LeBaron1973, yes it needs body work & paint. Just started assessing hidden areas today.
70bigblockdodge & cantflip, I agree overall. Our initial intent is to get the car drivable first. We want to drive it, pull it off the road for a day or 3 and rebuild/upgrade something, then drive it again. Over time we can upgrade brakes, suspension, engine parts & systems, maybe add overdrive, and so forth. For now, if it works, or can be made to work quickly and cheaply, that's the chosen route. Later, all options are on the table.
My wife & I made an agreement concerning the car. In the past we bought a '71 Demon that was supposed to be a quick fixer-upper that turned into a full restoration, which turned into selling the car when we lost our son. The goal for this '59 Imp is to be able to enjoy it to the fullest. Our interpretation of that means get it drivable as quickly & cheaply as possible, then upgrade & recondition as we go. At some point in time, virtually everything that bolts on will be like new. The body & frame will be 1959 showing its age. A full-on restoration can then be a much shorter endeavor.
Spent a couple hours with the Imp today. Bolted on a few reconditioned items. Removed everything from the trunk; parts, carpet, & trim panels. The floor has a few bad spots, but is better than many of the pictures I see posted on these era cars. Removed the rear seat and removed the aftermarket seat cover. Of course, one would hope the cover was installed over a mint seat. This was not the case. It has a 2-tone cloth interior (604 code). I'll have to do some research. It is supposed to be a Crown, has all the markings of a Crown, but I've never seen a Crown without at least leather borders. Maybe it's a base Imperial? The floor under the rear seat needs a few minor patches, but looking good otherwise.
Although I hate painting over rust, I bought 2 cans of Eastwood's Rust Encapsulator and shot the frame & seams under the hood and body. Found a mouse that was like Egyptian mummy half way into a hole in the frame. It amazes me how many hours go into "very little to show" (and I've done this sort of work before!).
Got a few more pieces processed. Repaired the battery tray and reconditioned the fan. Still have to powder coat the battery tray.
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Got a bunch of blasting & coating done today. Here are a few pics, I will post more as I can.
Got the driveshaft disassembled, blasted, painted, and reassembled with new U-Joints. Got a few small brackets blasted & painted; of note are the ignition wire separators. Originally they were black with a black "plasti-dip" type coating on the ends. I used yellow.
