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| My grandfather recently passed away and has one of these in the garage...He used to drive it once a week..It looks in original shape....any idea of value?
thanks you.
Mike
Edited by Stang 2016-05-25 10:27 AM
(7c461c29-6f90-464c-a6dd-a0361e85fa20.jpg)
Attachments ---------------- 7c461c29-6f90-464c-a6dd-a0361e85fa20.jpg (54KB - 175 downloads)
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Expert
Posts: 2003
Location: Branson, MO | Stang - 2016-05-25 9:24 AM
My grandfather recently passed away and has one of these in the garage...He used to drive it once a week..It looks in original shape....any idea of value?
thanks you.
Mike
Need more information. Car looks nice and original but what about the interior? Engine and drive train? Trunk? Rust issues (looks solid)? Miles? The wheel covers are not factory but that's a minor detail. More pictures would really be of value.
Edited by Viper Guy 2016-05-25 11:07 AM
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Member
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| Here's a few more pics....
(engine.jpg)
(interior1.jpg)
(interior2.jpg)
(interior3.jpg)
(trunk.jpg)
(trunk2.jpg)
(trunk3.jpg)
Attachments ---------------- engine.jpg (95KB - 170 downloads) interior1.jpg (46KB - 169 downloads) interior2.jpg (84KB - 169 downloads) interior3.jpg (75KB - 174 downloads) trunk.jpg (34KB - 170 downloads) trunk2.jpg (49KB - 172 downloads) trunk3.jpg (59KB - 166 downloads)
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| couple more
(front.JPG)
(side.JPG)
(rear.JPG)
Attachments ---------------- front.JPG (66KB - 177 downloads) side.JPG (42KB - 180 downloads) rear.JPG (42KB - 177 downloads)
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| hey are you intrested to sell it can offer you 6500 thanks
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Posts: 36
| I have a feeling I'd be giving it away at that price.... |
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Posts: 36
| $12k USD...original hubcaps available along with spare front and rear windshield.
This is a daily driver.....
anyone interested send me an email at 73Stangman@gmail.com.
If I don't sell it in the next day or so I'm throwing it on EBAY.... |
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Expert
Posts: 2003
Location: Branson, MO | In comparison to "junk" that has been advertised and sold, this car seems to be worth the $12K with it being factory original without any modifications. There are minor imperfections but nothing serious that I can tell. If it was a 2 door, it would be worth more and probably sold already. It can't have too many miles but I don't think the seller indicated this yet.
Edited by Viper Guy 2016-05-25 12:50 PM
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Member
Posts: 36
| Video of the engine running....
https://vimeo.com/168071991
Edited by Stang 2016-05-25 12:43 PM
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Expert
Posts: 3480
Location: Montreal, Canada | Oh man! That is a beauty!
Very, very nice, and I really wish I had that money to spare at the present time.
Plus, I believe you are in Canada not too far from me.
I love 57 DeSotos and this is one fine example! |
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Elite Veteran
Posts: 1116
Location: CA | If you're not in a hurry to sell your car I'd price it quite a bit higher than 12k. That car is a pretty high optioned car, if someone wanted to 'negotiate' tell 'em to find another like it... they won't. Hemi, power steering, power brakes, power windows, search-tune radio. That's a great car!
Edited by Finsinthemirror 2016-05-25 1:46 PM
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Extreme Veteran
Posts: 537
Location: Upstate NY | I probably missed it but where is this car? It looks to be in too rust free to be anywhere near a coast. I would agree it is worth every penny you are asking. |
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Posts: 3480
Location: Montreal, Canada | bbrasse1 - 2016-05-25 6:27 PM
I probably missed it but where is this car? It looks to be in too rust free to be anywhere near a coast. I would agree it is worth every penny you are asking.
Car is in Ontario, Canada. |
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Elite Veteran
Posts: 963
Location: San Antonio, TX | I've never seen a Fireflite sedan with an armrest. I'm gonna ask Ed. The fabric definitely looks factory. It's trim code 531. I've got the brown version (533). The pattern direction is 90 degrees off mine though. Mine is a like this illustration.
(57blueInterior.JPG)
Attachments ---------------- 57blueInterior.JPG (39KB - 177 downloads)
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| Thanks for all the comments folks. I understand there was a "Sportsman" version of the Fireflite. is this car one of them and if so what differentiates the models?
thanks.
Mike. |
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Posts: 3480
Location: Montreal, Canada | Stang - 2016-05-25 8:09 PM
Thanks for all the comments folks. I understand there was a "Sportsman" version of the Fireflite. is this car one of them and if so what differentiates the models?
thanks.
Mike.
