New guy with a 1938 Chrysler Imperial

[andyd]

Taking nothing away from the 38 Imperial I was just checking the pics again and marvelling at the beautiful upholstery when I realised that the rear seat doesn't have a centre armrest..............a lack of which I am really surprised...........I only mention this as my Oz assembled, T.J. Richards bodied 1940 Dodge does have a rear seat centre armrest, the cars original upholstery was leather seats facings with cloth door cards, a felt roof lining and carpeted front & back.......admittedly when I got the car in 1971 the upholstery was, shall we say............worn.........lol..........what is the material that the Imperial is upholstered in?..........are the door cards in the same material as the seats?........just beautiful....andyd..  

[Daniel Jones]

21 hours ago, andyd said:

Many years ago in the mid 1970's a mate obtained a 1938 Imperial C-20 Limosene, one of 122 built ex Detroit

A few years ago, one of those was for sale at a local consignment place:

 

https://www.schmitt.com/inventory/joseph-p-kennedy-1938-chrysler-custom-imperial-town-limousine-by-lebaron/

 

It was built for the Joe Kennedy when he was the U.S. Ambassador to Great Britain.  His son would go on to be President of the United States until his assassination in 1963.  BTW, Chrysler's brochure for the Imperial limo can be found here:

 

https://www.lov2xlr8.no/brochures/chrysler/38chrys/38chrys.html

[Daniel Jones]

5 hours ago, keithb7 said:

I really notice the extra length in the front fenders. 

That length is needed for extra length of the straight 8 engine.  I measure the head at 30.5" compared to 23" or 25" for the sixes.  Nash in that era had several different chassis.  The shortest got a flathead 6, the intermediate got an OHV 6 and longest was for the OHV 8.  However, in 1936 both the OHV 6 and OHV 8 got the longest wheelbase (125") so my Ambassador's OHV 6 engine has a spacer for the fan that's 4" longer.

 

5 hours ago, keithb7 said:

Does your Imperial have OD?

Yes, I think it's a Borg Warner T86-1P 3 speed and R6-1 overdrive.  The one from my dad's 1937 Imperial is pictured below in the middle and I know it's a T86-1P and R6-1 combo but the parking brake cable and bracket are on the opposite side compared to the 1938.  The one in my 1938 doesn't appear to be working.  The cable had slipped an inch or so in the bracket under the car so I thought it was going to be an easy fix but it's still not engaging.  The next thing to try is disconnect the cable and manually engage the lever and see if that makes a difference.  Otherwise it will have to come out.  I was hoping to be able to swap in the one from 1937 but the different parking brake bracket sides makes not so straight forward.  Do you happen to know of any specialists familiar with the R6 or any parts sources?  For the 324, I'm considering adapting a T-5 5 speed.  The flywheel bolt pattern for the post-war 324 is different from the 274 and 299 so I'd need to do something about the flywheel anyway.  I know there is a guy who makes a T-5 adapter kit for the flathead sixes that I might be able to modify to work.  In case you don't have it, the Chrysler overdrive brochure for 1937 is located here:

 

https://xr793.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/01/1937-Chrysler-Overdrive.pdf

[Daniel Jones]

4 hours ago, andyd said:

I realised that the rear seat doesn't have a centre armrest

You might have had to get the New York Special package to get the center arm rest.  It was an Imperial but with the larger displacement (324 versus 299 CID) straight eight ("deliberately over-powered") and a "swankier" interior.

4 hours ago, andyd said:

.what is the material that the Imperial is upholstered in?

I'm not sure.  It looks very similar to the original material.  I think the seats and door cards are the same material.  The New York Special advertisement below calls out "Laidlaw cloth" but that may be unique to that optional package.
 

[andyd]

Daniel, that link to Joe Kennedys Imperial Limo is interesting.........the one here in Oz was originally found by a mate, Russell Cope in a wrecking yard in Brisbane, a local magazine here in Oz did a feature on this wrecking yard around 1972, Russell saw the pic of the car and bought it, I got to know Russell about this time as he was involved in starting the local Chrysler Restorers Club of Australia & I had visions of starting a Dodge Club but decided to give him the contacts etc I had and remember sitting in the back of the Imperial Limo and finding that with my back against the seat back my legs outstretched didn't touch the back of the partition devider....

.........Russells car was basically complete except for the starter motor which he had major problems in finding as I think from memory the 1938 straight 8 used a reduction gear starter which was impossible to find anywhere...............then Russell was told that a local motor boat manufacturer in Sydney also used Chrysler Straight 8 engines in their 30-40foot boats......a call to Halversons found a selection of brand new starter motors on the shelf........Russell was a happy camper.......

.............anyway, Russell ended up selling the 38 Limo after a few years unfinished to another guy in the Chrysler Restores Club, Les Sonter who restored the car but restored it with that enclosed rear quarter window feature that the Kennedy car has and Les still has it.........if you do a search under " Les Sonter 1938 Chrysler Imperial" it should be found......... regards from Oztralia............Andy Douglas  

[Young Ed]

On 12/26/2023 at 1:38 AM, andyd said:

Daniel..........Welcome aboard from sunny South Grafton, New South Wales, East Coast Australia.......great story, I'me impressed with your Imperial family.........have a question tho'......I'm curious about those 3  intake manifolds in your picture.....what are they from?........I'm searching for a 1957-1962 318 Polysphere Plymouth cast iron 4 barrel intake manifold...........the 4 barrel intakes were never used here in Oz and are not common anywhere.........what are those intakes you have from?..........regards from Oz...Andy Douglas   

I'm watching for one too....I'll let you know if I find a spare

[Daniel Jones]

21 hours ago, andyd said:

search under " Les Sonter 1938 Chrysler Imperial" it should be found.

Thanks for the tip.  There's a 9 page write up in the September/October and November/December 2009 issues of the
Chrysler Restorer.

 

https://www.chrysler-restorers-sa.org.au/crcmag184.pdf
https://www.chrysler-restorers-sa.org.au/crcmag185.pdf

 

Quite the adventure.  I really like the final shade of blue.

[andyd]

Daniel.........thanks for the reference to the South Australian branch of the Chrysler Restorers Club.......they were started as an offshoot of the NSW original.......I think I remember reading Les Sonters story on the Imperial restoration in the NSW branch magazine..............the Imperial has also been a major feature in Oz's only true old car magazine...Restored Cars which has been published since 1972.........Les Sonters article brings back quite a few memories as the original restorer, Russell Cope as I mentioned was a good mate and even tho' he was much older than me at the time, I was around 20 yrs of age, Russell was in the early 40's I suppose, he & his family treated me as a fellow restorer and we got on well........lol............Russell as far as I know is still around, in his mid/late 80's (I'm 70 next February) and living in the town of Young in central New South Wales............your thread and the posts have brought back some pleasant memories........thanks mate...........BTW the Dodge Story was in that Restored Cars magazine & the 1940 Dodge shown was my actual 1940 Dodge Coupe the pic taken before I bought it in 1970, the other 2 pics are of that same car after me, a bright eyed 16 yrs old bought it and pulled it apart, the 3rd pic showing the fenderless but 318 Poly powered 1940 Dodge Sedan was taken of me driving the car, V8 powered for the 1st time out of the garage I built it in in August 1973.......I still have it 50 yrs later.......regards.....andyd    

[blue p15]

Great looking car!  And I love hearing the stories that old cars have to tell.