Newsletter and Event Announcement

Volume I, Number 4 - November, 2000

   Message from the President

From Laguna Niguel Regional Park, Laguna Niguel, Ca.

Well, I have to hand it to you folks, the turn out was GREAT. There were 14 little buggys that ranged from the 50's thru the 80's with approximately 27 very content members and guests. Everyone thought it was really nice to relax and enjoy the day. reminiscing and talking that IMPERIAL talk, is always a pleasure. Great people and great automobiles, what more could anyone ask for? Money you say? Ok, Juanita Kretschmer won the 50/50.

From the reaction of everyone, let me say, there will be an annual picnic. By the way, the pavilion & charcoal cost the SCIO about $75.00 - You deserve it! There were two trips to the Park to set this picnic up (free, gratis). ALL event leg work has been done at no charge. By having the 50/50, it will not only help combat our setup expense but will put money in the lucky winners pocket. CASH on the spot. I would like to THANK the Imperial drivers, and all members and guests that made this picnic the pleasure that it was.

I would also like to THANK all the members of the Southern California Imperial Owners Inc. for sticking by our side as we pulled this Club from the quicksand in which it was. The Board, and the entire SCIO membership, thanks all (that’s you/us!) for supporting the club during 2000. THANK YOU!

Business Talk: This has been a very busy year for YOUR Board Members. Looking back: December ‘99, Business Meeting/Maritime Museum, San Pedro. January 2000, Board Meeting, Norwalk. March 2000, Air Museum/ Pond Collection, Palm Springs. April 2000, Business trip (for State Meet 2001) Solvang. May 2000, State Meet, Modesto. June 2000, Antique Gas & Steam Engine Museum, Vista. Sept. 2000, Club Picnic/Car Show, Laguna Niguel. We’ll have another Board Meeting, (by e-mail) prior to the December 2000 Business/Election Meeting. YOU, the members, have made it possible, with your strong attendance and support. This is YOUR CLUB - enjoy it!

Two reminders: Please think about the elections at the December meeting AND it’s time to renew your membership! (see last page)

Let’s Talk State Meet - This is our State Meet 2001. WE will not just be, participants or spectators, WE will be, The State Meet. WE need to work together on this. This Meet will reflect on ALL OF US.

David Doty, Your President

 

SCIO Event - December 10, 2000 – Tustin

The next SCIO event will be on December 10th at "THE BARN" restaurant & saloon, 14982 Red Hill Ave., Tustin CA 92780 (714-259-0115). It’s on the corner of Red Hill & Edinger. Take 405 south to 55 north to Edinger, right or east approx. 1/2 mi. or take I-5 north or south to Red Hill, go south approx. 1 1/2 mi. on left corner at Edinger. Check your map for exact directions.

We’ll start at 9:30 am and have a viewing place for our Imperials and the menu features a $13.95 for a "all you can eat" champagne brunch. After brunch, we’ll have our business meeting.

We may arrange a visit to the nearby Marconi Museum (race & other cars) or we’ll have a list of nearby attractions for post-meeting fun.

OIC (Online Imperial Club) Event - November 12, 2000

John Brauninger wrote to the Online Imperial Club: "I finally checked out the L&R salvage yard. (5008 Patterson Avenue, Perris, California 92571. (near Riverside adjacent to March AFB, off the Interstate 215, Oleander exit, 909-940-9281) Lawrence and Rodney Butler gave me a tour of their salvage yard, which includes 1-'58, 4-'59s, 1-'63, and a few other Imperials. I've got a '62 parts car that I'm thinking about giving them or paying them to store so I can get some elbow-room in my hanger.

They'd be glad to host a tour for Imperial owners and suggested Nov 11 or 12 to coincide with "Open Aircraft Days" at the March Field Museum. This is the only time of the year when you can get into the many planes on display including the awesome B-52 (and I wish the SR-71 Blackbird!). The March Museum folks would arrange for a docent to give us a tour and possibly a parking area for Imperials.  The Museum is loaded with memorabilia (including lots of old military electronic equipment which I found especially interesting).

