Dad’s Pair: Two 1955 Hemi DeSotos
The seller’s father purchased two 1955 DeSotos to restore, but now they are being sold. One of the projects, a two-door Fireflite Sportsman Firedome Special Coupe, has been started, while the Firedome sedan remains intact. Could these be the unusual classic project you’ve been looking for? Excuse the seller’s picture crops and take a closer look!
1955 was a fantastic year for DeSoto. Production increased by about 50% from 1954, with 114,765 cars leaving dealers. This was the highest sales figure since the postwar sales boom in 1946. These were the first DeSotos designed by Virgil Exner and featured the “Forward Look” styling that became famous in the late 1950s. As you can see from the upper illustration, the Fireflite Sportsman featured a full-length “rapier-like contrasting color panel”, while the Firedome made do with a thin spear.
This is the inside of the Sportsman Firedome Coupe. I’m unsure if this car was media-blasted on the inside, but that’s possible. The rough appearance could be an application of undercoating. The gooped-up appearance of the lower parts of the rear seat braces supports that opinion. Sourcing the interior components may be the most difficult part of refurbishing this car, especially if you are pursuing a restoration rather than something custom. Thank you to BarnFinds reader Ted for sending us this cool find!
One positive thing about both cars is that most of the trim and glass are present and don’t appear badly damaged. Please don’t blame me for the poorly cropped photos — that’s how they are in the ad.
1955 DeSotos were equipped with a 291-cubic-inch version of the DeSoto “Firedome” Hemi V-8. I found out while researching this post that there were three very different “hemis” in the Mopar family in the 1950s, with Dodge and Chrysler being the other two brands. There are reports online that almost no parts interchange between the versions; can any of our readers confirm that? Aside from the generator missing from the Sportsman engine above, both engines look complete. These two projects are located in Grainger, Indiana, and are advertised for $5,800 here on Facebook Marketplace. Let us know your experiences with DeSotos in the comments — especially if you buy these two!
Comments
Nice find! Brings back memories of my 52 Imperial 4 Dr in high school. 331 hemi, oil bath oil filter, fan shroud (cross section from a barrel) and 6 volt generator.
The 2-door hardtop is not a Fireflite Sportsman. It is a Firedome Special Coupe. The plain, simple medallion, trim on the c-pillar is the giveaway. A Fireflite would have a rocker panel molding and chrome spears running from the headlight trim rings on top of the front fenders.
Phil, thanks for the expertise and correction! I’ll correct the post.
Really like the DeSoto coupe. If only I had a place to work on it. I’m not on Facebook so I can’t see the vehicle description. Do either of them turn over at least? As long as the interior is mostly MIA, I would resto mod it except for the dash if that’s complete
By the way I have an idea why users, myself included, get that You’re Posting Too Fast message. It’s possible you’re hitting the subscribe like and the Post Comment at the same time.
Subscribe Link not like.
I had a 1955 Coronado. Three colors: white roof, turquoise body and black sides below the chrome trim. It had the Hemi and Powerflight automatic transmission. White leather and aqua cloth interior that was very rich looking. These were a special edition for 1955. I enjoyed it as it more than held its own in modern traffic.
I’m not sure about the internal parts being interchangeable but the physical engines between the three are all different. Physically the Chrysler Hemis are the largest. The three Chrysler big blocks the 331, 354, and 392 all look the same but the blocks are different.an intake manifold from a 354 won’t fit on the higher deck 392.
The smallest physical size is the dodge which is several inches (maybe 4”) narrower than the Chrysler elephant engines. The Dodge also has the smallest cubic inch Red ram hemi which is 245 and the super Red ram I think is 271.
The Desoto Hemis fall in between in physical size and came in several displacements including 291, 341 and 345. There are probably more but those are the ones that I’ve actually bought, sold or just handled. Early Hemis were some of the smoothest well balanced engines I’ve seen running.
These numbers are all from memory and I’m sure I’ll hear from real experts that have written data to challenge me but I’m speaking from experience not a parts book.