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Another one found 1959 Dodge CRL convertible D500
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58DeSoDodge59
Posted 2016-12-13 9:12 PM (#528612)
Subject: Another one found 1959 Dodge CRL convertible D500



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And from what I understand, it is going to ... yep ... Sweden. Surprise Surprise



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hemidenis
Posted 2016-12-13 10:37 PM (#528619 - in reply to #528612)
Subject: Re: Another one found 1959 Dodge CRL convertible D500



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Only a Swedish craftsman would dare to try to fix this car...And BigM of course...

Edited by hemidenis 2016-12-13 10:38 PM
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ronbo97
Posted 2016-12-13 10:49 PM (#528621 - in reply to #528619)
Subject: Re: Another one found 1959 Dodge CRL convertible D500


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Kurt -

Did you get the VIN or data plate info ? I'd like to add it to my 59 Dodge conv registry. Also, any more pictures ? Where was it located ?

Ron

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58DeSoDodge59
Posted 2016-12-13 11:06 PM (#528622 - in reply to #528621)
Subject: Re: Another one found 1959 Dodge CRL convertible D500



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Nope. I did not get that far. I asked him if this car was for sale and he said it was headed to Sweden.
It's on ForwardLook Facebook. I think he was from MI.
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sidesho_bob1961
Posted 2016-12-14 6:21 AM (#528640 - in reply to #528612)
Subject: Re: Another one found 1959 Dodge CRL convertible D500



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I hope he at least got $30k for it......
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Mike McCandless
Posted 2016-12-14 10:03 AM (#528647 - in reply to #528612)
Subject: Re: Another one found 1959 Dodge CRL convertible D500


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What an amazing find!
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wizard
Posted 2016-12-14 10:09 AM (#528649 - in reply to #528612)
Subject: Re: Another one found 1959 Dodge CRL convertible D500



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Nice find - it'll cost an arm and a leg to fix it, but I'm sure it will be on the road again.
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big m
Posted 2016-12-14 11:30 AM (#528659 - in reply to #528612)
Subject: Re: Another one found 1959 Dodge CRL convertible D500



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I love finding forgotten relics like this. It's becoming more and more unusual as time passes.
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hemidave
Posted 2016-12-14 11:31 AM (#528660 - in reply to #528612)
Subject: RE: Another one found 1959 Dodge CRL convertible D500



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Great find! They are still out there, and I'm glad someone found it, and it will be restored!
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di_ch_NY56
Posted 2016-12-14 11:40 AM (#528661 - in reply to #528612)
Subject: RE: Another one found 1959 Dodge CRL convertible D500



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It's a wonderful car and - I assume a good base to start with. It heads to Sweden. For me it sounds like an insurance that it comes back to the road again.

Happy Restoring!

Dieter

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57DODGECONV
Posted 2016-12-14 12:32 PM (#528665 - in reply to #528612)
Subject: Re: Another one found 1959 Dodge CRL convertible D500


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Nice find it will be nice to see this forgotten car come back to Life.
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58DeSoDodge59
Posted 2016-12-14 12:35 PM (#528667 - in reply to #528640)
Subject: Re: Another one found 1959 Dodge CRL convertible D500



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sidesho_bob1961 - 2016-12-14 6:21 AM

I hope he at least got $30k for it......





He did say that he was offered $10k for it. I guess that's what he took.
I think that is the going rate for a convertible VIN plate.

It is amazing that the glass still looks good. I would suggest that you remove the glass before attempting to move the car.
And it looks like all the badges are there, (that we can see).
And i think those are swivel seats in there.
To top it off, it still has a padded steering wheel horn button.

Simply Amazing.




Edited by 58DeSoDodge59 2016-12-14 12:58 PM
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Rebels-59
Posted 2016-12-14 12:40 PM (#528669 - in reply to #528667)
Subject: Re: Another one found 1959 Dodge CRL convertible D500



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I also Spoke to the new purchaser via PM, and he told me he had been offered $10k for it,

I was interested as i have a ideal Rust Free 2dr Royal HT sitting in my garage as a ideal Donor as havent made my mind up yet what i going to do with it..





