A few for Sandy

ProTouringASC · Post by **ProTouringASC** » Fri Mar 20, 2009 12:27 pm

A few for your viewing pleasure... any temptation to buy is strictly between you and your minister of finance!

Shiny Side Up!
Bill

http://tinyurl.com/c48ma2

http://tinyurl.com/cafrz8

http://tinyurl.com/cnfrtg

http://tinyurl.com/d34f3k

http://tinyurl.com/c472lc

http://tinyurl.com/dxsf6s

http://tinyurl.com/dn3xjw

http://tinyurl.com/ddbg4y

Sandy · Post by **Sandy** » Fri Mar 20, 2009 1:51 pm

The first (or top) car is a fraud, and is well known among Imperialists! NO LeBaron Coupe was ever made, until 1969. This car, upon close inspection wears Crown seat-covers, Crown door panels, and has had its "CROWN" nameplates removed, and LeBaron nameplates installed, however, the one on the trunk lid is placed up a bit too high.

The 2nd car, the '68 Convertible is (almost) a twin to mine! That is Meadow Green, mine was Frost Green, same color, but a lighter shade. Same interior as mine. BUT mine also had power vent windows (this lacks) and mine had its ultra rare, 2 year only - 100% leather roof! This car has a replacement in vinyl, as it's impossible to find a N.O.S. Leather one. This looks very nice, but the incorrect top would naw at me.

Car #3 - The Newport is interesting, but is a low demand car. A tough sell, if one falls in love with something else and needs to sell the Newport in order to buy his new love. Tough Sell, unless you prostitute it ~ (Auto slang meaning sell way under true value.....

The 1959 LeBaron in #4 is pretty decent, and can be made whole again. The rust would not bother me too much - unless the frame has rust-thru. What would be nearly impossible isto find the correct leather seat covers. Those on there now are from ???? but definately NOT Imperial LeBaron OEM. The seat covers would worry more than the rust shown in the photos. Let me eye-ball the frame, please. I don't worry about the engines, as they are bullet-proof. Trannys can be fixed. Ditto MOST rust.
Suspensions are fixable - but at Cartier pricing.

The 1968 Crown 4-Dr. Hardtop (BLACK - with black vinyl roof) is, so far, my favorite. UNTIL he opened the door! Incorrect seat covers! Don't know where the be from, but that ain't 1968s !! Might be 1967s OR Dodge Monacos. Otherwise it's very nice. I give it a sold "B" grade.
At a car show, it would do well. At an Imperial Show, 85% would pick up on the incorrect seat covers, which would be akin to peeing in a glass of Crown Imperial !!

The Limo is the bell ringer! It's utter perfection, and worth $70,000. It belongs to Richard Carpenter (Of karen & Richard Carpenter fame) and the rest of his MOPAR heavy colection is also hosed on 2 floors of this dedicated building. The Imp here is perfection. Rare? Ultra! I do believe 8 were made. I think 3 survive, this is the only 100-pt. car. It has been 4-sale for some time - no takers, I think a $26,000 price drop is in order. The stretch was made by adding steel. There is no fiberglas on board !Car was made in Italy, under watchful eye of Mother-Mopar by Italian old school artietions hand working panels. It was flowen there & back by Trans Atlantic Airlines cargo plane with Brinks guards on board. I believe it was made for Lynn Townsend, the then President of Chrysler Corporation.

The baby blue '56 needs a full resto, but most of it is there. The problem with the 1956s is that the body is too heavy for the suspension and therefore the suspension has to be rebuilt, and NOT TO OEM levels, but employing aftermarket heavy duty parts. That is why many 1956 Imps, round about 1961 looked like they were eating their frames. We used to refer to such a malady as "she's laying down" Imp-Boyz from the Southern States called those with THAT problem a "recliner" - Peacock Blue on there does nothing for her, also. To alter the color is a big grande NO-NO - so, Peacock Blue she'd have to remain. She's probably a career opportunity!

You saved the best for last?? The 1962 Crown Coupe in Black with black leather would be my choice, especially at its price! I'd not even question the price - I'd pay it. Interior is OEM and perfect, body looks great, color is good, has Autronic Eye headlight dimmer and if memory serves - I think I saw power vents on there??!! Correct wheels, it's all there at a price you can live with. 5 Stars * * * * *

This is the condition my '68 Convert was in. The Meadow Green one on here has 76,000 miles on her. Mine had 21,000 in 1975 when I sold her at age 7. I drove her 3,000 @ year. I too had Autronic Eye andPwr. Vents - but I also had the first ever 8-Track factory installed on her, plus Pwr. Trunk and Safeguard Sentinel Lighting and Passenger seat recliner and prehistoric cruise control !!!

