Hey, Tiger! This era was the golden age for Mopar....so conservative in their post war styling until 1955....I can imagine the delight of the dealers as they had cars in the showroom that they could actually get excited about! Thanks! Cheers! :) Jack
It always surprises me how some swell designed cars, seem to be produced during economic downturns.. This is an amazing find. From what I understand, these models weren't easy to maintain. The restoration process must be quite expensive. That's why I'm glad you've been able to capture this special beauty. You don't see too many Dodges from this period. As always, thanks again..
Hey, Dave! Yes, I don't believe restoration materials are as available for Mopars as they are for GM and FoMoCo. The expense of rechroming one of these cars has to be very large...you have to be very committed to restoratons to take one of these on! Thanks! :) Jack
Hey Jack! That's a beautiful Dodge there. You don't see very many these days. That is nice, both inside and out. The owner must have put a lot of time and money into restoring that car. Hard to believe it's nearly 60 years old. And those wheel covers make it even more beautiful. They are hard to find today. Last year I saw a '58 Dodge Coronet four-door hardtop at an auto show.
Hey, William! They sure are rare...especially the four door sedans. The owner told me that it was pretty well renewed when he got it but added new upholstery. It sure looks good. Glad you saw one locally at a show. Thanks! :) Jack
Nice to see a genuine USA Dodge. In New Zealand we only got the Dodge front clip married to the Plymouth rear end from the windshield back. Same with DeSoto, all thru the '50s. All flathead sixes with 3 on the tree. Had me a mess of them. Thanks for doin' a Mopar, Jack.
Hey, Paul! Yes, this is definitely the U.S. version...I've seen and videoed a Desoto that was sent to France, and is here now, with a DeSoto front end and the rest is Plymouth. ua-cam.com/video/CAKE_dmc4oM/v-deo.html Thanks! :) Jack
Rare car. Not many of these around anymore. There were not much made, I believe due to the recession that year. I also agree with you about The Lawrence Welk Show commercials. They brought cars on stage and emphasized the fins and huge trunk.
Hey, Clarke! I still like to watch Lawrence Welk on Public Television on occasion...it's like a step back in time. Mr. Welk gave each member of his troupe a brand new Dodge of their choice....I think it was a fitting gesture for a man of his stature. Lew Crosby was the announcer on the show that enumerated the features of those Dodges. It's a pity that more haven't survived the years. Thanks! :) Jack
Nice seeing another 4 door restored. Recall many of these & the similar DeSotos still going through about 64 or 65. Strong engines & transmissions but the bodies were eaten up by corrosive road salts & humidity.
Hey, Alan! So true...Mopar at this point in their history were known for their great mechanical systems...but those bodies were easily torn up by exposure to road salt. Thanks! :) Jack
Hey, Jason! I think it's smart to keep collector cars in the garage during bad weather. They just don't have the ability to withstand rust like modern cars do. Thanks! :) Jack
Love the livery and the interior goes well with those colors. From the A to C pillar it was basically a Desoto and that means roomy. Do you think the original owner was thinking of a Desoto, but by saving a few bucks on buying a Dodge he could splurge and get some options like power windows? Maybe this one has the D500 option which would have made it the hottest car in 58. Nice example. :)
Hey, Chester! It's hard to say what motivated the original owner....he may have had good experiences with the Dodge dealer over a long period of time, and didn't consider a DeSoto or Chrysler. He sure got it fully equipped! Thanks! :) Jack
Hey, Terry! I think I found the cure...at the bottom of the video is the speaker control....I found that the volume was turned down...see if that works. Thanks! :) Jack
The sound has been fine so far.. However, there have been "drop and blast" levels on other vids on UA-cam. I'm not sure why that is as of lately.. Hopefully they'll get it right soon. Thanks again Jack...
As you watch this remember THIS is what the average worker could afford in the late 1950's. Now think of what car wyouvcan afford nw and What it looks like....... Welcome to the new America....
