Imperial's "purity"

["hugh hemphill" <hugtrees@xxxxxxxx>]

From: "Phil" <hilljack7@xxxxxxxxxxxxx>
To: <mailing-list@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx>
Sent: Thursday, March 14, 2002 8:49 AM
Subject: Re: IML: Technology, and our Imperial's "purity"


>I see things in a different light too. You're compromising your Imperial's
value and originality.

Phil,

I enjoyed and sympathized with your post greatly.  As a volunteer at a
transportation museum, I am for ever dealing with this issue.  There are
some cars I no longer care about originality simply because they have been
so compromised already and/or they are so unreliable that the game is not
worth the candle.  There are others which are so intact and complete even
after 70 years that I feel it is worth it to keep working to make them run
as they were intended, despite the difficulties involved in sticking with
redundant technology.

There are all kinds of perspectives on this list.  An interesting element is
that we do not treat all Imperials equally.  Some are mere parts cars, some
are runners and some are show boats, and all could be owned by the same
person.

My own Imperial is very close to original.  Mechanically, the only non 57/58
part on it is the fuel pump, which I simply could not replace.  It has a
Dodge pump, almost exactly the same in appearance and certainly function,
which I can use with the aid of a clever adapter which allows the longer arm
activated Dodge pump to be usable.

The car had a vinyl cover placed on the rear section of the hard top roof.
This flaked off by degrees revealing bad rust damage.  The roof colours were
switched also, unless mine was originally an all blue car, something about
which I am keen to get more information.  The damage done by the
installation of the vinyl serves as a warning that putting non-original
stuff on your car will have repercussions.

The other thing which is wrong are the wheels. When I got it they were
already fifteen inch wheels, not the original fourteen inch wheels.  They
are Mopar wheels, and 1967/68 vintage hubcaps fit on them.  Regrettably, the
correct hubcap set I bought does not fit.

So we make compromises and concessions when we must.  Or, in the case of
others, by choice.  Keeping as close as possible to original is a goal of
mine, and I drive mine around 12,000 miles a year.  I am happy to deal with
the decisions made by the original designers.  I do not think I need to
improve on Virgil Exner, or that I can.

Hugh