Art & Inspiration What the hell would you do with a '60 Imperial coupe?

I'd say clean it up, polish the crap out of it, maybe a nice gloss black.

 

If you don't like it, SELL IT. There are lunatics out there (like myself) who LOVE huge ugly cars. Just don't try to make it into something it isn't.
And yes, for the record, the Imperial Speedster is a horribly out-of-proportion waste of talent, time, and money.

 

Yeah, the imperial speedster is a total waste of a luxury car. Wasted talent at its max.

 

Count me among the 'if you don't like it- sell it to someone who loves it' crowd, like me...

As has been said, over and over, you have a truly great piece of history there.

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Had a buddy back in the mid 60's with a big black 4 door hardtop Crown Imperial about that same year. What a road car. I'd end up driving it every time his bad leg gave him trouble on a road trip

That two door is one you build as a very shiny mild custom and do the long road trips in.

 

Mine is a more door, but come on... you can't see the potential here???

 

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So many of these cars were unloved and forgotten but they're great drivers and as with most Mopar's they are super easy to lower too...

Here's my '60 Crown and '61 LeBaron.








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Very cool collection Sylvain!

 

I would hug it and kiss it and call it George!
Seriously, I would clean it up, throw on some Chrysler wires with wide whites (or chrome reverse with skinny double whites)and lower it. Those are so outrageous looking they don't need anything crazy. What a beautiful car.

 

Name it "jack"

The face reminds me of Jack Nicolson.
Godspeed
MrC.

 

Just playing around... 56 olds tailights and a shave... maybe a mothr of pearl panel in the roof inserts... matching stuff in the interior... Maybe not as pink.

 

^^^ thats the way to go.

On a serious note. Is it even possible to describe how awesome Sylvian car collection is?
I usually like the oddball ugly ducklings, but he has all of my favorite "serious" cars, like the Phoenix, Pioneer, the Adonis and that increidble Ghia designed mopar....i'd give a body part for either one of those.

 

Get the tank running, lower it a little, and drive it A LOT!

 

that's cool. I like that.

 

It's bigger than it looks!
TwoChops

 

Keep it. Fix it. Drive it. Love it for what it is. True American land yacht history.

 

I like the front end, I like the car! Agreed with most comments, mild custom, I think the wires and ww tires would be cool, but also think the radirs would look good. Id go with some pearl and/or flake in a light or neutral color...I wouldnt change alot of the brightwork it looks like a custom already, and man what a cruiser, if you dont want it Im sure you have people standing in line to buy it, so just get it to where it starts and stops and wait for the big pile of cash!
DONT make it into a roadster!

 

squablow, Now thats a fine ride.

 

This only needs to happen once......just keep it stock and drive it.....

 

Don´t shoot me, but this is one car that can really use larger 16 or 17" wheels, just because it´s so vast.

 

I restored one of these in 1984 (when people REALLY couldn't give a shit about them)
Still love these cars. Mine had bucket seats that swiveled to let you out and a squared off steering wheel so it didn't block your view. The dash instruments were lit blue and was to this day the most beautiful thing you'll ever see at night. I was in N.Y. at the time where they put the weight on the registration. It said: 6000 lbs
Keep it Save it Drive it

 

YUP! LAND YACHT! These FULL-FRAME-ON Imps were UNIQUE for their time, especially when Detroit eased timidly into the early '60s.

If JamesD says don't change much, you KNOW these Exner Imps were stunning factory customs, or something to that effect. Even after the '58 recession hit, Imperial was boldly jumping into the niche left by Packard -- come hell or high water.

Though I find something to love in ALL the Exner Imps, they became less fascinating (sorry!), once the guy from Ford came over and squared them off, a la Lincoln Continental.

There should be a museum dedicated ONLY to pre-'55 Imps and the Exner-era Imps. Sorry if I tee off a HAMB with a '67. I have a '69 New Yorker, and it is the virtual twin of the Imp, such as it was, for '69.

 

The square steering wheels, electroluminescent dash lighting and swivel seats are some of the interesting features Imperials had. Not to mention the brushed stainless steel roof inserts and 'gun-sight' taillights, headlight 'pods'...

 

back in the early 60,s i had a tow truck and junk cars every old imperial that i got a guy in newark would buy he liked them for demo derby which he won alot then cut up for parts i put one of the front seats in my 51 ford i would hate to sell him good ones . they were great cars

 

Do what needs to be done to make it a reliable runner. Polish what paint and chrome is already there, and drive it. Or sell it to someone who loves these cars for what they are, the highpoint of the American land yacht.

 

You know, I try to restrict my comments on the HAMB to positive statements, but I've broken my own rule a couple times in several years, and this is one of those times.

That speedster thing is an abomination. It actually NEEDS to be crushed and turned into something else.

 

You lucked out, the 60 is the best looking exner imperial and you got a 2dr hardtop on top of it. Lower it, put nice wheels and Whitewalls on it and drive! don't screw with the taillights. Seriously keep it stockish, 2drs are the best of these cars and they are rare. Look for BigM here or on forwardlook.net. Hes a great source of imperial parts.

Once again, you lucky SOB! my favorite Imp ever.

 

See my avatar. Need I say more? I could never afford to make my '62 Imperial cherry (or get more than three power windows working at a time) but me and my Aztec buddies loved it - whether cruising Lincoln Heights or bumping along the rutted dirt roads of the local reservations, it held up like a tank and rode like a dream. Get yours back on the road and find out for yourself!

 

These things were both wild and distinctive when they were new, and now that they are rare they are almost like full customs in their impact. Imagine this thing in a line of modern luxury cars! It would take Clark Gable arriving in a Duesenberg to upstage one!
But, still, they need to be driven in fitting style; I have already covered that.

 

Do sell it to that that feller, he is going to give it to a fella from Raytown to cruise around it.

Put an interior in it, even a cheap one, wax it and drive it. Maybe throw some wheels on it if you must.