Let’s try for Nov. 12 because Nov 11 is Veterans Day. We’ll spend the morning at March Field (opens at 9 AM) through lunch then caravan over to L&R (a couple of miles away) around 1 pm.

Please contact me (flightsweep@juno.com, 310-670-7850) and I'll make reservations at MAFB and L&R. Entrance (donation) fee is $5 for adults ($4 if in a group) and $2 for kids. March Field is located in Southern CA along the 215 Freeway at the Van Buren exit in Perris (about a one hour drive from Los Angeles or San Diego)."

 


Volume I, Number 4 - November, 2000

 

Help Wanted! 2001 Statewide Meet - Solvang, May 4-6

It’s time to get serious about the 2001 Statewide Meet, which the SCIO is hosting in Solvang! We have a great hotel and location for the meet, but there’s MUCH to do, so now is the time to help with ideas and groundwork! We very much need help to find sponsors and plan the other Meet events and tours. Please give Dave Doty a call and help us - the SCIO! We really need a Meet Director and a few other key "specialty" managers. If you think any post may require too much time, how about teaming up with another club member or "friend of the Club" and split up a task? You’ll hear more about this at the December meeting and in future newsletters.

The SCIO also needs volunteers to plan our activities. We NEED (a) creative thinker(s) to be an Events Coordinator(s) and/or we need an Events Committee! If you’ve ever thought: "Why don’t we go to…?" then please step up to the plate!

We also need editor(s), contributors and writers and for this Newsletter and The Imperial Eagle – We want the Eagle to return!

We also want to keep publishing Tech Tips and recommended parts sources and mechanics. Call us or drop a note to help out other Club members with your experiences, pro or con!

Laguna Niguel Regional Park Picnic – September 30

It really was a great setting for Imperials and their drivers and everyone seemed to have a good time. When all the Imps came in nearly together, we thought it was possible they would keep coming and we'd have more than 20, but it was still a great collection of years and models.

Doug Gilfillan sent a summary: "We went to the SCIO picnic at the Laguna Niguel Regional Park and saw a dozen Imperials dating from 1955 to 1968. Norm Silverman, from San Diego, and Dick Benjamin were most helpful in diagnosing and adjusting the carburetor on Gary Low's 1968 Imperial Crown. They were both a wealth of information. Nannette brought her maroon ‘55 sedan which is in perfect condition, Steve Nye brought his ‘55 Newport coupe and Norm had a magnificent white 1961 LeBaron Southampton. We had a delightful picnic in Pavilion #4 and Billie provided some splendid deserts for us all. Her chocolate cake was so magnificent that I just have to give you the recipe":

BILLIE'S IMPERIAL CHOCOLATE CAKE (later updated by Billie herself!)
1 box chocolate cake mix (no pudding added)
1 box chocolate instant pudding (small size)
8 oz. sour cream
1/2 cup of vegetable oil
1/2 cup of warm water
4 eggs
1 1/2 cup chocolate chips

Combine cake mix, pudding, sour cream, oil, water and eggs. Beat well. Fold in chocolate chips. Bake at 350 F for 50-55 minutes in a TUBE PAN.

Dick Benjamin sent all the pictures and also: "Thanks, Doug, for posting the info on the meet. One minor correction - I counted 14 Imperials - that black car next to yours was an Imperial too. (I know many don't consider it one, but those who have driven it change their mind!) It's an '81, plus there was a '64 that left early. We had a delightful day and Nancy is still raving about the cake!"

Norm wrote: "No need to thank me, as you actually provided an irresistible opportunity to get my hands dirty and my brain engaged. Anyway, thank you for the kind words. Just for the record, though, it was Dick B. who actually caused the idle to be more manageable by tweaking the idle screws. BTW, earlier another Dick, Kretschmer, had made the same suggestion. It seems we really do have a wealth of knowledgeable people - and we actually all agreed on a diagnosis. Try finding that among 3 doctors!!"

