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The bump on my 75 Imperial doesn't look out of
place at all and even though it's starting to bubble in a few places as It looks
like it was installed early on in the cars life, I think I'm going to keep it
when I redo the bodywork and paint this winter..As I will also probably keep the
chrome "S" 's on the rear sides of the roof even though I definetely know that
they are aftermarket add-ons, but they look good and with the black vinyl roof
that I will put on this winter (since the present blue vinyl roof is toast), it
should look good!
I'll try and remember to send you a picture in the
next few days, but if I forget remind me in a while...
----- Original Message -----
Sent: Sunday, November 19, 2006 10:30
PM
Subject: Re: IML: "trunk flight tire
trunk"
What Anthony seems to be referring to is called the
Flitesweep decklid, and it was optional in 1957 through 1963 on any Imperial
model, with the exception of 1962, in which is was not available (though you
often see it added, either by dealers or subsequent owners over the years to
these models... popular demand brought it back for one last year, 1963).
Here?s a pic from 1957:
http://imperialclub.com/Yr/1957/FactoryPromos/index.htm
If
you have a hump on your trunk on a later model like yours (1975), it was
something done in the aftermarket and added by the dealer (or a body shop) to
make it look like a Lincoln Continental Mark series. (I?d love to see a
picture of this! A neighbor when I was growing up had a 1973 LTD with an opera
window and fake tire hump added by the dealer...it always amused me because
the little old lady who drove the car seemed so prim and her car seemed a
little flamboyant, even in nunlike white with black vinyl roof.) I would find
such a period-appropriate customizing detail like this kinda cool today since
it?s been on the car since it was delivered new, even if it is not
factory-original.
By the way, technically an accessory is something
added after the car is built (by a dealer, owner, etc.), whereas extra-cost
factory-installed equipment is called an option, though people and even
carmakers have loosely used the term accessory when they mean option over the
years. And it?s shocking the things you can add at the dealer level through
the 1970s, even power steering. Fuzzy dice or dealer-added air conditioning
would be an accessory. Aftermarket (non-Mopar) items would be accessories.
Floor mats could be either, but often the factory ones looked different than
ones added afterwards. Anything that shows up on the original factory price
sticker at extra cost is an option.
That said, I?m not sure I
understand Anthony?s question. Few factory options (since you are ?not talking
about aftermarket stuff?) ever detract from the value of an Imperial, but
rims, gold packages, woodgrain dashes (the kind of stuff you see added to
modern Chrysler 300s to pimp them out and jack up the price at the dealer
level today) were not factory options (or even common dealer add-ons back
then). Wood trim either came standard in a given year (1965-67) or it didn?t.
There were no wheel or even wheel cover options from 1957-75, though in some
years LeBarons had more elaborate standard wheel covers than Crowns and
Customs. Two-tone paint was not offered after 1956. Upholstery is, of course,
a factory-installed selection. Well-equipped cars tend to be more desirable
than low-option cars, but even a low-option Imperial is nicely equipped and
sometimes the rarity of a low-option car makes it appealing just because it is
unusual. But pretty much every Imperial option ever offered by the factory was
done tastefully, unless you don?t happen to like the look of the Flitesweep
decklid any more than you prefer certain colors over others.
Chris in
LA
67 Crown
78 NYB Salon
On 11/19/06 6:35 PM, Andrew A. at
canafornia@xxxxxxxxxxxx wrote:
You said: : "the
trunk flight tire trunk was an additional cost"...??...On which year did
this option appear?...are you talking about a bump on the trunk of the
1975's??..because I have one on mine and was wondering if it was an extra
dealer option as the previous owner seems to think it was or was it an
aftermarket item?...I can't find any record of this option anywhere on the
net or from this group so far, so any info you may have on it would be
appreciated.....if this is the option you are talking about that
is.....
----- Original Message -----
From: anthony romano <mailto:mamrom@xxxxxxx>
To: mailing-list <mailto:mailing-list@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx>
Sent: Sunday, November 19, 2006 3:52
PM
Subject: IML: Accessories on your
car
What's everyone's opinion out there
with accessories on your car? Do you think that if done tasteful
that it doesn't de-value the car. There were a lot of extras that
could have been purchased throughout the yrs. of Imperials. I'm not
talking about after market stuff. I know the trunk flight tire trunk
was an additional cost, trunk racks, rims, gold packages, wood grain
dashes , two tone paint jobs, Leather vs. cloth seating etc.
I thought I toss this out there!
-Anthony
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