When I was 11 years old, I was walking into church with my parents, and Mrs Bell, whose husband owned a construction company, pulled into the parking lot in her brand new 73 Imperial LeBaron, a silver/pewter with white leather interior and white vinyl top. One gorgeous car! She traded it on a 75, same color combination, but just wasn't as impressive as her 73. Loved Imperial ever since.
I love Imperial awakening stories..... Mine was when l was 5 and my rich Uncle Sal visited and pulled into the driveway with his maroon '68 coupe. Omg , to me it was a Rolls...👍❤️
In the 80’s my neighbor had two of these, in brown. Huge thing. One day the school bus didn’t show up, and it was a cold winter day - so my neighbor told us all to jump in and he’d drop us off at school on his way to work. Must have been at least 8 of us in the back seat, plus a bunch in the front, and it wasn’t even cramped. I mean, we were all of 6-10 years old, so it wasn’t difficult to fit so many in the car. Smooth ride. Giant car.
The B-52s "Love Shack" has a great line that invokes visions of the fuselage-era Mopars...."I got me a Chrysler, it's as big as a whale, and it's about to set sail......I got me a car that seats about twenty...."
@Stephen3164Now that is a great memory! Funny how little things like that stick with us as fond memories for decades. Probably the fun of doing something unusual…piling in a giant car with 8 or 10 other kids on a cold day. Something you possibly never did again.
My parents had a 1973 Imperial Lebanon. It was a bit long in the tooth when I started driving it to high school. The interior was all leather, for an enormous car it hauled ass, and the back seat area was like a living room sofa - I loved that part. lol
215 bhp at 5,000 pounds meant 0-60 in 12 seconds. I can haul ass on my bicycle better than that. But nothing like that interior, 8 track with a dictation machine, reading lamps in the back seat. Very cool. They didn't talk about trunk space, but I'm sure a family of four could live comfortably back there.
Learned to drive in my Dad’s 1972 Imperial Le Baron. I remember it being a vary quiet car, noticeably quieter than the 71 New Yorker we had previously. I remember it having a very smooth ride, but not as wallowy a ride as other land yachts of the time. My dad had it until he died in 2017, now my nephew has it.
My uncle rest his soul worked for Chrysler corporation leasing division in Los Angeles in the 60s and 70s ,his job was mostly to supply vehicles for TV and Movies to the major studios as such he was always given cutting edge models to drive like Chargers, Challengers and his personal favourites Imperial and New Yorkers
My dad had a 70 or 71 in that mustard custard yellow in your pictures, with a vinyl top and probably cloth seats. He hung a string with a weight from a garage rafter that lined up with the front of the hood to let him know there was no more room to pull forward, plus had pig iron under each front wheel. The rear of the car cleared the garage door by maybe an inch. It was a beautiful car, with power seats, and a smooth ride. Those days are long gone.
Similar story with my 1975 Cadillac...we put two old iron "Glass Molds" from the local bottle plant where it would stop the back wheels as we always backed in the garage. We had to remove the bottom lift handle from the garage door to get it down past the front bumper.
My uncle had one of these in the very late eighties. It was gold with the gold interior. His had the rear Air-con and would freeze you out quickly. it was in spectacular condition when he bought it used. Fun-fact; in Iowa the title on this car stated limousine even though it was the standard sedan.
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By the late 1980s, in Vancouver, at least, those things could be purchased for $500! I know, I bought one, converted it to LPG and used it as my daily driver. What a beast!
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P.S., Mine was black on black.
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With two LPG mixers, my 440 generated 403 BHP at the rear wheels. I later pulled that drive train and dumped it into a 1973 SE Brouham Charger. I much preferred the Le Baron.
It's amazing how fast the depreciation happened for luxury cars of the 70s. Those that could afford them bought or leased a new car every other year. If you weren't upper middle class, you didn't want them. It was tough to sell a used model. Those sorts of cars always had all the bells and whistles with electronic everything that broke soon after the warranty expired (or before) further devaluating them in the market. You were guaranteed a low mileage pampered big block for cheap if you bought one used. I had a 1970 Lincoln Continental with a 460 in the 90s that I picked up for $350 with 50,000 miles. It wasn't in the best shape but ran great.
That Lincoln got 12 miles to the gallon on the highway in the city uphill downhill, LOL!
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I drove several $50 to $200 cars and trucks in the late 1980s through 2002, that would be worth several thousand, now. Considering what is being produced, let alone SOLD these days, it is truly mind-boggling.@@tiki_trash
I had a 73 Imperial (in 1984). It had the security system and Sure Brake. There are photos online of a Presidential 73 Imperial limo. It was a combo of a sedan and coupe body.
Ballast resistor!!! This video is the first time I ever heard that failure of the ballast resistor is sometimes related to water. I just thought it was something that unpredictably and randomly failed. My brother had a 1973 Dodge Coronet 318 back in the early 1980s. He was home from college and I washed his car, including hosing down the engine (today I would never hose down any engine, to me it’s just inviting trouble). When I was done washing his car, to my horror, it wouldn’t start! I knew my brother had to drive back to college later that day. But I played dumb, hoping that whatever got wet under the hood causing the car not to start would either dry out or magically fix itself before he had to go. When my brother went to drive off he discovered his car wouldn’t start, but he didn’t come after me! Apparently he know about the ballast resistor (we had a 67 Dodge and also a 1971 Dodge previous to his 1973). I think he went to the little family owned auto parts store and bought a new ballast resistor, came home, put it on, and the car started and he went on his way. Years later he told me generally about the pain in the ass ballast resistor. Again I played dumb and never admitted that I think I might have been the cause of one of his ballast resistor failures!
I never liked the front end styling on these Imperials compared to the previous design but now it's not so bad. Very unique. You almost never saw any of them when new. In the day I don't recall anyone I knew having a big Chrysler let alone an Imperial. In 1980 I worked with a guy that had a used 1971 Imperial coupe that was a beautiful dark green with black interior. He loved it and took excellent care of it. Another great video.
I especially appreciate insights into what parts are reliable, and what are problematic. Reliability isn't often mentioned by other commentators, even in professional magazines--but it's important to know before buying a collector car! I have sometimes researched old Consumer Reports, even back into the 1950's.
This is why so many garages of houses built in the 60's and 70's were 22 feet long vs today's that are only 18 or 20 feet long.. Massive beast.. very neat cars that don't get the attention they are worthy of in my opinion in car auction circles and within the car collector societies and publications..
Im not certain those were the longest cars of the modern era. Im fairly sure a 1975-76 Cadillac Fleetwood Brougham was as long or even longer. The Cadillac commercial chassis, (often made into limousines) also known as a series 75 certainly exceeded it. The Lincoln Town Car from 1974-79 was likely as long also.
@@donreinke5863 It is the longest non-limousine American production car at 235.3″. 1975 Buick Electra 225: 234.4″ 1977-1979 Lincoln Continental: 233.0″ Cadillac Fleetwood Brougham was 233.7".
Hey Adam, I think that after seeing this video I'm going to consider purchasing a 73 Imperial because I always worry about my toupee popping off & landing gently in the back seat!!! Thanks for the tip!!! 🙄🎄☃️
Now a days I have come to appreciate these cars. I would LOVE to be able to take a spin in one of these early 1970's Imperials once again. As I posted the other day I was lucky enough to take a road trip with a friend pf mine and his family to Cedar Point. What a wonderful car even with its faults.
Watching old episodes of Kojak and Starsky and Hutch etc. Fun to see these huge 70s cars float and bounce around in car chases... must have been great stunt drivers just to keep them on the road! 😮
Thank You Adam. The door pockets came back at Lincoln. The last Town Car had them. I like the interior door handles. I like the bumper guards they used to put on so many cars. Chrysler was innovative for the things that are on cars today like those rear seat vents. I think the Imperial losing its uniqueness hurt it as well. The next Imperial became New Yorker Brougham in 1976.
That dark red is beautiful and the white top really sets it off! The mysterious front grill and elegant rear finish is really nice. Love the rear seat touches, like the pillow and hidden door storage. Hope you could highlight some of the names and special colors in the future! Nice summary!
That car is of unit construction like all other Chryslers of that time. They are somewhat lighter that comparable Lincoln and Cadillac models that have body-on-frame construction. I had a friend whose dad had a 1970 Plymouth Suburban station wagon that had the rear air conditioning unit. It was so neat to sit in the back seat and have air conditioning blow on you. My uncle had a 1971 Mercury Marquis and I am almost sure it had a similar set up to this Imperial for rear air conditioning; I remember the hoses that were under the rear package shelf when the trunk lid was open. GREAT VIDEO!
