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Her brakes are fixed and she's running on premium rather than Ethenol - not available here. Of course, she's 43 years old and it's showing in other places. We visited an upholstery shop and after chatting about our thoughts and plans, we headed home to wait for an estimate. Yeah, that was the plan; she had other ideas ... like not going anywhere! So, there we sat waiting for her to come to her senses. The staff of the upholstery shop came out to help. Yep, she wouldn't have it. We texted mechanic Mark who gave us some suggestions. Not quite though we had our fingers crossed! Then, out of the blue, Tom gave it try and voile' ... she was ready to go. We had planned to hit the grocery store on the way home, but Tom just wanted to get 'er home. At a recent cruise-in, Tom saw what was causing a thunk then he turned and saw the problem. He ordered control arm bushings and one of these day we'll take her back to Mark. In the meantime, she sits in all her glory beckoning passersby to give us a thumbs up or even stop to chat. We enjoy that part. In the meantime, Tom ordered a car cover for it. The website asked for specifics so we were certainly hopeful. Unfortunately, when it arrived, it didn't pass. Tom contacted the company who requested specific pictures to determine what went wrong. We sure hope they can redo it to fit her.
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Belonging to a local car club, New South Cruisers of Dothan, we have the unique opportunity to tap into the talents of several club members, but specifically Mark who is an ASE Master Mechanic. He has taken The Beast under his wings to ensure all is well before we venture more into the wild.
Switching it from using E85 fuel to premium gas was the first thing, and now he's onto the brakes. Only having front brakes at the moment, Tom felt is was a critical move. We're anxious to have it back, but also want to feel confident taking it farther. Yep, it is a challenge for sure. Mark called to say, as expected, the rear brake drums are not cooperating. He is not a quitter and he will win. But for now, the beast is up on the rack waiting for Mark's next thought!
 Well, it's here. It was unloaded with great care! Tom is anxious to check it out! We rode in it a couple of years ago, but we were passengers ... now it's Tom's turn to see just what is what. The first goal is to ensure it is road-worthy.
While we patiently await the arrival of the car, research has begun. I had heard the car referenced as a Chrysler Crown Imperial, just a Crown Imperial, or even just Imperial. I was confused. A few quick keyboard strokes had me on Wikipedia and there I found the story. From Wikipedia... 1955–1983: A separate brand Main article: Imperial (automobile) Imperial badge 1955–1975 Chrysler Corporation advised state licensing bureaus that beginning in 1955, the Imperial was to be registered as a separate make. It was an attempt to compete directly with GM's Cadillac and Ford's Lincoln luxury-focused marques. Frequently and erroneously referred to as the "Chrysler Imperial", this period of Imperial production was a separate marque, and had no "Chrysler" badging anywhere on its cars until 1971; starting with the 1974 models, the "Chrysler" badging was again removed from car bodies, with only the "Imperial" nameplate appearing. In April 1955 Chrysler and Philco announced the development and production of the world's first all-transistor car radio. The radio, Mopar model 914HR, was a $150.00 "option", or equal to $1584 today on 1956 Imperial automobile models. Philco began manufacturing the all-transistor car radio for Chrysler in the fall of 1955 at its Sandusky, Ohio plant. With the new "Imperial" make, Chrysler Corporation's intention was to create an individual line of luxury cars, above and distinct from Chrysler branded vehicles. This marketing strategy suffered because the cars were rarely (if ever) sold in stand-alone Imperial showrooms. Cadillac and Lincoln did a much better job of separating their luxury marques from the lower priced cars that they sold. Imperial was instead offered at the Chrysler dealer network alongside Chrysler's offerings, and the marque was almost universally known as "Chrysler Imperial" in the public's mind for this reason, despite the fact that all existing dealerships did indeed carry separate "Imperial" dealership signs distinct from Chrysler. In reviewing the pictures, I couldn't tell if it had a Philco radio or not ... time will tell. The end of August can't come soon enough! Tom has the shipper reserved!
We are so anxious to see The Beast in our driveway! I was fortunate enough to be a passenger when we visited Nathan several years ago. It was such a treat - and my favorite part of the ride was - well, one, my granddaughter sat in the backseat with me - and two, the smile on Nathan's face as people pointed and smiled as he drove by.
It may sound silly, but it made my day. Tom has arranged for the car to be shipped to us ... we can't wait!
We're car people. It's that simple. While my history with cars is more about functionality, Tom has an emotional connection with cars. His story is filled with performance cars and well as those that just had a job to do. Tom had an opportunity to regain possession of his beloved 1966 Buick Wildcat, but it wasn't to be, but that's another story.
Recently, he located a 1964 Buick Wildcat, but sadly it didn't work out but turned out to be a good thing. Then his son, Nathan, who also has a long history (for his short years) of unique cars - not necessarily performance cars, but nonetheless, he made them his own which often turned them into performance cars. Tom and Nathan enjoy frequent phone calls and cars always finds a way into their conversations. The most recent phone call pumped Tom up ... Nathan, who is currently storing a project car in another state, offered it to his father for the price of transporting it. It's a deal!! Tom will finally have a classic car though it is not going to fit in our garage! It's a beast and a real eye-catcher when on the road. With Tom's long history with cars, we are both anxious to get started.
Watch and listen as Nathan shares his passion for this car.
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AuthorI'm Tom's wife, Elizabeth. When Tom's son, Nathan, offered him his classic 1961 Imperial Crown, it didn't take more than 3 minutes to say, "YES!" Archives
November 2024
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