Thanks for lift. Memories. Sad ones because they were such good times.

In those days you could make decent money in a small - low overhead, store (dealership) that was in-town with reasonable overhead, with a minimum of stock and a 3 car showroom, and 27 units on the ground and 3 salesmen, 2 girls in the office, 4 techs, a wash guy, a parts guy a part-time parts helper and a secretary. A payroll of 13 not counting owners. Today? Forget about it. 1/4 mile frontage onan interstate, 225 units in stock, a $25,000 a week advertising budget 175 used cars, 20 salesmen, 40 techs, 12 girls in the offfice 30 service bays and a 50 year mortgage !!!
People take 2 months to decide what to buy and when they finally decide they want it in 20 minutes. Years ago they took a week to decide what they wanted & then ordered the car & waited the 6 weeks for it to come in. It's the cart pushing the horse, now-a-daze !!!
In the 60s & 70s the customers were polite and a pleasure to deal with. They became your customer, your friend, they referred friends to you and you sold them, too. Today? They are all whores. They take up 2 hours in the showroom, you invest untold hours in getting them Approved for credit, demo rides, credit checks etc, etc, etc, and in the 12th hour they beat your price by $25.00 bucks, and sell ya down the river on a raft with holes in it. THEN ;cause the mega whore dealer can't perform warrantee service for them for 9 days (appointment) they mysterously find their way back to YOU and want YOU to fix the problem NOW.
"Ahhhh, I seem to remember you, may I ask, from where?"

Indiana,Dave · Post by **Indiana,Dave** » Sat Mar 21, 2009 1:10 am

Wow, I haven't had a history lesson like that since 1974. Mr Kulazinka would be proud! L.O.L.

Sandy · Post by **Sandy** » Sat Mar 21, 2009 3:01 am

Well...... I was blowing off steam, because it was a GOOD business, and those days are all gone.

ProTouringASC · Post by **ProTouringASC** » Sat Mar 21, 2009 11:20 am

Sandy wrote:The first (or top) car is a fraud, and is well known among Imperialists! NO LeBaron Coupe was ever made, until 1969. This car, upon close inspection wears Crown seat-covers, Crown door panels, and has had its "CROWN" nameplates removed, and LeBaron nameplates installed, however, the one on the trunk lid is placed up a bit too high.

VERY interesting! Is it a case of someone trying to make money on a "fake," or do you think it was a case of a dealer satisfying a customer by putting together something that the customer wanted but the factory didn't produce? My father worked as Congressional Oldsmobile back in the 60's, and I know they occasionally did stuff like that for very good clients.

In any case, that first one sure is a pretty car! The factory may not have produced it, but I sure wouldn't mind driving it!

Shiny Side Up!
Bill

Indiana,Dave · Post by **Indiana,Dave** » Sat Mar 21, 2009 1:11 pm

I knew that! It is all true. So many folks today do not have a " want to"

to get the job done right

or do the right thing.

We have new hires that will go set down as soon as
no one is watching them. They don't understand the word career. It is just a job.... they don't think tommorow is ever going to matter.

In business and in a personal relationship it does matter tommorow, what
you did or didn't do today! HOW"S that for a vent!

Sandy · Post by **Sandy** » Sat Mar 21, 2009 11:04 pm

I cannot say nor try & guess WHAT the person was thinking regarding that black Imperial coupe. All they really did was add LeBaron emblems to the car. The LeBaron had a specific interior, its own seat pleat styling, different door panels, featuring real Claro wood panels, and rear seat exit assist straps and other small touches, none of which this car exhibits. What can be seen is a perfect Crown Coupe interior.

ProTouringASC · Post by **ProTouringASC** » Sun Mar 22, 2009 10:57 pm

Very cool! Thanks for the info.

Interestingly, there is an Imperial for sale up the street from me. A four door hardtop... I'm thinking maybe a '65?

Next time I drive by I'll snap a few pics. Looks to be in excellent shape though.

Shiny Side Up!
Bill

Sandy · Post by **Sandy** » Mon Mar 23, 2009 6:52 pm

It's not nice to temp Sandy

When i was single, living at home with Mom &Dad - at one point I owned 4 Imperials. All in all, I THINK that since age 18 that I owned around 10 of them. 85% bought new. My Mom said I was single handedly trying to lower the average of the typical buyer.
My Mom always did Thanksgiving and we had - ya know, cousins, my Dad's sisters and we had more Imperials here than any large dealer. In the Garage, in the Driveway, on the street, all over....Imps!
This would be the 60s & 70s.