A rare opportunity

["Peter Engel" <peter.engel@xxxxxxxxxxx>]

This is not Imperial specific but I thought that IMLers might appreciate
the opportunity to hear this story.

I recently had the opportunity to work on a beautiful unrestored 1940
Chevrolet Special Deluxe 4 door sedan.  The car is owned by the original
purchaser's son and the odometer shows only 16000 miles.  He uses it
only in parades.

It was sold in south central PA, always garaged, and seldom driven
(obviously).  It bears a nick here and there, but the paint, chrome, and
upholstery are original.  The original spare is in the trunk.

I really felt like I had the opportunity to feel what it was like to see
and drive one of these cars when it was new.  The sound and feel of the
doors closing was totally unfamiliar to me.  The driveline was
interesting, especially the torque tube, shock absorbers, and front
suspension.  Oh yeah, there were the choke and throttle controls on the
dash, too!

Looking at this car (which cost about $800 when new) and seeing/feeling
how solid the construction was, I couldn't help but wonder what an
Imperial of the same vintage (which cost about $2300) must have been
like.

Here is a link to some pics for those interested:

http://www.bos-engel.com/40chevy/

Pete in PA