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Expert
Posts: 1267
  
Location: San Antonio TX | Seller is asking 30 grand. Pics are just beyond awful for 30 grand, but the car seems to be in decent shape.
https://chicago.craigslist.org/chc/cto/d/chrysler-imperial-ghia/6224673643.html 
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Elite Veteran
Posts: 1155
Location: somerville mass | guys snap it up you can count how many of these are left on your fingers love to know the history the kennedys/wite house had one so did dictator fidel
castro
Edited by moparsteve 2017-07-18 11:15 AM
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Elite Veteran
Posts: 1155
Location: somerville mass | kennedys had a 60. i found this out it could be patrick
strubs 58 oic there was one at the 2014 detroit autorama
and eisenhower had one thats it. who ever buys it try
to find space to store this thing.
Edited by moparsteve 2017-07-18 11:16 AM
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Location: Under the X in Texas | moparsteve - 2017-07-18 10:03 AM guys snap it up you can count how many of these are left on your fingers love to know the history the kennedys/wite house had one so did dictator fidel castro What year was Castro's and are there any pictures? You might be right that there aren't more '58 Ghia limos than we have fingers but adding up all the '57 through '65 Ghia limos will run you out of fingers and toes very quickly.
Edited by StillOutThere 2017-07-18 8:45 PM
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Extreme Veteran
Posts: 504
| Does anyone know how long these are? My garage is only 24' deep...does any one have a list of who owned these by VIN? |
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Location: Under the X in Texas | hemiviper588 - 2017-07-19 11:39 AM Does anyone know how long these are? My garage is only 24' deep...does any one have a list of who owned these by VIN? If you can find the overall length of the production '58 Imperials, add 18.5" and you will have the limousine overall. Should be about 21' and fit easily in your garage (after you move the bikes, washer and dryer, BBQ grille, lawn mower, snow mobile, etc). There is no list of VINs to original owners to my knowledge. Very little of that type information is known for only a few cars. The seller of this '58 can answer these questions for you with a phone call. Has anyone called him? |
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Extreme Veteran
Posts: 504
| StillOutThere - 2017-07-19 2:58 PM
hemiviper588 - 2017-07-19 11:39 AM Does anyone know how long these are? My garage is only 24' deep...does any one have a list of who owned these by VIN? If you can find the overall length of the production '58 Imperials, add 18.5" and you will have the limousine overall. Should be about 21' and fit easily in your garage (after you move the bikes, washer and dryer, BBQ grille, lawn mower, snow mobile, etc). There is no list of VINs to original owners to my knowledge. Very little of that type information is known for only a few cars. The seller of this '58 can answer these questions for you with a phone call. Has anyone called him?
I called him, he knows very little about the car...he is just a middle man for the deceased owners son. He says the previous owner showed it for many years, he claims it is all original paint and interior...not restored. The quarter panel has some bubbling near the top left side...see pics. He said he would take some more pics and post them soon. He said he has no info on the original owner, but claims the deceased owner kept good records...so maybe the info is there! Also...it hasn't been started in at least four years.
But if anyone wants one, there it is! Run do't walk! |
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Expert
Posts: 2490
Location: Kansas City, KS | StillOutThere - 2017-07-19 1:58 PM
If you can find the overall length of the production '58 Imperials, add 18.5" and you will have the limousine overall. Should be about 21' and fit easily in your garage (after you move the bikes, washer and dryer, BBQ grille, lawn mower, snow mobile, etc).
My 1958 sedan measures 227 (point something) inches long. So that should make make it about 20 feet, 6 inches which is very close to your 21' estimate. |
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Expert
Posts: 2003
Location: Branson, MO | I can't imagine this one lasting too long before it's sold.
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Location: Under the X in Texas | "Quarter panel bubbling near the TOP left side" Near the TOP does NOT sound good AT ALL. Original paint on Ghia cars was hand finished nitrocellulose LACQUER. They were not Chrysler orange-peel enamel like production cars. This paint job would have been IMPECCABLE when the car was new. In my hometown of Chicago, I would be super surprised to find it was never repainted.
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Expert
Posts: 2524
Location: Houston | This would be a great car for someone rich to restore then use for fancy nights out with their stunningly attractive 32 year old girlfriend who dislikes talking and enjoys lots of physical attention. Or it wouldalso be great for outdoing everyone else at a funeral.
As for the bubbling....these cars were hand built in the 50's and I doubt the Quality Control was advanced such that after 60 years there might not be some issues. That car probably has 500lbs of lead on it. |
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Location: Parts Unknown | Wasn't Jim Harris' Ghia limo a 58 ?
