but not perfect) “firedome” plates for the front fenders. The muffler is quiet, but I would replace the pipes in the exhaust from the manifolds back. The hood hinge springs have gotten too weak to hold up the hood, so the car comes with a convenient wooden pole to prop the hood open. It also comes with three sets of keys (including the glove compartment key, which is usually lost…) and a shop manual.

I haven’t been doing a systematic restoration of this car; I just occasionally pick a project to work on that attracts my attention. I would have kept on until I ran out of projects (it would probably take some time to get there), but I came across a chance locally to purchase a car that has a lot of nostalgia appeal to me (an Oldsmobile that is very like the one my father purchased in 1955 when he returned to the States after a tour in Korea). As I mentioned, I don’t have room for two old cars, so the DeSoto needs to find a new home. The price I'm asking is significantly less than what I've spent: if you are interested in this era of Chrysler products, this is an opportunity to get ahead of the game with a reasonably solid machine to enjoy or restore.

The car is located in Mickleton, New Jersey, about 20 miles south of the Philadelphia/Camden area. We’re easily accessible from I95, I295, Route 55, and the New Jersey Turnpike. If you are nearby and would like to view the car, I’d be happy to show it to you or your representative. If you have any questions, please ask. I’ve tried to describe its flaws as best I could, so you shouldn’t find any major surprises. Of course, it’s an old car, so there is no warranty. The buyer is responsible for transportation. This is a suburban/rural area, so getting a transport truck in here and loading up the car will be very easy. These early '50s Chrysler products have very nice lines (my wife prefers it to my Oldsmobile…), and they have the added benefit of still being affordable.

Ebay's official line is that payment is due in seven days, but if it takes a little longer than that to arrange transportation and payment it will not be a problem.