With its final-year body-on-frame construction, the 1966 Imperial Crown was the last of the breed. Steve examines a heavily optioned example with massive 440 Mopar power.
Back in high school (about 1990) my buddy and I pulled a '65 imperial out of the woods and got it running. It had been sitting for years but with some fresh gas and a new battery she fired right up. They sure don't make 'em like that any more.
It struck me how crystal clear those headlight covers were almost 60 years later...unlike whatever crap they make them out of now which get all yellow and crazed in a relatively short period of time. I have looked at Imp's on CL over the years, and up til 2 or 3 years ago you could have scored a clean driver example Cali (no rust) car for $2500 to $5k. Not now. It would be pretty big bucks to restore one, since the low production numbers mean parts (other than mechanical) would be high priced, if you could find them at all.
1964, 1965 & 1966 Imperials have been turning heads since day one...these cars just have a presence/make a statement...l always liked this generation Imperial
I use to be big in the derby and in the mid 80s right before they were outlawed in my area, I ran a 66 imperial just like that. I won several derbies with it and sold it to another derby guy who ran it a few times as well. They held up to run multiple times. Good stuff. They don't make em like that anymore that for sure.
@Timothy Ballinger they stoped them here in San Diego Ca. They used to have them in between Monster Truck Jam. I liked the guys that would drive in reverse when Drive failed in the tranny.
Good morning Steve , I agree this car needs to be restored . and by the way I'm very impressed with your ability to memorize all the numbers and statistics you do or your ability to hide and access them . Thanks as usual
Hello Mark Battista, THANKS for the kind words. I am very well versed in the history of certain cars and trucks. Others...not so much. But I never want to start guessing or bluffing in these videos (or on the Barrett-Jackson auction block...my other gig). So sometimes I'll actually write a few prompt notes on window glass to trigger my memory as I make my way around each vehicle. If you watch closely you might spot an occasional scribbled "Cliff note" on certain cars (mostly imported stuff, which is "foreign" to me and I don't know nearly as well as American stuff). Thanks for writing, Steve Magnante
Hello Katie Jameson, please do "save" this mighty Imperial. My "dream" in making these videos is that somebody, somewhere will see and appreciate the vehicle and preserve it. I hope you can do that in this instance. If it helps, Bernardston Auto Wrecking is owned by Dale Hastings who can be reached at 413/648-9300. I stay out of the middle on this stuff but encourage you to call in and work a deal! THANKS for watching and writing, Steve Magnante
@@SteveMagnante After watching your video " Not a Dart " on the beat to death 64 Valiant station wagon there, I called and bought the taillights for my 65 Plymouth Valiant V200 wagon. I just love the flush 64 lights , front grille, and front fenders. I just couldn't help switching my 65 to appear to be a 64. Thanks, Steve !
@@SteveMagnante absolutely!! I have known that family for a long time as I grew up there. I was the individual you met about 2 months ago in the grey Ram who used to own a few vehicles that you have done videos on. Hope to see you again there, maybe on the day I am able to bring that Imperial home
Hello Robert Johnson. Been down to The Crossroads lately? Music reference aside, fear not. Bernardston Auto Wrecking NOW has a no-crush policy so what you see - though not exactly protected from the elements - is not in danger of being crushed out of existence. That said, there is no impetus to do any restoration with much of the inventory, but anything and everything (mostly) if for sale to any interested party. I stay out of the middle of that stuff but I know owner Dale Hastings "appreciates what he has and won't let them be crushed anymore". That's comforting to me. OK, THANKS fore writing, Steve Magnante
Had a 70 2dr Imperial a great looking car a little weird to some with its very large trunk. It had the hideaway headlights. White with black vinyl top. I got it from a friend really cheap because he power washed the engine and it started missing because the water had gotten into the distributor and not taking my advice to clean it out he forced it to run down the rd saying it would dry out. Well a few miles of flooring the gas pedal the 440 back fired 1 last time and cut off. Then he tried to burn up the starter trying to crank it. So pulled the distributor cap and cleaned out the water. It would run but it sounded awful popping backfiring etc. Well he practically sold me the car right there on the side of the rd. When we finally got it towed back to my place the whole way home my friend was complaining that the previous owner sold it knowing something was wrong with the engine. 🙄. Well turns out it jumped time and by the next weekend I was floating down the highway and couldn't help myself to do a burnout right in front of my friends house. Left 2 impressive black marks for sure. Drove the old girl a few yrs before I sold it for pennies compared to today's value. I was a young man in what people referred to as a grandpa car and now I really miss that car. I sure hope it didn't end up as a demo fighter. 😫 Great vid Steve, and don't forget to like share and subscribe. Namaste 🙏🏼
There was one of those at the auction last year. If you ever get a chance to see one in person, have a really close look. They redefine the term "overbuilt"
I had a 1966 Imperial convertible and loved it. Very cool car and the 440 was awesome. They only made 514 of them so it's pretty rare. If you're a fan of the Dukes of Hazzard, they used a red convertible '66 in one of the scenes. It did survive. Sorry, I don't remember what episode.