In my opinion, one of the most gorgeous exterior designs in US automotive history. Truly an imperial presence. Though the sterile interior is the polar opposite, Pontiac’s looked more luxurious inside. Totally unforgivable looking at what came before 😕
I believe the reason these cars didn't sell was that Chrysler didn't know how to market them. They really promoted the Valiant and Dart, but their full size cars were ignored. Really ashame. The 69-73 models were beautiful. And the quality was just as good as GM and Ford.
I think you are right. Chrysler, imo, has never been a marketing powerhouse. Their big cars to my best recall, were not promoted much at all during these late 60s, early 70s years. Not sure why that was. Perhaps budgets were too limited, as compared to Lincoln and Cadillac, because sales were relatively poor. Then the oil embargo came, and sales suffered even more. And from there, it went downhill further, until bankruptcy loomed in 1979-80.
These were truly immense. I looked at one a few years back but ran the other way when I got a whiff of electrical gremlins. Seeing one in person after all that time I was shocked at how big it was.
This brought back a lot of memories. In 71 to 73 I worked at a Chrysler Plymouth Dodge dealership as a car detailer. So I got to drool over these beauties while preping them I remember there was a wierd lime green one in the showroom for the longest time. But I got to briefly drive a lot of new cars and some used ones 69 Roadrunner, a GTX and I got to drive some of the Fury, Ohio Highway Patrol cars back to the dealrship after dropping the troopers off somewhere. Wow a 16 year old boy gets a lot of looks when he's driving one of those. And later when I bought a new 76 Sport Fury, I kept an extra one of those resistors in the car. And those AC compressors would last forever.
11:04 _ballast resistor failure symptom_ With the key in the RUN position, the 12 volts to the ignition coil went through the ballast resistor to limit current through the coil primary. With the key in the START position, the resistor was bypassed to allow a higher current through the coil temporarily for easier engine starting. When you released the key from START, the open ballast resistor prevented the ignition coil from providing the high voltage to the spark plugs.
I've also seen - a few times - where the Start side would fail but not the Run side. Crank-no-start - but if it hit just right, would fire when you released the key back to run. I too kept a spare in the glove box. Never had to use it for myself but bailed out several folks in the parking lot!
Nearly all cars that had points ignition (and some with electronic) had a resistor bypass for cranking. On Fords it was one of the two smaller wires on the fender (or radiator support on Thunderbirds) connected to the starter relay. The other wire activated the relay. GM vehicles had the resistor bypass wire on the starter solenoid. One exception on Fords was the 1955-57 Thunderbird which used a ceramic housed resistor near the coil, similar to the Mopar design. Mopars had the often-failing ceramic housing resistor on the firewall, while Ford and GM used a resistor wire from the ignition switch run terminal.
I had a 72 Plymouth Fury Gran Coupe. Teal with a black vinyl top. I miss that car so bad. Even more that the 66 charger I had. I was 19. Now 60. That Imperial is gorgeous 😍
Love the Mail Pouch tobacco slogan on the barn in the backyard. I remember many a roadtrip as a kid seeing these all over the place especially in rural areas. My brother & I used to have contests counting them
I have what was a genuine Mail Pouch Tobacco painted barn on my farm in southwestern Pennsylvania. The farm has been in my family since 1942. I’m essentially the last of my immediate family. For the past 50+ years the barn has been kept painted white, but sometimes when the paint peels you can see remnants of the Mail Pouch paint scheme underneath!
@@CH67guy1 We used to drive to New York almost every summer & drove almost the entire length of the Pennsylvania turnpike from about 1955 to 1964 so maybe we passed your barn when the Mail Pouch lettering was on display
@@stevenwolff6866 The PA turnpike is such an adventurous drive! I think the barn was Mail Pouch throughout the 1940s and 1950s. But my farm is not visible from the PA turnpike.
Excellent video. As the current owner of a 1973 Imperial (Old Red, a burnished red metallic 4dr that bears a striking resemblance to the model in your opening still), I found it very interesting and learned some things. Thanks!
The 'family car' for years was the 1973 Imperial LeBaron. A two door. In that 'Sun Fire Yellow' you see on that 2nd to last Imperial shown in this video. What made it special was that it had the Trailer Towing Package that made it handle surprisingly well.
Same with the R107. That black box under the hood would somehow freeze in cold weather and split, causing a "no heat" condition that made the car miserable to drive in the winter!. It cost four figures to replace it with a new one that would be guaranteed to split again in the near future. Someone finally started making an aftermarket digital replacement at a reasonable price that restored the unit's function without fear of further failure.
My 73 is the same color. It has most options, including ABS, dual air, vent windows , auto headlight dimmer. Tilt telescope wheel. I kinda like the bumper guards.
Man you're right. Apparently the 4 doors had it. My 73 2 door doesn't have vent windows. Another cool feature that I'd love to have next to the Barcelona chair design on the optional split bench which was a 4 door only
My mother had the 1970 Newport Coupe, dark gold with black interior and black vinyl roof. It was a joyous ride and drive. So smooth and elegant riding. One morning driving I was able to pick up my previous history teacher who lived down the street from us and take her to our high school. She was quite taken with my mom's car!
I feel like these don't get the credit they deserve. Beautifully styled and elegant by any stretch of the imagination, I'd love to have one. I like the interior of the Imperial over the Mark IV and Eldorado any day and I have a 72 Mark IV.
Growing up in Dearborn, I am old enough to remember when the the Imperial plant sat in Dearborn Mi in the Warren and Wyoming area. It later became an early discount shopping center called Imperial City.
In 1973, in my upper-middle-class SoCal community, I was surrpunded by snotty Volvo & Mercedes drivers (even a few Rovers and Saabs!) Whenever one of my high-tone neighbors bought a big Airstream or other high-end travel trailer, they always bought a 2-3 year old Chrysler to tow it - sometimes an Imperial, but usually a Town and Country. I always assumed the combo of the great 440, the superior Torqueflite, the robust leaf springs and the strongest bodies in the industry simply resulted in an unbeatable tow vehicle.
billmcdevitt1298 The point, Bill, is that those Eurotrash neighbors of mine couldn't hide their self-envy about their "sophisticated" cars while they sniffed their own farts out of wine glasses, but - when they had a job to do - they always relied upon MoPars and let their precious ballerina cars sit it out. I remember seeing Mr. Benz 300 SE's face twist into disgust when he had to ride to a function in my Dad's '77 NYB St. Regis. One mile later, when it dawned on him what REAL leather was like, what 10-vent Chrysler Autotemp II could do, what luxury car ride, room and silence provided, I think I saw him shed a tiny tear.
What a lovely land yacht. Thought my dads '76 Electra 225 was long. I ended up getting a spot to park my car in the garage as when he brought the car home he could not park it in the garage as it was so long the garage door could not be shut. 😆
About 28 years ago, I picked up one of these not knowing what I do now. I paid $500 for one with 90k and a rebuilt 727 trans and a 440 4bbl. The car was metallic brown with a vinyl top and cream leather interior. Everything worked. But, needing a 440 for my 1968 Coronet 500 Convertible build I gutted the Chrysler and sent the rest to the you pull it yard. I still have the Coronet but I really should have kept the Chrysler and shopped around for another engine for the Coronet. Live and learn I guess.
When I was 11 years old I went with my Dad to our Plymouth dealer to order a new station wagon. It was the only car he custom ordered from the factory. A 1971 Plymouth Custom Suburban (Fury) wagon with the 383 4bbl engine and dual air conditioning. We drove from NY down to Florida in the summer of 1973 and my sister and I rode in the “way-way back”. With the rear A/C unit overhead between the middle and rear seats we were cool and comfortable no matter how hot it was outside.
Over the years I have had several Imperials and Chrysler Corp wagons, ALL with dual A/C. I was living in Phoenix and it was very refreshing to drive around (especially on the freeways) with both units cranking in 115 degree weather. My wife would complain it was too cold and on a few occasions the front Auto Temp system would almost shut down to minimum as it got so cold in there. Great A/C units.
I owned one of these vehicles in the late 70s I bought it off of my dad for $1000. Best car I ever had. I only got rid of it a few years ago in 2020. It was the two door, coupe LeBaron, white with black leather sport seats.
