John_S_in_Penna Posted December 28, 2021 Share Posted December 28, 2021 (edited) This 1955 DeSoto Fireflite, not mine, is currently for sale on Ebay. The colors are unusual, though evidently original to this car and correct, and definitely will stand out at a car show. Are they horribly gaudy or refreshingly distinctive? The car is stated to be in Phoenix, Arizona. The asking price is $38,500, buy it now or make offer. Here's the ad: https://www.ebay.com/itm/275067717094?hash=item400b5045e6:g:PJUAAOSwi4lhViHr&vxp=mtr "SELLING MY 1955 DESOTO FIREFLITE SPORTSMAN TOP OF THE LINE MODEL FOR 1955 FULL RESTORATION COMPLETED LESS THAN 3 YEARS AGO STUNNING ORIGINAL COLOR COMBINATION OF IRRIDESCENT PLUM AND DUSTY ROSE SHOW WORTHY PAINT, NO DINGS, DENTS OR SCRATCHES ORIGINAL HEMI MOTOR AND DRIVE TRAIN ALL GAUGES AND SPEEDOMETER IN WORKING ORDER POWER SEAT WORKS POWER STEERING POWER BRAKES POWER ANTENNA BEAUTIFUL NEW INTERIOR NEW KELSEY HAYES "TRUE SPOKE" WIRE WHEELS NEW COKER WIDE WHITE RADIAL TIRES "15" INCH BEAUTIFUL CHROME AND STAINLESS BEAUTIFUL SHARK TOOTH GRILLE EXCELLENT GLASS CLEAR, CLEAN TITLE IN MY NAME. EXCELLENT FIT AND FINISH THIS IS A SHOW QUALITY CAR, THAT RECEIVES A LOT OF ATTENTION. FOR QUESTIONS CALL DENNIS : 602-421-7436 MAY LOOK AT YOUR TRADE / OR YOUR TRADE PLUS CASH. LET ME KNOW WHAT YOU HAVE." Edited December 28, 2021 by John_S_in_Penna (see edit history) 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
John_S_in_Penna Posted December 28, 2021 Author Share Posted December 28, 2021 And here are a few pictures copied from the ad: 5 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jolly_John Posted December 28, 2021 Share Posted December 28, 2021 Ya gotta love it! John 4 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
billorn Posted December 28, 2021 Share Posted December 28, 2021 Gorgeous!!!! 4 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bloo Posted December 28, 2021 Share Posted December 28, 2021 I'm not crazy about the color, but these are brilliant cars. I had a one. Mine was a "Firedome Special", a cheaper model than the one this thread is about. It was pink and white. I hated the color. The biggest visual difference between a Fireflite Sportsman and a Firedome Special is the trim on the c pillar. @Xander Wildeisen had a 3 tone blue one he posted in another thread that was just plain gorgeous. Judging from the c pillar, it was a Firedome Special. I'd love to have another one of these someday. 4 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
neil morse Posted December 28, 2021 Share Posted December 28, 2021 I love the colors! Looks like a very nice car, but it's going to cost you (understandably). 4 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
B Jake Moran Posted December 28, 2021 Share Posted December 28, 2021 As long as it’s authentic in the interior- we see a lot of “restored cars” that take short cuts on the interior- then all I want to see are receipts. If the receipts total what we think they do - $75,000 or more, then this is a beautiful way to get transported in style back to 1955. I love the colors! 5 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
AdamInNH Posted December 28, 2021 Share Posted December 28, 2021 While it’s not for me, this is a cool car. I am tempted to show it to the Missus. She needs an old car of her own and these are +her colors+. Whaaaaat? Am I crazy? 🤪 3 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Fossil Posted December 28, 2021 Share Posted December 28, 2021 (edited) 2 hours ago, AdamInNH said: She needs an old car of her own and these are +her colors+. She's not alone as I could live with those colors also. Real eye catcher for sure. I do think I would have picked a different colored house for the backdrop though. Edited December 28, 2021 by Fossil (see edit history) 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
avgwarhawk Posted December 28, 2021 Share Posted December 28, 2021 Nice ride all day! 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jeff Perkins / Mn Posted December 28, 2021 Share Posted December 28, 2021 The person that I bought my ‘48 New Yorker from has a ‘55 Desoto 4dr. in this same color combination. Very striking! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
deac Posted December 29, 2021 Share Posted December 29, 2021 This is a striking car. GLWTS Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
kingrudy Posted December 29, 2021 Share Posted December 29, 2021 Not a big fan of pink cars, but this car is really exceptional IMO. The design of the two tone colors is really beautiful. Clean and crisp inside and out. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Matt Harwood Posted December 29, 2021 Share Posted December 29, 2021 If you're going to have a '50s car, you may as well have one in striking pastels that are period-appropriate. I have a client with a '56 Sportsman in those colors and we sold a different '56 Sportsman a few years ago that was similar. It was one of only a few cars where I asked the buyer to call me when he was ready to sell--I very much want it back. 9 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Fossil Posted December 30, 2021 Share Posted December 30, 2021 Don't you have a station wagon in colors similar to your picture> Nice looking car. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JamesR Posted December 30, 2021 Share Posted December 30, 2021 On 12/27/2021 at 7:40 PM, John_S_in_Penna said: The colors are unusual, though evidently original to this car and correct, and definitely will stand out at a car show. Are they horribly gaudy or refreshingly distinctive? If I was the kind of guy who had money to burn, I'd definitely think about buying that car...and mostly because of the colors. One of the best original color schemes I've seen on a '50's American car. Beautiful! 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
