1958 DeSoto Convertible Hood Ornament
Lancer Mike
Posted 2010-01-30 10:06 PM (#207334)
Subject: 1958 DeSoto Convertible Hood Ornament



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Location: The Mile High City
A little fun with the hood ornament...



(DeSoto Hood Ornament 001.jpg)



(DeSoto Hood Ornament 002.jpg)



(DeSoto Hood Ornament 003.JPG)



(DeSoto Hood Ornament 004.JPG)



(DeSoto Hood Ornament 005.JPG)



(DeSoto Hood Ornament 006.JPG)



(DeSoto Hood Ornament 007.jpg)



(DeSoto Hood Ornament 008.jpg)



(DeSoto Hood Ornament 009.jpg)



Attachments
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Attachments DeSoto Hood Ornament 001.jpg (110KB - 621 downloads)
Attachments DeSoto Hood Ornament 002.jpg (109KB - 504 downloads)
Attachments DeSoto Hood Ornament 003.JPG (169KB - 578 downloads)
Attachments DeSoto Hood Ornament 004.JPG (188KB - 490 downloads)
Attachments DeSoto Hood Ornament 005.JPG (176KB - 601 downloads)
Attachments DeSoto Hood Ornament 006.JPG (114KB - 448 downloads)
Attachments DeSoto Hood Ornament 007.jpg (187KB - 600 downloads)
Attachments DeSoto Hood Ornament 008.jpg (96KB - 480 downloads)
Attachments DeSoto Hood Ornament 009.jpg (97KB - 682 downloads)
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1959 Belvedere Conv
Posted 2010-01-30 10:17 PM (#207335 - in reply to #207334)
Subject: Re: 1958 DeSoto Convertible Hood Ornament


Elite Veteran

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Location: Arvada, Colorado (NW Denver Metro Area)
Mike, I take it you are fabbing a new center hood ornament mount? Are those NOS date coded bolts with date coded mig welding? Ha!

Or is this some James Bond type of secret 20MM cannon mount? Inquiring minds want to know what your are up to...or at least I am.

Do you have a cushioning gasket underneath that flat bar? Don't want the paint marred.
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1959 Belvedere Conv
Posted 2010-01-30 10:18 PM (#207336 - in reply to #207334)
Subject: Re: 1958 DeSoto Convertible Hood Ornament


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Location: Arvada, Colorado (NW Denver Metro Area)
I like the pathfinder De Soto head!! Exner would love it!
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1959 Belvedere Conv
Posted 2010-01-30 10:35 PM (#207339 - in reply to #207334)
Subject: Re: 1958 DeSoto Convertible Hood Ornament


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Posts: 1107
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Location: Arvada, Colorado (NW Denver Metro Area)
Mike, What year did that come off of?
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Lancer Mike
Posted 2010-01-30 11:58 PM (#207347 - in reply to #207339)
Subject: Re: 1958 DeSoto Convertible Hood Ornament



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Location: The Mile High City
Hi, John - that is from a '51 DeSoto. I have always loved those light-up faces of Hernando!

Cheers,

M
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1959 Belvedere Conv
Posted 2010-01-31 12:01 AM (#207348 - in reply to #207334)
Subject: Re: 1958 DeSoto Convertible Hood Ornament


Elite Veteran

Posts: 1107
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Location: Arvada, Colorado (NW Denver Metro Area)
Mike, use that De Soto head when you go out here in Denver for Sonic cruise nights or other local cruises, It would be a hoot!

maybe I can find an old light up Mayflower for my Plymouth. Would have to use a magnetic mount since there is no existing centerline hood emplem.

It's cool!
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Lancer Mike
Posted 2010-01-31 12:23 AM (#207349 - in reply to #207348)
Subject: Re: 1958 DeSoto Convertible Hood Ornament



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Location: The Mile High City
Thanks, John - I had this idea a while ago and wondered if it would work. I think it turned out ok. Now I have to replate the pot metal ornament
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1959Dodge
Posted 2010-01-31 8:27 AM (#207380 - in reply to #207334)
Subject: Re: 1958 DeSoto Convertible Hood Ornament



Expert

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Location: Yorba Linda, Ca
Hmmmmm, now I gotta find a ram for my Dodge, and lite up it's eyes "Fiery Red"----Ya bests keeps Hernando away from that Ram, thou


Gary
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Sonoramic60
Posted 2010-01-31 1:54 PM (#207428 - in reply to #207349)
Subject: Re: 1958 DeSoto Convertible Hood Ornament


Expert

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Ya pays yer money and ya takes yer choice!
With the Big-Tailed Beast and its "burbbley" ram-induction cam, unsilenced aircleaners, and low-restriction exhaust, people hear it coming long before they can see it! And my wife and neighbors say Ol' Shake, Rattle, and Roar's" (my '65 Fuellie Vette) side-mounted "Off-Road Exhaust System" rattles the windows -- so if I have to get up early on a Saturday morning to to take it somewhere, the rest of the neighborhood does too. Of course, the "POH-leece" see this old gray head and figure I'm harmless.
Joe
PS, The C is more sedate but it does turn the heads of "flatland touristers" when it passes them at about 110 on I-25.
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Lancer Mike
Posted 2010-01-31 2:49 PM (#207441 - in reply to #207428)
Subject: Re: 1958 DeSoto Convertible Hood Ornament



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Location: The Mile High City
Did they have a light-up ram and Plymouth ship? I have seen the light-up Indian heads on Pontiacs. That seemed like a fad in the late '40s and early '50s. The very idea of a light-up hood ornament is pretty cool to me. At any rate, with that make-shift bar, bolts, and gasket, I can switch them back and forth in a matter of minutes.