I had the pleasure of driving a 1972 Imperial LeBaron 2 door sedan. It was the customer delivery, pickup vehicle for the Chrysler dealership I drove for in Seattle, Washington as a recently graduated kid in 1982.I loved driving it immensely, it had such power and a silky smooth ride quality. It was a real gas guzzler, not that it fazed me, the dealership having its own gas pump. The 440 motor was something to see. Just massive.I could never have kept that gas tank filled myself, gas having gone up to .60 cents a gallon. My personal dream car at the time was a Datsun B210 sedan or fastback. Those constant gas price increases doomed that Chrysler in my eyes.
🥰🥰🥰🥰🥰 I love all the fuselage full-sized Chryslers from 1969-1973, but this is hands down my favorite!! Maybe it's partly because of its mention in the Guinness Book of World Records (it's in there, but you have to go back to a '74 version to find it). This IS my dream "luxo-boat." I used to see a lot of Imperials and New Yorkers on the road and in parking lots back in the 70's. So sad that cars have to all look the same, and be the same size dinky (unless you want a pickup, which I do not). They might have been built the best, or the most efficient, but damn it, they certainly were among some of the best looking. Just my opinion, of course. Thanks again for making and posting!!!
As soon as I saw that spectacular white interior in this video with the very square cornered seat cushions and button tufting I knew I had seen something similarly styled someplace before. I’m familiar with the Barcelona Chair, but never knew that’s what it is called.
I had a '73 New Yorker Brougham that I took on the Hot Rod Power Tour! Awesome Ride and it made it in the magazine the year, the Lettering on the trunk anyway! 'Repeat Offender' !!!
I agree. It is very creative for such a huge car, certainly compared to Lincoln and Cadillac. Many times, I think stylists think they kind of get an easy task when they're asked to style & sculpt a big car because some gentle curves and medallions are good enough.
I had one of these. I was involved in a fender-bender and took it to the Chrysler dealer for repair. When it came time to paint the repaired section, they had to clear out a section of the garage and do the painting on the garage floor as it was too big to go into the paint booth.
My Dad owned one of these. It would hit a 115 moh top speed, up hill. Until I blew a head gasket. So we used the hips copper units and also a Holley car with 1" spacer, Edelbrock medium rise intake, 3.5" full duals with H pipe,high flow mufflers, hooker medium tq headers, and 3pc valve springs, lighter timing chain(good for 7hp alone), and a medium performance cam on Dad's LeBaron. Dad's LeBaron had every option, including rear mount 8 track player in trunk as well as super rare moon roof. 4 disc braked as well. It went a lot quicker and sounded great. But it still drove like a dream. Other than cam, no internals were touched. Wish he never sold that car. It only had 6800 miles on the odometer and Dad was the original owner
In black these have a gangster presense - the look says "boss". I think the pre oil embargo Imperials should been given a stroked version of the 440 and rear axle gearing for lower rpm cruising, but the emissions certification probably wasn't worth it
When it does happen, don't say we didn't warn you. Had it happen to the 72 Coronet we used to have (and it wasn't an old car at the time). Fortunately, we pushed the car to the side and the next car happened to be a friend of ours (who was also driving a Chrysler) who diagnosed it on the spot. He even had his spare.
I want to build one of these with a Ray Barton 600+cube HEMI and 4 spd manual, pref 72 2dr black paint factory rims and hub caps, with beefed suspension and BIG brakes, I Think 9-1100hp with similar torque would be suitable for street use, 98octane is around $3.40 a litre here in New Zealand, that is $3.40 a litre, they are certainly fucking us in the arse down here, but a prius just ain't no substitute...!!!.MoPar you are with us, or you are behind us...!!!👌👍
I had to change a bunch of ignition switches on our 1978 New Yorker. It was on the steering column down near the floor. It kept burning out, and the AC wouldn't work. I had to change the connectors on the wires going into it also. Got to where I kept two of them around. I don't remember if that car had a ballast resistor. I do remember that one day, I smelled sulfur coming from under the hood. The battery was boiling, the top almost bursting off. I had to replace the differential once also. I still loved that car.
I had a 1976 New Yorker just "grazed" my 1990 Ford Escort. It ripped the entire passenger side to shreds totaling the car but barely dented the front bumper on the New Yorker! I always wondered what was the longest car ever made. I always figured it would have been something from the early 1960's. Wrong again. Thanks for the video!
This was designed at Art Center in Pasadena, California. Few yrs back at a show there . The designer was there. Asked him mamy questions. Little did i know he knew my Auntie from Detroit 😊
Chryslers always seemed to have air conditioning that was as good as or better than GM. However, that RV2 compressor was a cast iron monstrosity! I'm pretty sure it outweighed the GM A-6 compressor, which was no lightweight, either. Although, I suppose an extra 100 lbs on a car the size of the Imperial would make zero difference in performance or gas mileage.
It was cold AF because of the old r12 refrigerant. Has nothing to do with automakers, its the Govt telling us the world would end by 2012, and here we are
To be fair, these Imperials had the same fuselage bodies as contemporary Chryslers, and they were built on the same Chrysler production line. Caddies and Lincolns were built in their own exclusive plants, and shared less parts with the cheaper GM/Ford Company brands.
I had one of these a 73 Lebaron that ate alternators like chiklets. I remember driving home one night and it began to snow. I had the defroster on, the headlights on and the wipers on. I was creeping along in traffic and noticed the dash lights getting dimmer and dimmer and I said to my companion, “do you have warm shoes on?”
My neighbor across the street growing up purchased a 1973 Imperial two door new in October 1973. A white 2 door w/white vinyl top sunroof and white interior. Obviously a very rare car. It looked even bigger to me at the time as a 10 year old as a two door and I do not believe I have ever seen another. I really wonder how many Imperials were built in this combination. This car was replaced by a 1979 Buick LeSabre 2 door Palm Beach edition in creme gold and white two tone paint and matching interior with gold bumper strips and gold finished grill and wheels. A rare car with jess then 5000 produced and like the Imperial it was the only one I have ever seen. The Imperial was sold locally to someone who lived 4 blocks away and would occasionally see it, it definitely stood out, for the next 4 years or so.
Quite a number of years ago, a member of out group had a 73 the same color combinations as this one. His was a 2 door and also had a factory sunroof. He got into an accident and had difficulties with the insurance Co. I don't think it ever got fixed.
My father had a '73 LeBaron 2 door. Light blue with dark blue vinyl top and leather interior. What a cruiser! When you entered the back seat the front seat would move forward and return to it's previous position. Also recall the rear reading lamps and rear air. We rebuilt a couple of the control boxes for the auto temp II system. He had a '72 New Yorker Brougham with the same system. The Imperial also had four wheel disc brakes. I always thought it strange that the Imperial didn't have tilt telescope wheel or cruise. The New Yorker did. Both cars had issues with radiators, alternators, and starters. The Imperial barely fit into the garage. It also had a high beltline. On occasion I drove these cars....the 440 did the job with lots of torque. Brings back lots of memories!