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Rebels-59
Posted 2016-12-14 12:43 PM (#528670 - in reply to #528612)
Subject: Re: Another one found 1959 Dodge CRL convertible D500



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Kurt do you know the Buyer in Sweden who bought it,, Wondering if it was Jan Fridberg ??
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58DeSoDodge59
Posted 2016-12-14 12:53 PM (#528672 - in reply to #528670)
Subject: Re: Another one found 1959 Dodge CRL convertible D500



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Rebels-59 - 2016-12-14 12:43 PM

Kurt do you know the Buyer in Sweden who bought it,, Wondering if it was Jan Fridberg ??



I do not know the Buyer.

I'm sure it will make it's way to Jan's shop sometime.


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big m
Posted 2016-12-14 4:44 PM (#528693 - in reply to #528612)
Subject: Re: Another one found 1959 Dodge CRL convertible D500



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A good chance that Carlo Notaro bought it. He manages to sniff out '59 Dodge convertibles like a pro.
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Rebels-59
Posted 2016-12-14 5:27 PM (#528696 - in reply to #528612)
Subject: Re: Another one found 1959 Dodge CRL convertible D500



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They are extremely lucky whoever got it, As it does appear to be a D500, as Emblem is more visible on the 2nd picture.. But also shows the Fin is rusted off the body..

Am gutted as my 59 Royal would be perfect to have the Convertible live again in a short space of time.. As mine has the Engine/ Trans fitted as well..

.
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Chrys 68
Posted 2016-12-14 6:03 PM (#528698 - in reply to #528612)
Subject: RE: Another one found 1959 Dodge CRL convertible D500



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All interesting convertible projects that recently appeared in US has been sold to Sweden.
(300 C, 57 New Yorker and 59 CRL) Are you sleeping over there?
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hemidave
Posted 2016-12-14 6:11 PM (#528700 - in reply to #528612)
Subject: RE: Another one found 1959 Dodge CRL convertible D500



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Any idea where in MI it was found? The buyer got a real bargain at 10K !
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58DeSoDodge59
Posted 2016-12-14 7:38 PM (#528708 - in reply to #528700)
Subject: RE: Another one found 1959 Dodge CRL convertible D500



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hemidave - 2016-12-14 6:11 PM

Any idea where in MI it was found? The buyer got a real bargain at 10K !



Apparently somewhere close to Sterling Heights, MI
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oldwood
Posted 2016-12-14 7:59 PM (#528712 - in reply to #528612)
Subject: Re: Another one found 1959 Dodge CRL convertible D500


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I also own a '59 D-500 missing the "500" part of the emblem. Am I missing a few bricks or do you think this new owner would let me borrow 1 emblem to have it repoped??? I'm sure he will want some new shiny ones for the resto. i would foot the bill. Someone help me before this car leaves the states. Thanks, Dorsey
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oldwood
Posted 2016-12-14 8:04 PM (#528713 - in reply to #528698)
Subject: RE: Another one found 1959 Dodge CRL convertible D500


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NOT all of them went to Sweden. lol

Edited by oldwood 2016-12-14 8:08 PM




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Mike McCandless
Posted 2016-12-14 8:09 PM (#528714 - in reply to #528698)
Subject: RE: Another one found 1959 Dodge CRL convertible D500


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Chrys 68 - 2016-12-14 6:03 PM

All interesting convertible projects that recently appeared in US has been sold to Sweden.
(300 C, 57 New Yorker and 59 CRL) Are you sleeping over there? :)


The cost of restoration far exceeds the value in most cases. That eliminates the investment guy. Americans under the age of 50 who want to take on such a big project, rarely have the equipment and knowledge to do so. Those that do have the knowledge and the space, likely don't have the funds. The market for those that can afford it, have the space, the time, the desire and knowledge, is probably less than 10. Projects are a huge labor of love. Most that have that passion, already have a project they're working on. Taking on another, is too much. I applaud anyone taking on a full restoration of a car, a long multi year process.
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hemidenis
Posted 2016-12-14 10:27 PM (#528722 - in reply to #528612)
Subject: Re: Another one found 1959 Dodge CRL convertible D500



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I agree, in the USA a car like this is mostly a parts car, or good for a clone using a 2dr HT, this car is probably like the Tulsa rust bucket with the floors, interiors and lowers gone, specially if it is a Michigan car. Also the rusted headlights and the rusted trough rear bumpers gives us more clues of the condition..The trunk may look like this poor 61.