My mom had one, but I don't remember it having head rests, though I'm fairly sure it didn't have the auto-headlight dimmer. One feature it had was a radio station scan button above the floor mounted headlight dimmer switch that I fooled my friends into thinking it automatically changed to my favorite station when I sat in the drivers seat. ;-)
Engel looks like the type man i would see driving this model when i was a kid. ('73) When i was a LOF tech at the local garage , i changed the oil on one,with the old man watching me. Jingling the change in his pocket . I forgot to put the oil in from being nervous (17). after i start it , he say's , are you going to put oil in? I ran and shut it off and acted like i knew what i was doing. Filled it up and it ran fine.
Another oddity about these Imperials is that the vin on the driver's door pillar had raised digits, but the first two or three were punched in. A doofus cop claimed mine was stolen and altered, despite the fact that I had registered it three years in a row, and had the title in hand to prove it. They impounded the car, and a state inspector dressed down the cop for not knowing this VIN info. The cop was indeed a former student of the inspector.
I wish you would have showed the trim tag and the VIN which would give us the win: Y for Imperial, M for Medium Price class, 43 for four door hardtop, J for 440 V8 with four barrel, 6 for 1966 model year, then possibly 3 for Jefferson Ave/Detroit, MI assembly and the rest would be the production sequence. The original Jefferson plant that built this car ran from 1925 to 1990 and the "new" Jefferson plant is adjacent to it, opening in 1991, and produces Jeep products and the Dodge Durango for Stellantis (the new name for Chrysler now). No tag, can't brag, but it might go something like this: YM43 for Imperial Crown four door hardtop, W for Persian White exterior paint, M3C or M9C for White/Blue interior trim. You could probably picture the folks that owned a car like this---maybe stepping up from a lesser Chrysler model as a trade in, maybe nearing retirement, kids off to school, or getting married and out of the house and looking for something to get around town in style. I believe that the Chrysler compressor and GM system which as you allude to is the A6 axial compressor or the "log" in junkyard speak (which was as you noted was made by Frigidaire which they owned until 1979) were equals as both were known as "snow cones". It was the joke that with either system you could hang meat inside the car it got so cold. I remember a few A6 equipped vehicles that would blow frost through the vents they were so cold. Chrysler cars with air conditioning often had "Air Temp By Chrysler" stickers on the windows. For a time, Air Temp also made house central air conditioning units.
Hi, Steve. I bought a silver 66 Crown hardtop with a silver and black interior in 1981 at a Tulsa estate auction . Fabulous car. I don't know for sure, but I believe it was shipped to Venezuela for use but a Tulsa oll executive with Cities Service (now part of Valero, I believe), as there were street maps of Caracas, a dash mounted altimeter, and other miscellaneous items in the glove compartment and trunk that led to that conclusion. The "100 year old Claro walnut" was in pristine condition, and everything on it worked, including the foot control switch for the AM/FM radio. I dearly loved that car, but with a young and growing family I couldn't afford the 6 mpg on premium and adding lead to every tank so I donated it to our church and took the tax write-off. Like every old car I've ever had, I wish I still had it!
