Vehicle Description
This 1964 Imperial is a three owner 32,190 actual mile like new
car! Fire Chief Doonan bought it new for his wife in San Francisco,
California, owned it until he passed away in 1999 with 19,700 miles
and comes with the original Black California plates. We have a
newspaper article with his story and paperwork to prove mileage.
This is a stunning rust free beauty with completely original Luster
Bond Rosewood Poly acrylic paint, only a couple of minor scratches,
optional vinyl top in excellent shape, original chrome in excellent
shape, and completely original Medium Mauve cloth and leather
interior with no flaws whatsoever. Back seat doesn't even look like
it's been sat in. Trunk compartment is brand new looking too with
original spare that has never put on the ground. Only 5233 made and
it was an expensive $5739 when new. The 413 engine with 340HP purrs
like a kitten and last year for the push button torqueflite
transmission shifts smoothly. Power steering, tilt wheel, power
brakes, power windows, power seats all work like new. Car now has a
newer set of wide whitewall radial tires and recently serviced,
brakes, fuel system, hoses, fluids etc, to make this an excellent
driver. The original owner so cared for his baby it even comes with
not one, but two car covers. This car is nice!!! The Incomparable
Imperial The square roofline was all the rage in 1964, and Chrysler
saw to it that the Imperial passenger would be properly pampered.
Courtesy lights were placed in the door pulls to light the way in
and out of the car, and thick foam padded front power and rear
seats with center fold down armrests made long trips a breeze.
Quality control was quite rigid on these cars; even Lincoln, which
exhibited better quality control than Cadillac at the time, paled
in comparison. Interior fabrics were specified with special dyes
that would resist fade-even in tropic sun conditions. And, if the
fabric ever should fade, it must do so evenly, so that the color
value throughout the interior would remain true. Every Imperial was
rustproofed in seven dip-baths and six spray treatments. Some of
the rust preventatives were so potent that they actually increased
the inherent rust immunity of the steel itself! This was followed
by nine coats of paint, each finish coat of acrylic enamel was
hand-sanded, except for the last. This coat underwent a special
machine-buffing process that provided a brilliant luster not
possible by hand. Three separate groups of inspectors ensured that
Imperial was built to the highest standards in the land. 106
technicians kept vigilance on each car as it moved through the
assembly plant. The completed car was then inspected by a separate
team that road tested each car and checked every component for
proper operation. Finally, top-tier quality control supervisors
maintained standards in work procedures and finished car quality.
All summed up, these steps made Imperial the best-built motor car
in America. Imperial engineers even used super-sensitive
microphones, tape recorders, analyzers, oscilloscopes, and new
electronic equipment to measure sound conduction through metal. By
doing so, they were able to define 154 improvements that would
isolate and eliminate noise from vibration. Some of the noises
weren't even audible to the human ear, but could cause tension and
fatigue. Body mounts were also analyzed and moved to eliminate the
vibration patterns of road noise which served to isolate the
passenger compartment, creating an almost silent interior.
Underneath the car, three layers of steel were used in exhaust
pipes, and double thickness was utilized in exhaust pipe
extensions. Imperial was the only car built in America at the time
to use a flexible coupling in its steering column to filter out
road shock, but still provide good road feel through the steering
wheel. Imperial was certainly positioned to be a top seller for
1964. It was the only traditional luxury car to be completely
redesigned, and it certai