Oh, and Joe - that '51 hood ornament is not very aero-dynamic! My top speed is reduced by, well...I have never gone top speed in that car!
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1959 Belvedere Conv
Posted 2010-01-31 3:55 PM (#207451 - in reply to #207334)
Subject: Re: 1958 DeSoto Convertible Hood Ornament


Elite Veteran

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Location: Arvada, Colorado (NW Denver Metro Area)
Mike. I don't know if they did ever have a light up Mayflower, but if they did I have to find it! Or mayber Young master Jedi Garad Richardsv may have to create one for me to compete with you.
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Doctor DeSoto
Posted 2010-01-31 4:15 PM (#207459 - in reply to #207451)
Subject: Re: 1958 DeSoto Convertible Hood Ornament



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Location: Parts Unknown
I hope you have a WWE promo shirt with the sleeves torn off and a mullet wig (I know I do!) to go with that fine custom work.

I like those light up hood ornaments too. They just look too "vertical" on a car like ours. Too bad Exner didn't make a two color lighted FL emblem for them.
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Sonoramic60
Posted 2010-01-31 6:31 PM (#207490 - in reply to #207459)
Subject: Re: 1958 DeSoto Convertible Hood Ornament


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Mike --
Of course, I have been known to light up the red and blue light bars of certain types of vehicles.
"Officer, if I thought I was doing something wrong, you never could catch me" and "Officer, if we have to go all the way back there to pay the fine, why didn't you stop me sooner?" are not the things to say to a man with a badge. BTW, the reply to my question to the blue was simply, "Son, I tried. I really tried."
Joe
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Lancer Mike
Posted 2010-02-03 11:32 PM (#207968 - in reply to #207459)
Subject: Re: 1958 DeSoto Convertible Hood Ornament



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Location: The Mile High City
Doctor DeSoto - 2010-01-31 2:15 PM

I hope you have a WWE promo shirt with the sleeves torn off and a mullet wig (I know I do!) to go with that fine custom work.



Doc, that put a smile on my ugly mug! I took it out for a drive around the "beltway' of Denver - 6th Avenue to I-70 to C-470 to I-25 and back. I think you are right. I like the look from the front with the light on, but I think I much prefer the jet ornament (particularly it's lowness and sleekness) as viewed from the driver's seat. It just doesn't fit the look of the fender ornaments very well.

Oh, well - I tried it on a whim. I still think it is kind of fun. John and I can put on our mullet wigs and WWF tee shirts and send you a classy Christmas card!

I sent it to Paul's Chrome in Pennsylvania and they said it would be $400 to replate. My reply: send it back.

Joe: I like the light-up hood ornaments - those light-up roof ornaments are no fun at all!
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Lancer Mike
Posted 2010-02-03 11:35 PM (#207969 - in reply to #207968)
Subject: Re: 1958 DeSoto Convertible Hood Ornament



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Location: The Mile High City
Doc, just for that comment - I am keeping that head of Hernando on there forever!

In another fifty years, I am going to claim that is original as the day it left the factory!

"Yeah, only the suckers had those cheap jet things - you had to pay extra to get ol' Hernando stuck on there. And then to light him up, that was a pretty penny indeed!"
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1959 Belvedere Conv
Posted 2010-02-04 12:50 AM (#207979 - in reply to #207334)
Subject: Re: 1958 DeSoto Convertible Hood Ornament


Elite Veteran

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Mike... What Mullet wig? This is my normal (gray) hair. There is nothing to put on....
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Doctor DeSoto
Posted 2010-02-05 12:20 AM (#208082 - in reply to #207979)
Subject: Re: 1958 DeSoto Convertible Hood Ornament



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Location: Parts Unknown
Pontiac had the lit "Chieftain" head, but later went to a plastic winged thing that looked like a jet. I suppose a 58-appearing unit in acrylic could be made to light up ? It wouldn't look too hot during daylight hours, but might be cool at night ?

