National Desoto Club

I'm trying to verify if this car is in the registry and if it was truly an Adventurer Convertible. With clone cars existing, I know there is always a possibility.

Thanks!

Mike

Mike,

Not sure we have such a registry. Your best bet is to reach out the 1958 Model Year Coordinator Tim Fagan. Go the left margin, click "Resources" and scroll down to the 1958 Model Year Coordinator for contact info.

Mark

In addition to Mark's comment, you can submit a form to FCA historical for almost any Chrysler Corporation vehicle that is 1967 or older. You will also need proof of ownership, such as a copy of the title.

http://www.fcanorthamerica.com/company/ ... cords.aspx

They should be able to provide a build card, a dealer name, and general decoding, including color, interior (trim), options, model, etc. By extension, it would confirm that the VIN corresponds to an Adventurer.

Mike,

I don't think you can tell if a 1958 DeSoto is an Adventurer from the serial number (VIN). Adventurers were considered a subset of the Fireflite series, and they were coded that way in the VIN. The third digit of the VIN, in this case a "3", indicates that the car in question is a Fireflite. The absence of a 4th alphabetic digit says the car was made at the Jefferson Avenue plant in Detroit. The Standard Catalogue of Chrysler says that all Adventurers were built in Detroit, but certainly all Fireflites made in Detroit were not Adventurers.

The only way to know for sure is to ask FCA to send you the build card as noted above.

I know your dilemma. Chrysler performance era cars are frequently cloned, and Chrysler's serial numbering system from that period makes that a pretty easy thing to do.

_________________
Brent Jacobsen
Owner of a 1952 Desoto Firedome