1969 Imperial progress thread

[sixpkrt]

Almost 9 years. Still following.
The Imperial is really coming together now.
Instead of looking for a new door, you should have your body man try to massage the passenger side door some more until he gets it to where you find it acceptable. It fit correctly before, so he should be able to get it to fit correctly now.

 

[vdk2010]

It only fit before because it had a 1/2 inch of bondo spread across the door. That's not gonna happen again..!
And in the end it's going to be cheaper to buy, import and e-coat a new door then to rework the existing one over and over again.

 

[sixpkrt]

Ah, didn't know about the bondo.
Your Imperial is not a car worthy of a bondoed up door.

 

[bigmoparjeff]

I have some coupe doors, but I'm not sure of the condition. I will take a look at them as soon as I can get a chance.

Jeff

 

[Mr C]

Gaps...it's one thing preventing me from taking my 68 Imperial apart. ALL the gaps are absolutely perfect and I just know they'll get screwed up by restoring the car.

 

[patrick66]

I remember when my wife and I were in Germany from '89 - '92. Even though my daily car was a US-spec '79 Toyota Celica, my German neighbors would always comment on my "big American cars and trucks". One day, my wife drove my '85 D150 short bed to the grocery store in Heinsberg to get a few things we couldn't get at the commissary. She'd back that into a parking spot with precision and ease. Inevitably, there would be a couple of ladies that would ask here "how do you drive such a large vehicle like that?"...the answer was usually "Practice!" But, once my '67 Plymouth Belvedere I Leichenwagen was roadworthy, the fact that it was a former hearse really made them uneasy. We loved it!

Of course, the Imperial is a good meter longer than my truck or the wagon were!

 

[JJ300]

I feel your pain. On my 69 300, same situation. Was hoping for .13 gaps, settled for .18-.20. Same scenario, once I undid all the previous "work" and got to the metal, I had to make do with what the car would give me. After driving it for a few months and it settling, I will go back and adjust doors and windows this winter. It'll never be perfect....

 

[Xavi3r]

Talk about hard work... this is impressive.

 

[vdk2010]

I picked up my recored, original, 28" Radiator today.
Expensive, but it's worth it! It looks way better then some aftermarket radiator and it's supposed to have 3 times the cooling capacity than the original with the new net.

Another part off the list.

 

[CHARLES374]

Look's great. How did you get 3X the cooling capacity ?

 

[300rag]

Looks good. It appears to have a higher density, 25-30% more tubes than original.

 

[marty mopar]

I could be mistaken but:

Seems like a lot of work considering that you were planning on entering it in a demolition derby.

The first thing to go is the radiator when somebody backs into you.

 

[bigmoparjeff]

A replacement door is on the way. Off of a 1969 300, it's still sporting the factory painted triple stripe.

There's a Chrysler door striker attached to the metal plate to secure the back end to the pallet. I think I overdid it on the number of bolts on the hinges. I forgot to take shots of the final product before I loaded it into the van.

Jeff

 

[vdk2010]

Look's great. How did you get 3X the cooling capacity ?

Looks good. It appears to have a higher density, 25-30% more tubes than original.

According to the old, wise man from the Radiator Shop, it's a combination. He said:
- Better heat transfering net material
- "modern net design" (finer fins= more heat transfering material)
- 35% more tubes 49 original to now 70 per row
- more rows. Now 4, from original ? (I failed to check the original before giving it to the shop)

If it's actually 3 times the capacity, I don't know. But I believe this old guy how does that all his live.

 

[vdk2010]

A replacement door is on the way. Off of a 1969 300, it's still sporting the factory painted triple stripe.

There's a Chrysler door striker attached to the metal plate to secure the back end to the pallet. I think I overdid it on the number of bolts on the hinges. I forgot to take shots of the final product before I loaded it into the van.

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Jeff

That. Looks. Awesome. Jeff!

Thank you for all your help and patience!! I'm really looking forward having it here in Germany!

I will post pictures when it arrives, obviously!

 

[vdk2010]

A replacement door is on the way. Off of a 1969 300, it's still sporting the factory painted triple stripe.

There's a Chrysler door striker attached to the metal plate to secure the back end to the pallet. I think I overdid it on the number of bolts on the hinges. I forgot to take shots of the final product before I loaded it into the van.

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Jeff

The 300 must have been a real looker back then! Black with red interior, sounds pretty snazzy!

 

[3175375]

According to old, wise man from the Radiator Shop, it's a combination. He said:
- Better heat transfering net material
- "modern net design" (finer fins= more heat transfering material)
- 35% more tubes 49 original to now 70 per row
- more rows. Now 4, from original ? (I failed to check the original before giving it to the shop)

If it's actually 3 times the capacity, I don't know. But I believe this old guy how does that all his live.

The additional surface area that has been added by the additional tubes as well as the finer and increased density of the woven material between the tubes will increase cooling capability. The trade is increased tubes and woven materials in between versus increased air resistance (harder for air to pass through the radiator) will finally get to a point of diminishing return, but I suspect that the radiator shop has practical knowledge of that limitation. Good work!

 

[marty mopar]

Damn! That is one nice looking crate!

I've always dreaded shipping sheet metal, storing it and moving it.

So much easier selling a nameplate or a medallion that fits in a small box.

 

[patrick66]

I had far wo

A replacement door is on the way. Off of a 1969 300, it's still sporting the factory painted triple stripe.

There's a Chrysler door striker attached to the metal plate to secure the back end to the pallet. I think I overdid it on the number of bolts on the hinges. I forgot to take shots of the final product before I loaded it into the van.

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Jeff

That's far better-llooking than the crates I had for furniture when I was 22, broke and had three rommates!

 

[vdk2010]

A replacement door is on the way. Off of a 1969 300, it's still sporting the factory painted triple stripe.

There's a Chrysler door striker attached to the metal plate to secure the back end to the pallet. I think I overdid it on the number of bolts on the hinges. I forgot to take shots of the final product before I loaded it into the van.

View attachment 566802View attachment 566803View attachment 566804View attachment 566805View attachment 566806View attachment 566807


Jeff

I just got what you meant with the door striker on the metal plate!
So you say one could even open the door, still attached to the pallet?
It's a shame I will never see the pallet in person since the door will be loaded into a '73 Dart for it's way to Germany.