Back in 2003 I came across a 65 Crown Coupe in Bethel, Connecticut. It was sitting up to it's wheel and axle bearings on private property. I was told it belonged to a family where the owner was deceased and it was sitting there for years. Black with a maroon gut. I took pics to remember it.
I remember watching derbys back in the 70's and 80's. The Imperials were so tough the owners would compete with the same car in multiple events. It was an odd sight to see a bashed up car lined up with undented cars yet it was usually the Imperial that won. The back ends would crunch to a certain point then no further
I’ve always thought these were particularly great looking cars. I also think their lower production numbers make them more exclusive. It was interesting to hear you mention the Green Hornet. To this day, I see the lines of the Black Beauty when looking at these. Thanks as always ~ Chuck
I had a 65 Imperial and that dimmer always would bright light cop vehicles at night and mine had the radio that had like a second dimmer switch that moved the dial.
They may not have had the greatest air con but that condenser sure must have helped. It has to be the widest in automotive history. I'd love that car,in black or very dark Maroon .
The name of the video caught my attention. I remember seeing a rock-n-roll band many years ago called the “Demolition Doll Rods”. They were out of Detroit.
Man to me that’s one beautiful automobile! Reminds me of the green hornet’s car! That’s a rare beauty rotting away! How sad! I think it could be saved.
Considering how few of these were made and used as demo derby cars a surprising amount of these could be seen on the road when they were 20 years old. That is real wood trim in the 1966 Imperial as well.
Those were beautiful cars. It also made me think of the beautiful Imperial convertible in "It's a Mad Mad Mad Mad World". "We're in the Imperial and we're last!" LOL so true!
and they wrecked it towards the end of the movie,supposedly the studio used the car after the movie for running errands.that was a low production car too!
I've had a number of Imperials, people always wanted to buy them for derby cars most of the ones I had were to good for that. I have one 67 left with 3000 miles, I paid $200.from a cemetery.
I don't know about other states but in Missouri the Imperial was banned from derby's by the mid 80's. I bought one to run when I was a kid in the early 80's and by the time I got it running there was no where I could run it anymore.
This was the car the 440 was developed for. The 440 engine block used the newer casting technology that was used for the 273 engine. The 440 was supposed to be a large, smooth engine to compete with the Cadillac and Lincoln engines. All 66 and 67 440 engines were, 'hand balanced" for smoothness. It looks like the hand balancing is a heavy steel ring with balance holes drilled, welded to the crankshaft pulley . That practice was stopped for 1968 model year.
I remember a couple of these showing up at a hit-to-pass event at the local speedway. They were fine at the start and end of the racing season while all the other cars were destroyed.
When I was in auto shop in high school in the early 1980s, we had one of these come in for service. It was fully loaded with options including both rear seat heat AND A/C (the second heater core and evaporator were underneath the rear window package shelf). I remember the glass covers over the headlights as I had never seen that before. The car was amazing - it had cigarette lighters and ashtrays in every door armrest (except driver's door IIRC), and the ashtrays were lit as well. It was one of the most luxurious cars that I had ever seen come through our shop, as far as bells and whistles go. It had courtesy lights everywhere inside (or so it seemed, as compared to other cars of the same vintage). These were really well-built cars and even more amazing to me, despite the relatively-low production numbers, these cars are still getting dragged out of fields and back yards even today - I subscribe to several demo derby channels on YT and am amazed at the numbers of these cars still being used to derby (some states even have "all-Imperial" classes).
I love these full size Chrysler cars. They never got the same attention the A,B,and E cars did. Suprising how complete this one actually is. I expected it to be missing at least its motor. Hopefully someone saves it.
