Projects Strangest Car Ever. 1961 Imperial CL Find!

I love that thing! Nice score. Hope to see it put right.

 

Looks like a keeper to me, but then I'm a fan of these older Mopars. Plus, by comparison, Cadillacs and Lincolns just seem, well, common. At that time I think Imperial was treated as a separate division by Chrysler. I think Valiant was treated the same way as well for it's first model year.

Guard those tail lights! I've also heard them referred to as "sparrow strainers".

 

I like it, great road tripping ride! If you had that up here for sale Id be interested. I don't have a problem with four doors when they are hard tops.

 

I can imagine seeing a couple of Joeys guys jumping out with tommy guns.nice find.

 

Turns out the Imperial website has that article scanned: http://www.imperialclub.com/~imperialclub/Articles/61MotorLife/index.htm

They have a bunch of other useful information there as well: http://www.imperialclub.com/~imperialclub/Yr/1961/index.htm

 

Those are pretty cool. Look up some pictures of the Buick invicta. Even more extreme in my opinion. One up for sale near me, a little rusty though.

EDIT: here;
http://burlington.craigslist.org/cto/4640661768.html

Posted using the Full Custom H.A.M.B. App!

 

I have complete faith that you can make your Imperial just as stunning!

Although your '61 Custom Imperial 4-Door 6-Passenger Hardtop was the base model, it still was a relatively limited production vehicle (4,129 were produced) ... so it's definitely still worth fixing up into a CL Cruiser!

If you haven't already done so, I suggest joining the ForwardLook.net forum ... as well as the ImperialClub.com website & mailing list!

EDIT: D'oh! ... I see now that @stuart in mn beat me to it!

 

Classic Virgil Exner styling. Maybe not the most attractive, but today it's something else to see and own.

Good on ya for scoring that one.

Roger

 

Not so much strange as it is rare.

I've owned one of those and they certainly command attention when you drive them.

Dig those headlight and taillight pods... kinda looks like it was an afterthought and was applied to the car like jewelry.

The Power brakes are really touchy and the square steering wheel will catch you off guard when you're turning... no doubt you'll be putting on a show the first few times you attempt to drive it!

 

Saw a pristine example of one of these this summer....really wild car, just way over the top design, we will never see anything this unique ever come out of Detroit again.

 

They cant be that Rare, we have 3 for sale locally, 1. Mint restored $29.K. 2. One repaint runs good $7000. 3. Looks like a parts car $1500. Any body want one let me know? Larry

 

That one looks like it was a mourners car from a funeral home. I may be wrong, but that small oval rear window and the fabric half roof sure makes it look that way.

 

Yeah, those Buicks look like they're extremely pissed off.

 

I don't know if this was the same car I saw in Milwaukee a few years back.
It was parked out in front of a school I was working on near 16th and Walnut. All I know that it was the same color and out of state plates (can't remember what state).
That might be Wisconsin patina on the bottom of that car or like we say "got a salted".

 

Maybe, but I know this one has been in texas since the mid 80s and before that was in new mexico (hence the NM plate on the back) How long ago did you see it?

 

Looks like someone died of a gunshot wound on the front seat.

You just bought Christine!

 

Nope ... It was Nelson Rockefeller's Limo when he was governor of New York.

Here's a couple of pics of it from the Chrysler archives:

click thumbnails to enlarge​

 

IT sure does... man hopefully that will come off with some cleaning! No holes in the windshield or seat so hopefully it wasnt that!

 

If it was at the location I just wrote, then someone most likely could have got shot sitting in it.
Chstitan, probably not the car as it looks like it hasn't run for awhile. I saw the car about 6 years ago, but it was a dead wringer right down to the tinted windows. But you never know.

 

I bet it was the guy in the radiator bracket from the last video- he's got a nasty face. Did you see that, when the engine is getting turned with a bar. Lmao

 

I don't know what it is about Rockefeller's car, but it is sinister looking. I like it.

 

A friend Found one 22 years ago behind a warehouse.....sold it me , pulled the 413 wedge /transmission and ran it in Chopped 36 Buick coupe. Short block is the same as a max wedge .....That ran real nice...

 

I almost bought the same type of car in NC. Ran but had tranny probs. He wanted $1200 for it. I didnt get it tho.

 

Before you get around to seriously trying to start the engine, put a couple squirts of oil in the cylinders. Also get some oil on the rocker arms around the rocker shafts, pushrod ends and valve stems. And before you put the plugs back in spin the engine over with the starter for a while and see if you can at least get the oil pressure light to go out or get a couple pounds of pressure on an oil pressure gauge.

Love the "custom" pancake hood!

 

That is the next step! Would you say marvel mystery is best for the cylinders or the type of oil that is in the pan would work better?

 

crank those torsion bars down and let's boogie.....,,,,,,,