60s Era Cadillac VS Imperial Lebrons

[Stoneage_Caddy]

Sandy , I know your lurking .....

We all know a little about the 60s era caddys

Only a few of us have seen chryslers awnser as the imperial

Only reason i started this is i got to thinking about a White mid 60s Imperial Lebron i alomst bought for 200 bucks a couple years ago, and there wasnt nothing wrong with it except it was in a junkyard (dont know why it was there)

The car was very interesting , even down to the headlamps which were encased in behind glass that looked like it had a defroster element in it .And of coarse some huge mopar engine to propel what looked like 25 feet of 1/2 inch thick steel.... Seeing this car started my thing for big american cars ....

So how do they compare featurewise ? Price ? Price now ?

[Sandy]

New, the Imperials always had more features than the comparable Cadillacs. They were also more expensive. Today, there are many Imperial clubs (I founded one - left it, then re-joined. At one time (single) I owned 6 Imperials.
I recently found one long lost on the web, in Osolo Norway!! Still a trophy winner, looking great! ('68 Convertible).
I don't know what else to tell you, so ask. I wrote a book on Imperials, that was published, and for which I won the very respected "Golden Quill Award" for Automotive Journalism. My family owned & drove Imperials exclusively, from 1957 until 1978, we got a new one every single year. There were beginning in 1970 always 3 Imperials in our driveway, Dad's Mom's and mine.
We never had a "bad" one. Many modern day automotive inventions were first on an Imperial !
Swevel Seats on the 1973 GM intermediates first on Imperial in 1958.
First Auto Dimming Mirror on Imperial
First Treansistorized ignition on Imperial
First Headlamp washers & wipers on Imperial
First Tubeless tires on Imperial
First No Tube Radio on Imperial
First Platinum Tipped Spark Plugs on Imperial
First 8-Track
First Cassette
First (and only) in car Cassette Recorder!

Only car to ever have the Federal US Government access a jewerly tax on a car, as their emblems were so finely minted, the US Govt. declaired them to be Jewels, and not emblems.

In 1958, the Queen of England came to America on a visit. The then President (I think Ike) asked her what she'd like to take home with her from America, and she said, "An Imperial" and he gave here an Imperial Limousine.
and on and on and on. List I have list 81 firsts.

People who are into them (warning here) are HARD CORE to the bone. I am different. I appreciate all cars, love all cars (especially AMERICAN ones) !

PS: The Imperial you speak of - from your description is a 1964. Did you notice the "eliptical" Steering wheel, semi square (or flat) at the bottom ??
http://www.imperialclub.com
Here, First:-
http://www.imperialclub.com/Articles/74-75WPC/index.htm

[Stoneage_Caddy]

YES ! it had one of the most unsusal steering wheels i ever saw , really it was one of the most unususal luxo type cars i had seen (this includes a coulpe rolls royces ive worked on over the years) ...maybe if i find another it could be my next project ....

i guess some in the 50s had hemi engines from the 300 cars?

i need to look for that book of yours , as my american car history book(s) doesnt give good covnerage of these cars and i hardly ever get a chance to look at any of them (outside the gastly k car based versions)

By the way , what do you imperial folks think of those early 90s imperials ? seemed to much like a dodge dynasty for me

how are they doing nowadays on values ? are they worht more than a similar era caddy ...ie investment standpoint ?

[Sandy]

We think that it was an utter disgrace of the name. Only a few of the people in the club own them, and even they say that that only bought them out of a token gerture to the glory days!

I sent you a portion of the book. It's out of print, now.

[RBraczyk]

This is one i considered buying, only about 2 miles from my house. Its a 67.

[Sandy]

1967 Crown Sedan in Consort Blue Metallic. Probably with dark blue cloth upholstery.

Make sure she is not burning any oil, and the engine is quiet & smooth. She'll probably need shocks. The steering radais is very w-i-d-e. You may NOT like that. Drive it a bit to see if you can live with it. Don't 'ya luv those taillamps ??? I had the same car in a convertible, in light green. 10 MPG ya know. 440 4-bbl. & Torqueflite Tranny.

[Stoneage_Caddy]

Just got done with the links , good writeup on that dude !

Not knowing much about cars from the 70s (outside corvette) i thought nothing at that time had any advanced feature (corvette never did much) and that only cadillac in the eldo had techno advanced cars ...

pretty interesting cars , all the way thru the '75 death sentace

[Sandy]

Owners tend to be fanatics (I am, but not to the extent of some!!) and also unbelieveably knowledgable. The National Imperial Meet of 2001 was only 17 miles from me. I went. It was awesome! Would you believe 400 + Imperials? From as far away as Oregon (I am in New Jersey). Several cars boat-shipped from Norway and 1 from England! Did I say fanatic? It tokk us (me & the wife) 2 days to see it all. Washington D.C. sent Eisenhower's Imperial and Frank Sinatra's was there along with Singer Jack Jone's Imp. The Shriner's Org. was out in full force (Imperial is their "official" car). Quite a time. (I went in my Caddy as I no longer have even 1 Imp. Meetings, seminares, films, old commercials, a formal dinner/dance, a band, a magician, outside under the stars at night a combo band. They REALLY do it! Fanatics, and lovin' every moment. Even as an ex owner and one of the original members, people from long ago still remembered me. That felt good.

[RBraczyk]

Well you were dead on about the imperial. I would like to get it, but a new motor sounds better

[Ralph]

Nice '74 imperial that you had Mr. Block, how long did you have it?

As for Dynasties, my cousin has an '88 and it has 450,000 kms or 279,000 miles and all it needed (for major work) was new head gaskets. It's still the original transmission!