At 87 I've had many imperials starting with a used 53 2dr Newport . A 54 2dr Newport (with fact Airtemp air) , 56 2dr Newport , 66 4dr LeBaron , 71 2dr LeBaron , 3 gorgeous 74 4dr LeBarons . 77 4dr NewYorker , and 78 2dr NYr . Can't complain about any of them . Very minor repairs . The beautiful 78 NYr was very much slower (sluggish) as it came with a 400ci engine and they also changed the rear end gears to 2.72 from 3.23 . All the imperials were fast excellerating except the 78 NYr , a slug . I always did all the maintenance myself from a young 18yr old till now (87) . I still have my two favorates sitting in my heated attached garage . The 5 2dr and one of the three 74 LeBarons . I have a 74 Motor Trend Mag where they did a fantastic road test of the Imperial , a Lincoln Cont. a Cad Eldo , a Jag , a BMW and a Mercedes . When the test completed , they rated the Imperial as the best
At 87 I've had many imperials starting with a used 53 2dr Newport . A 54 2dr Newport (with fact Airtemp air) , 56 2dr Newport , 66 4dr LeBaron , 71 2dr LeBaron , 3 gorgeous 74 4dr LeBarons . 77 4dr NewYorker , and 78 2dr NYr . Can't complain about any of them . Very minor repairs . The beautiful 78 NYr was very much slower (sluggish) as it came with a 400ci engine and they also changed the rear end gears to 2.72 from 3.23 . All the imperials were fast excellerating except the 78 NYr , a slug . I always did all the maintenance myself from a young 18yr old till now (87) . I still have my two favorates sitting in my heated attached garage . The 5 2dr and one of the three 74 LeBarons . I have a 74 Motor Trend Mag where they did a fantastic road test of the Imperial , a Lincoln Cont. a Cad Eldo , a Jag , a BMW and a Mercedes . When the test completed , they rated the Imperial as the best
At 87 I've had many imperials starting with a used 53 2dr Newport . A 54 2dr Newport (with fact Airtemp air) , 56 2dr Newport , 66 4dr LeBaron , 71 2dr LeBaron , 3 gorgeous 74 4dr LeBarons . 77 4dr NewYorker , and 78 2dr NYr . Can't complain about any of them . Very minor repairs . The beautiful 78 NYr was very much slower (sluggish) as it came with a 400ci engine and they also changed the rear end gears to 2.72 from 3.23 . All the imperials were fast excellerating except the 78 NYr , a slug . I always did all the maintenance myself from a young 18yr old till now (87) . I still have my two favorates sitting in my heated attached garage . The 5 2dr and one of the three 74 LeBarons . I have a 74 Motor Trend Mag where they did a fantastic road test of the Imperial , a Lincoln Cont. a Cad Eldo , a Jag , a BMW and a Mercedes . When the test completed , they rated the Imperial as the best
At 87 I've had many imperials starting with a used 53 2dr Newport . A 54 2dr Newport (with fact Airtemp air) , 56 2dr Newport , 66 4dr LeBaron , 71 2dr LeBaron , 3 gorgeous 74 4dr LeBarons . 77 4dr NewYorker , and 78 2dr NYr . Can't complain about any of them . Very minor repairs . The beautiful 78 NYr was very much slower (sluggish) as it came with a 400ci engine and they also changed the rear end gears to 2.72 from 3.23 . All the imperials were fast excellerating except the 78 NYr , a slug . I always did all the maintenance myself from a young 18yr old till now (87) . I still have my two favorates sitting in my heated attached garage . The 5 2dr and one of the three 74 LeBarons . I have a 74 Motor Trend Mag where they did a fantastic road test of the Imperial , a Lincoln Cont. a Cad Eldo , a Jag , a BMW and a Mercedes . When the test completed , they rated the Imperial as the best
At 87 I've had many imperials starting with a used 53 2dr Newport . A 54 2dr Newport (with fact Airtemp air) , 56 2dr Newport , 66 4dr LeBaron , 71 2dr LeBaron , 3 gorgeous 74 4dr LeBarons . 77 4dr NewYorker , and 78 2dr NYr . Can't complain about any of them . Very minor repairs . The beautiful 78 NYr was very much slower (sluggish) as it came with a 400ci engine and they also changed the rear end gears to 2.72 from 3.23 . All the imperials were fast excellerating except the 78 NYr , a slug . I always did all the maintenance myself from a young 18yr old till now (87) . I still have my two favorates sitting in my heated attached garage . The 5 2dr and one of the three 74 LeBarons . I have a 74 Motor Trend Mag where they did a fantastic road test of the Imperial , a Lincoln Cont. a Cad Eldo , a Jag , a BMW and a Mercedes . When the test completed , they rated the Imperial as the best
12:21 thanks Adam, that's my car now it is a TH-cam star😂 pictures were taken back around 2012 by the previous owner. There are some more on Google search of it sitting in the dry field
I had a friend in the 80's that was from southern Florida. His parents weren't rich, but fairly well off. They had lots of wealthy retired friends that traded cars frequently and bought American land yachts. They would go to trade them in two of three years later and would get offered next to nothing for a trade in. So Jake would buy them for slightly more than they were offered for a trade. He had 7 or 8 Lincolns, Cadillacs and Imperials parked in his backyard. He had a Navy blue 73 Imperial with a white top and white interior that was a museum piece that he paid $2800 for with 22,000 miles on it in 1978. He usually drove a red 75 Fleetwood he paid $3000 for that was also in pristine condition.
Although the Imperial was it's own division, the similarity to the Chryslers of the same era resulted in it being perceived as a luxury version of the New Yorker. And I almost always heard it referred to as the Chrysler Imperial. In contrast Lincolns and Cadillacs differed a lot more visually from their lower division stablemates. I think the lack of enough visual differences contributed to the lower sales numbers given the substantial price premium vs the New Yorker
Still think the Imperials where so much better looking then the Cadillac's and on par with Lincolns of the era. They may have had a firm ride and a little more noise, but they were superior road cars because of it.
In 1966 I began correspondence with Tom McCahill because my dad wanted to replace his 58 Buick Limited. I sent a sketch to GM Design Division for a new 67 Buick Limited. When it arrived in Delphi off the car carrier my mother wouldn't buy it. Instead she bought a 69 Imperial LeBaron. Annual alternator failures. Annual starter failures. Intermittent brake pedal to the floor. Broken left tie rod end. Fogged windshield every time AC turned on. Instrument panel rimmed with every brake application.
Most people go for A or B-Body Mopars, lesser go for C-bodies. And amongst the C-body enthusiasts, even fewer go for Imperial, normally picking a Plymouth or Dodge or even Chrysler. But I'd love to build myself an Imperial just like this. But with the proper Mopar performance to back it up. Yeah, most would think it kinda defeats the purpose, being Imperial a luxury-focused brand, but the thought of one of these land yachts giving any typical famous sportscar a run for their money, both in acceleration as well as braking and even cornering...it would be amazing. And all while maintaining its street manners and absolute comfort. The monster under the hood revealing itself only when you wanted, but staying pretty much hidden in the cave when driving normally.
I have one of these beauties with sports seats, the two door LeBaron 440 magnum white with black vinyl, top white a beauty, black leather interior. I got it from my dad in 1980. He bought it new and 73. It ran forever and ever of course I did take care of it. Ha
When I was 11 years old, I was walking into church with my parents, and Mrs Bell, whose husband owned a construction company, pulled into the parking lot in her brand new 73 Imperial LeBaron, a silver/pewter with white leather interior and white vinyl top. One gorgeous car! She traded it on a 75, same color combination, but just wasn't as impressive as her 73. Loved Imperial ever since.
I'm sorry that you were forced to attend church. That's how infected adults spread the mind cancer.
It's always GREAT to hear the _personal_ stories about these various cars.
THANKS for sharing !!
I love Imperial awakening stories.....
Mine was when l was 5 and my rich Uncle Sal visited and pulled into the driveway with his maroon '68 coupe. Omg , to me it was a Rolls...👍❤️
@@bigjoe330I TOTALLY AGREE
That sounds like a pretty sharp color combo
In the 80’s my neighbor had two of these, in brown. Huge thing. One day the school bus didn’t show up, and it was a cold winter day - so my neighbor told us all to jump in and he’d drop us off at school on his way to work. Must have been at least 8 of us in the back seat, plus a bunch in the front, and it wasn’t even cramped. I mean, we were all of 6-10 years old, so it wasn’t difficult to fit so many in the car. Smooth ride. Giant car.
The B-52s "Love Shack" has a great line that invokes visions of the fuselage-era Mopars...."I got me a Chrysler, it's as big as a whale, and it's about to set sail......I got me a car that seats about twenty...."
@Stephen3164Now that is a great memory! Funny how little things like that stick with us as fond memories for decades. Probably the fun of doing something unusual…piling in a giant car with 8 or 10 other kids on a cold day. Something you possibly never did again.
@@pyrexmaniac I remember that video. Was very popular in the 90s. Can’t believe that tune is still fairly well known 30+ years later.
Car in the video was a 300 convertible. Had one, loved it!
My parents had a 1973 Imperial Lebanon. It was a bit long in the tooth when I started driving it to high school. The interior was all leather, for an enormous car it hauled ass, and the back seat area was like a living room sofa - I loved that part. lol
215 bhp at 5,000 pounds meant 0-60 in 12 seconds. I can haul ass on my bicycle better than that. But nothing like that interior, 8 track with a dictation machine, reading lamps in the back seat. Very cool. They didn't talk about trunk space, but I'm sure a family of four could live comfortably back there.