Mechanically I can see it is all gone...

But what a beautiful car! the best front end ever in my opinion, would be nice to track the restoration...

Edited by hemidenis 2016-12-14 10:32 PM




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Doctor DeSoto
Posted 2016-12-14 11:46 PM (#528732 - in reply to #528722)
Subject: Re: Another one found 1959 Dodge CRL convertible D500



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Rebodying a car is NOT cloning. Cloning is building a car that did not exist.

I see this poor car needing a new frame as well, sitting on the ground like
that after living its life in a salted roads zone. Likely, this will be a case of
restoring the top mechanism and tags and rolling a new car under it !
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hemidenis
Posted 2016-12-15 12:38 AM (#528734 - in reply to #528612)
Subject: Re: Another one found 1959 Dodge CRL convertible D500



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Doc I'm confused but an example may help..
if someone tell you that found a rust free 58 Firesweep convertible but he also have a rusted out Adventurer and he transfer every Adventurer only parts to the Firesweep including the title and then he tell you this is my perfect rust free 58 Adventurer ragtop....what is that?
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Chrys 68
Posted 2016-12-15 1:40 AM (#528738 - in reply to #528612)
Subject: RE: Another one found 1959 Dodge CRL convertible D500



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Based on a Sweep it will be a bas***d
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Doctor DeSoto
Posted 2016-12-15 2:48 AM (#528742 - in reply to #528734)
Subject: Re: Another one found 1959 Dodge CRL convertible D500



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First of all, only the bare body of a Firesweep convertible will interchange,
and at the factory, the bodies were all the same for all series, so swapping
the bare Firesweep body onto a correct Adventurer frame/chassis is really
no different than what happened at the factory, other than the bodies to be
placed on Dodge chassis to be made into Firesweeps were sent to and assembled
at the Dodge plant. It is no different than swapping a good fender for a wasted
one, but on a larger scale. You cannot hang the Adventurer parts on a Firesweep,
because a Firesweep is 80% Dodge, starting with the frame being much smaller,
lighter, and unable to accept much of the real DeSoto parts that made an Adventurer
an Adventurer.

What matters is the core of the car .... using your example, a 58 Adventurer
convertible (?). If all the right parts are there to build a factory correct Adventurer
convertible, including ID tags and special equipment, then you have simply done
a body swap.

Now, if someone took a 58 Firesweep convertible and tried to make a 58 Adventurer
coupe into a ragtop, there would be parts problems .... the Adventurer frame would
be OK, but the X-member from the Firesweep is Dodge-Plymouth only. The tags would
read for an Adventurer coupe .... in other words, it has become something that never
was .... at no time was it ever a 58 Adventurer convertible. It is a home made creation
(clone) of a car someone wished they had, or wanted to create for bragging rights or
profit/fraud.

If a person were to use a 58 Firedome or Fireflite convertible as a base to swap an
Adventurer basket case onto, it could be done to factory specs if the restorer really
knew what details needed to be present. As long as the body tags, paperwork, and
essential Adventurer equipment was present, I would call that a rebody, not a clone.


Edited by Doctor DeSoto 2016-12-15 2:56 AM
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w.weiland
Posted 2016-12-15 6:22 AM (#528748 - in reply to #528734)
Subject: Re: Another one found 1959 Dodge CRL convertible D500


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hemidenis - 2016-12-15 12:38 AM

Doc I'm confused but an example may help..
if someone tell you that found a rust free 58 Firesweep convertible but he also have a rusted out Adventurer and he transfer every Adventurer only parts to the Firesweep including the title and then he tell you this is my perfect rust free 58 Adventurer ragtop....what is that?


Reboding= the same thing most insurance companes do when you wreck your car and they put/pay for a 1) used quarter trunk assy 2) front clip 3) roll your truck over another cab from another truck. Unlike a camaro mustang or corvette we can not open a book and say i need part A B and C
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hemidenis
Posted 2016-12-15 8:12 AM (#528752 - in reply to #528612)
Subject: Re: Another one found 1959 Dodge CRL convertible D500



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ok it is more clear now, I don't really know much of the Desoto or Dodge line up. But Making a 300G form a Newport base it is possible since the cars are basically the same from the front door back and I guess it could be accepted as a factory 300 when is done, personally it is just a Newport with a 300G front end...