Sportsman designates hardtop or convertible models. You car is a sedan, so it is not a Sportsman. |
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Expert
Posts: 1488
Location: New Castle PA | Armrest is custom, and the seat material is sewn in sideways from the direction it should be. Unfortunately, usually sedans don't sell for much, and IMHO, despite the options mentioned, $12K is not out of line either way (not giving it away, nor asking a mint for it). Last year, I had a fellow selling a beautiful Firedome sedan that couldn't get $11K for it. I like the values at this site: http://www.collectorcarmarket.com/collector-car/prices/1957-desoto-...
I'm not putting this car down. It looks great. I'm just trying to be honest. I own 2 sedans. They cost just as much as HTs to restore but it's easy to put more into them than you'll get out of them. You have to be doing it for the love of the car and the enjoyment and not for financial gain.
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Posts: 3480
Location: Montreal, Canada | 57desoto - 2016-05-25 8:46 PM
Armrest is custom, and the seat material is sewn in sideways from the direction it should be. Unfortunately, usually sedans don't sell for much, and IMHO, despite the options mentioned, $12K is not out of line either way (not giving it away, nor asking a mint for it ). Last year, I had a fellow selling a beautiful Firedome sedan that couldn't get $11K for it. I like the values at this site: http://www.collectorcarmarket.com/collector-car/prices/1957-desoto-...
I'm not putting this car down. It looks great. I'm just trying to be honest. I own 2 sedans. They cost just as much as HTs to restore but it's easy to put more into them than you'll get out of them. You have to be doing it for the love of the car and the enjoyment and not for financial gain.
Ed, I know you are the 57 DeSoto expert here, but my Ross Roy Data Book for 1957 DeSoto says center armrest is standard in Fireflite 4 door sedans (see photo). This car was sold in Canada, and my Ross Roy is canadian, so even though Fireflites were made in the USA, this could be a difference for cars intended for the canadian market.
As far as cloth orientation, I cannot speak for DeSotos, but in my Dodge the cloth has a very particular pattern and in years of documenting original cars with this cloth in them, I have seen it oriented two ways (flipped 180 degrees). I don't know about 90 degrees, but 180 degrees difference, I have seen it before, so I guess everything is possible.
Edited by soiouz 2016-05-25 9:27 PM
(DSCN1025.jpg)
Attachments ---------------- DSCN1025.jpg (186KB - 173 downloads)
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Expert
Posts: 1488
Location: New Castle PA | Well, I'm hardly an "expert", and I obviously didn't think hard before writing! I was so focused on the sedan "value". Armrests WERE available as OPTIONAL on U.S. Fireflite sedans, as MY data book shows. Your book, the Canadian version, shows rear armrest as standard. Those are super rare in the U.S. I guess that WAS a difference. On the cloth, though, I still believe it's just plain sewn in in the wrong direction (I really don't think Canadian cars would have material 90 degrees off of US cars, do you?). Thanks for correcting my "foot in mouth" problem!
Here's a picture of the "scissors" pattern in the correct direction.
Edited by 57desoto 2016-05-25 9:59 PM
(armrests.jpg)
(frontseat_code532resized.jpg)
Attachments ---------------- armrests.jpg (73KB - 166 downloads) frontseat_code532resized.jpg (139KB - 165 downloads)
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Expert
Posts: 3480
Location: Montreal, Canada | 57desoto - 2016-05-25 9:46 PM
Well, I'm hardly an "expert", and I obviously didn't think hard before writing! I was so focused on the sedan "value". Armrests WERE available as OPTIONAL on U.S. Fireflite sedans, as MY data book shows. Your book, the Canadian version, shows rear armrest as standard. Those are super rare in the U.S. I guess that WAS a difference. On the cloth, though, I still believe it's just plain sewn in in the wrong direction (I really don't think Canadian cars would have material 90 degrees off of US cars, do you?). Thanks for correcting my "foot in mouth" problem!
Here's a picture of the "scissors" pattern in the correct direction.
Ok for the armrest, that makes sense.
No I don't think the cloth orientation is a US-Canada difference, but rather a supplier difference, maybe. If you look closely at this car's front seat sides, you'll see that the cloth is in the correct orientation on the sides. This car is a low mileage, original and unrestored car, and the seats do not look like they were redone, with the only odd thing being the orientation of the cloth pattern. I have seen cloth sewn in different orientation in other original cars (my example with Dodges), so I think this one here could be one of those oddball original factory difference. |
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Elite Veteran
Posts: 963
Location: San Antonio, TX | I knew I had seen that 90 degree off orientation before. Took me a while, but I found it.
http://www.barrett-jackson.com/Events/Event/Details/1957-DE-SOTO-FI...
The door panels on the Barret-Jackson 2-door are 90 degrees off as well. That just looks weird to me. Definitely a restoration, but who knows if they had original seats to go from???
