I couldn't agree more, I have turned the tables and have installed a hemi(from a wrecked NY) into a 1951 Ford Victoria and on the back I've painted Ford Tough with Mopar Stuff, though I 'd like to turn the table on chev people,but just can't bring myself to own a chev or any other Gm anymore not since I beat a 396 Nova and a 427 Chevelle with my 440 Charger and they still just sat there and cut down my Mopars. I will never install a bowtie part on any of my Mopars let alone one of the finest autos ever built in the Imperial, You know what they say rich people buy Cadillacs and wealthy people with class buy Imperials Don 59 Crown ----- Original Message ----- From: "Phil Patterson" <hilljack7@xxxxxxxxxxxxx> To: <mailing-list@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx> Sent: Wednesday, December 18, 2002 9:25 AM Subject: restoration vs modification was Re: IML:why gm ...... > I think one of the problems with the modification mentioned, is it is so > obvious the moment you lift the hood. I realize in some cases, parts may > indeed be hard to come by. I also agree that the merger was in name only, > the decision to kill off the Plymouth name was in the works long before > Daimler got involved. But the merger is hardly a good excuse to modify our > Imperials with GM parts. What bothers me about this type of modification is > that it is so very visible. This isn't something under the car that can't be > easily seen or would need disassembly to show. Its right there on the front > of the engine, in all it's incorrect glory. This usually leads to some > "brain surgeon" at a car show or on a cruise to pointing at the Imperial in > question and going, "hyuk guffaw, that thar MOPAR cain't run without CHEVY > parts"" , which then usually leads to a bunch of put downs and insults to > both Imperials and Chrysler. I guess this is ok if you never plan to show > the vehicle, but any time the hood is open, there it will be. Most folks > buying a vintage vehicle also don't want non-stock parts, because that means > they'll have to change it back some time if they use the car somewhere where > factory stock is an issue. Also, I'm just a little too hardcore of a Mopar > fan to do something to my Imperial that would make it the subject of a joke. > There's too many shivvy powered Mopars as it is. > I really have no problem with modifications to vintage Mopars and/or > Imperials, as long as they don't change the character of the car. Thats hard > to do when the part in question is in plain sight. > Unless you just never open the hood on your car around strangers. > Phil <>< > ----- Original Message ----- > From: <Crown58imp@xxxxxxx> > To: <mailing-list@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx> > Sent: Wednesday, December 18, 2002 9:27 AM > Subject: Re: IML:why gm anything? this isn't a gm list! was gm alternator > > > > Rebuilding is definitely the avenue that I'm taking with my Imperial. > > However, people who rebuild old Mopar components are a dying breed. Every > > year there are less of them. I'm afraid that there are not enough young > > people interested in old Mopars to replace these aging fellows. Most > people > > who are reproducing Mopar parts right now started out as hobbyists who > were > > frustrated by not being able to find the neccessary parts to restore their > > own cars. They turned their neccessity into a business, and some became > quite > > successful. The fact is, that Mopar is now owned by Daimler motors. It > wasn't > > a merger, it was a buyout. The Germans first moved was to axe the Plymouth > > which shows how much they respect Mopar heritage. They show no interest in > > antique Mopars or their restorers. However, you can send a vintage > Mercedes > > back to the factory and they will restore it to showroom condition. No > such > > service is available for vintage Mopars. All that I'm trying to say is > that > > Mopar parts are not easy nor cheap to come by, and the search is not > likely > > to get any easier in the future under these circumstances. Case > Closed!!!!! > > > > Doug > > 58 Crown coupe > > > >