Edited by hemidenis 2016-12-15 9:19 AM
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sidesho_bob1961
Posted 2016-12-15 8:13 AM (#528753 - in reply to #528612)
Subject: Re: Another one found 1959 Dodge CRL convertible D500



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Other than the build tag and perhaps some metal around the convertible top well, I would guess that no other sheet metal will be retained from the automobile pictured above.....
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springsweptwing
Posted 2016-12-15 10:11 AM (#528759 - in reply to #528612)
Subject: RE: Another one found 1959 Dodge CRL convertible D500



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Rebodied vehicles is a normal thing nowadays in the restoration buisness, the only difference being here is unlike ford and chevrolet new bodyshells cannot be bought, repair panels are more or less non existence, so another vehicle has to give up its parts to restore another vehicle, in a way it's more recycling and a lot better for the environment than using a newly made part, over here in the UK, the vehicle licensing does have a category for reconstructing classic vehicles,

6. Reconstructed Classics
The reconstructed classic category is intended to
support the restoration of unregistered classic vehicles.
Reconstructed vehicles must comprise of genuine
period components all over 25 years old, and of the
same specification. The appropriate vehicle enthusiasts
club for the marque (make) must confirm in writing that
following inspection, they authenticate that the vehicle
is a true reflection of that marque and that it meets the
above criteria. This written confirmation must support an
application to the local office. An age related registration
number will be issued based on the age of the youngest
component used.
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Viper Guy
Posted 2016-12-15 10:30 AM (#528763 - in reply to #528612)
Subject: Re: Another one found 1959 Dodge CRL convertible D500



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This $$$$$ car plus $50K in parts, materials, shipping, etc., plus 10 years of labor/time or more just might be worth it.
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d500dodge59
Posted 2016-12-15 10:49 AM (#528766 - in reply to #528742)
Subject: Re: Another one found 1959 Dodge CRL convertible D500


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wrong doctor sweep and dodge and windsor xmember only plymouth is smaller
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d500dodge59
Posted 2016-12-15 10:54 AM (#528768 - in reply to #528752)
Subject: Re: Another one found 1959 Dodge CRL convertible D500


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wrong hemidennis the newport have the boxes where the rear spring is mounted in front in a diferent possition from the fullsise cars rhen the front frame suports on firewall is totly different on big and small cars
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Mike McCandless
Posted 2016-12-15 11:48 AM (#528773 - in reply to #528612)
Subject: Re: Another one found 1959 Dodge CRL convertible D500


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It's encouraging that things like this are still being found, regardless of condition. Gives hope!
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Chrycoman
Posted 2016-12-15 1:43 PM (#528791 - in reply to #528734)
Subject: Re: Another one found 1959 Dodge CRL convertible D500



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hemidenis - 2016-12-15 12:38 AM

Doc I'm confused but an example may help..
if someone tell you that found a rust free 58 Firesweep convertible but he also have a rusted out Adventurer and he transfer every Adventurer only parts to the Firesweep including the title and then he tell you this is my perfect rust free 58 Adventurer ragtop....what is that?


Now that would be a clone. Everyone could tell it wasn't an Adventurer. The Firesweep was on a 122" wheelbase and the Adventurer 126". The 4 inch difference was all in the front clip and, to make it very obvious, the 1957-58 Firesweep front fenders were based on the Dodge which had a completely different headlight treatment.
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Doctor DeSoto
Posted 2016-12-15 9:38 PM (#528822 - in reply to #528766)
Subject: Re: Another one found 1959 Dodge CRL convertible D500



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d500dodge59 - 2016-12-16 7:49 AM

wrong doctor sweep and dodge and windsor xmember only plymouth is smaller


==========================================

Allow me to tweak this a little here:

Wrong Doctor, ... Firesweep and Dodge and Windsor xmember is the same. Only Plymouth is smaller.

Am I reading this correctly ?

I am unfamilar with Dodge convertibles, but it has always been my understanding that the Dodge
based convertibles had a different X-member than the big cars - DeSoto and Chrysler (126" WB) I
had assumed it was a smaller X-member, interchangeable with Plymouth's smaller X-member.

