Sadie - 1974 Imperial LeBaron

[Big_John]

I really like to have some good music as part of the experience of driving my car. I have XM satellite radio and a thumb drive full of stuff I like to listen to. I have enough years of listening to the AM radio through cracked dash speakers to last my lifetime.

I tried audio books for long drives (work) and discovered they put me to sleep.

 

[commando1]

I tried to learn Spanish on my nightly longhauls. FAIL. My brain refused to absorb it. I was never meant to speak anything but Amercanese.

 

[Carmine]

I tried to learn Spanish on my nightly longhauls. FAIL. My brain refused to absorb it. I was never meant to speak anything but Amercanese.

Interesting. I tried the same thing. Didn't work for me either. Unless you have someone to practice with, I think it goes right out of your head... and signs at Home Depot aren't enough.

Yet I had a serious girlfriend who grew up speaking German, and the family used German in their home. Guess which language stuck with me mien Herr?

 

[CollinR]

Gave her a little bath after finally getting her back from the mechanic! Going to get some car wash supplies for the house and clean it in a bit more of a detailed way. Waxing will be next when it starts to get cloudy here.

 

[CollinR]

A few updates: Been taking her out for exercise pretty consistently. Started up today and idled high and fast for a while but I was able to get it back to idling normally. Just took a bit longer than usual. Rebuilt/Replaced the Master Brake Cylinder, Belts, Driver Side window motor and arm, Radiator and the brakes. I washed and waxed it pretty well and then put the UV Protectant on it which made the vinyl top look brand new - and she just barely fits in the garage!

The Chronometer has been keeping perfect time. I purchased that 8-Track converter that you guys recommended to me. Stuck it in the deck, hooked up the phone and it worked right away! Thank you again. I’m sure that’s the first time the player has even been used. One problem though - the headlight doors won’t open now. When I pull the knob out to activate the lights, the headlights turn on, however I’ll hear a loud buzzer and the doors won’t flip down. Any ideas?

 

[commando1]

All of them just barely fit. lol

 

[1978 NYB]

Black has that wicked look on Formals!

 

[cantflip]

Not many have a garage that can accommodate a Formal on a diagonal...

Replaced the Master Brake Cylinder

I know the PO had done brake work, so it may not have mattered... never get rid of a 4 disc master cylinder core... it may be rebuildable, and the replacements are for drum brake cars. Probably not the end of the world, just another unique part to not lose track of.

 

[CollinR]

Not many have a garage that can accommodate a Formal on a diagonal...
View attachment 207141

I know the PO had done brake work, so it may not have mattered... never get rid of a 4 disc master cylinder core... it may be rebuildable, and the replacements are for drum brake cars. Probably not the end of the world, just another unique part to not lose track of.

Now that I remember, it was rebuilt. Because when we went to the mechanic to pick the Imp up the manager had told us how he spent hours searching for a new MBC and he had ordered one that turned out only to be for Drum brakes, so he called a company in California (The name escapes me) and they relayed to him that the Imperial's MBC needed to be rebuilt as there were next to no NOS examples available. It took over two weeks for them to get the original one there, redone, and back into the Imperial. He was telling me how shocked he was when he found out that it had all disc brakes. From what I've seen everything looks good under the hood. I have to rely on what I learn here and what the mechanic tells me because I know next to nothing on my own about fixing these beauties. The main issue I'm having now is figuring out the headlight door dilemma..

 

[73 T&C]

One problem though - the headlight doors won’t open now. When I pull the knob out to activate the lights, the headlights turn on, however I’ll hear a loud buzzer and the doors won’t flip down. Any ideas?

View attachment 207115

Collin....

Let’s see if we can tackle your headlight door issue....

Was the ignition in the “run” and engine running when the headlight doors did not open?

Will the headlights doors open manually with the knob on the motor? If you can open them manually, will they close electrically.

Are the contacts on the headlight doors motor clean?

There is a relay that activated the headlight motor up in the dash that will “buzz” with lower than required voltage or a stuck motor/mechanism.

Try not to let the buzzing go on for too long as the headlight switch may overheat.

Had to repair that on my 78 NYB.

 

[Carmine]

I would just about guarantee your headlight motor is sticking. Unplug it before you fry it or the relay. There is (should be) a sticker under the hood that talks about opening them manually.

Without going into a bunch of words on "how", when you can get the motor out, disassemble it, clean/lube it. Do not run it outside of the vehicle because it will over-run it's stops... it relies on the doors being closed/open to know when to stop.

 

[commando1]

Let’s see if we can tackle your headlight door issue....

That's troubleshooting.

Without going into a bunch of words on "how",

 

[CollinR]

Thanks so much, everybody. Gonna troubleshoot that. In the mean time I took her out for dinner!

 

[CollinR]

Pulling back into the garage.

