1956 Firedome wagon

[slimt]

Looks like a nice Wagon. And a hemi too. Cool.

 

[maxwedgechar]

Try For C Bodies Only. My 1956 DeSoto station wagon story; I live in South Jersey and have family, friends and business in Pennsylvania around Philadelphia. So, around 2018 or ’19 I drove through Bristol, PA and sitting out front of a shop was a ’56 Firedome wagon, really ugly and nasty but complete. I joked with my friend who has a shop nearby that I would rollback it to him and he could make it run! Then, last year at the 2020 Carlisle Chrysler show, there she was! $4,000 with a whole bunch of NOS. And it was a 4 barrel car. But 4 barrel cars are Fireflites not Firedomes and they didn’t build Fireflite wagons! Turns out you could order a Fireflite engine in your Firedome wagon. At this year's Chrysler show I am set up in the flea market and talking to my neighbor and he says he has a '56 DeSoto hemi. And says it came out of his friend's wagon! Oh, NO! The landlord of the shop died and after 30 years or so in business the family decided to do something else with the building and they closed. The guy who owned the car went to work at a truck garage and had the car there. Then a truck backed into it and it was unrepairable. Oh, heavy sigh!

 

[roadrunnerh]

Hats off to you! Nice work and kick-*** dedication. I love seeing these old girls brought back to life!

 

[Ron H]

Fantastic job and work! I used to complain about my 1st rust bucket restoration swearing I'd never do another again (my 2nd was a car out of CA, a dream to work on compared to first) but what you have encountered is much worse than what I had. Kudo's man!

 

[PRND21]

Thanks for saving another unloved but very cool car. Great job so far, and boy does it eat up the time saving parts for patterns and the fabrication of parts. Keep up the great work.

 

[gtx6970]

Kudos dude for that kind of enthusiasm for the early box body cars.
I like them , but would prefer a 57-59 ( same as everyone else I guess )

A buddy of mine back east used to own a 55-56 Dodge wagon. pink and black . Sweet car that got thumbs up where ever it went .
Sadly he passed away several years ago and the family sold his cars off . No idea where that car went

 

[Sahara]

That is a beautiful car! Thank you for not giving up on it.

 

[spoolinhard]

Try For C Bodies Only. My 1956 DeSoto station wagon story; I live in South Jersey and have family, friends and business in Pennsylvania around Philadelphia. So, around 2018 or ’19 I drove through Bristol, PA and sitting out front of a shop was a ’56 Firedome wagon, really ugly and nasty but complete. I joked with my friend who has a shop nearby that I would rollback it to him and he could make it run! Then, last year at the 2020 Carlisle Chrysler show, there she was! $4,000 with a whole bunch of NOS. And it was a 4 barrel car. But 4 barrel cars are Fireflites not Firedomes and they didn’t build Fireflite wagons! Turns out you could order a Fireflite engine in your Firedome wagon. At this year's Chrysler show I am set up in the flea market and talking to my neighbor and he says he has a '56 DeSoto hemi. And says it came out of his friend's wagon! Oh, NO! The landlord of the shop died and after 30 years or so in business the family decided to do something else with the building and they closed. The guy who owned the car went to work at a truck garage and had the car there. Then a truck backed into it and it was unrepairable. Oh, heavy sigh!

That's an interesting, but terrible story!

 

[spoolinhard]

Kudos dude for that kind of enthusiasm for the early box body cars.
I like them , but would prefer a 57-59 ( same as everyone else I guess )

A buddy of mine back easy used to own a 55-56 Dodge wagon. pink and black . Sweet car that got thumbs up where ever it went .
Sadly he passed away several years ago and the family sold his cars off . No idea where that car went

I love the 57-58 Desoto two doors, the front bumpers are 50's space age. That year range wagons are kinda ugly though. The 57-8 Saratoga's are pretty cool as well. I can honestly say after this car, I will never touch a forward look era mopar again!

 

[Ron H]

Interesting how perspectives can change; well at least as it has for me. I preferred the 57-later mopars verts or two doors; but saw a kick-butt ’56 DeSoto at a show last year that just dropped my jaw. This guy did some nice modding on this car while keeping the look tastefully near to original. Suddenly I give the ‘56’s more likes. And back when, never thought of wagons as neat; but again some of them are awesome especially 50’s-60’s mopars and some other makes. Regret passing on two wagons in decent shape for doing a nice restoration some years ago. Chit, I’m getting too damn old now to do another resto.

 

[Jerry Hall]

Thanks for saving another unloved but very cool car. Great job so far, and boy does it eat up the time saving parts for patterns and the fabrication of parts. Keep up the great work.

Who says they are unloved? I love mine and so did my grandfather. It was his last new car.

And the rear seats are original. No more than some exterior surface rust on this one. All original 330 Hemi, and 74K miles.

 

[ct71rr]

This is an awesome project! I also like that you’re not giving up on it.

 

[70chall440]

I gutted a 56 Desoto probably 10 years back, another guy and I went in on it together for $500 and drug it out of a yard (no title, 4 door). I took the 330 Hemi, rebuilt it and put it into a 52 Dodge B3B pickup which is now in Phoenix.

 

[spoolinhard]

I got my tail lights yesterday. Both of the original ones on the wagon are gone. They are a single year tail light between 56 DeSoto and Chrysler wagon only. D and D Auto Memorabilia cast a new pair from a single NOS lense I was able to get ahold of. Fit and finish is spot on. Super impressed with the quality of workmanship.

 

[Greg Ducato]

very nice work!

 

[Scott Engelhardt]

I like it!!!!

 

[theman440]

I'm subscribed!

 

[xs-ivv]

Wow! Amazing work man. Keep at it!

 

[spoolinhard]

As of today, finished list: full rockers (outer and inner), front floor, partial firewall, front floor body mounts, rear floor body mounts, repair/ reconstruction to the base of all A,B,C pillars.

 

[spoolinhard]

Next up will be scratch fabbing rear floors and driveshaft tunnel.