Unregistered users may browse the website, but in order to participate in the forums and view select pages (such as "Club Contacts" and "Classified Ads") a user account is required. Click HERE to email the webmaster and request a free account. The National DeSoto Club uses real names rather than pseudonyms. Notify the webmaster of your user name preference (Johnathon Doe vs. John Doe, etc.), preferred email address, and password request.
Hello all, new member who found this board searching for info on my car. It's a '55 four-door, purchased locally in 1995. I drove the car fairly regularly then started having electrical problems due to disintegrating fabric insulation on the wiring. That was followed by a fuel leak which, combined with the wiring issues, convinced me to park the car for ~15 years. Now the car is my latest automotive project.
Step one is rewiring the entire car. Rhode Island is out of my price range so I'm making a new harness with all new materials. I have the factory service manual and am using the wiring diagrams as a guide. That will be followed by going through the brakes & suspension, then the interior and finally the engine/transmission.
I'm sure I'll have lots of questions and I'm more than happy to answer questions as well. Here's a photo of the car shortly after I bought it.
Greg,
Welcome to the Board. I'd encourage you to also join the Club in addition to logging visits to this site. You can find info about joining the Club on the left hand menu list.
Also there you will find a link to "Resources". There you will find my contact info. I'm the '55 model year coordinator and might be able to help you with some questions as you begin to put your Firedome back on the road. Good luck with your efforts!
BTW...where are you located (state, city)?
Mark
Greg
I too say Welcome To The Site and also To Join The Club.
In some back issue's of The De Soto Adventures is information about your
S-22.
We have a 1947 S-11 with cloth covered wiring ( which was still used by most
other 1955 car maker's ) and found my-self "chasing breaks".
Even if you think your S-22 "will not be ready" by July do come to The Annual Convention which is in Lake Elmo-Minn this year ( see top left under 2013 Convention News ).
Rodger & Gabby
COS
FltSgt@outlook.com
Welcome, Greg!
Beautiful DeSotos, those 55's!
Hope to see you at the convention!
BTW...where are you located (state, city)?
Dallas TX, not far from the infamous Texas Theater (22 Nov 1963)
Well time for a semi-annual update. Progress has been slow due to finances and other obligations, but progress has been made.
The car as I received it had two voltage regulators, it appears the original one on the firewall must have failed and a new one was screwed onto the fender liner rather than replace the old one.
Aside from the cork gasket the "new" regulator looks pristine inside but I haven't tested it. I'll make a new gasket and clean/paint the cover.
Initial efforts focused on documenting and labeling existing wiring.
First up was the front light harness, all new wires and connectors from the lights to the bulkhead terminal strip.
The new headlight connector and new cork backing gaskets:
Next was the under-hood wiring:
Holding off on the starter & battery cables until I pull the engine/transmission.
I decided access under the dash would be much better if I removed the front seat, which would have to come out eventually to be recovered.
The upholstery fabric is toast but the vinyl looks nearly new. Does anyone think this could be the original interior?
Removed the ash tray from the back of the front bench, it looks absolutely pristine:
The original glovebox liner is intact as well:
Wish I could say the same for the steering wheel, it will need Major Work:
The floor was covered with disintegrated foam powder:
Vacuumed the floor...
...and pulled up the front mat to find a rusty drivers floor panel and a previous owner's half-** attempt to cover the damage:
Some buried treasure found when I pulled the seats, could these be original fabric swatches?
Greg
Thank you for returning and showing us your "time line work in progress
photo's".
At one time some of the wiring under my hood looked as your's . I too
found myself chasing breaks. Any of us that have a "Cloth Wrapped
Wiring System" and do our own work have found the same wiring view.
The "Flooring Patch" is another item that any one with any older vehicle
has found. It is not just a 1955 De Soto item.
I hope when we meet you in July ( aka fort Wayne ) --- that you have some information to share.
Rodger & Gabby
Colo Spgs
FltSgt@outlook.com
Greg,
Great photos! You are making much progress...keep up the good work! From what I can see of the vinyl and fabric on your seats and the way the covers are fastened to the seat I think you have some aftermarket seat covers on the seats.
What color is the exterior of your car? The photo of the car taken after you acquired it suggests blue and white or dark blue/light blue. But your interior is clearly green, which was typically reserved for cars with a shade of green on the exterior. What is the color code on your data plate?
Mark
Great photos, Greg!
Thank you for the update on your progress. You've been busy!
Grand car you have there.
From what I can see of the vinyl and fabric on your seats and the way the covers are fastened to the seat I think you have some aftermarket seat covers on the seats.
Thanks, I doubted they were original but I don't have a good source/image of what the original upholstery would have looked like.
What color is the exterior of your car? The photo of the car taken after you acquired it suggests blue and white or dark blue/light blue. But your interior is clearly green, which was typically reserved for cars with a shade of green on the exterior. What is the color code on your data plate?
The initial photo predated digital cameras and is a scan of a drugstore print so the color isn't accurately reproduced. The car is in fact two-tone green.
Is there a secret decoder ring for the data plate? I couldn't get a decent photo of mine, nor could I read all the field names (especially the vertical 2-char names) but I think I can accurately read all the data fields.
Top row, L > R
MODEL TP
BODY 25
PAINT 380
TRIM 471
TR(?) 3
HR(?) 5
?? (blank)
?? (blank)
Bottom row, L > R
???? 251
???? 96
BODY NO 20998
EW(?) (blank)
SG(?) 1
PB(?) 5
RL(?) (blank)
?? (blank)
Some more recent pics of the car before I moved her into the garage
oops, looks like I didn't get the hood closed... 
Greg,
Thanks for addressing my questions and providing the codes. With your trim and paint codes I will scan the original upholstery pattern and color scheme and try to post here. If no luck, I can e-mail them to you. When I dig out that material, I'll attempt to answer as many of the data plate codes as possible, unless someone beats me to it. I'll scan the trim photos at my work's color copier so it will be early next week before I can respond.
Mark
Greg,
Paint code 380 is Sherwood Green upper and Cove Green lower, so it appears your car still shows its original paint, or at least original colors.
Trim Code 471 does not show in the '55 DeSoto color and upholstery book but trim code 451 is a green striped cloth and light green vinyl code correct for the '55 Firedome sedan with green exterior combinations. Is is possible that your trim code is 451 and not 471? Please check again and advise.
Here is what I can decipher from the rest of your codes:
MODEL TP Not sure
BODY 25 Firedome 4-door sedan
PAINT 380 as above
TRIM 471 maybe 451?
TR(?) 3 Powerflite transmission
HR(?) 5 Model 700 heater/defroster
?? (blank)
?? (blank)
Bottom row, L > R
???? 251 not sure
???? 96 not sure
BODY NO 20998
EW(?) (blank) Electric windows(?). You don't have so this looks correct.
SG(?) 1 Solex tinted glass
PB(?) 5 Power brakes
RL(?) (blank) Probably the radio code which you do not have
?? (blank)