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Veteran
Posts: 256
Location: Chicago | I remember this car from the local show scene in the 90s. The old guy was quite proud of it and took it to a lot of Mopar events. Displayed it with a lot of dash plaques and such. Though I never scrutinized it, I remember it as being an original car. It had more of a "survivor" vibe than a "show car" vibe, if you know what I mean, though I don't recall it being rusty or anything. I think you can see the bubbling in the second photo. |
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Location: Under the X in Texas | There is a roster of Ghia Imperial limousines. http://www.packardimperial.com/members/rosterdetails.php?GroupID=1 I have been unable to use the sites contact page to update the roster on the new owner of the #014 1960 car. |
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Expert
Posts: 3887
Location: Northen Virginia | this one of rare cases when you don't want to be the driver of your own car... |
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Regular
Posts: 93
| Jim Harris' Ghia Limo was a 1960 Imperial. Biggest problem with these are the front seats don't move. They were all custom built with the front seat adjusted to however tall your chauffeur was. I'm 6'4" so that makes it a problem for me, I don't know if I could even drive one comfortably. |
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Expert
Posts: 2524
Location: Houston | Sure would be more impressive with nicer upholstery... |
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Veteran
Posts: 256
Location: Chicago | I think that was the style at the time. |
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Regular
Posts: 68
| My dad's was a 1960 Ghia Limo, dark blue, looked black at night. Great car. Took a while to get comfortable driving it around, big and not great sight lines out of car. Not exactly nimble to drive around in a big city. My folks drove my wife and I in it at our wedding 25 years ago.
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Elite Veteran
Posts: 690
Location: BELTSVILLE, MARYLAND 20705 | I tried to get into the website to register another 58 ghia and I could not get in. Must be something down on their Website . Any help would be most appreciated THANKS |
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Expert
Posts: 3887
Location: Northen Virginia | Smitty, this Limo is for you, you can't restore one for this kind of money, except if you can get a time machine at hand. |
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Location: Under the X in Texas | GregCon - 2017-07-20 7:44 PM Sure would be more impressive with nicer upholstery... The driver's compartment is rich black leather. Standard for decades and yet today for a chauffeured vehicle. Rear compartments in these were standard with either gray or taupe coachcloth used world wide, which is a rich wool dense cloth, simple in pattern, which will not compete with the occupant's celebrity nor their designer clothing. |
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Location: Under the X in Texas | The driver's seat in true linousines with "partition" or "division" glass windows is fixed by the location of the structure for that piece of glass which raises and lowers. That structure is integral to the integrity of the car from side to side. Seat position in the '60 Ghia limo brochure, as I recall, was intended for a driver of 5'6" or less in stature. Maybe it said 5'8". My brochure went with the car when I sold. |
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Extreme Veteran
Posts: 504
| StillOutThere - 2017-07-21 4:46 PM
The driver's seat in true linousines with "partition" or "division" glass windows is fixed by the location of the structure for that piece of glass which raises and lowers. That structure is integral to the integrity of the car from side to side. Seat position in the '60 Ghia limo brochure, as I recall, was intended for a driver of 5'6" or less in stature. Maybe it said 5'8". My brochure went with the car when I sold.
I never knew the limo's were made for the vertically challenged! Since I am 6'4" 230 lbs I will have to pass....so it's back to my 61 Lebaron search! |
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Location: Under the X in Texas | Well, I'm almost 6'2" and with my belt tightened a little extra, I did not find driving the '60 all that challenging. Did drive it twice one hundred miles and was still comfortable getting this old man out at the car show on the other end and back home. 20 pounds out of the driver would have been even better. Haha
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Regular
Posts: 93
| Geez, how many Ghia limos are out there? Seems like everyone has a 60. |
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Location: Under the X in Texas | There were 19 built titled as '60 and another 9 built with '60 sheet metal titled as '61. So 25 Ghia limos looked like '60.
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Elite Veteran
Posts: 1155
Location: somerville mass | will one of you guys buy the darn thing? |
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Location: North Australia | No Steve. You have to go get it! Have you told the wife yet??
Steve. |
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Elite Veteran
Posts: 690
Location: BELTSVILLE, MARYLAND 20705 | I went to see the Ghia in Chicago. Unfortunately it is severely rusted (thru) on every body panel. Rocker panels are just not there. It needs a total restoration, Frame off. Three of the Ghia Limo moldings are missing, and are unobtainable putting a huge damper on a restoration. |
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Location: Under the X in Texas | Wow, sad. Got pictures from the visit? Did you learn any history of what rich guy must have owned this car when it was new? |
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Elite Veteran
Posts: 690
Location: BELTSVILLE, MARYLAND 20705 | It was owned by a funeral home originally. It was sold out to the public in 1963 . Looks like a northern rust belt state car all its life. |
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Location: Under the X in Texas | That funeral home must have had high charges to own a $15,000 limo in 1958.