Did your parents' 1973 Imperial Lebanon come with the Iraq cloth?! 🤭😉
Learned to drive in my Dad’s 1972 Imperial Le Baron. I remember it being a vary quiet car, noticeably quieter than the 71 New Yorker we had previously. I remember it having a very smooth ride, but not as wallowy a ride as other land yachts of the time. My dad had it until he died in 2017, now my nephew has it.
Good to hear the car is still in your Family.
Post a picture please
@@jeffrobodine8579 _Good to hear the car is still in your Family._
👍
I once rode in a neighbor's '70 NYer. So much road noise, I thought the back door wasn't fully closed.
I still have my 1971 NY. I've yet to own an Imperial.
That white interior and rear air conditioning screams Las Vegas casinonboss to me. Love it!
Air conditioner for 116 degrees!!
...brings new meaning to "gettin' iced"..
My uncle rest his soul worked for Chrysler corporation leasing division in Los Angeles in the 60s and 70s ,his job was mostly to supply vehicles for TV and Movies to the major studios as such he was always given cutting edge models to drive like Chargers, Challengers and his personal favourites Imperial and New Yorkers
My dad had a 70 or 71 in that mustard custard yellow in your pictures, with a vinyl top and probably cloth seats. He hung a string with a weight from a garage rafter that lined up with the front of the hood to let him know there was no more room to pull forward, plus had pig iron under each front wheel. The rear of the car cleared the garage door by maybe an inch. It was a beautiful car, with power seats, and a smooth ride. Those days are long gone.
Similar story with my 1975 Cadillac...we put two old iron "Glass Molds" from the local bottle plant where it would stop the back wheels as we always backed in the garage. We had to remove the bottom lift handle from the garage door to get it down past the front bumper.
Such a beautiful looking vehicle. Loved the front end.
My uncle had one of these in the very late eighties. It was gold with the gold interior. His had the rear Air-con and would freeze you out quickly. it was in spectacular condition when he bought it used. Fun-fact; in Iowa the title on this car stated limousine even though it was the standard sedan.
By the late 1980s, in Vancouver, at least, those things could be purchased for $500! I know, I bought one, converted it to LPG and used it as my daily driver. What a beast!
P.S., Mine was black on black.
With two LPG mixers, my 440 generated 403 BHP at the rear wheels. I later pulled that drive train and dumped it into a 1973 SE Brouham Charger. I much preferred the
Le Baron.
It's amazing how fast the depreciation happened for luxury cars of the 70s. Those that could afford them bought or leased a new car every other year. If you weren't upper middle class, you didn't want them. It was tough to sell a used model. Those sorts of cars always had all the bells and whistles with electronic everything that broke soon after the warranty expired (or before) further devaluating them in the market. You were guaranteed a low mileage pampered big block for cheap if you bought one used. I had a 1970 Lincoln Continental with a 460 in the 90s that I picked up for $350 with 50,000 miles. It wasn't in the best shape but ran great.
That Lincoln got 12 miles to the gallon on the highway in the city uphill downhill, LOL!
I drove several $50 to $200 cars and trucks in the late 1980s through 2002, that would be worth several thousand, now. Considering what is being produced, let alone SOLD these days, it is truly mind-boggling.@@tiki_trash
I had a 73 Imperial (in 1984). It had the security system and Sure Brake. There are photos online of a Presidential 73 Imperial limo. It was a combo of a sedan and coupe body.
A Beautiful Car produced right before the '73 Fuel Crisis, but it was Magnificent and most likely drove and rode like a dream, Adam🤔👏
Ballast resistor!!!
This video is the first time I ever heard that failure of the ballast resistor is sometimes related to water. I just thought it was something that unpredictably and randomly failed.
My brother had a 1973 Dodge Coronet 318 back in the early 1980s.
He was home from college and I washed his car, including hosing down the engine (today I would never hose down any engine, to me it’s just inviting trouble).
When I was done washing his car, to my horror, it wouldn’t start!
I knew my brother had to drive back to college later that day.
But I played dumb, hoping that whatever got wet under the hood causing the car not to start would either dry out or magically fix itself before he had to go.
When my brother went to drive off he discovered his car wouldn’t start, but he didn’t come after me!
Apparently he know about the ballast resistor (we had a 67 Dodge and also a 1971 Dodge previous to his 1973).
I think he went to the little family owned auto parts store and bought a new ballast resistor, came home, put it on, and the car started and he went on his way.
Years later he told me generally about the pain in the ass ballast resistor. Again I played dumb and never admitted that I think I might have been the cause of one of his ballast resistor failures!
I never liked the front end styling on these Imperials compared to the previous design but now it's not so bad. Very unique. You almost never saw any of them when new. In the day I don't recall anyone I knew having a big Chrysler let alone an Imperial. In 1980 I worked with a guy that had a used 1971 Imperial coupe that was a beautiful dark green with black interior. He loved it and took excellent care of it. Another great video.
I especially appreciate insights into what parts are reliable, and what are problematic. Reliability isn't often mentioned by other commentators, even in professional magazines--but it's important to know before buying a collector car! I have sometimes researched old Consumer Reports, even back into the 1950's.
This is why so many garages of houses built in the 60's and 70's were 22 feet long vs today's that are only 18 or 20 feet long.. Massive beast.. very neat cars that don't get the attention they are worthy of in my opinion in car auction circles and within the car collector societies and publications..
garages got grow again for oversized SUVs now
Im not certain those were the longest cars of the modern era. Im fairly sure a 1975-76 Cadillac Fleetwood Brougham was as long or even longer. The Cadillac commercial chassis, (often made into limousines) also known as a series 75 certainly exceeded it. The Lincoln Town Car from 1974-79 was likely as long also.
I think parking lot spaces today are too small for these cars to easily pull in to.
I think I'll go downstairs and measure my garage to see if it's 20' !!
@@donreinke5863 It is the longest non-limousine American production car at 235.3″.
1975 Buick Electra 225: 234.4″
1977-1979 Lincoln Continental: 233.0″
Cadillac Fleetwood Brougham was 233.7".
Sweet, sweet car. Would've been wonderful if Chrysler had an Astrodome instrument panel in 1973.
My grandpa had a '61 Newport. Even at 7 years old I knew what I was looking at. I loved that dome; so awesome!
Hey Adam, I think that after seeing this video I'm going to consider purchasing a 73 Imperial because I always worry about my toupee popping off & landing gently in the back seat!!! Thanks for the tip!!! 🙄🎄☃️
Excellent choice 👌 😆
I could see a Monty Python skit created for this inevitability!
Now a days I have come to appreciate these cars.
I would LOVE to be able to take a spin in one of these early 1970's Imperials once again.
As I posted the other day I was lucky enough to take a road trip with a friend pf mine and his family to Cedar Point.
What a wonderful car even with its faults.
Watching old episodes of Kojak and Starsky and Hutch etc. Fun to see these huge 70s cars float and bounce around in car chases... must have been great stunt drivers just to keep them on the road! 😮
The Mopar wrap around front bumpers were killer.
Thank You Adam. The door pockets came back at Lincoln. The last Town Car had them. I like the interior door handles. I like the bumper guards they used to put on so many cars. Chrysler was innovative for the things that are on cars today like those rear seat vents. I think the Imperial losing its uniqueness hurt it as well. The next Imperial became New Yorker Brougham in 1976.
Adam the Master Automobile Historian posts another gem for a Saturday night.
Thanks for posting!
That dark red is beautiful and the white top really sets it off!
The mysterious front grill and elegant rear finish is really nice.
Love the rear seat touches, like the pillow and hidden door storage.
Hope you could highlight some of the names and special colors in the future! Nice summary!
That car is of unit construction like all other Chryslers of that time. They are somewhat lighter that comparable Lincoln and Cadillac models that have body-on-frame construction. I had a friend whose dad had a 1970 Plymouth Suburban station wagon that had the rear air conditioning unit. It was so neat to sit in the back seat and have air conditioning blow on you. My uncle had a 1971 Mercury Marquis and I am almost sure it had a similar set up to this Imperial for rear air conditioning; I remember the hoses that were under the rear package shelf when the trunk lid was open. GREAT VIDEO!
In my opinion, one of the most gorgeous exterior designs in US automotive history. Truly an imperial presence. Though the sterile interior is the polar opposite, Pontiac’s looked more luxurious inside. Totally unforgivable looking at what came before 😕
I believe the reason these cars didn't sell was that Chrysler didn't know how to market them. They really promoted the Valiant and Dart, but their full size cars were ignored. Really ashame. The 69-73 models were beautiful. And the quality was just as good as GM and Ford.
