Re: [FWDLK] I WAS JUST WONDERING???????

[Bill Watson <wwatson5@xxxxxxxxx>]

The 1953-54 Custom Imperial 2-door hardtop was on a 131.5" wheelbase, which
was 6" longer than the Windsor/NewYorker - all in the hood.

But the 4-door sedans were on a 133.5" wheelbase, and the extra length was
in the wider B pillar.  If you check photos of the DeSoto and Chrysler
sedans in 1953-54, the front and rear doors are next to each other with no
post showing through.  Check the Imperial sedans, and you will see the B
pillar between the doors.

But you are correct about the remaining models.  You could not turn an
Imperial into any Chrysler model from 1953 as the  wheelbase and length was
unique to the Imperial.

As for the 1955 Imperial convertible, Chrysler could have use the
Windsor/.New Yorker convertible and added the Imperial front and rear.
After all the 1955-56 Imperial 2-door hardtop and the 1956 4-door models
used the same passenger car compartment as the DeSoto and Chrysler.  Roof,
doors and all glass interchange between Imperial, Chrysler and DeSoto for
those models.

Bill
Vancouver, BC




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


From: Johnl
To: L-FORWARDLOOK@xxxxxxxxxxxxx
Sent: Friday, March 11, 2005 7:46 AM
Subject: Re: [FWDLK] I WAS JUST WONDERING???????


Changing a '55 or '56 Imperial to a Letter Car would be quite a feat.  Both
'55 & '56 Letter Cars rode on a 126" wheelbase.  The '55 Imperial, both
sedan and coupe were built on a 130" chassis.  Interesting fact regarding
the Imperial sedan for that year is that the front doors are unique to it.
They and the roof are longer and that is where the extra 4" comes from.  On
the coupe the length is picked up between the rear window and trunk lid.

The '56 Imperial's were built on a 133" wheelbase.  The front doors on
sedans for this year Imperial reverted back to the shorter Chrysler sedan
door.  All extra length was from the rear section of the car.  Chrysler
built no Imperial converts between 1952 and 1956 except for the K. T. Keller
car which was based on a New Yorker.  I've also seen one other '56 convert
that has been shown in Imperial form in the Sacramento area but I have no
knowledge of the origins of this car.  My guess is that it started life as a
New Yorker or Windsor.

Extra wheelbase on the '54 and earlier Imperials came from longer front
fenders and hoods.  The body was the same as Chrysler.

John Lazenby
Southern California, just minutes from Disneyland
1955 Chrysler New Yorker Deluxe Town & Country
1955 Imperial Newport
1955 Chrysler C300
1956 Chrysler 300B
1957 Chrysler 300C Coupe
1960 Chrysler 300F Coupe
1963  Volkswagen Beetle

----- Original Message -----
From: Ron Allyn Swartley
To: L-FORWARDLOOK@xxxxxxxxxxxxx
Sent: Thursday, March 10, 2005 10:50 PM
Subject: [FWDLK] I WAS JUST WONDERING???????



Hi All,
     Now days everything has been tried so I was just wondering if anybody
had any horror stories about something like a limited edition Fury being
stripped of it's gold and made into a Belvedere or Savoy?  How about a D500
Super having it's engine replaced with a flat head six cylinder? A Chrysler
300 letter series being changed into a New Yorker or Newport? How about a 55
or 56 Imperial changed into a Chrysler 300? Did anybody ever hear of someone
changing a convertible into a hardtop?????
                  I also was wondering when you sell one of the above
cars-------do you have to tell the buyer the car is worth more money than
you are selling it to him for?????
                 There use to be one or two professional companies that did
NOTHING BUT CHANGE HARDTOPS INTO CONVERTIBLES. They were like little factory
assembly lines, not back yard garage chop shops. They did beautiful work and
hand made the few parts that were not available from the factory. They use
to charge about $10 to 15,000 to do one and in most cases it looked much
better than the factory installation.
                    HHHMMMMMM, -----What would you call a 55-56--57
Thunderbird with two tops, one hardtop and one convertible???????
                                                Ron Allyn Swartley

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