1966 Imperial Crown convertible Ignition power issue

[throttleman]

Hey everyone I recently acquired a 1966 Imperial Crown convertible, Shriner edition, still can't believe i got it , The car has been sitting in storage for around 12 years, kind of forgotten about when I heard of it, long and short i was able to purchased it and now have a project, it's all together and in pretty good condition, It runs and drives great, but it does need a few small pieces and has some electrical problems, I'm hoping that with the new service manual, the information i have already acquired and help from an experienced group of enthusiasts i can get the car repaired and reliable, The problem i am faced with and why the car was parked originally is that i intermittently lose power to the ignition switch and fuse box, i have power to courtesy lights, convertible top and power seats ,i was advised about bypassing the ammeter and the power wire going through the bulkhead, and wondering the best way is to go a about that, things i have done so far simply because of the age and need for reliability are, New Battery, new battery cables, new starter relay, new starter, new breakers under dash, 30A and 15A, new fuses, checked and cleaned visible connections, ..Checked fusible link and all are good, unless there are hidden ones i don't know about, again reverberating i am suspect to the Ammeter, but until i get the proper wire schematic any help is appreciated, Thanks All.

 

[Boydsdodge]

Congratulations on a great purchase. One of the top Imperials for me. Your power loss issue could be your ignition switch, easy to remove. You could find a good one and test it to see if your problem continues. Remove switch, clean it up, check for any looseness in the switch. Did you keep the fusable link when you replaced battery cables? Where did you source the power cable from?
When you loose power to fuse panel and ignition are you still getting power to the accessories?

 

[1962 Crown Conv]

I had an intermittent ignition problem with my '62 LeBaron. It would sometimes stall, but always restart, and the headlights flickered and the ammeter needle bounced. I did replace the ignition switch. It turned out to be a blown radio suppression condenser/capacitor. These cars sometimes had them attached to the alternator, the coil, the clock, the instrument cluster. The blown condenser represented an intermittent short in the ignition circuit, and upon reflection they were never designed to last this long. They can be replaced for a few bucks or discarded.

 

[Davea Lux]

Congratulations on an exceptional and rare find. Your can find better wiring diagrams at www.mymopar.com, these are free downloads. www.imperialclub.com is also a good resource. I would start by checking the bulkhead connector, these will sometimes corrode up and cause an intermittent power loss as the circuits heat up. Also check the ground strap to the block and the body ground harness. A loss of power to the fuse block and the ignition switch is usually going to be a bad fusible link or a bad bulkhead connector. You can span the ammeter with a heavy gauge wire and some alligator clips to each terminal to eliminate that as a source. Usually if the ammeter is toast it will not be an intermittent condition.

Dave

 

[throttleman]

Congratulations on a great purchase. One of the top Imperials for me. Your power loss issue could be your ignition switch, easy to remove. You could find a good one and test it to see if your problem continues. Remove switch, clean it up, check for any looseness in the switch. Did you keep the fusable link when you replaced battery cables? Where did you source the power cable from?
When you loose power to fuse panel and ignition are you still getting power to the accessories?

Hey thanks, i purchased a new ignition switch, but the problem is the power feed wire to the switch is dead, i did keep the fusible link and i do have power to the bulkhead, from there it feeds into two breakers on the left inner wall by the emergency brake pedal, there is power in every connection coming out but lose it somewhere in the dash, when there is power everything works, when i lose power the only thing that works is the power top, power seats, courtesy lights and rear cigarette lighters, battery cables are from Oreilley's, i got them there because they have the original style terminal connections, they are 4 gauge wire

 

[throttleman]

Congratulations on an exceptional and rare find. Your can find better wiring diagrams at www.mymopar.com, these are free downloads. www.imperialclub.com is also a good resource. I would start by checking the bulkhead connector, these will sometimes corrode up and cause an intermittent power loss as the circuits heat up. Also check the ground strap to the block and the body ground harness. A loss of power to the fuse block and the ignition switch is usually going to be a bad fusible link or a bad bulkhead connector. You can span the ammeter with a heavy gauge wire and some alligator clips to each terminal to eliminate that as a source. Usually if the ammeter is toast it will not be an intermittent condition.

Dave

Hey Thanks, it's been a few days since i've had power, it would just come on randomly, i could start the car, when i shut it off, and tried again, nothing, i'm thinking the ammeter is toast, i am going to be working on it again tomorrowand hopefully i find something, does the power run through the ammeter and then to the ignition switch like i think it does ?, Thanks for the compliment on the car, i can't wait to cruze it to the shows next summer.

 

[detmatt]

I recently parted a ‘66 convertible and still have lots of good parts from it including wiring harnesses. The car only had 36k miles on it and before I dismantled it I powered it up and most everything still worke.

 

[Boydsdodge]

I just had a 70 RR in the shop with an intermittent power loss, I traced to the line from ignition blue to the bulk head connector. everything else in car had power but would loose ignition all off a sudden. Dead on the road type stuff. His wire harness was hanging a bit low and when/if he hit the harness with foot it killed the ignition, some times just for a second or completely. Start looking for loose connections, can use a back up light bulb socket and leads or test light.
I connected to the engine side of bulk head ignition and then with a long wire to my test light to the steering column connector working my way along while moving wires until I found light out. I was all set to change the switch, but it was wires leading from switch.

