For Sale 1981 Chrysler Imperial 2-Door Coupe - $1500 (North Hollywood)

[commando1]

Not mine. Could be a diamond in the rough

1981 Chrysler Imperial 2-Door Coupe
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1981 Chrysler Imperial 2-Door Coupe. Black with Red Velour & Vinyl Interior. Asking $1,500

Very nice example of Chrysler's "Imperial" 3-year run of their Frank Sinatra series.

Black paint with red pinstripping in almost perfect condition except for 1" long rust pocket near back windshield. It can easily be fixed, filled-in and the paint touched up. Factory chromed wire wheel covers.

This car has been at the mechanic's shop for the last year or so and before that in storage for several years. It was always very loved and well maintained by the previous owner. Have all the repair receipts, registration and color dealer advertising literature on this vehicles from day one. Not on DMV so am selling with a Bill of Sale and all the paperwork including an older DMV issued pink slip. A VIN verification and the Bill of Sale with allow for quick vehicle registration at DMV. No back years of registration fees owing here.

Front driver's and passenger side seats need re-upholstery in the seat and lower side areas. Mark Cross interior. Back seats nearly perfect. Original carpet looks alright and not faded so it just needs a good cleaning. Probably could use a new headliner and the dashboard is complete with all of the electronic features of the era. I think there's even an 8-track player installed.

EFI module (electronic fuel injection module that replaced the standard carburetor) has been completely rebuilt. Used NOS parts sourced from a former dealership parts man. This includes the high pressure fuel pump and electronic module and circuit boards.

The car will crank but not start. This is probably due to the actual fuel injectors that should be removed and cleaned - usual maintenance. Mechanic is a one man shop who worked on the car when time allowed. Has too many cars in house now so cannot complete this work. Vehicle comes with a Chrysler EFI Tester tool made to be used with this car.

Original crystal 5-star Chrysler hood ornament still intact as is the small version inset into the steering wheel center. White wall radial tires and brakes seem to be in good condition and working order. No engine or mechanical problems. The car has just been sitting for awhile and now is ready to relive it's past.

Call or Text David @ (310) 975-4177 (24/7)

 

[LocuMob]

A perfect spot for wires!

 

[Carmine]

Hey, what does everybody think should be done here? I heard there can be some issues with these cars, but I need to hear them again.

 

[70bigblockdodge]

I personally would put a late model 5.7 Hemi in the car.
More power, more refined FI system, better fuel mileage. I would of course play with the system on the car first, after all it is still a engine, suck, squeeze, bang, blow. Once the practicality of repair is weighed, the next logical step is to upgrade to modern driveline, and sending another overweight, flex frame pig to the scrapper, saving it's driveline to power something unique and a little odd, not a boring, dull, utility, appliance cart.

 

[78Brougham]

That is a viable option Dave Personally I would screw around with it and do that after I've exhausted all other options. It dose come with the analyzer for it plus more parts.
My bigger concern is... again no title!
How come the guys selling these title less cars always tell you it's so easy to get one, but never get one to make it easier on the purchaser?
If it's so easy... go get it!

I'd gladly give you $500 more with a title to prove I can get this thing in my name and on the road. Other than that I'll have to give you $500 less because it's a crap shoot.

That offer would go for any decent car with a missing, yet "easy" to get title. How many of us walk away from some beauties because of titling issues.

 

[commando1]

heard there can be some issues with these cars, but I need to hear them again.

The biggest issue by far with these cars are overly optimistic sellers writing their ads while on crack.

 

[CBODY67]

If it cranks but won't start, probably needs the air cleaner lid clamped back on! Mass air flow sensor in on the fuel plate/bottom casting of the air cleaner assy? No sensed air flow, no "run, " fuel, just starting.

The performance issues include that the car was designed and built in an era when low engine rpms were needed to pass "grams/mile" emissions standards. Hence, low rpms and poor performance, especially compared to 5 years later, much less NOW. Plus the 4100lbs the cars usually weighed!

"Mark Cross" interior was leather, not velour and vinyl. Frank Sinatra Editions were only that light blue metallic, as I recall. Possibly an "uninformed seller"?

As for the "easy to get" title, probably working on very old information. Some states now requite a bonded title for out of state cars, which takes more time and money than the long-time-ago simple paperwork issues.

To me, the bad thing is that these cars will never have the collector value of prior Imperials, in our lifetime. Uniqueness doesn't always equate to "added value", by observation. Keeping it stock, for that reason, needs a very niche market buyer. But even so, finding somebody who knows what they are doing could be not unlike finding a good mechanic for a 1930s car.

Therefore, a modern drivetrain, well done and interfaced with the vehicle electronic instrument cluster, would be a nice option. IF well done! An incognito LA stroker, torque tuned, would make it a nicer driver. But so would a salvage yard 360 with aftermarket EFI, 518 and 3.23 axle ratio. Some later 15x7 factory allow wheels would help things, too, I suspect. Many possibilities without really destroying the potential value of the car, making it more useable in a modern society, and being a comfortable "profiling" car.

Stated needed body work? A hopefully minor issue.

It could well be cheap enough to make it worth more just getting a few things attended to!

Enjoy!
CBODY67

 

[Carmine]

So there could be problems with the EFI? Am I reading that correctly?