I think you are right. Chrysler, imo, has never been a marketing powerhouse. Their big cars to my best recall, were not promoted much at all during these late 60s, early 70s years. Not sure why that was. Perhaps budgets were too limited, as compared to Lincoln and Cadillac, because sales were relatively poor. Then the oil embargo came, and sales suffered even more. And from there, it went downhill further, until bankruptcy loomed in 1979-80.
This car is stunning. Would totally take this over the Cadillac or Lincoln of the time! Just beautiful!
These were truly immense. I looked at one a few years back but ran the other way when I got a whiff of electrical gremlins. Seeing one in person after all that time I was shocked at how big it was.
This brought back a lot of memories. In 71 to 73 I worked at a Chrysler Plymouth Dodge dealership as a car detailer. So I got to drool over these beauties while preping them I remember there was a wierd lime green one in the showroom for the longest time. But I got to briefly drive a lot of new cars and some used ones 69 Roadrunner, a GTX and I got to drive some of the Fury, Ohio Highway Patrol cars back to the dealrship after dropping the troopers off somewhere. Wow a 16 year old boy gets a lot of looks when he's driving one of those. And later when I bought a new 76 Sport Fury, I kept an extra one of those resistors in the car. And those AC compressors would last forever.
11:04 _ballast resistor failure symptom_
With the key in the RUN position, the 12 volts to the ignition coil went through the ballast resistor to limit current through the coil primary. With the key in the START position, the resistor was bypassed to allow a higher current through the coil temporarily for easier engine starting. When you released the key from START, the open ballast resistor prevented the ignition coil from providing the high voltage to the spark plugs.
I always kept an extra one in my 75 Valiant. No warning when they were going to fail.
It's actually the voltage that is reduced, not the current.
I've also seen - a few times - where the Start side would fail but not the Run side. Crank-no-start - but if it hit just right, would fire when you released the key back to run.
I too kept a spare in the glove box. Never had to use it for myself but bailed out several folks in the parking lot!
You mean crank not run, right?
Nearly all cars that had points ignition (and some with electronic) had a resistor bypass for cranking. On Fords it was one of the two smaller wires on the fender (or radiator support on Thunderbirds) connected to the starter relay. The other wire activated the relay. GM vehicles had the resistor bypass wire on the starter solenoid. One exception on Fords was the 1955-57 Thunderbird which used a ceramic housed resistor near the coil, similar to the Mopar design.
Mopars had the often-failing ceramic housing resistor on the firewall, while Ford and GM used a resistor wire from the ignition switch run terminal.
I had a 72 Plymouth Fury Gran Coupe. Teal with a black vinyl top. I miss that car so bad. Even more that the 66 charger I had. I was 19. Now 60. That Imperial is gorgeous 😍
Love the Mail Pouch tobacco slogan on the barn in the backyard. I remember many a roadtrip as a kid seeing these all over the place especially in rural areas. My brother & I used to have contests counting them
I have what was a genuine Mail Pouch Tobacco painted barn on my farm in southwestern Pennsylvania. The farm has been in my family since 1942. I’m essentially the last of my immediate family.
For the past 50+ years the barn has been kept painted white, but sometimes when the paint peels you can see remnants of the Mail Pouch paint scheme underneath!
@@CH67guy1 We used to drive to New York almost every summer & drove almost the entire length of the Pennsylvania turnpike from about 1955 to 1964 so maybe we passed your barn when the Mail Pouch lettering was on display
@@stevenwolff6866 The PA turnpike is such an adventurous drive!
I think the barn was Mail Pouch throughout the 1940s and 1950s.
But my farm is not visible from the PA turnpike.
The 73 Imperial is my favourite. I love these cars.
Excellent video. As the current owner of a 1973 Imperial (Old Red, a burnished red metallic 4dr that bears a striking resemblance to the model in your opening still), I found it very interesting and learned some things. Thanks!
The 'family car' for years was the 1973 Imperial LeBaron. A two door. In that 'Sun Fire Yellow' you see on that 2nd to last Imperial shown in this video. What made it special was that it had the Trailer Towing Package that made it handle surprisingly well.
Mercedes used the AutoTemp II system from 77 to 81. It's the bane of many W116 owner's wallets. On the forums we'd often call it the "evil servo".
Same with the R107. That black box under the hood would somehow freeze in cold weather and split, causing a "no heat" condition that made the car miserable to drive in the winter!. It cost four figures to replace it with a new one that would be guaranteed to split again in the near future. Someone finally started making an aftermarket digital replacement at a reasonable price that restored the unit's function without fear of further failure.
My 73 is the same color. It has most options, including ABS, dual air, vent windows , auto headlight dimmer. Tilt telescope wheel. I kinda like the bumper guards.
No vent windows on the 73 unfortunately. I like these little triangles
@@marvinw8833Wrong, sir. Rewatch the video & tell us what you see at 12:00 minutes.
Man you're right. Apparently the 4 doors had it. My 73 2 door doesn't have vent windows. Another cool feature that I'd love to have next to the Barcelona chair design on the optional split bench which was a 4 door only
@@marvinw8833 vent windows were an option. One of my 73s had them, the other did not. I don’t think they were offered on 2 door though
My mother had the 1970 Newport Coupe, dark gold with black interior and black vinyl roof. It was a joyous ride and drive. So smooth and elegant riding. One morning driving I was able to pick up my previous history teacher who lived down the street from us and take her to our high school. She was quite taken with my mom's car!
I owned a 69 Le Baron Coupe for about five years, it was only a few years old when I bought it. It was a fantastic car, I was a very lucky guy.
I feel like these don't get the credit they deserve. Beautifully styled and elegant by any stretch of the imagination, I'd love to have one. I like the interior of the Imperial over the Mark IV and Eldorado any day and I have a 72 Mark IV.
Growing up in Dearborn, I am old enough to remember when the the Imperial plant sat in Dearborn Mi in the Warren and Wyoming area. It later became an early discount shopping center called Imperial City.
I’d love to go to my local Imperial dealer and procure one of these ASAP!
In 1973, in my upper-middle-class SoCal community, I was surrpunded by snotty Volvo & Mercedes drivers (even a few Rovers and Saabs!) Whenever one of my high-tone neighbors bought a big Airstream or other high-end travel trailer, they always bought a 2-3 year old Chrysler to tow it - sometimes an Imperial, but usually a Town and Country. I always assumed the combo of the great 440, the superior Torqueflite, the robust leaf springs and the strongest bodies in the industry simply resulted in an unbeatable tow vehicle.
billmcdevitt1298 The point, Bill, is that those Eurotrash neighbors of mine couldn't hide their self-envy about their "sophisticated" cars while they sniffed their own farts out of wine glasses, but - when they had a job to do - they always relied upon MoPars and let their precious ballerina cars sit it out. I remember seeing Mr. Benz 300 SE's face twist into disgust when he had to ride to a function in my Dad's '77 NYB St. Regis. One mile later, when it dawned on him what REAL leather was like, what 10-vent Chrysler Autotemp II could do, what luxury car ride, room and silence provided, I think I saw him shed a tiny tear.
What a lovely land yacht. Thought my dads '76 Electra 225 was long. I ended up getting a spot to park my car in the garage as when he brought the car home he could not park it in the garage as it was so long the garage door could not be shut. 😆
Im still a proud owner of a 1970 Chrysler New Yorker, i bought from my Dad in 1979. He was the Original owner.
I so want this car! But SO tough to find one now
About 28 years ago, I picked up one of these not knowing what I do now. I paid $500 for one with 90k and a rebuilt 727 trans and a 440 4bbl. The car was metallic brown with a vinyl top and cream leather interior. Everything worked. But, needing a 440 for my 1968 Coronet 500 Convertible build I gutted the Chrysler and sent the rest to the you pull it yard. I still have the Coronet but I really should have kept the Chrysler and shopped around for another engine for the Coronet. Live and learn I guess.
I love those rear head pillows. Great idea.
When I was 11 years old I went with my Dad to our Plymouth dealer to order a new station wagon. It was the only car he custom ordered from the factory. A 1971 Plymouth Custom Suburban (Fury) wagon with the 383 4bbl engine and dual air conditioning. We drove from NY down to Florida in the summer of 1973 and my sister and I rode in the “way-way back”. With the rear A/C unit overhead between the middle and rear seats we were cool and comfortable no matter how hot it was outside.