Hey, Cindy! It's true...cars are becoming less and less affordable, as witnessed by the increasing terms of car loans! Imagine a seven year loan that would bewilder people in the 50's. All those years of paying interest! Thanks! :) Jack
One of the rarest of '58 anything. Rust, water leaks, tiny sounding and rattly bodywork, horrible brakes, broken torsion bars and Virgil Exner's excesses in styling doomed these to the scrapper early. Too bad, since Chrysler's engines and the unbeatable Torqueflite were way ahead of the competition, as was Torsion Aire suspension. Sad that they screwed up on the rest of the car. It took Elwood Engel until '64 to fully get Chrysler back on track after Exner's "swept wing" and other styling lunacy was finally cleaned up. '64 was s breakout year, especially for Dodge, and they gave Ford a real run for 2nd place through the '60s.
Hey, DeserT Bob! I like Exner's styling to a point, but you are certainly right about the problems associated with its execution! Chrysler was not used to selling cars at volumes comparable to Ford and Chevy....in their haste to assemble them, they sewed the seeds of alienation with customers who bought them because they appeared "avant garde". I agree that the Elwood Engle's style was directly comparable to the competition, and they needed to be that to sell cars in 1964. Thanks! :) Jack
Hey, DeserT Bob! I like Exner's styling to a point, but you are certainly right about the problems associated with its execution! Chrysler was not used to selling cars at volumes comparable to Ford and Chevy....in their haste to assemble them, they sewed the seeds of alienation with customers who bought them because they appeared "avant garde". I agree that the Elwood Engle's style was directly comparable to the competition, and they needed to be that to sell cars in 1964. Thanks! :) Jack
Hey Jack, This was the best era for the whole Chrysler range including Dodge, Plymouth & De Soto! 1957 - 1959. This is a beaut example! Cheers Tiger.
Hey, Tiger! This era was the golden age for Mopar....so conservative in their post war styling until 1955....I can imagine the delight of the dealers as they had cars in the showroom that they could actually get excited about! Thanks! Cheers! :) Jack
Enjoy seeing a car so lovingly restored.
Hey, Joe! It sure was a pleasure to video it! Nice that it looks so original! Thanks! :) Jack
It always surprises me how some swell designed cars, seem to be produced during economic downturns.. This is an amazing find. From what I understand, these models weren't easy to maintain. The restoration process must be quite expensive. That's why I'm glad you've been able to capture this special beauty. You don't see too many Dodges from this period. As always, thanks again..
Hey, Dave! Yes, I don't believe restoration materials are as available for Mopars as they are for GM and FoMoCo. The expense of rechroming one of these cars has to be very large...you have to be very committed to restoratons to take one of these on! Thanks! :) Jack
Beautiful car. I love the interior upholstery.
Yes, those were the days when you really had choices of interior coverings! It would be nice to have similar choices today! Thanks! :) Jack
Hey Jack! That's a beautiful Dodge there. You don't see very many these days. That is nice, both inside and out. The owner must have put a lot of time and money into restoring that car. Hard to believe it's nearly 60 years old. And those wheel covers make it even more beautiful. They are hard to find today. Last year I saw a '58 Dodge Coronet four-door hardtop at an auto show.
Hey, William! They sure are rare...especially the four door sedans. The owner told me that it was pretty well renewed when he got it but added new upholstery. It sure looks good. Glad you saw one locally at a show. Thanks! :) Jack
Nice to see a genuine USA Dodge. In New Zealand we only got the Dodge front clip married to the Plymouth rear end from the windshield back. Same with DeSoto, all thru the '50s. All flathead sixes with 3 on the tree. Had me a mess of them. Thanks for doin' a Mopar, Jack.
Hey, Paul! Yes, this is definitely the U.S. version...I've seen and videoed a Desoto that was sent to France, and is here now, with a DeSoto front end and the rest is Plymouth. ua-cam.com/video/CAKE_dmc4oM/v-deo.html Thanks! :) Jack
Rare car. Not many of these around anymore. There were not much made, I believe due to the recession that year. I also agree with you about The Lawrence Welk Show commercials. They brought cars on stage and emphasized the fins and huge trunk.
Hey, Clarke! I still like to watch Lawrence Welk on Public Television on occasion...it's like a step back in time. Mr. Welk gave each member of his troupe a brand new Dodge of their choice....I think it was a fitting gesture for a man of his stature. Lew Crosby was the announcer on the show that enumerated the features of those Dodges. It's a pity that more haven't survived the years. Thanks! :) Jack
Nice seeing another 4 door restored. Recall many of these & the similar DeSotos still going through about 64 or 65. Strong engines & transmissions but the bodies were eaten up by corrosive road salts & humidity.
