Hi all,
As a recent post mentioned, even an Imp's success in demo derbies is
largely due to preparation.
I met a guy about 5 years ago only because I saw a few fuselage
Imperials parked behind his house. I knocked on his door to find out
what his intentions were and found that the cars were there as demo
derby fodder. This guy has been immensely successful (50+ trophies)
using Imperials as derby cars.
While I didn't like what he was doing, he was kind enough to give me any
parts I wanted for free. That softened the pain somewhat. Also, the
cars he uses are usually bought from junkyards anywhere between
Baltimore and Buffalo. He'll drive hundreds of miles in his rollback to
retrieve an Imperial. These cars are already partly stripped, missing
glass, engines, etc. and are just sitting in the yard rotting.
First a 318 and HD 727 are installed. All glass, trim, interior guts,
gas tank, etc. are removed. The A/C condenser is left in place as
radiator protection. A heavy duty truck battery and fuel cell are
mounted on the front, passenger side floor. A hole is punched in the
floor so the transmission can be shifted directly by hand. Front
calipers are removed and the front brake circuit tubing sealed. The
driveshaft is removed, the welch plug in the front yoke is welded in
place, and the shaft is reinstalled. Doors are welded shut using long
strips of 1/8 steel plate and holes are cut in the hood for
ventilation. Finally, holes are punched in the hood and trunk so big
j-bolts can be used to secure the panel to the frame (front) and trunk
floor rails (rear). This car is now almost indestructable.
For it's first event, the car looks like an Imperial from a distance.
Unlike other demo derby cars, with an Imperial you use the front of the
car to batter opponents. The extra boxed crossmember beam under the
radiator support is key. As my friend says "NOBODY gets past the
beam." The Imperial will tear Buick, Chevy and Olds wagons to shreds.
I once saw a 69 Imp tear an early 70s Cadillac hearse in half. It
looked like the old Bob Hope in the Chevy Citation Shell commercial!
With the car pretty much battered and another trophy in hand, the car is
checked out for another derby and any necessary repairs are made. I saw
one 69 4DHT complete 5, yes 5, separate derbies. While I am intimately
familiar with fuselage Imperials, even I wouldn't have recognized this
car as an Imperial. Battered, bent, and deformed beyond comprehension,
it was ready for another event. Fans boo and laugh when it enters the
ring, but their tune changes when they see it in action.
On the other hand, I have also seen poorly prepared Imperials fail
miserably in derbies. Some guy sees a properly prepped Imp punish all
comers and thinks he has found his secret weapon. He finds a decent
running Imp, and destroys it doing the bare minimum work to meet safety
regulations. Five minutes into his first event he's dead in the water
from dragging front wheels, an overheated big block, or disconnected
transmission linkage. The Imp is the derby king, but preparation is
crucial.
Pete in PA
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