----- Original Message ----- From: "Jim Gathmann" <jim_gathmann@xxxxxxxxx> To: <mailing-list@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx> Sent: Monday, May 12, 2003 9:12 PM Subject: Re: IML: Imperials and other Mopar models > I have heard of similar differences for the 90's > Imperials- body was a thicker metal then the other > AC/AY's- in the case of interchangable body pannels > (hood, fenders, etc), it appears that the parts were > shaped out of the same machines/assembly line- they > just sent a thicker sheet of metal through. > > Which makes sense- as why use the good material in the > cheaper cars? That's a big thing I noticed about FWD > Mopars- as the price goes up, so does the quality of > the parts (not to say that the cheap stuff is bad- > just not as good). My k-car was thin, rusted quickly, > and was very hard to repair. A relatives Spirit was > slightly better... my Dynasty even stronger.... and > the Imperials I hear were even better then that. Guess > that's yet an other example of how buyers got their > money's worth when buying the Imperials- but > interestingly, Chrysler never (?) pointed out this > difference in material to consumers as a > bragging/selling point. > --- MNTwin1@xxxxxxx wrote: > > In a message dated 5/12/2003 12:21:02 PM Pacific > > Daylight Time, > > mailing-list-owner@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx writes: > > > > > After you have that Imperial for a while you may > > loose all interest in > > > Dodge Chargers. > > > > Aaron has a point here. A couple of weeks ago, I > > made the trip to the not so > > local salvage yard to retrieve a pair of swivel > > seats, one from an Imperial > > and the other from the same year New Yorker. Let me > > tell you, they are > > different! > > > > The seats from both are as heavy as boulders. The > > Imperial seats are leather > > and are in decent restorable condition. Once the > > seats were out of the cars > > I saw that each car had a center support bracket for > > the seat track. The > > support in the Chrysler is bolted to the floor pan. > > The Imperial support is > > welded. We had to cut both floors to get the > > supports out (not a great loss > > since there was a lot of rust in each car!) > > > > It was interesting to see the very definite > > difference in the gauge of the > > sheet metal. The New Yorker, which is unibody, has > > a much thinner gauge > > metal floor. The Imperial, body on frame > > construction, was definitely > > thicker. No wonder these cars weigh as much as they > > do. I would have > > thought the unibody car would have thicker gauge > > steel. The boy at the > > salvage yard was thoroughly impressed with the old > > hulk of the Imperail. We > > talked a lot about the car and its proper place in > > history. Can't say I > > converted him over, but it was a pleasure to provide > > a little education to > > the lad. > > > > So when Aaron states there is a reason an Imperial > > is better.... here is one > > piece of evidence! > > > > Happy motoring! > > > > Dale > > 68 Crown Coupe > > 60 New Yorkers (not quite Imperial, but nice!) > > 71 New Yorker > > 78 LeBaron T&C > > 79 New Yorker > > > > > __________________________________ > Do you Yahoo!? > The New Yahoo! Search - Faster. Easier. Bingo. > http://search.yahoo.com > >