Mystic
We're all born mad
Oh I know this well, it even afflicted my '57 Chrysler 300C. But I've stuck w/ points etc, never swapped that out for an electronic ignition refit. She's still running strong, but still a tricky starter.
"Chrylser" + "Imperial" 1964-1966
- Thread starter Telecolor 3007
- Start date
Why would you drive one that far? I drove my 1986 VW GTI 330,000 miles and my 2004 Chrysler 300M a bit over 300,000 miles... the engines on both were still fine but the rest of them was SHOT. The seats and carpet were worn through on the VW and the suspension was toast. The 300Ms leather seats looked like a ballzack and were no longer supportive, and everything creaked and groaned- it was time to put them both out to pasture !
The Chry
All were excellent engines and the RB were torque monsters.
The Chrysler-Dodge-Plymouth big block engines came in two varieties the "B" block with 3.375" stroke, and the "RB" (raised block) with 3.75" stroke. the different displacements were due to differences in the size of the bore (piston diameter) The "B" blocks were 361, 383, and 400, while the "RB" were 413, 426, 440.
All were excellent engines and the RB were torque monsters.
If he's still alive, the owner would have to answer that. Maybe he reupholstered the driver's seat or kept it covered...who knows? Being a KY resident, the Cadillac probably didn't get a lot of snow/salt exposure. Over the 40 years I've been in the car business, I've come across any number of highway-driven vehicles with very high mileage that remained in surprisingly good condition. Just two weeks ago, I came across a 2020 F-150 with 250,000 mi that looked like brand new top to bottom, and bumper to bumper. Not saying it's the norm but it does happen. It all depends on what the owner did and didn't do.
My Mark VII is at 240k and you'd never know it. Both front seats have been redone, most of the suspension bits have been replaced at least once over the years, etc. Basically any time something wore out, the original owner replaced it. He also didn't abuse it horribly and kept up on the standard maintenance. The seats have good foam and having recently done an 8 hour each way drive without being in pain, I can tell you it makes a world of difference.
Telecolor 3007
I love old stuff
The "Imperial" and the top version "Chryslers", which one they got?
As for the "Cadiilac", he got probably one of the last versions with good engine. Later on he would have had fallen into the lake with the costs.
"Cadillac" ca be puned in Romania as Cad - în - lac = I'm falling into (the) lake.
Some people, like me, get attached to things and they want to last.
YY1
Addicted Member
64 Imperials styling was at least overhauled if not completely redone by Elwood Engle, who was poached from Ford.
I happen to love both Engel's "sharp lines inside the body curve" designs, most notable on 64 T birds and 66/67 Mopar B body cars, and...
...those last Virgil Exner styled Imperials (of death) as I call them that ended in 63, separate headlight throwback and all-
I happen to love both Engel's "sharp lines inside the body curve" designs, most notable on 64 T birds and 66/67 Mopar B body cars, and...
...those last Virgil Exner styled Imperials (of death) as I call them that ended in 63, separate headlight throwback and all-
Looks like it just landed. Great lines.
Back then those commanded some respect on the road. I'm thinking of the hardtops. We used to call them Palm Springs cars, especially the pink one. My neighbor had a black 59, sometimes she'd pick us up a school, 7th grade. It's hard to imagine that petite lady driving, maneuvering that thing but she did and loved it. The 59 was traded for a 64 that adorned the drive way till they moved away. They would rare up and go if you stomped on it.
That pink wasn't a factory '59 Cadillac color. So many owners color-changed these cars, especially before they became valuable.
As used cars, you couldn't give away a '59 while the '60 was almost universally considered far better styled. Today however, the '59 commands nearly double the '60. The new '59 GM designs were directly influenced by the new "Forward Look" Chryslers of 1957. The designs they had already done for '59s had to be scrapped and it was back to the drawing board.
Yes mopar built good engines and trannys
As stated above, neither Karmann nor Ghia had any connection whatsoever with the 64-66 Imperials (also as correctly stated they are not Chrysler Imperials - just Imperials). Ghia was a design house in Italy while Karmann was a coachbuilder in Germany. Ghia designed the Karmann Ghia (a handsome yet extremely rust-prone version of the BW bug).
Ghia did design and construct a few design exercises for Chrysler in the mid 1950s. Most were quite attractive: https://www.hagerty.com/media/buyin...a-bodied-chryslers-up-for-grabs-this-january/
Back to the Imperials - I had a '65 Imperial convertible. Smooth, powerful, and attractive. It had big steel weights attached to the chassis behind the rear wheels to weigh down the suspension and smooth it out a bit, I would guess. Other than the engine, transmission, and a few other bits it had very little in common with the Chryslers of the era.
Ghia did design and construct a few design exercises for Chrysler in the mid 1950s. Most were quite attractive: https://www.hagerty.com/media/buyin...a-bodied-chryslers-up-for-grabs-this-january/
Back to the Imperials - I had a '65 Imperial convertible. Smooth, powerful, and attractive. It had big steel weights attached to the chassis behind the rear wheels to weigh down the suspension and smooth it out a bit, I would guess. Other than the engine, transmission, and a few other bits it had very little in common with the Chryslers of the era.
Telecolor 3007
I love old stuff
Push button gear select was intresting, trough all probably more complicated then stick shifter.
Chrysler's push button transmission was operated by a cable that moved the selector arm on the transmission. Pushing the buttons simply moved the cable a bit farther each time. The regular column shifters use a shaft to move it and they are actually more complex than the simple cable (rod down through the steering column, brackets to hold the linkage rods, etc). The reason they disappeared was because the was no simple way to activate the parking pawl with a cable- they have to be forced into place. There was no button for PARK, you had to shift to neutral and remember to apply the parking brake ! My older brother had our 62' Plymouth Valiant roll away several times because he forgot to apply the parking brakes!!
Here is a pic of the dash mechanism form a late 50's model:
Here is a pic of the dash mechanism form a late 50's model:
DesertRatt
All Bark, No Bite!
I was always a huge fan of Land Yachts - the bigger and more outlandish the better. Had a lot of Lincolns and Cadillacs back when they looked and felt like luxury cars. As we got into the 80s and beyond they lost the style, excess, and luxury feel - especially inside, where most of them just looked like Impalas at a higher price. This was one of my favorite beasts owing to how quiet and smooth and heavy it was. Not fast, just gorgeous to drive. Uh, no, that's not me. Nor am I the guy on the tractor!
Back when Riviera, T-Bird, Eldorado were considered sports models. Those were fun but didn't have the full boat experience of a real land yacht, full size Lincoln and Cadillac. When late model, in their prime, they were masters of the road.