Midstate Mopars highlight - 1956 DeSoto Firedome

This year’s Midstate Mopars was once again a celebration of all things Chrysler. Now in its 16th edition, Midstate Mopars continues to attract Chrysler owners and enthusiasts to Bendigo from all over Victoria, as well as interstate, during the Queen’s Birthday long weekend.

Hosted by the Central Victorian Chrysler Club Inc., this year’s event stuck with the proven formula of a cruise on Day 1 and a Show ‘n’ Shine on Day 2 in Bendigo’s Town Hall precinct.

In addition to the fact that it’s open to the public, the great thing about the Show ‘n’ Shine is you get to see Mopars that are rarely spotted at other classic car shows, like this bold pink DeSoto that brightened a dark winter day in Bendigo.

Believe it or not, the ‘Shell Pink’ paint on this 1956 DeSoto Firedome is a factory colour from the period, complemented by a white roof and white fill for the ‘Flight Sweep’ sidespear.

The ‘Seville’ trim on this car was one of three available for the Firedome, which was DeSoto’s entry-level model in 1956. ‘Sportsman’ and standard were the other trim levels.

Above the Firedome, the pricier Fireflite could also be had in standard or Sportsman trim, with a ‘Pacesetter’ convertible and ‘Adventurer’ hardtop new to this series for ‘56. The Pacesetter cashed in on DeSoto’s role as pace car provider for the 1956 Indianapolis 500, while the Adventurer was an all-new performance model.

A 341ci Hemi V8 was standard on the Adventurer, while all other DeSotos for 1956 came with a 330ci Hemi V8 in one of two power outputs, matched to a PowerFlite automatic transmission.

This particular DeSoto Firedome came to Australia in 1991 and was purchased by the current owner as an unfinished project in 2000. Even with all the DeSoto-specific parts and rare Seville trim included (but not fitted), getting the car back on the road took five years.

The factory 330 V8 had to be completely rebuilt, while a stoved-in passenger door and dents in nearly every panel meant extensive bodywork repair was needed, too. There was some rust to cut out, but surprisingly none in the floors. Fortunately, the chassis (DeSotos were still body on frame in ’56) was straight and solid.

Virtually all the work in bringing this car back to life was done by the owner and his two sons, except specialty jobs like rechroming and upholstery.

Inside, the pink-and-white theme from outside continues, with the ‘Jetsons’ look to the cabin including push-button operation for the transmission (a new feature for 1956), an abundance of gauges and switches, as well as a dash-mounted clock. The owner explained that a clock for inside the steering wheel boss was optional on DeSotos like his.

During the rebuild, power steering was added to make the car more practical for regular driving, which the owner does – in rain, hail or shine to events like Midstate Mopars.

To see JUST CARS’ report from the 2023 Midstate Mopars, click HERE.