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kevinpreston4

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Some folks here mentioned that they would like to see my 1957 Chrysler Imperial at some time, so here it is.

1957 Chrysler Imperial Crown model

392 Hemi engine
Completely original. Bad interior, but plenty there to recreate exactly.
Every part is on this car, including trim.
Worst parts are a few rust through areas at the bottom of fenders and two doors. Will be welded for repair.
Factory air conditioning.
Push button automatic
Power seat
Power windows
Power antenna
Rear window defogger
Straight body including bumpers
All lights and lenses

This was literally pulled out of a field and it was my second collector car. It has sat in my garage for 10 years and I had it towed to move it. As insane as this sounds, I have never completely sat in the car. Only reached in to steer and store things in it.

I may play around with it next summer, if I can get my '68 Charger running and moveable.
 
Great time capsule

Hard to belive you have had it ten years and never even sat in it! That is a LOT of car, plenty of storage. I remember reading about Chrysler and rust problems with the late 50's cars, it might have been something about the several 58 Furys used for the movie Christine. Good that this one stayed in the area there and avoided that fate. Sounds like it is a loaded car, there can't be many left. Will the motor turn? Since the body is good, once you rebuild the drivetrain, and brakes, suspension, etc... it will be a great ride!
Scott
 
I have seen one 1959

parked on the side of the road. And one 1957 convertible in a "selling museum" that they wanted $20k for. That is all I have seen since I saw it.

My inspiration was when my wife and I saw a 1964 Imperial in the parking lot of Home Depot, and talked with the owner. It was a car from the family, in black, and he showed us how even, on that model, the wing windows were even powered. A few months later, we had this. My deal with the guy is that I would pay his $1500 price, but he had to get it to my house, and he did. We pushed it into the garage and there it sat. I pushed it out once to wash off the dust and dirt, then pushed it back. That is all since we moved it last year to this house.

The motor will not turn, even with a breaker bar...but I did not try actually oil soaking the cylinders so that was not conclusive. However, something may have been broken inside and that is why the car was left. Or maybe the engine is frozen for some other reason.

I may know more next summer.
 
Imperials

Kevin,

Thanks for the photo of your 1957. A wonderful year for Imperial when it was still a separate nameplate from Chrysler.

I had a 1969 LeBaron Coupe' that was one of the best cars I ever owned. True, it was a New Yorker in heavy drag but still the Imperial techies created a wonderful interior, fine tuned the 440 cu engine and created the fabulous hide-a-way headlights.

The leather used for the interior was bullet proof, the crome was triple plated and it was the ONLY year of the sequential turn signal tailights.

However, the 1957's were, "just sensational," says Virgil Exner, Jr., "The most important thing about them was the fact that they were sculptured." There were nearly 38,000 sold in the calendar year just beating out Lincoln. Never again would Imperial sell anything like this huge number of cars. Check the history books.

Thanks for the memories!

Now lets get that baby up and running.
 
Didn't Mr. Drysdale drive an Imperial

Charlie you strike me as more of a 70's Fifth Avenue type driver with that sumptuous and pillowy velour fabric, I mean the car interior not your around the home outfits
 
Pillowy Velvet

Pete,

Gosh, Pillowy Velvet sounds like a performer I used to see in Atlanta in the 1970's. Tonight we present Miss Pillowy Velvet and her talents........

I have always been a brocade and leather person. All the crushed/shirred/trimmed velvet stuff was way to fluff for me! I didn't even like it in casket interiors. Part of my family was in the funeral business and I remember those interiors well.

The fake wood, ("plastique", as we used to call it), used in the interiors of high end GM cars was just awful. And the fabric choices in the 70's were pretty scary too. Like I said, it is tasteful brocade, damask and leather for this kid!

And, yes, the Drysdales did have Imperials. Usually 4 door LeBarons with a driver. Very deluxe.
 
More fun

Did you guys ever here of the "Mobile Director Option" on these cars?

On 1967/1968 Imperial COUPES only, which was odd, there was an option that included several amazing features.

The front passenger seat could swivel around 180 degrees to make a conference area facing the back seat. The center console pulled up and rotated, then opened up as a table. From a special compartment, a gooseneck lamp was removed, and plugged in. There were walnut accents provided to make it even more like an office.

This was based on a show car from 1966 which had a scaled up version of this, complete with phone, fax machine (wow, in 1966!) and a number of goodies that did not make it to production for obvious reasons. The sensation created at the car show got Chrysler to put this option up for two years.

Here is an amazing article. I thought record players in cars were amazing!

 
how ironic!

I just got a Motor Trend magazine in the mail today, and they have a new Chrysler Imperial on the cover (along with a totally cool looking Challenger)! It looks a little like a Rolls Royce, even has suicide doors, but has some styling cues off of the classic, like yours there. Both of these cars are going to be built on the LX platform that's seen such exceptional success in the 300C, and the Magnum. A real hemi is returning to the car too.

Ought to be a LOT better than those Aspen-based Imperials, or even those god-awful K-car based imperials that came out in the eighties!
 
Very rare Imperial Kevin! You just do not see those around much,even at car shows. A long road ahead for a restoration,but it will be a worthwhile project. I would try removing the plugs and soaking the cylinders. Might save you a few thousand dollars,if you do not need to rebuild the engine.

Thanks for sharing!
 
Well Charlie I guess I had you pegged all wrong then, you're more of a Renaissance man than I would have thought with all that leather and brocaide finery. What on earth got me to thinking it was velour and velvet I do not know.. LOL

Oh and Kevin, nice car, but I like the Cadillac better so just make sure it's clean and full of gas when I get down to California. I don't want to find a McFry lost behind the gas pedal!!!!
 
Thanks for the links.. I see the first one also mentions the rust factor. My grandparents lived up north, way north, in the heavy salt use area. They had a 1963, 66, and 68 300 four doors.. still fast!!! First car I ever saw the speedo buried.. my grandfather liked to haul A**. They kept the 68 for many years, well over 160K miles and the 440 still ran great, but the body had rotted out everywhere and was not safe anymore.. funny story on that car, my grandmother ran into the drive in window at the bank, pulled it right out of the building and only broke the front fender corner piece of fiberglass... what a tank!
Scott
 
Goatfarmer....

I don't know if you are interested in such things, but if you do have a slight interest, grab that engine!

There are places that make all sorts of parts for the 392. Finding a 426 Hemi would cost you too much, and a new crate hemi is 12K last I checked. A 392 is NOT a 426, but it is a wonderful motor from what I have heard.

One of the things I like about this car is its rarity. I have never seen one driving (that I can remember), I don't know what it sounds like, or what it will drive like. The mystery makes this more intriguing and fun.
 

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