Re: IML: Fuselage Era cars - 69-73

["Bill Watson" <wwatson5@xxxxxxxxx>]

Mark, check the photo on Uncle Tom's 1973 Imperial road test.  Look very
closely at the boxy front fenders, and then at the curved side body.

http://www.imperialclub.com/Articles/73McCahill/Page01.gif

As I stated,. those boxy front fender ends hide the side curavture on the
1972-73 Imperials from a frontal view, but it is still there.  If I took the
door from a 1969 Imperial and one from a 1973 Imperial and showed the doors
from the door latch ends (ie, side view),. you would not be able to tell the
difference.

The changes in the sheetmetal for 1972 resulted in visual changes in
perception - the car LOOKS squarer due the removal of the upper character
line, and it LOOKS more massive due to the lower character line running
paralled to the car's body sill rather than angling up from the rear bumper
to the front bumper.   But the actual body side curves are still there.

As well, Chrysler continued to use the same door pillars with the same
curvature from 1969 to 1973.  If you look at the lock pillar on a 2-door
hardtop, you will see how the quarter panel has a 90 degree bend to mate
with the lock pillar.  Note the varying widths of that section that attaches
to the pillar to allow for character lines and the like.  Or their removal.
But the basic pillar of 1969 is still there in 1973 with that fuselage
curve.

The comment regarding "hippo on roller skates" was applied to the 1969
Polara and Monaco.  Next time you see one, scrunch down behind the car so
you can see the rear wheels as well as the body.  That rounded fuselage
shape really sticks out beyond the wheels, far more than the Fury, Chrysler
or Imperial.

Bill
Vancouver, BC




----- Original Message ----- 
From: "Mark McDonald" <tomswift@xxxxxxxxxxxxx>
To: <mailing-list@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx>
Sent: Sunday, August 21, 2005 2:47 PM
Subject: Re: IML: Fuselage Era cars - 69-73


> While it is true that the Imperials from '65 to '73 shared the same
> basic platform or underpinnings, that shouldn't be construed as further
> evidence that they were all part of the same design era or trend.
> Stylists can rework a basic platform to the point that you can't even
> recognize that two cars share the same platform-- witness today's Ford
> Five Hundred and the Volvo S80.
>
> I think it's a tribute to Chrysler designers that they were able to
> make Imperials from these years look so different.  And though it's a
> funny image, I don't think the fuselage cars look like a hippo on
> roller skates!  :)
>
> Mark
>
>



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