Chris Hoffman did not quite make it: "Well, I guess it wasn't a good day for '67s in SoCal! I was halfway to Laguna in mine when it became more than obvious that there was a good-size exhaust leak. Oddly, it's perfectly quiet at idle, but it sure does rumble under acceleration! So I decided to turn around and return home, disappointed but not wanting to worry about a collapsed muffler clogging up on a 90-minute ride home."

And Ted Huntzinger also had bad luck: "I tried to make it to the picnic. Alas, the front seal on the trans decided to go south while I was northbound on the I-5 at Oceanside. My '67 MDO had to return home on the back of a flatbed. I am lucky that there is a trans shop in El Cajon that knows 727 TorqueFlites. I hope I can make the next one. I had my camera and was planning lots of pictures of a massive Imperial gathering."

 

Tech Tip: Who Can Fix My Imperial?

Rob Shapiro (belfrygroup@earthlink.net) writes:

"We just moved to Santa Monica, and if you look around, you'll likely see the '60 Dusk Mauve Metallic Imperial smoothing out the native roads, earning sharp gasps and incredulous nods. The grinning man behind the wheel is me.

Almost immediately upon arrival, I lucked into a great mechanic:

George
Santa Monica Brake
Santa Monica Blvd., between 9th and 10th
310-395-5437

His rep is peerless locally, his work impeccable, and he's a h--- of a nice guy to boot. If his shop can't do the work, I'm sure he can point you in the right direction. Another good source for info is to call the folks at "Cars With Class", on 11th and Wilshire. SOMEONE has to work on their normally beautiful cars, so give them a ring if you get stumped (I did - they sent me to George)."

Restorations by Julius, 10101 1/2 Canoga Avenue, Chatsworth, CA 91311 (818-882-2825). (www.cyberweb1.com/julius/).

Doctor Bob's Auto Sales & Services, 1001 E. Palmer Ave., Glendale, CA 91205-3531, (818-500-7714). A member said: "Bob Gallegos loves old cars - he started on them and he's in his 50's. He has always fixed my Imperial. He's right off of the 2 Freeway at the York exit."

Tech Tip: Where Can I Find Imperial Literature?

We hope you enjoy the Bibliography, but where can these books and magazines be found? I always go first to Fred Chaparro's used auto bookstore, Autobook Stop in Burbank, 1508A Magnolia Blvd. Contact Fred at 818-845-1202 or autobookstop@worldnet.att.net

Another highly recommend source is McLellan's Automotive History, 9111 Longstaff Drive, Houston, TX 77031-2711; Phone: 713-772-3285, FAX: (713) 772-3287; mclellans@world net.att.net; http://www.mclellansautomotive.com

Want Ads

1962 Imperial Crown 4-door hardtop. Excellent condition, rosewood exterior, black leather interior. All power, good A/C, original paint with minor touch ups. 77,000 miles.

Originally owned by the Disneyland park manager and frequently borrowed by Walt Disney to take business associates to lunch! Asking $4500. Norm Phair at 818-769-1234

Wanted for a 1939 Custom Imperial Limousine C24: P/N 692186 Mainshaft with Fluid drive and Overdrive; P/N 633804 Transmission countershaft (Cluster) gear; P/N 694793 Main Drive Pinion (Input Shaft). Also want a B/W book/catalog with the B/W T85A-1A transmission P/N's and schematics or copies.