Your comment sounds like it confirms this, but maybe not ....

Are there three different X-member types .... 118" WB (Plymouth), 122" WB (Dodge), and 126"
WB (DeSoto/Chrysler) ?

.... or are you saying there are only TWO sizes ... Plymouth, and all others ???



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Doctor DeSoto
Posted 2016-12-15 9:58 PM (#528825 - in reply to #528822)
Subject: Re: Another one found 1959 Dodge CRL convertible D500



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Location: Parts Unknown
Denis,

Sheetmetal is sheetmetal. If it is the same sheetmetal used on different cars,
it was all made from the same presses and shipped to wherever it was needed
for assembly into whatever end product was needed. But it still was the same
sheetmetal as what they other guy was bolting in to make a different car. If you
took a fender off a NY'er and welded up the trim holes for the NY'er trim, drilled
the right holes for 300 trim, you now have a 300 fender. No different than how
Mother Mopar did it 60 years ago. Both came off the press with no holes and
only when it was decided what trim would go on that particular build were the
holes punched out.

I worked in a restoration shop many years ago. We had a rough body guy come
in for our worst projects. He had built bodies for Pontiac from 1955 to 1965 and
really opened my eyes about how car bodies are built. He pointed out "It's just
bent metal" as he slammed a sledge hammer into a badly misaligned area of crash
damage. "It is OUR JOB to bend it back to where it needs to be". And then he'd
fire up a torch and start hammering and shrinking until he got it right.

The factory did not make Adventurer convertible bodies. Rather, it made a whole
bunch of bent sheetmetal parts that welded together to make a body that could
be welded together with other parts to make a coupe or a convertible. More tweaking
and it could be a 300, a Firedome, a NY'er, an Adventurer, a Fireflite, or even a Fire-
Sweep. Put different wheel tubs, package shelf, and a roof and you have a coupe !
Put Dodge outerskin on it and you have a Dodge ! It's just sheetmetal !

So if Mother Mopar did it in 1958 or I do it in my shop in 2016, what's the difference ?

I see your concern for fakes and frauds, but if you are just building a basic body
shell with all the correct tags and paperwork, this is not an issue. Personally, I'll
take nice old sheetmetal any day over chopping and patching with flat stock that
never was any sort of old Forward Look car. It is cost effective and saves me a TON
of time and trouble to start with metal that is already bent is all the right places !

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hemidenis
Posted 2016-12-15 11:13 PM (#528833 - in reply to #528612)
Subject: Re: Another one found 1959 Dodge CRL convertible D500



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Ok Doc, getting more and more clear.

I was not trying to be to much technical here "d500dodge59" since i don't know practically nothing about Dodges or DeSotos wheelbase and level of equipment but on my example I should said 61 New Yorker cloned to a 300G which are virtually identical..

With out twisting this thread too much, I'm absolute sure that Doc 1958 Fireflite is a exceptionally rare car, and if I remember correctly Doc never saw another, specially with such rare VIN plate.

Doc, now using your car as an example how would you react to a guy who find just the title and a VIN plate of a 1958 Fireflite for sale on ebay and use that and any other matching hardtop body and ragtop parts to recreate your rare model? Would you considered that another complete 1958 Fireflite finally found? or even better how would you qualify this car?




Edited by hemidenis 2016-12-15 11:33 PM
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Doctor DeSoto
Posted 2016-12-16 1:44 AM (#528844 - in reply to #528833)
Subject: Re: Another one found 1959 Dodge CRL convertible D500



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hemidenis - 2016-12-16 8:13 PM

Doc, now using your car as an example how would you react to a guy who find just the title and a VIN plate of a 1958 Fireflite for sale on ebay and use that and any other matching hardtop body and ragtop parts to recreate your rare model? Would you considered that another complete 1958 Fireflite finally found? or even better how would you qualify this car?