I think I am sticking with stock.
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Doctor DeSoto
Posted 2010-02-05 12:24 AM (#208083 - in reply to #207334)
Subject: RE: 1958 DeSoto Convertible Hood Ornament



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Location: Parts Unknown
Mikey, .... I never noticed that your car has fender birds. Are those original to the car ? They were optional on all but Fireflite and not often seen on Firedomes.
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Lancer Mike
Posted 2010-02-05 1:08 AM (#208084 - in reply to #208083)
Subject: RE: 1958 DeSoto Convertible Hood Ornament



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Location: The Mile High City
It did indeed have the fender ornaments right from the factory. I ordered a build sheet from Chrysler Historical and it lists the fender ornaments for this particular car.
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Doctor DeSoto
Posted 2010-02-05 7:32 PM (#208180 - in reply to #208084)
Subject: RE: 1958 DeSoto Convertible Hood Ornament



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While I do not have my handy-dandy salesman's pocket guide close for quick consultation, it seems to me the price difference between convertible models was about $200 a step. This always made me think about a buyer walking in and having a certain car in mind vs. what they drove off with. I think the fender birds were $7 or something like that. How many small add-ons did it take before it was better to just step up and buy the more upline model ? How many people loaded up a low-line car because they liked say, the Firesweep eyebrows and insisted on the Firesweep even though they wanted a lot of the upline options ? Fun stuff to think about when you look at virgin cars.
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Gidman
Posted 2010-02-05 10:26 PM (#208194 - in reply to #208180)
Subject: RE: 1958 DeSoto Convertible Hood Ornament



Extreme Veteran

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Location: Southern California
Truly one of the great hood ornaments....



(Pontiac-Hood-Ornament.jpg)



Attachments
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Attachments Pontiac-Hood-Ornament.jpg (34KB - 1033 downloads)
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Doctor DeSoto
Posted 2010-02-06 10:50 AM (#208220 - in reply to #208194)
Subject: RE: 1958 DeSoto Convertible Hood Ornament



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Location: Parts Unknown
Thanks G. I was trying to pull up a hard visual from memory. That is about it !

I always liked the 55-56 Pontiacs. I like the 59 and later ones too. They have become about as common as seeing FL Mopars on the road.
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MorePar
Posted 2010-02-06 4:51 PM (#208253 - in reply to #207334)
Subject: RE: 1958 DeSoto Convertible Hood Ornament



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Location: Colorado, Pike's Peak

Nice Mike,

 

With high intensity LEDs and a simple battery circuit you could have it be either red, yellow, green, blue or white or alternating or strobing!

 

:-)

 

Slim

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Lancer Mike
Posted 2010-02-07 10:56 PM (#208482 - in reply to #208253)
Subject: RE: 1958 DeSoto Convertible Hood Ornament



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Location: The Mile High City
Gid, that is a spectacular ornament! I always liked those Pierce-Arrow hood ornaments with the archer. Packard's Goddess of Speed was pretty cool too. That's the issue with the '58 DeSoto: other than the name, there is nothing to say "I am a Conquistador, and I am here to enslave you!"

Slim, I wondered about that. When I went to Radio Shack, I asked about going digital with an LED, and the reguar incandescent seemed much simpler to me, albeit a bit more bulky. The components to do a circuit board, LED, and disk battery were not what I had in mind.
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Lancer Mike
Posted 2010-02-23 7:12 PM (#211350 - in reply to #208482)
Subject: RE: 1958 DeSoto Convertible Hood Ornament



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Location: The Mile High City
here's another Pontiac





(Hood_Ornament001_291193222_std.jpg)



Attachments
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Attachments Hood_Ornament001_291193222_std.jpg (20KB - 468 downloads)
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Lancer Mike
Posted 2010-02-23 7:18 PM (#211354 - in reply to #211350)
Subject: RE: 1958 DeSoto Convertible Hood Ornament



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Location: The Mile High City
And one from a '48 Plymouth for you, John!




(Hood_Ornament001_291193223_std.jpg)



Attachments
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Attachments Hood_Ornament001_291193223_std.jpg (75KB - 440 downloads)
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1959 Belvedere Conv
Posted 2010-02-23 8:55 PM (#211375 - in reply to #207334)
Subject: Re: 1958 DeSoto Convertible Hood Ornament


Elite Veteran

Posts: 1107
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Location: Arvada, Colorado (NW Denver Metro Area)
Oh Oh I want it to compete against you and your Rocky's Auto Hood piece! LOL

If I buy one like that I want laser beams to come out of the Bow Sprit of that Mayflower! That will one up you and your DC powered light bulb!

I can see a macth race against you this spring, Fin Convert vs Fin Convert ( I also bought some USAF JATO rockets for a boost of the line)He He..

Winner will take on the Richards 57 De Soto Convert. We will be racing for Pinks! (if my wife will let me....)

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Lancer Mike
Posted 2016-03-20 8:54 PM (#507425 - in reply to #211375)
Subject: Re: 1958 DeSoto Convertible Hood Ornament



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Location: The Mile High City
More monkey business with the De Soto hood ornament: this time a '49! I haven't put in the lighting equipment, but this one does not fit as well as the '51. The ornament has too much curve and length to it. Still, I will get it lit and have one more hood ornament to goof around with.



(49 01 reduced 032016.jpg)



(49 02 reduced 032016.jpg)



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Attachments 49 01 reduced 032016.jpg (242KB - 413 downloads)
Attachments 49 02 reduced 032016.jpg (236KB - 391 downloads)
Attachments 49 03 reduced 032016.jpg (205KB - 421 downloads)
Attachments 49 04 reduced 032016.jpg (224KB - 405 downloads)
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