Re: [FWDLK] I WAS JUST WONDERING???????

[Johnl <john@xxxxxxxxx>]

Bill & all,

 

Read below in red:

----- Original Message -----

From: "Bill Watson" <wwatson5@xxxxxxxxx>

To: <L-FORWARDLOOK@xxxxxxxxxxxxx>

Sent: Friday, March 11, 2005 8:51 AM

Subject: Re: [FWDLK] I WAS JUST WONDERING???????

> The 1953-54 Custom Imperial 2-door hardtop was on a 131.5" wheelbase, which
> was 6" longer than the Windsor/NewYorker - all in the hood.
>
> But the 4-door sedans were on a 133.5" wheelbase, and the extra length was
> in the wider B pillar.  If you check photos of the DeSoto and Chrysler
> sedans in 1953-54, the front and rear doors are next to each other with no
> post showing through.  Check the Imperial sedans, and you will see the B
> pillar between the doors.  Bill, you are correct.  In my 50+ years of being around these cars I never noticed this.  I refered to photos in "70 Years of Chrysler" by Geroge H. Dammann for refernce photos.  I stand corrected on this issue.
>
> But you are correct about the remaining models.  You could not turn an
> Imperial into any Chrysler model from 1953 as the  wheelbase and length was
> unique to the Imperial.
>
> As for the 1955 Imperial convertible, Chrysler could have use the
> Windsor/.New Yorker convertible and added the Imperial front and rear.
> After all the 1955-56 Imperial 2-door hardtop and the 1956 4-door models
> used the same passenger car compartment as the DeSoto and Chrysler.  Roof,
> doors and all glass interchange between Imperial, Chrysler and DeSoto for
> those models. 

 

One item that has not been discussed so far are the wheel well openings.  In '55 all Imperials used a fully open well, but in '56 they returned to the standard Chrysler/DeSoto more squared off opening.  Therefore the '55 Imperial front fenders are unique and the rear quarters are also.  For those of you who are not familar with what I'm speaking of go to the following sites to see the differences.  Chip Loree's Keller car built on a New Yorker platform.  Notice the squared wheel well openings and also the bolt on upper rear fender additions.  A fender bolt addition very similar was used on all '55 & '56 Imperial 8 passenger and limos.  http://www.imperialclub.com/Yr/1955/KTKeller/index.htm 

 

Here are photos of our '55 Newport. Once again look at the wheel openings.  To see different shots of ths car look on pages 1 and 2 at the site.  http://wackydave.fotki.com/cruise_nights/cruise_nights_2003/11-29-03_crystal/

 

 

John Lazenby
Southern California, just minutes from Disneyland
1955 Chrysler New Yorker Deluxe Town & Country
1955 Imperial Newport
1955 Chrysler C300
1956 Chrysler 300B
1957 Chrysler 300C Coupe
1960 Chrysler 300F Coupe
1963  Volkswagen Beetle

>
> Bill
> Vancouver, BC
>
>
>
>
> ----- Original Message -----
>
>
> From: Johnl
> To: L-FORWARDLOOK@xxxxxxxxxxxxx
> Sent: Friday, March 11, 2005 7:46 AM
> Subject: Re: [FWDLK] I WAS JUST WONDERING???????
>
>
> Changing a '55 or '56 Imperial to a Letter Car would be quite a feat.  Both
> '55 & '56 Letter Cars rode on a 126" wheelbase.  The '55 Imperial, both
> sedan and coupe were built on a 130" chassis.  Interesting fact regarding
> the Imperial sedan for that year is that the front doors are unique to it.
> They and the roof are longer and that is where the extra 4" comes from.  On
> the coupe the length is picked up between the rear window and trunk lid.
>
> The '56 Imperial's were built on a 133" wheelbase.  The front doors on
> sedans for this year Imperial reverted back to the shorter Chrysler sedan
> door.  All extra length was from the rear section of the car.  Chrysler
> built no Imperial converts between 1952 and 1956 except for the K. T. Keller
> car which was based on a New Yorker.  I've also seen one other '56 convert
> that has been shown in Imperial form in the Sacramento area but I have no
> knowledge of the origins of this car.  My guess is that it started life as a
> New Yorker or Windsor.
>
> Extra wheelbase on the '54 and earlier Imperials came from longer front
> fenders and hoods.  The body was the same as Chrysler.
>
> John Lazenby
> Southern California, just minutes from Disneyland
> 1955 Chrysler New Yorker Deluxe Town & Country
> 1955 Imperial Newport
> 1955 Chrysler C300
> 1956 Chrysler 300B
> 1957 Chrysler 300C Coupe
> 1960 Chrysler 300F Coupe
> 1963  Volkswagen Beetle
>
> ----- Original Message -----
> From: Ron Allyn Swartley
> To: L-FORWARDLOOK@xxxxxxxxxxxxx
> Sent: Thursday, March 10, 2005 10:50 PM
> Subject: [FWDLK] I WAS JUST WONDERING???????
>
>
>
> Hi All,
>      Now days everything has been tried so I was just wondering if anybody
> had any horror stories about something like a limited edition Fury being
> stripped of it's gold and made into a Belvedere or Savoy?  How about a D500
> Super having it's engine replaced with a flat head six cylinder? A Chrysler
> 300 letter series being changed into a New Yorker or Newport? How about a 55
> or 56 Imperial changed into a Chrysler 300? Did anybody ever hear of someone
> changing a convertible into a hardtop?????
>                   I also was wondering when you sell one of the above
> cars-------do you have to tell the buyer the car is worth more money than
> you are selling it to him for?????
>                  There use to be one or two professional companies that did
> NOTHING BUT CHANGE HARDTOPS INTO CONVERTIBLES. They were like little factory
> assembly lines, not back yard garage chop shops. They did beautiful work and
> hand made the few parts that were not available from the factory. They use
> to charge about $10 to 15,000 to do one and in most cases it looked much
> better than the factory installation.
>                     HHHMMMMMM, -----What would you call a 55-56--57
> Thunderbird with two tops, one hardtop and one convertible???????
>                                                 Ron Allyn Swartley
>
> *************************************************************
>
> To unsubscribe or set your subscription options, please go to
> http://lists.psu.edu/cgi-bin/wa?SUBED1=l-forwardlook&A=1
>

*************************************************************

To unsubscribe or set your subscription options, please go to
http://lists.psu.edu/cgi-bin/wa?SUBED1=l-forwardlook&A=1