=============================================

This is MY take on the ethics of building a car as I THINK you describe.
I base it largely on what I considered the right thing to do when I was
building my Adventurer ......... as I see it, to meticulously build a car
from exact parts to a perfect level of detail to the historical accuracy of
the car being built, SURROUNDING A CORRECT AND AUTHENTIC BUILD
TAG SET AND PAPERWORK, a person would be restoring a car back from
near non-existence, but it would be a restoration nonetheless. The car DID
exist from the factory and is rebuilt as that car, using correct parts and done
to a high level of factory specs.

Any of these factors not being present opens a whole can of worms for
being something less than legit.

I would also add that extensive documentation and photos of the work
done to rebuild the car would be of paramount importance to any future
buyer of the car to verify its history throughout the rebuild. Any early
history of the car would be a serious bonus.

Specifically, I do not consider it any sort of intrusion upon the rarity of
my car for someone to build another around a set of tags and a pile of
parts. I would welcome seeing another being brought back from the dead.
I am not in this car thing for money or some perceived "prestige". I just
love the car/s, and truth be told, I wish things were like the old days when
they weren't so "exotic" that people still drove them. Seeing a car like mine
going down the road is quite a jaw dropping sight. Much moreso (to me)
than someover-restored example at a show or collector's warehouse. Face
it, if ten or even twenty more of these were discovered in some forgotten
place somewhere, they'd still be rare are hen's teeth. Adding one, even if
built from tags and parts is not going to diminish the coolness of all the others.
If Virgil Exner himself arose from the dead and began making brand new 58
Fireflite convertibles, I'd be thrilled !

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Chrycoman
Posted 2016-12-16 4:11 AM (#528846 - in reply to #528844)
Subject: Re: Another one found 1959 Dodge CRL convertible D500



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For the X members for convertibles, I suspect the 122" chassis (Dodge, Firesweep, 1957-59 Windsor) used the same X as the 126" chassis (rest of DeSoto / Chrysler). The only difference between the two groups is the sheetmetal ahead of the firewall. The 126" wheelbase models had 4" more up front. So, from the firewall back they are basically the same car.

The Plymouth had a 118" wheelbase and that difference is all in the body - the rear axle is 4" closer to the firewall then the other models. But the front end is pretty much the same as the 122" wheelbase models. After all, Chrysler attached what was basically Dodge front end sheet metal to the Plymouth body and got the Canadian small Dodge and the export Kingsway and Diplomat.

The neatest thing about the 4" body extension for the 126" models is the rear seat stayed basically in the same position. Compare the location of the rear seats in the Plymouth and DeSoto Firesweep and the rear wheels in each car. The Firesweep used the same body as the Fireflite and Firedome, including the roof.






(1957 Plymouth Belvedere 4dr Hardtop 03.jpg)



(1958 DeSoto USA Firesweep 2dr Hardtop 21.jpg)



Attachments
----------------
Attachments 1957 Plymouth Belvedere 4dr Hardtop 03.jpg (42KB - 275 downloads)
Attachments 1958 DeSoto USA Firesweep 2dr Hardtop 21.jpg (64KB - 286 downloads)
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hemidenis
Posted 2016-12-16 8:02 AM (#528859 - in reply to #528612)
Subject: Re: Another one found 1959 Dodge CRL convertible D500



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well said it Doc, and looking forward to see your car back in the road. thanks to everybody for the tech specs too. I know a bit of 61 Chrysler and 57-58 Imperial and much less about 59 Imperial. Three books can be written with DeSotos Dodges and Plymouth specs and details, this hobby it is so intricate....
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springsweptwing
Posted 2016-12-16 8:30 AM (#528861 - in reply to #528846)
Subject: Re: Another one found 1959 Dodge CRL convertible D500



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Chrycoman - 2016-12-16 9:11 AM


For the X members for convertibles, I suspect the 122" chassis (Dodge, Firesweep, 1957-59 Windsor) used the same X as the 126" chassis (rest of DeSoto / Chrysler). The only difference between the two groups is the sheetmetal ahead of the firewall. The 126" wheelbase models had 4" more up front. So, from the firewall back they are basically the same car.

The Plymouth had a 118" wheelbase and that difference is all in the body - the rear axle is 4" closer to the firewall then the other models. But the front end is pretty much the same as the 122" wheelbase models. After all, Chrysler attached what was basically Dodge front end sheet metal to the Plymouth body and got the Canadian small Dodge and the export Kingsway and Diplomat.

