If one is for sale, these are always at least half the continent away. Was surprised to find Imperial ~30 miles away while browsing Hemmings. Bought it June 2014. Love the fins and overall excessiveness. Factory: AC, power seat & windows. Pros --- Rechromed bumbers, power windows rebuilt, fresh brake job, 413 V8 & trans rebuilt, upholstery redone, clock rebuilt. Cons --- Speedo, gas guage, radio don't work, no key for doors, tires are shot, lower driver's door needs repaint. Now have Cadillac, Imperial, Lincoln land yachts for 1959. Lengths: Cadillac 225 Imperial 226 Lincoln 227
Nice Looking I Crown! My Wife always Loves to take detail Pic's of any 59 to 63 Imperial she spots. Its hard to believe that your 59 in one of the more "conservative" years. I sure you will have much fun with it!!!!
Out of the 3, hands-down this one's my favorite. And who would believe that the Caddy is the shortest of the bunch? The Imperial at least 'looks' shorter by comparison. So many unique Exner touches on this design. The rear bumper, the 'satellite tail lights, the hooded headlamp assemblies........ I'll bet it drives far nicer than the other 2 as well.
finsrin, if you need parts and repair sources for it, check this out: http://www.imperialclub.com/Yr/index.htm This one is in France and you can switch to the French version site: http://www.ch300imp.com/mainpage_us.htm Good tech info: http://www.oldride.com/library/index.html
BTW, when you're in Lynnwood next time, there's a shop across the street from Dave's Transmission on 52nd Ave. West; they specialize in all parts for older Chryslers/Dodges/Plymouths/Imperials. They have a few choice late '50s/early '60s cars that I would see when I was at work.
[FONT=Comic Sans MS, sans-serif]Have a tire tale for you.[/FONT] Imperial is on rack raised up at transmission shop. No weight on tires. No movement. Boom --- tire blows. Came with weary looking retreads and I had new tires at home. Dismounted all wheels and transported in back of pickup to tire shop for mounting new tires and returned them to transmission shop. First time that was known to happen at transmission shop. Pictures of blown tire are attached.
Very cool. A close friend of mine had a 59 Imperial Crown that was almost identical to that one (white with blue interior) except that it was a 4 door. The one my friend had was a restoration project that his dad bought in 1960 but never finished. Yes you read that right. my friend's dad bought the car in 1960, with less then 7000 mile on it. The car was less than a year old at the time and had belonged to a co worker of my friend's dad's. The owner's son and his buddies took the car out one Saturday night and wrecked it, sliding it sideways into two trees. Front and rear clips of the car were shoved to the left, but the passenger compartment was intact and the boys survived pretty much uninjured (till their fathers got hold of them). My friend's dad bought the remains of the car from the insurance company. He then bought all the needed replacement sheet metal and chrome through the dealer. He even ordered a brand new frame from the factory (choosing a more stout convertible frame). He removed the body from the frame, switched the drive train and suspension over the new frame, Had the body ready to be lowered onto the new frame and sitting in the garage, with all the brand new parts sitting in the basement, and then my friend was born in June of 1960. Then everything went untouched till my friend's dad passed away in the 1990's. The car and all the parts were sold to a collector in Connecticut who was restoring a very rusty 59 convertible. What a deal that guy got, a new frame, an engine with almost no miles on it and a ton of sheet metal and chrome. Almost everything he needed to finish his convertible. I think the damage to the rear of the 4 door may have been too severe for my friend's dad to repair anyway. But it was an interesting car just the same. I remember watching as the car frame was winched onto the flatbed and noticing that the two front tires were still fully inflated after having sat in the garage since 1960.
finsrin that's spooky about the tires. Jim, thanks. Nice story and strange those original tires still held air.
finsrin, wow what a nice find. And an awesome collection. You are doing what I wanted to do before the recession hit. I had just about finished with the fomoco cars and was about to get into the mopar side. But the recession hit me hard and that now is a dream gone. I will be content with the fomoco cars and retore them as time/funds permit.