Over the years I have had several Imperials and Chrysler Corp wagons, ALL with dual A/C. I was living in Phoenix and it was very refreshing to drive around (especially on the freeways) with both units cranking in 115 degree weather. My wife would complain it was too cold and on a few occasions the front Auto Temp system would almost shut down to minimum as it got so cold in there. Great A/C units.
My first car was a 64' imperial. 413 wedge, push button transmission, just loaded. I still miss that car.
I owned one of these vehicles in the late 70s I bought it off of my dad for $1000. Best car I ever had. I only got rid of it a few years ago in 2020. It was the two door, coupe LeBaron, white with black leather sport seats.
I never owned a Chrysler product, but this is an absolute beautiful car
Oh the problems and headaches that you missed.
@@deepthinker999Looks to me like you don’t have any problem making your own problems and headaches.
AM/FM radio is a must.
I had the pleasure of driving a 1972 Imperial LeBaron 2 door sedan. It was the customer delivery, pickup vehicle for the Chrysler dealership I drove for in Seattle, Washington as a recently graduated kid in 1982.I loved driving it immensely, it had such power and a silky smooth ride quality. It was a real gas guzzler, not that it fazed me, the dealership having its own gas pump. The 440 motor was something to see. Just massive.I could never have kept that gas tank filled myself, gas having gone up to .60 cents a gallon. My personal dream car at the time was a Datsun B210 sedan or fastback. Those constant gas price increases doomed that Chrysler in my eyes.
That 1970 with that all black interior always impressed me in high school. I also liked that back window that sort of resembled 30s or 40s vehicles .
Thanks! keep up the videos. I love them.
Glad you like them!
Thank you for sharing this information with us 🙏
🥰🥰🥰🥰🥰 I love all the fuselage full-sized Chryslers from 1969-1973, but this is hands down my favorite!! Maybe it's partly because of its mention in the Guinness Book of World Records (it's in there, but you have to go back to a '74 version to find it). This IS my dream "luxo-boat." I used to see a lot of Imperials and New Yorkers on the road and in parking lots back in the 70's. So sad that cars have to all look the same, and be the same size dinky (unless you want a pickup, which I do not). They might have been built the best, or the most efficient, but damn it, they certainly were among some of the best looking. Just my opinion, of course. Thanks again for making and posting!!!
As soon as I saw that spectacular white interior in this video with the very square cornered seat cushions and button tufting I knew I had seen something similarly styled someplace before.
I’m familiar with the Barcelona Chair, but never knew that’s what it is called.
I had a '73 New Yorker Brougham that I took on the Hot Rod Power Tour! Awesome Ride and it made it in the magazine the year, the Lettering on the trunk anyway!
'Repeat Offender' !!!
Work of art
I agree. It is very creative for such a huge car, certainly compared to Lincoln and Cadillac.
Many times, I think stylists think they kind of get an easy task when they're asked to style & sculpt a big car because some gentle curves and medallions are good enough.
I had one of these. I was involved in a fender-bender and took it to the Chrysler dealer for repair. When it came time to paint the repaired section, they had to clear out a section of the garage and do the painting on the garage floor as it was too big to go into the paint booth.
A 73 imperial lebaron wagon would have been epic.
My Dad owned one of these. It would hit a 115 moh top speed, up hill. Until I blew a head gasket. So we used the hips copper units and also a Holley car with 1" spacer, Edelbrock medium rise intake, 3.5" full duals with H pipe,high flow mufflers, hooker medium tq headers, and 3pc valve springs, lighter timing chain(good for 7hp alone), and a medium performance cam on Dad's LeBaron. Dad's LeBaron had every option, including rear mount 8 track player in trunk as well as super rare moon roof. 4 disc braked as well. It went a lot quicker and sounded great. But it still drove like a dream. Other than cam, no internals were touched. Wish he never sold that car. It only had 6800 miles on the odometer and Dad was the original owner
Its impossible not to love each and every year of Imperial. All beautiful, all unique. ❤🇺🇲👍
Great video, Adam! This FoMoCo guy learned a lot about those Imperials - thank you.
Yours in old FoMoCo iron,
Adrian
In black these have a gangster presense - the look says "boss". I think the pre oil embargo Imperials should been given a stroked version of the 440 and rear axle gearing for lower rpm cruising, but the emissions certification probably wasn't worth it
A wonderful car to profile, Adam! And I like the color combination of the burnt red/orange and white leather/top. Very mid-'70s.
I never had the ballast resistor fail on my 73. Owned the car since 87.
When it does happen, don't say we didn't warn you. Had it happen to the 72 Coronet we used to have (and it wasn't an old car at the time). Fortunately, we pushed the car to the side and the next car happened to be a friend of ours (who was also driving a Chrysler) who diagnosed it on the spot. He even had his spare.
I want to build one of these with a Ray Barton 600+cube HEMI and 4 spd manual, pref 72 2dr black paint factory rims and hub caps, with beefed suspension and BIG brakes, I Think 9-1100hp with similar torque would be suitable for street use, 98octane is around $3.40 a litre here in New Zealand, that is $3.40 a litre, they are certainly fucking us in the arse down here, but a prius just ain't no substitute...!!!.MoPar you are with us, or you are behind us...!!!👌👍
I had to change a bunch of ignition switches on our 1978 New Yorker. It was on the steering column down near the floor. It kept burning out, and the AC wouldn't work. I had to change the connectors on the wires going into it also. Got to where I kept two of them around. I don't remember if that car had a ballast resistor. I do remember that one day, I smelled sulfur coming from under the hood. The battery was boiling, the top almost bursting off. I had to replace the differential once also. I still loved that car.
I had a 1976 New Yorker just "grazed" my 1990 Ford Escort. It ripped the entire passenger side to shreds totaling the car but barely dented the front bumper on the New Yorker! I always wondered what was the longest car ever made. I always figured it would have been something from the early 1960's. Wrong again. Thanks for the video!
Absolutely beautiful car. Love this...
This was designed at Art Center in Pasadena, California. Few yrs back at a show there . The designer was there. Asked him mamy questions. Little did i know he knew my Auntie from Detroit 😊
I just loved those cars!
Such a heavy-looking Imperial. Beam me back to the mid-60's!
Chryslers always seemed to have air conditioning that was as good as or better than GM. However, that RV2 compressor was a cast iron monstrosity! I'm pretty sure it outweighed the GM A-6 compressor, which was no lightweight, either. Although, I suppose an extra 100 lbs on a car the size of the Imperial would make zero difference in performance or gas mileage.
The AC compressor looks like it came off a Harley-Davidson!
@@tonypoore440 Except that those compressors usually don't leak oil and aren't as noisy.
It was cold AF because of the old r12 refrigerant. Has nothing to do with automakers, its the Govt telling us the world would end by 2012, and here we are
What a gorgeous monster.
To be fair, these Imperials had the same fuselage bodies as contemporary Chryslers, and they were built on the same Chrysler production line.
Caddies and Lincolns were built in their own exclusive plants, and shared less parts with the cheaper GM/Ford Company brands.
Impressive amount of information here!
I had one of these a 73 Lebaron that ate alternators like chiklets. I remember driving home one night and it began to snow. I had the defroster on, the headlights on and the wipers on. I was creeping along in traffic and noticed the dash lights getting dimmer and dimmer and I said to my companion, “do you have warm shoes on?”
My neighbor across the street growing up purchased a 1973 Imperial two door new in October 1973. A white 2 door w/white vinyl top sunroof and white interior. Obviously a very rare car. It looked even bigger to me at the time as a 10 year old as a two door and I do not believe I have ever seen another. I really wonder how many Imperials were built in this combination. This car was replaced by a 1979 Buick LeSabre 2 door Palm Beach edition in creme gold and white two tone paint and matching interior with gold bumper strips and gold finished grill and wheels. A rare car with jess then 5000 produced and like the Imperial it was the only one I have ever seen. The Imperial was sold locally to someone who lived 4 blocks away and would occasionally see it, it definitely stood out, for the next 4 years or so.
Quite a number of years ago, a member of out group had a 73 the same color combinations as this one. His was a 2 door and also had a factory sunroof. He got into an accident and had difficulties with the insurance Co. I don't think it ever got fixed.
