It’s our fourth day of project cars, and today we’re going to look at a pair of diamonds-in-the-rough that are both missing one crucial element: the engine — the beating heart of the machine. But before we kick the dry-rotted tires on these two, we need to settle up yesterday’s results:
Wow. I thought you all had more intestinal fortitude than that. C’mon, where’s your sense of adventure? Where’s that can-do spirit? Oh well, suit yourselves. If I throw out the chicken vote, it looks like the Range Rover takes the win, so it will move on to Friday’s bacchanalia of bad ideas.
Today you’ll need a good deal more gumption than that to make a choice. Today, you will need to take the most critical part of some other car and put it into one of these cars to make it complete. On this day we must choose an old car upon which to bestow new life. From this day to the ending of the world, but we in it shall be remembered, we few, we happy few, we band of… well, anyway. [Editor’s note: This is William Shakespeare’s St Crispin’s Day speech. I’m not sure how it’s relevant here, but let’s let Mark be Mark. -DT]. Let’s take a look at the cars.
1957 Imperial – $2,300
Drivetrain: Torqueflite 3 speed automatic, RWD
Location: Wenatchee, WA
Odometer reading: unknown
Runs/drives? Nope
First, you’ll notice that the ad says “Chrysler Imperial,” but that’s not quite right. In 1957, Chrysler Corporation had five divisions: Plymouth, Dodge, DeSoto, Chrysler, and Imperial, which was split off from Chrysler as a separate marque two years earlier. So it’s a Chrysler, but it’s not a Chrysler, if that makes sense. This would have been the flagship of Chrysler’s lineup, designed to go head-to-head with Cadillac and Lincoln.
And let’s talk about that design for just a minute, because, well, look at this thing. It was created by automotive design demigod Virgil Exner as the crowning jewel of Chrysler’s “Forward Look” design philosophy. Exner gave a unique but familial look to each division’s cars, always pushing for longer, lower, wider, more futuristic shapes. His designs had style, weight, and unmatched presence.
And OK, yes, one of the Forward Look cars got all possessive of its owner and turned into a homicidal maniac, but that was Stephen King’s fault, not Virgil Exner’s.
This particular car is missing its signature 392 cubic inch “FirePower” Hemi V8, but the rest of it looks remarkably good. You’d have to look underneath to be sure, but it doesn’t look rusty at all, which makes sense for a high desert car. It also looks complete in terms of trim pieces, which is important, because where the hell are you going to find them otherwise? My personal choice for bringing this beast back to life would be a modern Chrysler Hemi, preferably in the correct 392 size, but the push-button controls for the Torqueflite automatic would have to stay.
1962 Ford Fairlane – $1,500
Drivetrain: none at all except the rear axle
Location: Garden Grove, CA
Odometer reading: unknown
Runs/drives? Um… how hard can your friends push?
For something a little plainer, cheaper, and a few years newer, we have this Ford Fairlane, which also seems to be listed incorrectly. The seller calls it a ’61 with a ’62 front clip, but looking at photos of dashboards of both years leads me to think this is all ’62, so that’s how I listed it.
The Fairlane was Ford’s midsized bread-and-butter car, slotting into the lineup between the compact Falcon and the larger Galaxie. It would have originally had either an inline six or Ford’s then-new Windsor V8, dubbed the “Challenger” at the time, and in this car it looks like there would have been a two-speed Ford-O-Matic (love that name) automatic transmission.
This Fairlane has had a lot of body work done already, which for someone like me who hates sanding and filling is a big plus. I’ll turn wrenches all day, but don’t make me fix dents and rust. The interior needs some help, but plenty of reproduction parts companies stand ready to take your money in exchange for new door cards and seat upholstery. And it looks like a lot of the exterior trim pieces are in the trunk, waiting until the final paint job is done.