I can't really tell from the pictures of the blue sedan about the fabric orientation on the door panels. It is a very nice car that I CAN see.
(wrong.JPG)
Attachments ---------------- wrong.JPG (108KB - 177 downloads)
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Expert
Posts: 3155
Location: NY & VT | That is a very nice sedan. I for one love 4 door cars. Unrestored original cars like this are the best ones to have imo.
Have no idea what seat pattern orientation is correct, but to my eye this N-S installation looks better than the factory E-W one.
Edited by firedome 2016-05-26 10:17 AM
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Expert
Posts: 2003
Location: Branson, MO | firedome - 2016-05-26 9:14 AM
That is a very nice sedan. I for one love 4 door cars. Unrestored original cars like this are the best ones to have imo.
Have no idea what seat pattern orientation is correct, but to my eye this N-S installation looks better than the factory E-W one.
Regarding the seat pattern, my Dad was a DeSoto-Plymouth dealer and the very first '57 DeSoto he received from the factory was a Fireflite 4 door HT in sort of a dark gray with somewhat of an orange top and sweep. The interior was the color of the orange/gray pictured above but the cloth pattern was different to my recollection. It seemed to have a "salt and pepper" dotted pattern. Is this my imagination? Or were there a couple of choices? Or maybe the 4 door sedans were different?
Edited by Viper Guy 2016-05-26 11:32 AM
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Elite Veteran
Posts: 705
Location: California | A beautiful survivor. Original trunk mat.. I bet 17k is doable. |
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Extreme Veteran
Posts: 494
Location: Alberta | Stang I have sent a pm regarding more info on your car |
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Posts: 1488
Location: New Castle PA | Viper Guy, the sedans had their own upholstery material. Sportsmen 2 and 4 door HT models and convertibles shared a group of upholstery fabrics. |
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Posts: 2003
Location: Branson, MO | 57desoto - 2016-05-26 8:03 PM
Viper Guy, the sedans had their own upholstery material. Sportsmen 2 and 4 door HT models and convertibles shared a group of upholstery fabrics.
I believe you are correct. Notice the difference in the seat pattern/style between the blue 4D and the orange and gray. I believe the orange and gray style is for the Sportsman and convertible that uses much more vinyl with just cloth inserts. However, the insert patern shown above is not the salt and pepper dotted pattern that I recall in Dad's first '57 Fireflite 4HT. Maybe there were some differences during production???? Anyway, it's just an observation and I'm not wanting to get into a pissing contest. It looks good to me.
Edited by Viper Guy 2016-05-28 10:05 AM
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Elite Veteran
Posts: 963
Location: San Antonio, TX | Here's an illustration of a 2dr Sportsman that has trim code 543. The fabric is Westminster Tweed. It's what my 4dr hdtp Sportsman came with. I got a swatch from SMS. And here is my unrestored door panel. Maybe this is the salt-n-pepper you remember??
Edited by macedon 2016-05-28 10:32 AM
(57tweed.JPG)
(tweedswatch.JPG)
(unrestored.JPG)
Attachments ---------------- 57tweed.JPG (39KB - 167 downloads) tweedswatch.JPG (92KB - 160 downloads) unrestored.JPG (142KB - 162 downloads)
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Expert
Posts: 2003
Location: Branson, MO | Yeah, that's it! I didn't think I was totally "out of it" but in my old age, not so sure.
Good luck with your restoration and please keep us posted with your progress.
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Member
Posts: 36
| Hi folks,
I noticed the original owners's name is engraved on small plaque on the driver's door. Was this done by Desoto when ordering a car or is this just a one-off thing?
Mike |
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Expert
Posts: 2003
Location: Branson, MO | Dad was a DeSoto dealer and none had any names or other ID from the factory engraved anywhere on the car. It had to be a dealer thing. The only engraved plaques I recall were dash plaques that were engraved with the first purchaser's name of specialty models only.
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Expert
Posts: 1488
Location: New Castle PA | The sideways upholstery pattern on this car really has me buffaloed. Notice on the front seat picture above, how at the SIDES of the seat, those symbols run ACROSS (like they should) rather than UP AND DOWN (like on the main seat panel). That seat edge also looks more faded than the main part. Compare that with the green seat picture above, which I posted. The seat edge direction matches the seat main section direction. I still think this interior has been re-upholstered with the pattern running the wrong way. Stang, are you 100% certain this is original? |
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Member
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| 57desoto - 2016-06-09 6:40 AM
The sideways upholstery pattern on this car really has me buffaloed. Notice on the front seat picture above, how at the SIDES of the seat, those symbols run ACROSS (like they should) rather than UP AND DOWN (like on the main seat panel). That seat edge also looks more faded than the main part. Compare that with the green seat picture above, which I posted. The seat edge direction matches the seat main section direction. I still think this interior has been re-upholstered with the pattern running the wrong way. Stang, are you 100% certain this is original?