Beatifull darn car
My father had a '73 LeBaron 2 door. Light blue with dark blue vinyl top and leather interior. What a cruiser! When you entered the back seat the front seat would move forward and return to it's previous position. Also recall the rear reading lamps and rear air.
We rebuilt a couple of the control boxes for the auto temp II system. He had a '72 New Yorker Brougham with the same system.
The Imperial also had four wheel disc brakes. I always thought it strange that the Imperial didn't have tilt telescope wheel or cruise. The New Yorker did.
Both cars had issues with radiators, alternators, and starters.
The Imperial barely fit into the garage. It also had a high beltline. On occasion I drove these cars....the 440 did the job with lots of torque.
Brings back lots of memories!
At 87 I've had many imperials starting with a used 53 2dr Newport . A 54 2dr Newport (with fact Airtemp air) , 56 2dr Newport , 66 4dr LeBaron , 71 2dr LeBaron , 3 gorgeous 74 4dr LeBarons . 77 4dr NewYorker , and 78 2dr NYr . Can't complain about any of them . Very minor repairs . The beautiful 78 NYr was very much slower (sluggish) as it came with a 400ci engine and they also changed the rear end gears to 2.72 from 3.23 . All the imperials were fast excellerating except the 78 NYr , a slug . I always did all the maintenance myself from a young 18yr old till now (87) . I still have my two favorates sitting in my heated attached garage . The 5 2dr and one of the three 74 LeBarons . I have a 74 Motor Trend Mag where they did a fantastic road test of the Imperial , a Lincoln Cont. a Cad Eldo , a Jag , a BMW and a Mercedes . When the test completed , they rated the Imperial as the best
At 87 I've had many imperials starting with a used 53 2dr Newport . A 54 2dr Newport (with fact Airtemp air) , 56 2dr Newport , 66 4dr LeBaron , 71 2dr LeBaron , 3 gorgeous 74 4dr LeBarons . 77 4dr NewYorker , and 78 2dr NYr . Can't complain about any of them . Very minor repairs . The beautiful 78 NYr was very much slower (sluggish) as it came with a 400ci engine and they also changed the rear end gears to 2.72 from 3.23 . All the imperials were fast excellerating except the 78 NYr , a slug . I always did all the maintenance myself from a young 18yr old till now (87) . I still have my two favorates sitting in my heated attached garage . The 5 2dr and one of the three 74 LeBarons . I have a 74 Motor Trend Mag where they did a fantastic road test of the Imperial , a Lincoln Cont. a Cad Eldo , a Jag , a BMW and a Mercedes . When the test completed , they rated the Imperial as the best
At 87 I've had many imperials starting with a used 53 2dr Newport . A 54 2dr Newport (with fact Airtemp air) , 56 2dr Newport , 66 4dr LeBaron , 71 2dr LeBaron , 3 gorgeous 74 4dr LeBarons . 77 4dr NewYorker , and 78 2dr NYr . Can't complain about any of them . Very minor repairs . The beautiful 78 NYr was very much slower (sluggish) as it came with a 400ci engine and they also changed the rear end gears to 2.72 from 3.23 . All the imperials were fast excellerating except the 78 NYr , a slug . I always did all the maintenance myself from a young 18yr old till now (87) . I still have my two favorates sitting in my heated attached garage . The 5 2dr and one of the three 74 LeBarons . I have a 74 Motor Trend Mag where they did a fantastic road test of the Imperial , a Lincoln Cont. a Cad Eldo , a Jag , a BMW and a Mercedes . When the test completed , they rated the Imperial as the best
At 87 I've had many imperials starting with a used 53 2dr Newport . A 54 2dr Newport (with fact Airtemp air) , 56 2dr Newport , 66 4dr LeBaron , 71 2dr LeBaron , 3 gorgeous 74 4dr LeBarons . 77 4dr NewYorker , and 78 2dr NYr . Can't complain about any of them . Very minor repairs . The beautiful 78 NYr was very much slower (sluggish) as it came with a 400ci engine and they also changed the rear end gears to 2.72 from 3.23 . All the imperials were fast excellerating except the 78 NYr , a slug . I always did all the maintenance myself from a young 18yr old till now (87) . I still have my two favorates sitting in my heated attached garage . The 5 2dr and one of the three 74 LeBarons . I have a 74 Motor Trend Mag where they did a fantastic road test of the Imperial , a Lincoln Cont. a Cad Eldo , a Jag , a BMW and a Mercedes . When the test completed , they rated the Imperial as the best
At 87 I've had many imperials starting with a used 53 2dr Newport . A 54 2dr Newport (with fact Airtemp air) , 56 2dr Newport , 66 4dr LeBaron , 71 2dr LeBaron , 3 gorgeous 74 4dr LeBarons . 77 4dr NewYorker , and 78 2dr NYr . Can't complain about any of them . Very minor repairs . The beautiful 78 NYr was very much slower (sluggish) as it came with a 400ci engine and they also changed the rear end gears to 2.72 from 3.23 . All the imperials were fast excellerating except the 78 NYr , a slug . I always did all the maintenance myself from a young 18yr old till now (87) . I still have my two favorates sitting in my heated attached garage . The 5 2dr and one of the three 74 LeBarons . I have a 74 Motor Trend Mag where they did a fantastic road test of the Imperial , a Lincoln Cont. a Cad Eldo , a Jag , a BMW and a Mercedes . When the test completed , they rated the Imperial as the best
12:21 thanks Adam, that's my car now it is a TH-cam star😂 pictures were taken back around 2012 by the previous owner. There are some more on Google search of it sitting in the dry field
Love those headlamp lenses! They remind me of DuPont Model G Speedster headlamps. RAD!!
I had a friend in the 80's that was from southern Florida. His parents weren't rich, but fairly well off. They had lots of wealthy retired friends that traded cars frequently and bought American land yachts. They would go to trade them in two of three years later and would get offered next to nothing for a trade in. So Jake would buy them for slightly more than they were offered for a trade. He had 7 or 8 Lincolns, Cadillacs and Imperials parked in his backyard. He had a Navy blue 73 Imperial with a white top and white interior that was a museum piece that he paid $2800 for with 22,000 miles on it in 1978. He usually drove a red 75 Fleetwood he paid $3000 for that was also in pristine condition.
Great show where else can you see like new original cars!
I rode in one back in the '70's. "Land yacht" is a most appropriate term for this car.
Although the Imperial was it's own division, the similarity to the Chryslers of the same era resulted in it being perceived as a luxury version of the New Yorker. And I almost always heard it referred to as the Chrysler Imperial. In contrast Lincolns and Cadillacs differed a lot more visually from their lower division stablemates. I think the lack of enough visual differences contributed to the lower sales numbers given the substantial price premium vs the New Yorker
Gosh damn beautiful car😮😍 Back when sleeping or living in your car wasn't that bad..
Still think the Imperials where so much better looking then the Cadillac's and on par with Lincolns of the era. They may have had a firm ride and a little more noise, but they were superior road cars because of it.
In 1966 I began correspondence with Tom McCahill because my dad wanted to replace his 58 Buick Limited. I sent a sketch to GM Design Division for a new 67 Buick Limited. When it arrived in Delphi off the car carrier my mother wouldn't buy it. Instead she bought a 69 Imperial LeBaron. Annual alternator failures. Annual starter failures. Intermittent brake pedal to the floor. Broken left tie rod end. Fogged windshield every time AC turned on. Instrument panel rimmed with every brake application.
Most people go for A or B-Body Mopars, lesser go for C-bodies. And amongst the C-body enthusiasts, even fewer go for Imperial, normally picking a Plymouth or Dodge or even Chrysler. But I'd love to build myself an Imperial just like this. But with the proper Mopar performance to back it up.
Yeah, most would think it kinda defeats the purpose, being Imperial a luxury-focused brand, but the thought of one of these land yachts giving any typical famous sportscar a run for their money, both in acceleration as well as braking and even cornering...it would be amazing.
And all while maintaining its street manners and absolute comfort. The monster under the hood revealing itself only when you wanted, but staying pretty much hidden in the cave when driving normally.
I have one of these beauties with sports seats, the two door LeBaron 440 magnum white with black vinyl, top white a beauty, black leather interior. I got it from my dad in 1980. He bought it new and 73. It ran forever and ever of course I did take care of it. Ha
I’d love to have this one!!
This year model and the 1972 was the basic same thing. It definitely was the best of the best car ever built