Hey, Alan! So true...Mopar at this point in their history were known for their great mechanical systems...but those bodies were easily torn up by exposure to road salt. Thanks! :) Jack
Hey Jack. Lovely looking car. I've never seen one in person. :)
Hey, Jason! I see them on occasion here...mostly the two door hardtops. The four door sedans are rare indeed! Thanks! :) Jack
I've seen a couple during the spring and summer months, but not so much during the winter months. :)
Hey, Jason! I think it's smart to keep collector cars in the garage during bad weather. They just don't have the ability to withstand rust like modern cars do. Thanks! :) Jack
I so agree. With the snow and salt covering the grounds, it'd do havoc on the car's body.
Love the livery and the interior goes well with those colors. From the A to C pillar it was basically a Desoto and that means roomy. Do you think the original owner was thinking of a Desoto, but by saving a few bucks on buying a Dodge he could splurge and get some options like power windows? Maybe this one has the D500 option which would have made it the hottest car in 58. Nice example. :)
Hey, Chester! It's hard to say what motivated the original owner....he may have had good experiences with the Dodge dealer over a long period of time, and didn't consider a DeSoto or Chrysler. He sure got it fully equipped! Thanks! :) Jack
Nice looking car. I still can't hear you and will regretfully have to say goodbye.
Hey, Terry! I think I found the cure...at the bottom of the video is the speaker control....I found that the volume was turned down...see if that works. Thanks! :) Jack
The sound has been fine so far.. However, there have been "drop and blast" levels on other vids on UA-cam. I'm not sure why that is as of lately.. Hopefully they'll get it right soon. Thanks again Jack...
Hey, Dave! Methinks there is a preset sound level when a video is published....for some reason, it was set to zero on this video. Thanks! :) Jack
Awesome car! Sadly I can't find any good blueprints of it, so I could draw it by myself.
Hey, Pan! It's a real classic, and certainly worth a picture! Thanks! :) Jack
Indeed it is Jack, indeed it is.
As you watch this remember THIS is what the average worker could afford in the late 1950's. Now think of what car wyouvcan afford nw and
What it looks like.......
Welcome to the new America....
Hey, Cindy! It's true...cars are becoming less and less affordable, as witnessed by the increasing terms of car loans! Imagine a seven year loan that would bewilder people in the 50's. All those years of paying interest! Thanks! :) Jack
One of the rarest of '58 anything. Rust, water leaks, tiny sounding and rattly bodywork, horrible brakes, broken torsion bars and Virgil Exner's excesses in styling doomed these to the scrapper early. Too bad, since Chrysler's engines and the unbeatable Torqueflite were way ahead of the competition, as was Torsion Aire suspension. Sad that they screwed up on the rest of the car. It took Elwood Engel until '64 to fully get Chrysler back on track after Exner's "swept wing" and other styling lunacy was finally cleaned up. '64 was s breakout year, especially for Dodge, and they gave Ford a real run for 2nd place through the '60s.
Hey, DeserT Bob! I like Exner's styling to a point, but you are certainly right about the problems associated with its execution! Chrysler was not used to selling cars at volumes comparable to Ford and Chevy....in their haste to assemble them, they sewed the seeds of alienation with customers who bought them because they appeared "avant garde". I agree that the Elwood Engle's style was directly comparable to the competition, and they needed to be that to sell cars in 1964. Thanks! :) Jack
Hey, DeserT Bob! I like Exner's styling to a point, but you are certainly right about the problems associated with its execution! Chrysler was not used to selling cars at volumes comparable to Ford and Chevy....in their haste to assemble them, they sewed the seeds of alienation with customers who bought them because they appeared "avant garde". I agree that the Elwood Engle's style was directly comparable to the competition, and they needed to be that to sell cars in 1964. Thanks! :) Jack
What ? No JATO bottle...
Hey, Cindy! They didn't quite go that far....it just wasn't in the budget! LOL! Thanks! :D Jack