Between the primer and the complete lack of a drivetrain, this car is a blank canvas. It’s not anything special or rare (which cannot be said of the Imperial) so you can build it pretty much however you want. Drop in a nice junkyard 302 and a C4 automatic, fix up the interior, give it a nice coat of paint, and it’d be a good summer cruiser. Or go hog-wild with the power and turn it into a vintage dragstrip beast.
Obviously, these are both serious projects, but both have the potential for greatness. Which one is a more worthy starting point for that hero’s journey is up to you. And please do comment any grand plans you might have for either of them.
The Imperial is in so much better shape, it’s the winner by a lot here. I wouldn’t even restore it. I’d clean up the interior, and put some shine juice (linseed oil and mineral spirits) on the exterior. My first thought was a modern hemi, but I like the EV conversion idea that several of y’all threw out there already.
My dad bought a few old Chryslers that had been sitting around when I was a kid. They all had a certain smell to them from the deteriorating carpet and the seat cushions. There’s no amount of carpet and upholstery cleaner that will remove that stench. The interior in the Imperial would definitely rate stripping it down to the bare metal and redoing it.
there aren’t enough pics to see if it’s in better shape. I’m staring at the rot under the front seat and thinking: full pan replacement and what’s up with the frame and mounts? Of course, if full frame off resto is the plan, then yes, Imp.
Like most of the comments, EV conversion on the Imperial would be absolutely brilliant. Think of the genius of it:
-Rocket age styling made it look like the future in the ’50s, which makes doing something extremely modern very sensible.
-Since it’s about as large as a mid-priced hotel room, lots of room for batteries.
-Any no drivetrain car is a great choice for an EV conversion because it’s not like you’re stripping out anything, why not go for something new?
-It’s a fantastic base for cool paint.
-It’s very easy to work in the unique original features like the pushbutton transmission, though if you want to make it really kickin’ you’d probably have to do custom gauges which wouldn’t be cheap.
-As originally designed, it was meant to be a smooth, quiet ride, so EV fits its overall demeanor.
-Added weight of batteries doesn’t matter because it already weighed about as much as a beached whale.
I love the lines of the imperial, it’s gonna stand out in any parking lot. For drivetrain, I’ve been mildly obsessed with Webb motorworks, electric motors hidden inside a hollowed out v8s, buff out the paint and refresh the interior. Then cruise it.
Imperial for sure. Also in total agreement with an EV swap – “Amperial” – A quiet, torquey option would be perfect for that wafting-down-the-road-in-luxury monument to mid-century automotive design.
I understand the appeal of an easier restoration in the Ford, but it’s more-or-less just a 1962 Camry of the era. Go big or go home.
If think that the Fairlane just edges it as the sensible choice for my long planned engine swap.
A steam powered Imperial feels overly flamboyant somehow.
That’s the thing: several of you are prioritizing “sensible” or “easier” or “cheaper and more plentiful parts.” One could just buy a Civic.
Imperial all the way
The Fairlane’s a relative snooze, basically an early Mustang in an uglier suit. Yeah, you can make it drive fast, and the price will be cheaper than any similar-condition Mustang up until the II, but… I’ve already fallen asleep again just thinking about it. It will turn no heads unless you go full Thunderbolt with it, which… I kinda doubt you’re gonna shoehorn a 427 into a ’62.
The Imperial is style for the rest of your short happy life and this one is dirt cheap for the condition.
Definitely the Imperial…If i wanna own a land yacht, I wanna do it right
I’ll take the Chrysler that’s not a Chrysler. Just look at those fins!
That Imperial looks really cool, so that would be my choice
The Imperial is not in bad shape, but it’s what we don’t see that has me concerned. The Fairlane gets the vote as the basis for an EV swap, if only for the ubiquity of available interior/other parts.
yes., only 4 pics on Imp ad, and there’s something about the rot under the front seat…
Easy win for the Fairlane. If I was going to get a Forward-Look Mopar, it’d be either a Belvedere or a Sport Suburban but not the Imperial. For the Fairlane, my mom had a beige Fairlane 500 for her first car so I’d probably try replicating that to some extent.