The transmission was used in ‘38/’39 8 cylinder cars only (the overdrive units are different). Jim Martin, jcmartin@webtv.net, 1058 Westchester Drive, Sunnyvale, CA 94087-2047

Wanted - To buy a great '59 Imperial!  Prefer a Crown Coupe, sedan or convertible in great shape. Joe Molina, email: OJMPRES@aol.com, 818-992-4353/fax 818-992-0543

Wanted To Buy - A late '50’s or early ‘60’s Imperial Convertible.  Richard Croft, 541-488-4025 (OR)

??For Sale: 1966 Chrysler Imperial LeBaron. Exceptionally clean condition and is a daily driver. It is currently registered in California. I can provide photos if desired and am open to reasonable offers. Scott. SNB80793@aol.com

Parts For Sale: 1966 grill with headlight covers, including spare driver's side cover.  Pitting on the little "squares" and two dings (with cracks) to chrome surround, but good headlight covers.  Would make a great wall decoration! Also, blue leather, wedge-shaped, very nice headrests from unknown Imperial.  Offers!  Bob, email: bsbrbank@pacbell.net, or call 818-563-1419

Parts For Sale: Salesman's books showing paint chips, fabric swatches, etc.  See complete list below!  Jack Edward, 68-495 Pasada Road, Cathedral City, CA, 92234-4812, 760-322-3019

More Want Ads Below, with Photos!

 
 

For Sale
1966 Imperial LeBaron

Ivory or Desert Beige (?), original paint in very nice shape, one small dent.  Green leather interior. Very nice condition. Recent tune-up, new radiator, dual exhausts, wheels, smooth hub caps. Great A/C. Asking $5,000. Also, a Gremlin X, V-8, with rare "Levi" interior!  $2,800.  Arthur Escalera, Garden Grove, CA, 714-839-3602

For Sale
Brochures and 1988 Fifth Avenue

1965

Imperial full-line folder, black cover, 12 pages

$5.00

1966

Imperial full-line folder, green cover, 14 pages

$5.00

1966

New Yorker, 300, Newport, etc. full-line folder, black cover, 28 pages

$10.00

1974

Imperial full-line folder, NICE

$15.00

1974

Imperial body & service manual (new)

$20.00

1974

Imperial chassis service manual

$25.00

1974

Dealer’s hardbound Salesman’s book (fabric swatches, etc.)

$50.00

1974

Dealer’s hardbound Salesman’s book, all models, paint chips, etc.

$50.00

1975

Owner’s Manual

$15.00

1978

New Yorker, Newport, etc. full-line folder

$15.00

1982

Imperial full-line folder (as new)

$15.00

1983

Imperial full-line folder (as new)

$15.00

1982-83

Owner’s Manual

$15.00

1982-83

Small folder on accessories, etc.

$3.00

For Sale or Trade

1988 Chrysler Fifth Avenue with 36,200 actual miles! New "Steel blue" (original) paint, blue leather, new tires. Incredibly like new. $5,000 or trade for excellent Imperial. What have you to trade? Jack Edward, 760-322-3019

Two Convertibles For Sale

I have decided it is time for something different. So, I am selling my two very nice '67 and '66 convertibles that I recently provided links to on the IML. They are priced identically with asks of $12,750 and can be seen at photopoint.com by going to:

 http://albums.photopoint.com/j/albumindex?u=1293838&a9596487 for the '66, and

 1293838&a=9594613 for the '67.

These are both excellent looking and running cars that can be driven cross country right now. I have never had any problems with either one.  I am located in San Diego California and the cars are both currently registered here. Norm, Watchfatha@aol.com


SCIO Officers

President: Dave Doty (562-864-5410, sciopresident@juno.com);
Vice-President: Jay Weinert (760-321-6805, jkimpjag@aol.com);
Treasurer: Nannette Clark-Cook (858-277-9870, nannetteyclark@dellnet.com);
Secretary & Interim Editor: Bob Schmitt (818-563-1419, bsbrbank@pacbell.net)

Don’t forget: more SCIO news on the Internet:

http://teamchicago.com/imperial/

Ken Cassady's 1963 Custom - 34,000 original miles!

Steve Nye's Spectacular 1955 Imperial

The Picnic at Laguna Niguel Regional Park (all photos courtesy of Dick Benjamin)

Steve Nye's 1955 Imperial - Interior

Steve Nye's 1955 Imperial

Ken Cassady's 1963 Custom

This issue also included a five-page Imperial Bibliography, found online at:

Imperial Bibliography