 

[saforwardlook]

Getting a title in California for a car that is off their records really is pretty easy. You fill out a statement of facts (you might need some simple advice on just what to say but since I have been through it many times, I know the narrative they want to see - others can find out by using a DMV service out here where they would lead you through the paperwork at no extra cost usually except for the fee they would charge anyway to take all the paperwork to DMV to process that will save you time - usually about $50 and well worth it), plus a couple other forms stating the car has not been operated on roads for the whole time you have had it, and other small stuff and have a licensed vehicle verifier come out and inspect the car. About $100 - $150 later including the cost of the vehicle verifier, and you will get a title.

I have never had an issue where a car I have sold needed a bonded title, so I do not know how that works.

 

[78Brougham]

Exactly what I mean. Why doesn't this guy that's selling it get the title? Make life a whole lot easier for someone especially if it's going out of state.

 

[CBODY67]

So there could be problems with the EFI? Am I reading that correctly?

The issue would be whether the issues were "user induced" or "mechanical failure" would be the issue, to me.

For many years, I'd heard about how troublesome the particular efi units were, that Chrysler Aerospace rushed them through R&D into production. I can see that as GM and Ford each had their own efi units back then, as crude as they might be. Plus the upper level models the Imperial might have been positioned"Befo against usually had efi. Be that as it may.

To me, it was a somewhat neat system, having everything on the "fuel plate" (i.e., air cleaner base housing), rather than spread throughout the engine bay. Less production complexity and easier to add-on. There was a primary spray bar and a secondary spray bar, but the limiting factor was the basic cfm of the unit and its adaptation to an existing 318 intake manifold. NO performance orientation, just "EFI" for what it was worth. More about better fuel atomization than anything else.

One couple I knew had one. They plainly stated they would get rid of it before it got 20K miles on it. Reason? I asked. Reply was "Before it starts having problems". They had connections in the Chrysler 300 group, so I respected their orientation, but still wondered about it. Just a bit, not much.

Then, one year at Mopar Nats, in a hotel parking lot, one guy had one there. He'd just bought it. He was a Chrysler tech and had a buddy at another dealership who told him about it. A trade-in by the grand daughter of the original owner. On the back of their used car lot, not running well (and nobody could figure it out). The guy knew a little about fuel injection (at that time). Upon raising the hood, he noticed the air cleaner clamp was not on good. So he made a (seeming) "take it off your hands" deal, drove it home later, then repositioned the air cleaner clamp (to prevent air leaks) and all was well again. Then he explained where the mass air flow sensor was in the system and how that it was imperative that the air cleaner top be securely on correctly so that ALL air going into the engine came through the air cleaner snorkel. Which made me wonder if that might have been where much of the issues with the system might have come from? Other than out-right component failures. I also wondered about some of the Chrysler-supplied test equipment, back then, too. Lean Burn testers included.

But in modern times, better to put something better under there and still be EFI.

CBODY67

 

[1978 NYB]

These EFI's were a total disaster. I wouldn't waste anytime trying to get it to run. I would as others suggest and put a modern 5.7 or a 360 with a sniper fuel injection system. Why not...

I really like the Mark Cross leather in these cars and I think the instrumentation is cool.

 

[Carmine]

It sounds like I should budget for fuel system work if I decide to buy one of these cars.

 

[CBODY67]

I concur, considering that most of the parts could well be "unobtanium" at this time. Might be some NOS, but the "shelf life monster" might come into play?

What wiring differences were there between the analog and digital clusters?

CBODY67

 

[Carmine]

I concur, considering that most of the parts could well be "unobtanium" at this time. Might be some NOS, but the "shelf life monster" might come into play?

What wiring differences were there between the analog and digital clusters?

CBODY67

OMG I can't believe I'm replying to my own sarcasm, but for knowledge purposes...

There is no difference in the cluster besides an odometer that started at *00000 for emissions/warranty reasons.

 

[CBODY67]

So the basic Cordoba/Mirada cluster was electronic? Just looked analog?

 

[Carmine]

So the basic Cordoba/Mirada cluster was electronic? Just looked analog?

No, they were different. I thought you were referring to the replacement clusters that came with a factory carb conversion.

 

[CBODY67]

(Wondering) How many sensors supply that electronic cluster "signals" which are directly related to the OEM EFI system, other than the speedometer, which might need adaptation to the aftermarket EFI? Weren't the "warranty replacement conversion" clusters the same as the Cordoba/Mirada clusters? Just curious.

Thanks,
CBODY67

 

[70bigblockdodge]

No, they were different. I thought you were referring to the replacement clusters that came with a factory carb conversion.

So no asterisk I can still take it in for warranty work, sweet I might just go get it.
They will probably just convert it though.

 

[Carmine]

(Wondering) How many sensors supply that electronic cluster "signals" which are directly related to the OEM EFI system, other than the speedometer, which might need adaptation to the aftermarket EFI? Weren't the "warranty replacement conversion" clusters the same as the Cordoba/Mirada clusters? Just curious.

Thanks,
CBODY67

The only special sensors were a simple magnetic speed analog-to-digital convertor (next to cruise control) and an analog-to-digital flowmeter in the fuel curcuit. The latter was changed when factory conversion was done. Between those two, all the cluster computer functions were possible.

Digital dash was never offered on the Mirada or Cordoba.