IML: '81 update & '73 part search

["Jay King" <j_king@xxxxxxxxx>]

Hi, list,

And Merry Christmas and Happy New Year! 

I finally found some time for working on my latest acquisition, the '81 silver Imperial now known as "Kate" after the hurricane that flooded her and caused the previous owner to let her go. I have worked at drying the car out and it hardly smells like marshland now. 

I jumped the battery and found quite a few of the electrical systems working (surprise!). The horn blew as soon as current was restored, so I just pulled the wires and I'll chase the stuck switch or short later. First the car needs to be running! I drained over two gallons of water from the engine (fresh water, surprisingly; I expected salt) before the first drop of oil, and the transmission fluid looked like a strawberry milkshake. 

After replacing filters and refilling the crankcase and transmission, I just had to turn the key and see what would happen, and it tries to turn over! Slowly and haltingly, for sure, but at least I know that it's not stuck. The car has a carburetor, so I'm sure there is water in the combustion chambers. I think my next step will be to take out the spark plugs, squirt a bit of Marvel Mystery Oil into each cylinder, and turn the motor over to try to pump the water out. Any thoughts, ideas, suggestions, or advice would be greatly appreciated. Thanks in advance.

At some point as I was shuttling back and forth from home to the parking lot at work where Kate is temporarily stored, the rub strip/chrome accent/molding on the right rear fender of my '73 LeBaron fell off. I had known that might happen (and had "reinforced" the broken plastic clips with JB Weld Stick as a repair, but now it's gone and I need a new rub strip and clips. Any ideas for sources? Bob H? Big Dog?

Of course something had to go wrong with that car; I finally got it out of the upholstery shop just before Christmas (the new brocade seatcovers and vinyl headliner are beautiful, if not exactly correct, but they look like they belong in the car, which is what I wanted) and I was patting myself on the back for sealing up a cracked exhaust manifold with the aforementioned JB Weld Stick and getting the new fan shroud installed (thanks, Big Dog!), so now I have to chase a chrome piece.

Thanks in advance for any help or advice, and thanks as always for the fellowship and wealth of knowledge that is the IML.

Best regards,

Jay

Jay King
Meridian, Mississippi
<a href=mailto:j_king@xxxxxxxxx>j_king@xxxxxxxxx</a>

Honey Gold 1973 Imperial LeBaron 4DHT
Sterling Silver 1981 Chrysler Imperial Coupe
Charcoal Gray 1985 Chrysler Fifth Avenue
Nightwatch Blue 1987 Chrysler Fifth Avenue



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