I can tell you why Imperial sold less automobile's, it's because they were almost the price of a RR and the cost of of top grade material's used to build a superior vehicle along with the labor, research and development made them higher cost 😇😊
Yep.....these cars were "outlawed" at our local KS demo derby back in the 1980s. Same dad and son had been using (many of ) them up to that point. Kinda took the fun out cuz they always won.
As a kid I loved watching demo derby’s at our local racetrack, now I’m saddened by all the great cars that were forever destroyed for our enjoyment. Oh well I suppose
Having driven and worked on Lincolns, Caddys and Chryslers over the years, the Imperial was the best handling, most comfortable and most reliable of the bunch IMO. My neighbor has a really nice 65 in his garage right next door to me.
In 1979 I picked up a 1965 imperial. It looked nearly new. The seats were covered in plastic. The car was loaded with options. I still prefer a Cadillac but I wish I’d kept that imperial
My brother bought a white 1960 Crown 4-door sedan. 413 V-8 and swivel bucket seats. It even had a button on the driver’s floor for changing radio stations.
Hello tony Chasey, please do! Bernardston Auto Wrecking is owned by Dale Hastings who can be reached at 413/648-9300. I stay out of the middle on stuff like this but am always delighted when any vintage car gets saved in part due to video exposure. Thanks again for writing, Steve Magnante
I think it'll be a perfect partner for my 71 Imperial LeBaron 4 door hardtop and my 75 Imperial Crown coupe! Thank you for your reply, steve! I watch every one of your videos!
Man, there's so many cars in that yard that could be driven out of their with a days work and a pickup bed full of new parts .. I'm surprised the Roadkill guys haven't been blowing up your message bank!
Hello Honda nation. Yes indeed, wildlife can be a challenge in the junkyard. Back during The Great Texas Mopar Hoard Auction Event of 2021 there were rattle snakes all around the property. The auction staff even killed one they caught slithering along at dawn one morning and I made a video about it (you can see it on the Channel Playlist for Texas Mopar Hoard). as for Bernardston Auto Wrecking, yes indeed in the summer wasps and hornets are the big hassle. That Imperial did have a nest in the trunk. We have found that it is safe to keep working and sort of ignore any wasps that come near to "sniff me out". They tend to fly away if I DON"T freak out and start swatting / running. They somehow sense the fear / tension and then all bets are off. But if you stay calm and keep doing your thing, they "generally" aren't a hassle. That said, stumbling onto a huge nest could be a very different story so i always keep an eye out for any "basketballs" built up over time before diving into any junkyard vehicle. Oh and nobody on my team has an insect allergy. In those situations, DO NOT mess with insects as bites can trigger big, big problems for the folks with bee sting allergies. Gitta put that out there too! OK, THANKS for writing, Steve Magnante
@@SteveMagnante wow Steve I will definitely check that video out! I just figured you had definitely seen some wasp and snakes! I know you go tru a lot fighting insects and the heat to share your information about all these cars…but I’m glad you do we appreciate it all you share with us….you are super smart my man! I love the channel and glad a friend of mine told me about it….I’m a car guy so I love hearing all about stuff I didn’t even know about cars…and I can tell just by the way you talk you are truly passionate about it too….we’ll be safe out there and look fwd to tomorrow video 😊 thanks agin for sharing your knowledge on cars….
I pulled one of those cruise control units apart as a kid, got one from a car at the dump. It had a pretty heavy electric motor in it that spun centrifugal weights that pulled on a throttle cable. It was quite the beast.
Been watching you spit knowledge on the auction block since the old Speed channel days in the 2000s when I was just a kid. Love learning from you man. Absolute pleasure finding your channel. Subscribed. Cheers.
The 440 engine was developed to compete with the large Cadillac and Lincoln engines and all 1966 and 1967 440 engines were, "hand balanced" at the factory to insure smoothness. That practice was discontinued for the 1968 model year, when 440 engines received standard factory balancing.