The neatest thing about the 4" body extension for the 126" models is the rear seat stayed basically in the same position. Compare the location of the rear seats in the Plymouth and DeSoto Firesweep and the rear wheels in each car. The Firesweep used the same body as the Fireflite and Firedome, including the roof.




Yes looks like a Dodge and Desoto share the same X member, a 57 Desoto frame is the same as a imperial, a 57 Dodge frame is different to a 58 frame as the 57 uses the shorter Plymouth leaf springs.
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miquelonbrad
Posted 2016-12-16 9:23 AM (#528866 - in reply to #528612)
Subject: RE: Another one found 1959 Dodge CRL convertible D500



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I'm going to throw a small wrench into the discussion...I am re-bodying a '57 Chrysler, after determining that I'd have to replace roughly 70% of the sheet metal in the structure. But.......the body I am using is U.S. built, and my car was built in Canada. There is some small differences in the stampings. I won't be hiding this fact after the "build", as I am documenting every step. What's your opinions on this? Since the bodies didn't come off the same lines, in the same country, would it still be considered a restoration, or will it be a further "b*stardization" of our already "hybrid" Canadian FL cars? (Doc, please step in on this one)

Edited by miquelonbrad 2016-12-16 9:24 AM
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Viper Guy
Posted 2016-12-16 9:35 AM (#528868 - in reply to #528612)
Subject: Re: Another one found 1959 Dodge CRL convertible D500



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My vote goes to "restored" as long as it is factory original throughout using the correct materials regardless of which factory built it. Only you will know the difference and that won't matter.
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grunau
Posted 2016-12-16 10:07 AM (#528874 - in reply to #528612)
Subject: Re: Another one found 1959 Dodge CRL convertible D500


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Hi
Over the years I've changed my opinion on the "rebody" aspect....I was in the same dilemma with my Fury repair/rebuild or just rebody as I did have a line on a reasonably rust free Belvedere ...my Fury required the usual fenders/floors/rockers/ trunk but at the time I was bent on retaining its orginality so I went ahead and made the floors etc. ... got a lot of satisfaction out of it as I didn't farm a single thing out and the panels I made matched factory BUT if I had it to do over I would rebody....the plain truth is that rust sleds are not really any fun and if the finished product represents the car in question faithfully then as far as I'm concerned no harm no foul.
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Chrycoman
Posted 2016-12-16 11:09 AM (#528880 - in reply to #528866)
Subject: RE: Another one found 1959 Dodge CRL convertible D500



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miquelonbrad - 2016-12-16 9:23 AM

I'm going to throw a small wrench into the discussion...I am re-bodying a '57 Chrysler, after determining that I'd have to replace roughly 70% of the sheet metal in the structure. But.......the body I am using is U.S. built, and my car was built in Canada. There is some small differences in the stampings. I won't be hiding this fact after the "build", as I am documenting every step. What's your opinions on this? Since the bodies didn't come off the same lines, in the same country, would it still be considered a restoration, or will it be a further "b*stardization" of our already "hybrid" Canadian FL cars? (Doc, please step in on this one)


The car will be restored. You will be using "official" Mopar or Chryco parts in the process. Can't get more restored than that. The problems you are having are the result of using parts from different contractors (suppliers). These are examples of the troubles Chrysler had getting these cars into production on a rushed schedule. If you checked the American and Canadian parts books you would probably find that the stampings are in both books with the same part numbers.

After all, Fords and Chevrolets came off assembly lines across the U.S.A (14 for Ford and 11 for Chevy in 1957). and none of their restorations are panned because Ford car A, built in Texas, has replacement parts from a Ford built in Massachusetts. Or Oakville.

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matt
Posted 2016-12-16 2:54 PM (#528897 - in reply to #528612)
Subject: Re: Another one found 1959 Dodge CRL convertible D500


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A question. Has the 63-64 Chrysler convertible the same front window and conv frame like other Mopar conv. Fr.o.m. 57-61 ore?
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oldwood
Posted 2016-12-16 5:18 PM (#528904 - in reply to #528612)
Subject: Re: Another one found 1959 Dodge CRL convertible D500


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I see that my question wasn't relevant to this thread. Does anyone have a complete emblem to re-pop to help others that need this part???
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