IML: 1959 steering wheel colors

["Neal Herman" <chrycordoba@xxxxxxxxxxxxxx>]

Thanks, Teresa.  This was quite helpful.  My '59 started out as Ballad Green, according to the build plate, but was repainted by a prior owner by some Earl Scheib-type outfit in a color that was sort of a mix of Ballad Green, Normandy Blue and Aqua Mist.  Since I initially thought it was Aqua Mist, I christened her the Aquitania.  Now she's in the throes of a full restoration, including the interior.  The seats were redone with NOS seat covers in turquoise leather & Balmoral tweed-like cloth.  The question was the steering wheel.  My current black pad is severely chipped at the ends, and was able to find an excellent replacement, but it is blue.  I wasn't sure whether I should repaint it turquoise to match the rest of the steering wheel (upper and lower arcs) and seats, or black to match the dash and the ribbed arcs on the sides of the wheel.

 

Do you have pictures of your interior you could e-mail me privately?  Exterior shots would be great, too!  It sounds like our cars might be twins when mine's done.

 

Neal Herman

1959 Imperial Crown 4-door Southampton

1966 Imperial Crown 4-door

et al.

 

 

----- Original Message -----

From: Chad & Teresa Smith

To: mailing-list@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx

Sent: 1/29/2005 12:07:12 PM

Subject: Re: IML: 1958 steering wheel colors

Ernie:

 

I don't know what color combination that you have on your car, but my car for instance is Aqua Mist exterior, and the interior is predominantly turquoise with black accents. 

 

My dash pad and steering wheel center (where the vinyl is in the middle) are black.  The steering wheel is predominantly turquoise, with black on the sides at the hand grips.  I went through my Imperial brochures for 1959, and this is the case with all of the pictures that I found.  I looked online at the 1958 brochure, and the pictures that I saw showed the same concept for the 1958. 

 

So, it kinda looks to me like the dash, steering wheel center, and handgrips should all be the same color.  The rest of the steering wheel should be the alternate interior color.  (So...medium grey dash pad, steering wheel center, and hand grips, with light grey steering wheel.  Or, light grey dash pad, steering wheel center, and hand grips with a  medium grey steering wheel.)    

 

Is this what everyone else with a 1958 or 1959 Imperial has going on in their cars?

 

Teresa Smith, 1959