1959 DeSoto Firesweep

361 V8 5.9L

M412105082

Clear

Low Reserve!!! A very nice price, nice original condition and complete 1959 DeSoto Firesweep which has spent it's whole life in Montana. The plate on the passenger side firewall shows M1206 72 701 412, PAT CCC1, TRIM 311 with vin# M412105082. The block # is ML 361 and below it 26116. It has the original factory installed 361 V8 2bbl (original carb.) showing 62,000 unverifiable miles (believed to be authentic by the previous owner), push button automatic transmission and power steering. Great running and driving car and the transmission shifts very well. I bought the car from the second owner who stored the car in his garage and never ran it from 1983 till I purchased the car in 2012. I cleaned out the tank, put in fresh gas, squirted oil into the cylinders, rebuilt the carb. replaced most of the electronic parts, new plugs and wires, etc. and it fired right up. I changed the transmission fluid and the rear axle oil and took it out for a drive and found it to be a comfortable driver. I have driven the car around 500 miles since resurrecting it. I was told that the original owner treasured the car only driving it for pleasure and would not allow his teenage sons to drive it (according to a friend of mine who knew the family and remembers this car from the 1960's in the Wolf Creek area). Overall I have maintained the car's originality and integrity. I didn't have to find any parts to replace since most every nut bolt and screw were in place. New rubber seals in the trunk, and door jams, new hood liner as you can see in the pictures. The interior is new with the correct vinyl, cloth, and silver welting done by a very seasoned interior veteran. It is stitched in the original pattern from DeSoto in 1959 for this particular model. New carpet. All the glass is in nice condition. The interior headliner and door panels are original (headliner has some wear and bowing). The body trim came as seen without the second chrome strip and the painted insert (very rare in 59 models). The tires are brand new Hankook radials. The body is straight and only had some pinhole spots of rust in the lower quarter panels (from the factory rubber insulation), on the lip of the drivers wheel well, and the rockers below the doors. It was not rusted out at all...just soft in small areas as listed in the above areas. These spots have been repaired with fresh sheet metal. All of the bolts in the undercarriage are clean and easily turn without breaking the bolts. I believe the fender skirts were ordered with the car.It only had one very light dent in the passenger front fender brow outside corner, other than that the car has never been dented anywhere else. The color is the original Glacier Blue and is repainted as the car came from the factory. It looks fine with no chips and it is a single stage paint with some dust that you can see in the paint and if you look closely you can see some sanding marks under the paint (not a points show car paint job but good enough for a local car show). The floors are solid. The trunk pan has some rust and repair as you can see in the picture. The only rust that was not repaired is seen in the pictures behind and inside of the rear lower quarters and in the trunk. There are a few more repairs that will need attention as it is an ongoing project...it uses and leaks some oil...compression test showed a couple of cylinders at 100 psi and the rest were around 125 to 130. It will need a new exhaust system. The power steering decided to quit working (pump replacement) the transmission gear that runs the speedo (suddenly stopped working) will need to be replaced, and the radio doesn't work (it is original to this car). I believe the antennas were added and do not appear to be original from all of the pictures I've looked at. This is a beautiful car with very nice trim with originality and if you are ambitious it would be a perfect candidate for a rotisserie to make it a high level show car. I enjoy detailing old cars keeping them as original as possible and then I sell them in search of another project. I am a meticulous detailer and have restored many cars. This car was a pleasure to work on and I know you will enjoy making it perfect beyond my work. Please call me for details at 406-590-2961 or email me. You are welcome to come look at the car.