Rare 1954 desoto firedome Hemi v8 coupe project nt Chevrolet Chrysler ford Dodge

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Reluctant sale. 1954 desoto fire dome club coupe. This is the only v8 club coupe registered with the national desoto club which is a worldwide desoto club. ( Personally imported from the U.S. in 2011. I found the car and bought it in 2010 from a guy in Palm Springs CA, where it had been parked since the mid 60s, and brought it back with me with the intention of restoring it. i have all paperwork necessary for registration.
The vehicle was built in Los Angeles the 1618th 1954 desoto made (out of a total of 3703 sedans, hardtops, wagons and club coupes in both v8 fire dome or 6 cyl powermaster models) and trucked to Scarborough motor co. In Huntsville Texas on the 22/1/1954. At sometime it made its way back to a car yard in Glendale California where it was resold before ending up in the guys yard where I bought it from. It was made with paint code 372 - black roof and a Aztec yellow body. Interior trim was code 384 which was green cloth and vinyl. It was optioned with a 8 tube radio and antenna and tinted solex glass! Being a firedome v8 model - it has the 276 v8 HEMI (yeah it's got a HEMI) and a 2 speed power flite transmission. And it has power steering and power brakes! 6 seats, 2 doors and heaps of stainless and chrome finish it up. And that grille!
The car is complete and shortly after I bought it I had the motor running (briefly out of a jerry can of fresh fuel and a 6v electric fuel pump after a week of soaking in marvel mystery oil). It was in need of a full restoration, the 40 years in the Southern Californian desert had taken its toll on everything from the paint, to the interior, and anything rubber had deteriorated. However the car was unmolested, with nothing missing - all the chrome, engine parts, panels, glass is there. Even a couple of spare heads in the trunk.
Once I got it back to Australia I started to work on it. I stripped it, tagged and bagged every bolt nut and washer and took a million photos the whole way through. The chassis, bumper mounts, suspension (springs, control arms, knuckles, leaves, shackles, brackets) and steering components ( drag link and tie rods) have all been blasted and powder coated satin black. They have then been re-assembled with all new parts - suspension wise new pivot pin sets for the upper and lower control arms, new kingpins sets, new spring isolator so for the front coils, new grease seals, new camber bolts, new rear shackle bushes, new front spring eye bushes, new u bolts, new sway bar bushes, new front and rear shocks, new tie rod ends on all steering gear, new bearings in the steering pivot, all parts sourced from either rock auto for the stuff still being made and andy bernbaum mopar parts for the stuff that's not still readily available. I am currently in the process of fitting all new brake shoes front and rear, new wheel cylinders front and rear, new brake lines front and rear. I have new wheel bearings for all four corners to go in then as well. The rear diff has been rebuilt with new bearings and seals throughout. The brake master cyl has been rebuilt. The chassis is currently on dolly. as is the body. The wheels are ready to go once the brakes have been done, all parts are there. ( I have 6 wheels in total, junk roller tyres at moment. Four wheels have been blasted and powder coated Satin black) and it will be a rolling chassis. I have a spare compete axle / rear diff assy to go with the vehicle.
The motor is a 276 hemi v8 and is the original for the car. It has been dismantled as I was to send it for engine work that never happened. All parts have been bagged and tagged and stored accordingly, including the original 'firedome' spark plug covers.. I have an extra two heads for it as well. The transmission has not been touched. All of the engine accessories are complete. I have a nos rebuild kit for the carb, and nos stickers for the oil bath air cleaner and climate control for that genuine look when the job is complete. I have the original driveshaft and new trunion joint for it. The original radiator is there. The original exhaust header pipes to the crossmember is there. All original steel vacuum, brake and fuel lines are there but require new lines to be made as they are gunned up. The original fuel tank requires a pin hole repair and boiling to clean out the gummy old fuel inside.