Did she choose the beige, or did it just happen to be beige, and if given a choice, might she have chosen differently? I mean, my mom once had a ’63 Buick Wildcat convertible, which may not have been the prettiest year, but it was bright red and awesome, so if I were going to get a mom-tribute car I’d be pretty happy hers wasn’t beige and if it was, mom, we’re upgrading you.
She got the Fairlane as a used car, so the color was already chosen. The other car she was looking at at the time was a dark blue Mustang, but it had an I-6 and was a bit too much over what she wanted to spend. That said, the fact that it was beige didn’t bother her too much simply because of how much of a sleeper it was (she still insists it was the 427 Cobra engine, but I’m guessing it was at most the 390). I guess the beige primer of this one reminded me of that but she’d probably want some shade of blue if she was getting another, maybe Guardsman Blue as seen on a number of Shelbys.
I’m not one for classic cars but given the choice, Imperial. The lines are amazing on that car. I wouldn’t even paint it, just clean it up and put a coat of ceramic on it. Do a full resto on the interior though.
As far as motor, whatever the junkyard has for cheap that will bolt up. The engine isn’t going to have matching numbers anyway and I’d be making a driver out of it.
Go big or go home
Imperial
Fairlane.
The hassle of getting a zip-code assigned to the Imperial would be a nightmare.
And for a car like that, you’d want an original powertrain, its a luxury car, and a rare one at that. For the work-a-day Ford, you could throw anything in there from a 300 6 EFI out of a 90s F-150 to a modern Coyote 5.0L or the 351 W that doesn’t belong to, but is currently sitting in, my 1969 F-100 Ranger. The possibilities are endless. I think the Ford gives you more freedom here.
Why be limited to the original powertrain? It’s not a museum piece, it’s an uncommonly lovely old heap in remarkably good shape at a dirt cheap price. Give it a better drivetrain, and drive it. Upgrade the upholstery, give it better lights, have the fun with it that the concours chuckleheads can’t.
As a foreigner, I think both of these are quite cool, because they’re exotic (to me). But the Imperial would be the one I’d go for. Someone mentioned something torquey – so assuming it’s possible, would it make it a good candidate for an electric drivetrain?
I thought that Imperial would make a fine electric beach cruiser.
“I got a Chrysler as big as a whale, and it’s about to set sail!”
Ha!
B-52s rep
I was thinking EV on the Imperial as well, maybe wait to see what Stellantis does for it’s EVs and wait for one to get crashed to get the parts from.
Now the Ford, a Coyote powered road course type car would be pretty cool for that one!
Buying by the pound, the Imperial is the best deal. If that’s not America, I don’t know what is.
The Imperial is begging to be my Goth Car. This is the exact car I want for that. I’ve thought about a 1957 Imperial a lot already!
I want an outrageously large, overstyled beast of a car to put a custom upholstered Barcalounger style interior into. Paint the car all black, and the chrome red or red chrome. Or green/green chrome. Not sure yet. Maybe even purple.
Dark windows. Extremely air soft suspension with lowrider pumps. A nice lumpy exhaust note. Top end audio system. Maybe a huge cutout in the hood to see the custom air cleaner shake.
If I could afford it, it would get a modern 6.2 Mopar, maybe a Hellcat motor. The Hellephant would be too much because it’s not really for going fast, but still an option. If those are all out of budget, an LS is the answer.
I’d damned sure make something fun to look at. And, to top it all off, I’d put it on 30-inch rims, and live a Goth Donk life every time I rolled it out.
Well, I can’t say I share your taste, but I do admire your style. I have a buddy with a hot-rodded ’66 Cadillac hearse that’s part surf wagon and part Munsters Koach; I’d love to see your vision parked next to his.
I respect a person with a well thought-out plan. I think you qualify.