 

[Carmine]

Thanks so much, everybody. Gonna troubleshoot that. In the mean time I took her out for dinner!

View attachment 207281

View attachment 207282

That photo makes me hate 2018.

 

[CollinR]

That photo makes me hate 2018.

Well, I'm doing my part in keeping at least one of these Detroit-made works of art on the road. I'm only twenty but most people my age are driving those little econo-toasters. (Even most of the older folks ) I'm slightly guilty of the same because I daily drive a 2007 Honda Pilot. I'd rather take that to my college campus instead of my beloved Imp because the students drive like maniacs through the parking lot dinging doors and bumping into parked cars without remorse. Not to mention I highly doubt Sadie would fit in any of those compact spaces. I was nearly hit by one girl in a Prius playing on her phone when I was walking from my car to class..

 

[LocuMob]

That's cool to sacrifice the Pilot for that college atmosphere.

 

[CollinR]

That's cool to sacrifice the Pilot for that college atmosphere.

I love that poor Pilot XD. It's taken a lot from being driven through High School and College parking lots for the last five years. That's about as small of a vehicle as I'd be comfortable driving. I had to drive a 2017 Toyota Corolla for a rental when somebody hit me at an intersection for a couple weeks and while it was easy to zip around in, it was just way too small for comfort. The only thing I liked was being able to hook my phone up and play music directly from the radio without an AM/FM Transmitter that I use in the Pilot.

On a related note, if it helps anyone feel better about the younger folks, there are two students that are a hell of a lot braver than I am and one daily drives a gorgeous mint colored 1972 Chevrolet Chevelle with a factory Vinyl top to class every day while the other daily drives an Off-White 1979 Mercedes-Benz 300 D. I don't know how they do it without being nervous wrecks. I know I would be. I'm just glad I'm not the only 20 year old who doesn't mind a carbureted vehicle. Can be a headache sometimes but it's really grown on me in the last couple months to where I'm beginning to learn the temperaments of the Imp's Carb and I can start it more efficiently than I once had done. I had been so used to Fuel Injected cars daily driving the Pilot and our 2004 F-150 ever since I had a Permit.

 

[Duncan]

That photo makes me hate 2018.

I see what you mean and am inclined to agree with you. One beautiful sleek old car and a bunch of the newer fugly SUV mutilated boxes.

 

[CollinR]

That photo makes me hate 2018.

I see what you mean and am inclined to agree with you. One beautiful sleek old car and a bunch of the newer fugly SUV mutilated boxes.

I agree. But I see the photo as bittersweet. It would be much more disheartening if all you saw anywhere were those econotoaster crossovers. The fact that people like us on FCBO and elsewhere are maintaining some of these examples (as many as we financially can) to enjoy them and remind others of a time when automobiles were built to be driven, felt and admired is the positive aspect. I would rather it be that way than for these C-Bodies and even classic land yachts from other American brands (Lincoln, Buick, Olds, Cadillac etc.) to be forgotten about. If it wasn’t for us battling it out with the derby community to preserve these, they most certainly would have been forgotten and foolishly labeled as ‘boring malaise era cars.’ Thank heavens for the fact that there are still a large number of people out there who remember what cars used to be and the importance they held (not just being egg shaped appliances.) Take Carlisle and other Mopar shows for example. It gives me some semblance of hope for my generation when I see younger auto enthusiasts. Seeing younger auto enthusiasts and motorists looking on in joy when I’m driving my Imperial around becomes refreshing when you live in a world where the people my age seem to want the easiest and laziest thing (driverless cars) because they’re too busy on Instagram wasting their time to experience the fun and freedom of driving yourself and being in control on the road. It’s tragic because it seems like in my grandparents’ and some of my fellow members’ generation, driving was a special and memorable experience where cars had personalities and were extensions of their owners. I’m trying to bring that experience to my generation and I don’t think I’m alone in that either. There was no greater feeling than being able to drive on my own for the very first time. Driving has since been one of my favorite things to do aside from drawing. Now that I have my Imperial, there has simply been no greater and more exciting experience in my young life than rumbling down the road in a massive 1974 Imperial while playing The Commodores or Fleetwood Mac from the 8-Track with all of the windows rolled down. There’s just nothing else like it. I believe if others got to experience that feeling, surely many would fall in love with it too. And while my Imperial has already cost me quite a bit of money in repairs, the sheer feeling of driving it and the enjoyment of others when they stare at it and ask about it really makes the financial headaches worth it in the end. I would never want to imagine sitting in an ugly autonomous egg and being ‘carried’ everywhere - That sounds like hell to me.

I’ll keep this old girl running healthy and looking pretty as long as I physically can because she’s a survivor and she deserves nothing less. Might even look into adding another C-Body to the family when I’m older and have the ability to. I’m beginning to understand what fellow members on this site mean when they say it becomes an addiction..