It is a 6v positive earth system. The wiring harness is complete and I've labelled it as it was removed. Being a 50s vehicle the harness insulation is kettle cord type and badly deteriorated. All gauges , switches and even the original plug in cigarette lighter is there. The original 8 tube radio is there, and I have an extra two radios of the same type to go with it. The clock delete plate is there. Original single front speaker and the optional toggle switch for the rear speaker are there as well. I might even still have the rear speaker ( from memory it was off a ford) in the box. There is a 6v optima red top to go with the car. The dual climate control option twin blower system is there, as well as most ducting. Some has broken apart. I have most of the cardboard glovebox. The car also had the 'jiffy jet' windscreen washer system that was a bag full of water under the bonnet and a foot pump to spray the windscreen! Talking about windscreens, both original front and rear windscreens are intact and usable and in my sons cupboard. The other four windows are all original, re usable and in great condition with the exception of a bb pellet sized hole in one of the front windows. All the window tracking, winders etc is there. I have all windscreen rubbers and glass slides etc.
The original interior was pretty much shot from rats, the sun and 40yrs of neglect, I did manage to salvage all the door cards for the chrome inlay strips and to get an idea of what the original pattern looked like. The front and rear bench seats are original, and the front had been recovered at some stage in full vinyl but under the vinyl is the original fabric and pattern. The floor carpet and headlining are gone but I kept some small sample to match when the time came. All headlining support rods are there. It had aftermarket stainless steel wind visors and aftermarket police style search light on the driver side pillar (off a Packard!). There is a external sun visor for it that requires repair. All ashtrays, arm rests, and all interior garnish and trims are all there.
Exterior and body wise, as with the interior it is sun bleached and in need of a full re spray and some body work. I'm not going to remember every little dent here but a look through the pictures will show them. There is a few rust holes / spots here and there, the worst of but being a little in the passenger side floor, the passenger side sill. And the passenger side rear trunk the largest being about 50mm diameter. There is a new re pro drivers floor panel. There is some other little rust spots but overall it is clearly a desert car with very little rust repair needed. There is some panel damage little dents etc around all panels that will need attention for that faultless look. I have two repro fender skirts for the vehicle that I think would really set it off when it's done. The body is on a frame that has wheels and can be moved around.
All chrome and stainless steel pot metal trims are there. And there's A lot of it! And yes, this includes the full grille that is often the first thing stripped and sold to some Mercury owner. Due to the age of the car the pot metal does have some pitting and need some repair, and the stainless has a few dents scratches in it as well and would need some love. All lights and lenses are there and intact but crazed from the sun and need to be repaired. The bonnet has all lettering and the chrome scoop. And the badge. It's all there. I have both original front and rear bumpers ( they've been bumped a bit and will need some panel beating) as well as another 54 dodge front bumper.
I had big plans for this car and have grown quite fond of it in the 5 yrs I've had it as you might be able to tell. Unfortunately with two young kids, house and car payments and a 5.5 day working week my priorities have changed a little and I don't have the time to work on the old girl or the proper facilities to store it (i may have forgot to mention its 22ft long when fully assembled!)- and until my kids turn 18 and move out (I have 17years and 10 months to go for the youngest, but who's counting) I can't see it getting a real good run anytime soon.
If it doesn't sell it doesn't sell. The car is not intact. There is the body, all hanging panels have been removed, seperate to the chassis, and about 12 crates of parts, bits and bobs. Please keep in mind when bidding you will need a tilt tray or trailer and some good mates to help with pickup as its not the lightest or easiest thing to move. All payments must be received weighing 3 days of bidding end and item must be picked up within 7. There is no warranty implied or given and no returns upon final close of business.
What else? I don't know. Send me any questions you have.
I think it would be a real shame to do anything else with the car but return it to original condition (paint interior etc) as there's heaps of other crap out there to 'hot rod' I don't think this car deserves a fate like that.
. Please note the restore HARDTOP firedome is NOT THE ONE FOR SALE but for demonstration purposes only. Mine is a paint job very similar to this but that is a HARDTOP not a CLUB COUPE.
For more pics I can be emailed b.j.lawley (a) gmail. Com

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