Our land boats, barges and bulldozers

[detmatt]

Thanks for the pics. Where did you find the Imp?

Since you ask...
I was the high bidder for the Air Grabber system that I am going to use on my '68 RR and the seller happened to be local, well an hours drive anyway. I didn't want to have those delicate parts shipped so I made contact with the seller, who is now my good friend Bob (CLover since I got him to join up here). I asked if it would be ok if I just came and picked up those parts from him and pay with cash and he was kool with that. I made the trip to his place where he took me to his big garage out back where the parts were. He slid open the door to expose a building that was packed pretty tight with cars and parts among other things. Several of his own cars along with a couple of his brothers were parked with only inches between them and a considerable amount of stuff was carefully stored on top of the ones in the back row. I inquired about all of the cars but couldn't really get a good visual on them especially those at the back. The Imperial was in the back row and to be honest I couldn't tell if it was a 2 or a 4 door and at that point probably didn't even care too much. We became fast friends at that point and it was probably my third visit with him after he had gotten rid of a couple of cars. There was a little more room to spread out at this point and I think I was helping him go through some of his stuff and that's when I really noticed this huge silver coupe. I took my first real look at it shortly after we began rummaging through his remaining parts in that corner of the garage. I was taking a little break when it caught my eye as I have always like silver Mopars, the second thing I noticed was that it was a coupe. It was very dusty, the paint was dull and it was buried under a layer of parts but I really liked the lines of it so I went for a closer look. I walked up to it and peared in through the dusty tinted glass and was intrigued at what I could barely see so I opened the passenger door for a better look. I must have let out an audible gasp because at that moment I heard Bob laugh and say "You like that car, don't you?" I can't remember exactly what I said but I was just blown away by the interior, I had never seen anything like it. (Still haven't!) it was in that same conversation that he offered it to me for $X,XXX and I didn't even have to think about it. I told him if he could show me that it ran and drove that I would give him what he was asking and he did so I bought it! It is my most prized possession and I can't get enough of it.

 

[polara71]

Excellent story ! Didnt know any of that....

 

[bluefury361]

It is my most prized possession and I can't get enough of it.

That IS a great story Matt. I could feel the excitement as you described your first encounter with your Imperial.

 

[Ripinator]

An Edmunds manifold ! Wow! Its been many many years. I put an Edmunds two two-barrel manifold on my first car - a '47 Mercury convertible with a 59-A flathead V-8. I bought the manifild second hand; it came with one Stromberg 97 carb on it. I didn't have enough money for another Stronberg, so I used the stcok carb instead. The linkage on the stock carb worked backwards from the Stromberg, but I got it to work. On the front of the manifold, the previous owner had placed a Jahn's Racing Pistons decal. Thanks Stan, for the article on Eddie Edmunds.

 

[GooBak]

I started a thread here http://www.forcbodiesonly.com/mopar-forum/showthread.php?11407-But-Why

I didn't relize this thread was already here when I started mine, so I apologize for not looking around first. Heres my first post:

I know why im into the c-bodies... the styling is awesome, the engines are great, and theyre pretty uncommon. Also, my great grandmother drove an early 70s Imperial daily until she died about the time I started high school. I used to sit in it and pretend to drive for hours. The car got junked when she died and I wasn't old enough to try and claim it. But it got me into the big-*** cars of the period before I knew anything about cars. A few years later I saw the movie joyride and was instantly hooked(the hero car was a 71 Newport).

I like to hear the stories, even the long ones. Everyone I knew was harcore GM or ford. Mopar guys tend to be a bit too serious about certain things (like mark from graveyard cars) but theres an awesome feel here.

 

[N8-96XJ]

Hey y'all. Great thread and awesome stories!
Although my dad met my mom while cruising in his 70 Duster I grew up a Ford kid. As he sold the Duster before I came along. We always had a 70s Ford 4X4 around when I was a kid. I naturally gravitated to full size Ford trucks and Broncos. From that came a crazy spell with Foxbody 5.0 Mustangs... Loved those little cars! Like go-carts for the street! Ended up owning 8 of them until i swore to myself I'd never have another one ha ha!
After about 7 years of behaving myself (I drove a 4 door 4 cylinder Saturn for cryin out loud!) I got the itch to work on cars again. My new friend is a Mopar guy and we got to talking about finding a project. I'm one of the weird people that likes green cars. He knew a guy with a green/green interior Valiant for sale. /6 automatic. I had visions of a small block and newer model 5 speed. Lowered and mean. A Mopar version of a 5.0 Mustang. We were on our way to look at the car when it literally passed us heading the other way! Kinda made me sick... We decided to keep on going and when we got to the guys place it turned out that he had in fact just sold it.
We stood and b.s.'d with him a bit when my friend spotted the roofline of a 60s Mopar down the hill next to the guys chicken coop. He asked what it was and it was a 1965 Fury III. He said it was next on his list to fix up and sell, but we were welcome to go look at it. I wasn't too awful impressed at first. As the car was sitting on cinder blocks and pretty dirty. BUT, it had a running big block and was mostly all there. The first time I sat in this car I loved it! I had to have it and i worked out a deal and bought it! I know I've taken it to more of a hot rod stage than most would. But it is going to be a fun cruiser that no one else around has. I have had a blast and am learning a lot while getting her back on the road. C bodies will be my new addiction for years to come. Got my eye on a couple other Fury projects and may pull the trigger on one after this one is on the road.
Many thanks to all of you for showing me the awesomeness in these beautiful highly under estimated cars!

 

[Fratzog]

. I'm one of the weird people that likes green cars.

Don't worry you are not alone. I came out of the closet years ago....