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Expert
Posts: 2524
Location: Houston | So the old guy who took it to all those car shows was doing so in a rusty bucket?? |
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Elite Veteran
Posts: 690
Location: BELTSVILLE, MARYLAND 20705 | The old guy was my friend. His name was Mr Chaboet. He new the Imperial was getting shabby, but he could not find anyone competent to work on the car . He was so nervous letting someone touch it. He did what he could to keep it going. It has not been driven in about 5 years
Edited by matador440 2017-07-24 6:51 PM
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Expert
Posts: 3887
Location: Northen Virginia | Good info Smitty. this is how good info put to rest all the assumption but sadly this also confirms that the Limo is a rust bucket... |
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Expert
Posts: 2524
Location: Houston | According to the internet...$15000 in 1958 is the same as $127K today.
So yes, it is unusual that a funeral home would buy a service vehicle for that kinda money, especially one that can't really be used to carry the guest of honor. I mean, it could, but....
Plus, $127K cars are a dime a dozen nowadays, but in 1958 people still valued a dollar. |
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Expert
Posts: 3887
Location: Northen Virginia | the $4,800,000.00 Koenigsegg CCXR Trevita is the most expensive car in the world equivalent to $564,631.03 in 1958 enough money to buy 37 Ghia Limos back then, more than the total unit produced in Italy for that year....
Edited by hemidenis 2017-07-25 3:22 PM
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Expert
Posts: 2524
Location: Houston | Yes.... but money means a lot less now than it did in 1958.
Here in Houston, it is very common to drive 15 minute and see at least two or three cars that cost over $100K. People are far more 'wealthy' than they were in 1958. For whatever that's worth....
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Expert
Posts: 1267
Location: San Antonio TX | So since we know it's full of rust, what's it worth? Of course, taking into account the unobtainium parts. |
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Expert
Posts: 1886
| I would be interested in buying a restored one, but not another project. I got too many to finish! |
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Location: Under the X in Texas | matador440, I'm curious since both yours and this car were new in Chicago whether they are consecutive VINs of the 31 total built for '58 ? Did they go through the Chicago Zone office, do you know?
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Expert
Posts: 2524
Location: Houston | My opinion is New York and Chicago would have been the two 'big money' towns in 1958 where this sort of car would have been in demand. I doubt anyone in Pocatello Idaho bought one. |
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Location: Under the X in Texas | Someone named "John" from Indiana bought the car according to Leo of the selling family. If anyone here is that "John", congratulations and tell us about your new Ghia limo please. |
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Expert
Posts: 3887
Location: Northen Virginia | I guess a name like Scaramucci will be easier to track  |
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Elite Veteran
Posts: 690
Location: BELTSVILLE, MARYLAND 20705 | VERY COOL CAR--- I LOOKED AT IT AND THOUGHT ABOUT IT AND JUST DIDN'T WANT IT THAT BAD--- SUCH A HUGE PROJECT AS IT NEEDED A COMPLETE RESTORATION. THE INTERIOR WAS THE NICEST PART, HE PAID $14.000.00 FOR THE LIMO ... NOT BAD FOR WHAT IT IS. BUT IT WILL TAKE 8 TIMES THAT TO RESTORE THE CAR. GOOD LUCK TO THE NEW OWNER.
Edited by matador440 2017-08-01 6:55 PM
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Location: Under the X in Texas | My son works 10 minutes from where the car lived for 55 years so he took a good look at it. Leo, son of the deceased who was selling the estate property and vehicles says that "John" paid $22,000 for the car.
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Elite Veteran
Posts: 690
Location: BELTSVILLE, MARYLAND 20705 | DOES IT REALLY MAKE A DIFFERENCE 14 OR 22 ..... I JUST HOPE IT WENT TO A GOOD HOME AND WILL BE SAVED |
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Location: Under the X in Texas | Uh, yeah, we spend hundred of hours on this site discussing our perceptions of values and they are totally meaningless compared to ACTUAL SALES prices. So, if you know John, Smitty, what did the car actually sell for?
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Expert
Posts: 2524
Location: Houston | I can sure tell you how much I woulda paid for it.....! |
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58 Ghia Imperial Limo
