Where did you find your Imperial?

[ImperialAtom]

Kicking off a discussion to hear where others found their Imperials in the past.

For myself, I found my 57 Imperial on the other side of the country in Washington state. I was on the look out for something different and unique and fell in love with it immediately.

My 66 Imperial on the other hand has a very unique story to it. I ended up purchasing/trading it with Tyler Hoover in Kansas. Tyler has a car show on youtube and I worked out an interesting deal to trade him two Cadillac Allantes plus cash for his beautiful 66 Imperial that he made a few shows about. This Imperial has some relation back to Jay Leno as Jay recommend Tyler purchase the car which was not far from Jay Leno's garage.

So what's your story on how you found your Imperial?

[Anixon]

I found my 62 LeBaron in Florida, via ebay. I didn't fly there (from California) to see it in person, but did do some due diligence on the seller. The price was right, and I've been gradually updating it from very presentable to as close to perfect as my budget will allow. By the end of this year, I hope to be done with that process.

[daveydave10]

My 67 Crown Coupe came outside of LA, where I drove it straight up to the Bay Area smooth as ever! Prior to LA, it came from a shop in Arizona. My keys are stamped with 'Crane', and have rumors/stories from previous owner that it was owned by Bob Crane (Hogan's Heroes) in AZ.
No idea how I could trace ownership back to him, if anyone has ever done that or has sources to do that, let me know! Would be interesting to find out!

[ImperialAtom]

By the end of this year, I hope to be done with that process.

I have come to realize this process will never end for me. Seems like there's always something else I want to improve if I have the means to do so.

[AAGuy]

It was 1986 and I wasn't looking for an Imperial. I was looking for an "ostentatious" car as a single guy with finally enough income to have a "fun" car. I had targeted a E-Type, or maybe a 280SL, or maybe an interesting Corvette. I has also looked into the Ferrari Daytona replica cars made popular by Miami Vice.

I was also studying real estate investment and one of my "teachers" recommended driving to work a different way everyday as a way to be exposed to more properties.

Well, I happen to drive by a house with a big black 67 Imperial 4 door and a big white 68 Imperial convertable sitting out front with For Sale signs on them. I could also see an early sixties Valiant in the back yard along with some other collectables.

I contacted the owner and he said he had worked at the Chrysler proving ground in the area when the 67/68 chassis was in development. He fell in love with the car and decided he wanted one of each. That was years prior and now he was selling his whole collection.

When I took the '68 home a few days later the "girl next door" who I had just started dating stayed up with me in the driveway till 2:00 in the morning while I got the power windows working. I decided to keep her. And the car too!

[ImperialAtom]

When I took the '68 home a few days later the "girl next door" who I had just started dating stayed up with me in the driveway till 2:00 in the morning while I got the power windows working. I decided to keep her. And the car too!

Love that last part of the story!

[Crown64]

My '64 Crown Convertible belonged to a good friend who drove it more or less daily. I often provided assistance with this, and other cars of his. One day he phoned and told me that if I wanted the '64 convertible, it was disabled at the intersection of two major freeways, with a broken driveshaft/center driveshaft carrier, and that it was mine for the taking.

I was able to get to it with a tow truck before the California Highway Patrol did, and had it towed to a shop that worked on older cars, and was able to locate the elusive convertible-only center driveshaft carrier bearing and support. Now that it was drivable, lots of other issues presented themselves. Tires, brakes, battery, alternator, tune-up, top hydraulics. And the list goes on...

[BUCKY]

That still sounds like a right bargain!

[AAGuy]

Not only a bargain, but more interesting history for the car!

[BUCKY]

I live in Lawrenceburg, Tn. Back in 1998, I was working in Michigan. I would drive around 600 miles home about every third weekend. On one trip home, as I drove through Lawrenceburg in the wee hours of Saturday morning, after the 10 hour drive, I spotted a bright red, large MOPAR convertible on a dinky little used car lot. I told Mrs. BUCKY about it, and we went early Saturday after the lot opened. The red droptop was the '68 Imperial Crown that has been in my driveway ever since that day. On the way home, after buying it, I stopped to fill the tank with premium. Some guy pulled up close by and asked me if I'd sell the car, because he had been looking for a big convertible for several years. I told him, "No, because I haven't even had a chance to park it in my driveway, yet!"