Worst Imperial Experience?

[improller]

What's your worst experience with an Imperial - may not be your own.

Mine was with a new-to-me 57 I had just had delivered. Took it out to get it registered and had to go back and forth from the title agency to the BMV and I guess all the stopping/starting finally pushed the starter solenoid past it's breaking point and got stuck in the on position. I just kept cranking and cranking until it wore out, pulled so much juice from the battery it melted all the cable insulation off, and almost started a fire.

Eventually got it home and had to replace the starter and battery cables before I was able to enjoy it. Wasn't the best start to my Imperial experience, but I learned quite a bit about the starters on these cars.

[BUCKY]

I guess my worst experience would be the day the power brake booster decided to retire on my 1968 Crown convertible. I was in a parade, following my friend's 1967 Ford Galaxie convertible. The parade slowed suddenly, but I didn't! Right before I tagged his bumper, he was able to get going and avoid the hit. I dropped back to a safer distance, and nursed the Imperial to the finish of the parade. I got the brakes repaired that next week!!

[BUCKY]

My most unusual experience was in another parade. Christmas parade one year, and it started a light rain. Everything was so tightly packed along the route, I couldn't pull off and raise the top. We had an umbrella in the car, so Mrs BUCKY held it over our heads while we finished the parade! That generated a good amount of chatter in the crowd! LoL

[Dracula]

I'd say my worst experience is my '82 Sinatra; it's conspiring against me to exhaust my AAA tow allowance. Ran out of gas due to the fuel sending unit failing to read properly. Apparently, 7 gallons means "Empty" instead. Then, after driving it for about 30 minutes down the highway it starved itself of fuel. I'm not sure if the fuel pump is bad or it has a kinked line. I'll delve into that this weekend.

I've always had better luck with '66s.

[ImperialAtom]

Might be dirt in the tank getting sucked into the line. I'm sure you've checked the fuel filter?

[Dracula]

Yep. First thing I did when I got it was drop the tank and clean it. There's a little sediment in the fuel filter, but not much more than a pencil eraser's worth. I suspect it may be the mechanical pump is starved by a 4-bbl carb running at highway speeds pulling gas. If the electric pump doesn't fix it, I'll revise my plans.

[DonFromTexas]

My worst experience was with a 1959 Crown Southampton back when they were much newer. I came across it in a used car lot in Killeen Texas! I had never seen one before, and they had a very low value then, I recall I paid $3100 for it, almost new yet! I was super proud of that car. One evening we took it to downtown Killeen for a shopping trip, parked at the curb angle parked and went in some stores. Coming out there was a large crown with police and fire trucks. In trying to find the source of the excitement I realized it was MY Imperial on fire!! Somehow it had caught fire in the engine compartment around the carb! Damage caused was burning off the spark plug wires, carb, air cleaner and the paint on the hood. Insurance and the local Imperial dealer fixed it as good as new in a few days and I was back in business.

[ImperialAtom]

Interesting. My 57 engine caught fire from a backfire. My engine is getting rebuilt and is STILL in the shop after months and months. The whole covid19 thing is delaying it at this point. Mine also had another incident where the mechanical relay on the starter got stuck and it wouldn't stop running. It melted the battery cables and it almost caught fire from that incident as well.

Wonder what caused your fire.

[DonFromTexas]

Mine must have started from a backfire when shutting down that I did not remember noticing. Makes me want to carry a fire extinguisher in my current one!

[ImperialAtom]

I carry one now all the time in my old cars.