Not something I have the skills to do, but I’d love to see someone create an EV conversion out of the Imperial (AMP-erial?). Seems like an ideal candidate with the engine AWOL.
AMPerial… I dig it.
I’d go for the Imperial and do an EV conversion. Imperials were not necessarily driver’s cars. They were about comfort and isolation from the unpleasantries of the road. A quiet, vibration-free electric drivetrain would make this the ultimate Imperial.
Great minds… I had the same thought.
I’ve never seen the gauge cluster of the ’57 Imperial before… and they are fantastic! I like the symmetry of the two large pods, and how on the right pod you have four different gauges coming off the same central axis. It just works so well.
Errgggg, still no edit!?
My only complaint is that “LOW” is higher than “HIGH”.
If only it had the square steering wheel
The Fairlane is just boring. The imperial would be a head turner. Pop in a 8 of your choice tuned for torque and cruising. Also need to budget for an extra size garage.
The Fairlane is also going to be far easier and significantly cheaper to find parts for.
That’s true, but also makes the effort put into it yield a lower return.
Nobody gets bragging rights for resurrecting a Fairlane.
Number of people that think it’s cool to restore a vehicle that has extra obstacles far exceeds the number of people actually willing to do the work.
I’m working on a ’65 Suburban; it shares like 80% of it’s parts with a C10 (one of the easiest vehicles to find parts for) and it’s still an expensive PITA.
I’ve helped restore a ’59 Cadillac. All that “extra return” is just a few people saying, “Cool,” and it sure as hell cost the owner a pretty penny for that little extra “Cool.”
agree. I want to want that Imp, but I more want to enjoy running around in something before I’m 70, not being mildly frustrated with the car sitting next to the house sinking into the ground, waiting on frame mounts.
Again, one could always buy a Civic. That Imperial doesn’t appear to need all that much work. Finding a numbers-matching engine (or equivalent) would take more time and $, but not more actual physical labor. There were nearly 300,000 Fairlanes made in 1962. Fewer than 38,000 ’57 Imperials. One of them is a feast for the eyes. The other is an old Ford. One of them would give you a rolling work of art for your investment of time and labor and money. The other would give you a fairly bland-looking old Ford. One of them has groovy innovations that are still interesting, like the spare in the trunklid, and the pushbutton transmission, and the pronounced jet-age fins and taillights. The other has vestigial fins, and is a beige Ford. They both will need some effort and money expended. One of them will be an anonymous old Ford with its bright headlights missing because making it look like a Thunderbolt will the next owner’s only ambition.
Spoken a like a guy that either has deep pockets, or has never worked on something weird before. I’ve got a ’65 Suburban that is basically 90% C10, and finding things like seats is a chore unless you are willing to shell out $1,500 for rusted out seat frames.
Feb! You could garage *other cars* inside that Imperial.
If you’re going to have a dead car in your back yard forever it should at least be stylish. Imperial! Plus you can get more gardening tools and old tires inside.
Hell, you can make it a backyard office space and guest quarters. That thing’s bigger than most studio apartments.
I’m now picturing it permanently wedged between my house and my neighbours!
While I love the looks of the Imperial more, the Fairlane is going to be easier and cheaper to find parts for. Fairlane gets the vote.
Not sure that I’d go with a modern Hemi for the Imperial though. Need something with massive amounts of torque with no fuss. I’d be tempted to look at what is out there with modern diesel engines.
Not only that, but smaller Ford can result in a much more fun car to drive once it’s done. The Imperial is just going to be a big highway cruiser. With some upgraded suspension parts and brakes, the Fairlane can be made into a fun w/e backroads car that can take a curve without making all passengers seasick.
Massive amounts of torque with no fuss?
The 440 out of Torch’s dead RV.
Gotta be the Imp. I mean, just look at it.
“Gotta be the Imp. I mean, just look at it.”
Give me a few minutes. Still looking……. Almost to the B-pillar……(Maybe if I stepped-back 30 feet this would take less time.)