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Found on Craigslist. Really nice looking car except for the non-original seat upholstery.
The ad says: DESOTO FIREFLITE - $22500 (NORTHERN, NJ) 1960 DESOTO FIREFLITE. WHITE EXTERIOR WITH RED INTERIOR. POWER STEERING, POWER BRAKES, 361-2BBL,295HP. 3 SPEED TORQUEFLITE PUSHBUTTON TRASNSMISSION. WORKING RADIO AND HEATER.AM/FM/CD IN GLOVEBOX WITH iPOD JACK. DUAL REAR ANTENNAS, DUAL CORRECT SIDEVIEW MIRRORS. FRONT AND REAR FACTORY BUMPER GUARDS. INTERIOR LIGHT PACKAGE. NO RUST OR SMOKE!
THIS CAR IS A PLEASURE TO DRIVE, AND GETS A LOT OF ATTENTION WHEREVER IT GOES.
WE HAVE TAKEN THIS DESOTO ON MANY LONG TRIPS. DRIVE IT HOME.
Link to ad: https://newjersey.craigslist.org/cto/6163367290.html
I saw that also shared on Facebook. It belongs to Stephen Sclafani, who used to be a member of the club.
It's supposed to be fun!
1949 De Soto Custom Convertible (project)
Hi
Brand new member here, I just brought home this Fireflite from northern NJ to my home in Hilltown, upper Bucks Co. PA.
I've been a Mopar guy since before I could drive - my first car was a 1968 Sport Satellite - and an automotive tech since 1982, but I've been away from the car hobby for something like 20 years . . .
The '60 is a very nice driver. Steve was a great host during my inspection of the car, and the same yesterday when I went back to complete the purchase. The car is not the original color (Steve said the guy he got it from didn't like the original grey and I would agree) and the interior is nicely redone in a generic roll/pleat vinyl. I'm sure there is more rust repair/bondo than a purist would tolerate (or I would prefer) but the "restoration" was done almost 10 years ago and has held up well. I wanted a driver - both as a budgetary and use issue - and that's exactly what this car is. I can say it loves the road - the trip home was about 90 mins or so, on roads varying from NJ 4 lane highways to Bucks County country backroads, and she performed well on all of them.
My fiancé Linda and I plan to enjoy the car as much as possible, cruises, afternoon drives, some shows, etc. although the oppressive summer heat makes me miss A/C . . .
Long term, once I get familiar with the car, there may be changes. New carpet is high on the list already, and I'm going to look into an aftermarket A/C upgrade - I have to believe there's enough room under the dash for a nice install with modern components. Brakes, suspension, driveline . . . who knows, but as a guy who grew up coveting muscle cars I can't help but imagine better brakes, an OD trans, and a nice 440. We plan to look at lots of cars at the shows and talk about the interior - while the current one is quite nice and very serviceable, we both like the look of the multi-color originals, although maybe in more modern (as is comfortable) materials.
Here's a couple of photos - a few I stole from Steve's ads, and a few from the homecoming yesterday.
Looking forward to making some new friends and learning all about my new old car.
Gregg
Welcome! Looking forward to hearing more about your "new" car as you continue to enjoy it and make it your own.
Tim
It's supposed to be fun!
1949 De Soto Custom Convertible (project)