 

[watchfatha]

Nice Car! I had the same problem with my 64 Crown Coupe-turns out it was loose connections at the ammeter gauge. Unless you are a contortionist you will need to take apart the dash to get to it. In that regard, you will want to lower the steering column before you start in order to remove the instrument panel bezel N O T E: Before you lower the steering column reach up and disconnect the cable that goes to the transmission indicator or you will break it when the column comes down. Also, as long as you've got everything apart, this is a good time to replace the headlight switch and replace all the bulbs (yes, I know they say you don't have to but it is MUCH easier to do that job with the instrument panel removed). Good luck! PS I had that car's twin (a Shriner)!

 

[throttleman]

Nice Car! I had the same problem with my 64 Crown Coupe-turns out it was loose connections at the ammeter gauge. Unless you are a contortionist you will need to take apart the dash to get to it. In that regard, you will want to lower the steering column before you start in order to remove the instrument panel bezel N O T E: Before you lower the steering column reach up and disconnect the cable that goes to the transmission indicator or you will break it when the column comes down. Also, as long as you've got everything apart, this is a good time to replace the headlight switch and replace all the bulbs (yes, I know they say you don't have to but it is MUCH easier to do that job with the instrument panel removed). Good luck! PS I had that car's twin (a Shriner)!

Thanks, i believe that may be the route i take, thanks for the tip, already got the headlight switch.

 

[throttleman]

Do you need to loosen the lower bolts or just the top to drop it a little just to get it out of the way?

 

[watchfatha]

Do you need to loosen the lower bolts or just the top to drop it a little just to get it out of the way?

I just loosen the two bolts that hold the collar that holds the column in place. You're just looking for a little more clearance to get the bezel out without scratching the top of the column where the bezel has to come over when you take it out. Some cars are easier than others. For instance my 64 Crown Coupe does not require lowering the column while my 66 convertible does.

PS Many years ago I picked up a 64 convertible from a guy who lived near you in Horicon and was legendary for having amassed a horde of 30 or so Imperial convertibles. I bought the only one he had not touched. I put gas in it, drove it to NYC with no issues, then charged the AC with Freon (like he told me) and I never had a problem with the car for the 20 years I had it-ac included. His name was Fran Oechsner, ever hear of him?

 

[throttleman]

I just loosen the two bolts that hold the collar that holds the column in place. You're just looking for a little more clearance to get the bezel out without scratching the top of the column where the bezel has to come over when you take it out. Some cars are easier than others. For instance my 64 Crown Coupe does not require lowering the column while my 66 convertible does.

PS Many years ago I picked up a 64 convertible from a guy who lived near you in Horicon and was legendary for having amassed a horde of 30 or so Imperial convertibles. I bought the only one he had not touched. I put gas in it, drove it to NYC with no issues, then charged the AC with Freon (like he told me) and I never had a problem with the car for the 20 years I had it-ac included. His name was Fran Oechsner, ever hear of him?

Thanks i think you just made my life a whole lot easier, and somewhere not to long ago i read a story of someone doing a deal with him, could have been you , did the deal on a handshake kind of guy, liked his Tabacco chew or something like that, told you the a/c would work if you just added freon when you get back home, cool story, i'm less than an hour from there, i'll have to look him up. hopefully he's still around.

 

[watchfatha]

Thanks i think you just made my life a whole lot easier, and somewhere not to long ago i read a story of someone doing a deal with him, could have been you , did the deal on a handshake kind of guy, liked his Tabacco chew or something like that, told you the a/c would work if you just added freon when you get back home, cool story, i'm less than an hour from there, i'll have to look him up. hopefully he's still around.

That was me.

 

[detmatt]

Isn’t he the one that reproduced the hard convertible boot covers in fiberglass?

 

[watchfatha]

Isn’t he the one that reproduced the hard convertible boot covers in fiberglass?

Yes. REALLY interesting guy: illiterate but smart, and honest.

 

[throttleman]

Here is a picture of my Ammeter arcing, causing loss of power to the ignition switch, I’m not sure there is a safe way to repair it even with soldering it, I hate to lose the gauge but it looks like there is a bypass going to be done for safeties sake , better to lose a gauge that an entire car.

 

[detmatt]

Yes. REALLY interesting guy: illiterate but smart, and honest.

He died in 2002 at the age of 74.
I can’t say this for sure but my ‘64 convertible may have come from him.

 

[watchfatha]

Here is a picture of my Ammeter arcing, causing loss of power to the ignition switch, I’m not sure there is a safe way to repair it even with soldering it, I hate to lose the gauge but it looks like there is a bypass going to be done for safeties sake , better to lose a gauge that an entire car.

View attachment 635004

When my 64 ammeter gauge overheated and drooped I used a propane torch to "melt it" back in to place. I think I did a post on it, either here or on the IML. If you are careful and put pressure (strong clips) between the plate inside the gauge that has lifted away from the floor of the gauge and the floor of the gauge, you can heat the back of the gauge until it becomes just soft enough for the clips to push back in to place. Then, after it cools, when you put the gauge back in the car run a 15 inch or so length of #10 wire from one terminal to the other, then re-connect it. That wire will serve as a shunt to take some of the power away from the gauge and not let it heat up like that again. I did it with my 64 and it is fine now.

 

[watchfatha]

He died in 2002 at the age of 74.
I can’t say this for sure but my ‘64 convertible may have come from him.

Did you ever talk to him? He ran the town trash hauling company and had other businesses. He told me when I negotiated with him that he could not read or write, but he was a very good judge of character-and that's what he attributed much of his success to. He loved his "Chew" and carried a "spittoon" with him wherever he went. Fran had a nice spread with a farm house and big barn. A real salt of the earth guy. I liked him-especially because everything he said about the car he sold me was true.