Hey Ed,
I'm pretty sure it was reupholstered at some point with period-correct material.
Mike |
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Expert
Posts: 1488
Location: New Castle PA | Thanks, Stang. Thought I was going crazy. Whoever did it did a super nice job, except for the material direction. Sure looks like the piping is well-done, too! Mystery solved! |
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Elite Veteran
Posts: 836
Location: Layton, Utah | I sure would love this car !!! This would be such a great car to just clean up & drive. I'll bet the paint would buff up pretty darn good too. I have too many projects and cars as it is now though. It's a sickness iv'e concluded. With this car being in Canada, isn't it kind of a pain to get it into the states ? DeSoto lives !!! |
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| 60crossram - 2016-06-09 7:58 PM
I sure would love this car !!! This would be such a great car to just clean up & drive. I'll bet the paint would buff up pretty darn good too. I have too many projects and cars as it is now though. It's a sickness iv'e concluded. With this car being in Canada, isn't it kind of a pain to get it into the states ? DeSoto lives !!!
Here's a video that explains the process of importing a car from Canada into the US. Doesn't seem very complicated.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_1kXQDDuMZM
Edited by Stang 2016-06-10 8:43 AM
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Expert
Posts: 1508
Location: new york | Has the car been sold?
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Posts: 36
| old mopar guy - 2016-06-19 11:14 PM
Has the car been sold?
One more day on EBAY and it's gone for good...
http://www.ebay.com/itm/162104139669 |
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Elite Veteran,, James Passed away March 2021, He will be Missed
Posts: 1028
Location: Melbourne, Australia | They are desperate sales tactics that wont help sell the car .
If it doesnt sell maybe put it on ebay one more time for a 99cent start and let it go . Let people know you are willing to accept bids from people worldwide , and you will get the exact amount its really worth (in America )
Edited by The Adventurer 2016-06-20 9:03 AM
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| The Adventurer - 2016-06-20 9:02 AM
They are desperate sales tactics that wont help sell the car .
If it doesnt sell maybe put it on ebay one more time for a 99cent start and let it go . Let people know you are willing to accept bids from people worldwide , and you will get the exact amount its really worth (in America )
I'm just being honest with anyone that's interested in this car. I already have a buyer lined up if it doesn't sell on EBAY this time..
Edited by Stang 2016-06-20 9:39 AM
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Elite Veteran,, James Passed away March 2021, He will be Missed
Posts: 1028
Location: Melbourne, Australia | All good then and congrats on selling the car ! |
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Member
Posts: 36
| thank you! It's rollin' down south to it's new home in Virginia... |
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Board Moderator & Exner Expert 10K+
Location: .Norfolk..Mafia.. ,England UK | Stang - 2016-06-22 2:24 PM
thank you! It's rollin' down south to it's new home in Virginia...
Care to share what it sold for,, Just so we get a idea of the current open market value ...
Clive.
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| $11k |
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Board Moderator & Exner Expert 10K+
Location: .Norfolk..Mafia.. ,England UK | Stang - 2016-06-22 6:36 PM
$11k
Thanks for the disclosure..
I personally valued the Desoto at 10k-12k and would of expected it to reach those numbers on ebay if you had auctioned it low but with a reserve..
Glad to see you got a fair and honest price for it, (in my opinion)
Clive
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Expert
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Location: NY & VT | Sold in the price range I predicted - 9 to 12k. A fair price for a nice car, and glad to see it staying in the US of A! Well done on both sides! |
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Expert
Posts: 3480
Location: Montreal, Canada | firedome - 2016-06-27 12:05 PM
Sold in the price range I predicted - 9 to 12k. A fair price for a nice car, and glad to see it staying in the US of A! Well done on both sides!
Actually, that car was never in the USA (except for the week it was built back in '57)!
It's a Canadian car that was still in Canada (province of Ontario) up to now.
Edited by soiouz 2016-06-27 1:06 PM
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Expert
Posts: 3155
Location: NY & VT | Oh, Canada isn't part of the US? ;-) Silly me... then again, these days maybe you should be glad it isn't!!
I guess my point actually was it was one that thankfully didn't go to Europe, like too many already... makes it darn near impossible/$$$ to buy one, should it be available again, once it's gone "over there". |
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Posts: 3480
Location: Montreal, Canada | firedome - 2016-06-28 1:32 PM
Oh, Canada isn't part of the US? ;-) Silly me... then again, these days maybe you should be glad it isn't!!
I guess my point actually was it was one that thankfully didn't go to Europe, like too many already... makes it darn near impossible/$$$ to buy one, should it be available again, once it's gone "over there".
haha! I'll refrain from any political comment, as I always do on forums, but I get your point!
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