58L-Y8 Posted December 30, 2021 Share Posted December 30, 2021 The inventive, striking and unusual two and three-tone color combinations and use of chrome for color breaks to facilitate those were other aspects of Virgil Exner's 1955 Forward Look design themes. This DeSoto is one of the best examples. 4 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
AdamInNH Posted January 5, 2022 Share Posted January 5, 2022 I'm interested, so I had someone put eyes on the car for me. Starts, runs, drives and stops A-1 - so that's positive! There lots of small things that aren't apparent in the eBay photos or description that all add-up. I've posted a few pix so you can see for yourself. It's a very nice car, but not quite as sharp as I had understood it to be. I figure there's easily $10K of +stuff+ to really make the car a solid #2 cosmetically. While it's not evident in the photos, I am told there's a fair bit of unevenness in the paint color. Perhaps rubbing out the hood and deck lid would help, my friend said. If the car was *there*, already, I think the asking price is in the ballpark. 4 3 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
kingrudy Posted January 6, 2022 Share Posted January 6, 2022 Rust through holes in the sill plate of the last picture? Otherwise a very beautiful car. For 38k if I'm the seller I would try to fix this. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
AdamInNH Posted January 6, 2022 Share Posted January 6, 2022 (edited) 12 hours ago, kingrudy said: Rust through holes in the sill plate of the last picture? Otherwise a very beautiful car. For 38k if I'm the seller I would try to fix this. @kingrudy - I have a hundred more photos - it is a beautiful car and the colors make it. If this was another 'meh' black car, I'd have passed it right by. Am I particular about the details? Damn straight. For $38.5K, it should be a 1-footer, IMO. If I wasn't keenly interested, I wouldn't have spent the $$ to have it checked out. Edited January 6, 2022 by AdamInNH typos (see edit history) 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jim Skelly Posted January 6, 2022 Share Posted January 6, 2022 bondo on the wheel lip area, rust near parking brake, damaged footwell panel ... all reasons why a car should be inspected in person! 5 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
kingrudy Posted January 6, 2022 Share Posted January 6, 2022 (edited) On 1/6/2022 at 9:02 AM, AdamInNH said: @kingrudy - I have a hundred more photos - it is a beautiful car and the colors make it. If this was another 'meh' black car, I'd have passed it right by. Am I particular about the details? Damn straight. For $38.5K, it should be a 1-footer, IMO. If I wasn't keenly interested, I wouldn't have spent the $$ to have it checked out. I sure can understand your interest in this car. The design is beautiful and it is not a common color, or design. Over a period of 66 years things happen to a car and hopefully the owner takes care of those things as they crop up. I wish you the best of luck with this transaction. This is surely a car that needs to be seen. Edited January 10, 2022 by kingrudy (see edit history) 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rivguy Posted January 10, 2022 Share Posted January 10, 2022 I'd have sanded that bondo better on the wheel lip before painting it those beautiful colors. That should have been done during the initial restoration, some of the other things have probably developed over time. Still a striking car, maybe if the price is negotiable? I could never pay any substantial money for a car I couldn't check out myself. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
6T-FinSeeker Posted January 15, 2022 Share Posted January 15, 2022 (edited) On 1/6/2022 at 9:02 AM, AdamInNH said: @kingrudy - I have a hundred more photos - it is a beautiful car and the colors make it. If this was another 'meh' black car, I'd have passed it right by. Am I particular about the details? Damn straight. For $38.5K, it should be a 1-footer, IMO. If I wasn't keenly interested, I wouldn't have spent the $$ to have it checked out. The Ebay listing ended 1/13 at 11:08 PM as "SOLD! - Best Offer Accepted!" Link to auction: https://www.ebay.com/itm/275067717094/1955-DeSoto-Fireflite-Sportsman Are you the buyer, Adam? Edited January 15, 2022 by 6T-FinSeeker (see edit history) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
B Jake Moran Posted January 16, 2022 Share Posted January 16, 2022 No way am I dropping anywhere near $38,000 with visible bondo glopped on there! That looks like my work! There should be no bondo. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
John_S_in_Penna Posted July 22, 2022 Author Share Posted July 22, 2022 On 1/4/2022 at 10:52 PM, AdamInNH said: I'm interested, so I had someone put eyes on the car for me. So Adam, are you the new owner of this colorful DeSoto? If so, it should be in your possession by now, with several months of enjoyment. On 1/14/2022 at 10:30 PM, 6T-FinSeeker said: Are you the buyer, Adam? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
AdamInNH Posted July 22, 2022 Share Posted July 22, 2022 I had the car inspected and it didn’t meet my 99% turnkey criteria, so I passed. 2 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
StillOutThere Posted July 22, 2022 Share Posted July 22, 2022 Strikingly and appropriately '50s gaudy. NOTHING WRONG WITH THAT. America on display back when we were exceptional. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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