Re: IML: My Imperial Dilemma

["Hugh, 58 Imperial" <imperial58@xxxxxxxxxxx>]

John,

Do not spend another dime on this car until you create some protection for 
it from the elements.  Otherwise any money you spend on the car will be a 
waste of time and you will end up back in the same situation sooner rather 
than later.  Once you have the car protected from the elements, get in 
running again the way you like it.  Selling a car that runs but isn't pretty 
is a lot easier than junk with a paint job.  At that point, you may decide 
to get it looking nice again, or you may decide to sell it.  However, the 
additional shade for any vehicle you have created will add value to your 
house and you may even get the money back when you sell.

Please forgive me for being blunt.  What I am suggesting is simple and 
pragmatic.  Spending money on the car at this point would be to ignore your 
own direct experience of what the elements have already visited upon your 
car.

Hugh Hemphill
58 Imperial
San Antonio, Texas.


----- Original Message ----- 
From: "jmeyer75" <jmeyer75@xxxxxxx>
To: <mailing-list@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx>
Sent: Wednesday, October 10, 2007 3:27 PM
Subject: IML: My Imperial Dilemma


> Hi Folks,
>
> I've had my 1965 Crown now for a little over 13 years. In that time  I've 
> had a lot of fun with it, spent a lot of money on it, been in  love with 
> it and wanted to push it over a cliff. I was one of the  earliest members 
> of this club back in the Tony Lindsey days and I've  learned a lot here 
> and gotten a lot of support.
>
> But now I have to decide what to do with my Imperial. I still love 
> driving it and it's costing me very little to keep, but I don't have  the 
> motivation to do anything with it. The cosmetic work I had done  to it 
> (mainly the paint) now needs to be redone thanks to the harsh  Arizona sun 
> and some unfortunate scrapes and bruises. I have some  money from 
> insurance stashed but while it'll cover the damage it  won't cover an all 
> new paint job, much less an extension to my  carport to give it some 
> shade.
>
> I go around and around with this - some days I want just to not have  it 
> any more and of course when I drive it I tend the other way, to  get it 
> refinished and proceed like I did before. One factor is that I  was never 
> a very good mechanic but I was willing to do things like  replace the 
> window and antenna motors and change all the dash lights.  Nowadays I just 
> don't feel like doing that any more.
>
> So I've been sitting on it the last couple of years, buying some  parts 
> here and there, driving it once or twice a week, and thinking  of how cool 
> it would be if I got back into it. But that doesn't seem  to be happening.
>
> Since I've owned it I've had practically everything mechanical  replaced 
> and/or rebuilt except for the differential. I've had it  painted and 
> reupholstered. I've collected a bunch of spare parts  including a set of 
> flat-top .030 pistons and a pair of torsion bars  which is a long story 
> all by itself.
>
> Right now it runs and drives really well but it sure ain't pretty any 
> more. I could never seem to keep it pretty and running all at once - 
> after I got it painted I had to get the engine rebuilt, etc. etc.  etc. I 
> had some bad luck choosing shops and people who made some of  this much 
> harder than it should have been. I've had good luck too  with some good 
> people, but I'm just not in the mood to turn it over  to a body shop and 
> go through that again.
>
> The car is special to me for the fun I've had with it and especially  a 
> couple of road trips between Illinois and Arizona with my Dad which  I'll 
> never forget, and driving my best friends from their wedding  with a bunch 
> of Schlitz cans tied to the back (another long story).  It's hard to think 
> about letting it go - it's a big part of me. But   nothing is happening 
> with it and my interests are elsewhere so I'm  not sure that keeping it 
> with the idea of re-restoring it is such a  good idea.
>
> I guess you can all see where I'm leaning by now: it's probably time  to 
> sell. I wouldn't feel bad if I sold it to someone who'd pick up  where I 
> left off, someone who could see beyond its cosmetic state to  all the good 
> stuff underneath.
>
> Anyways, let me know your thoughts and if anybody might be interested  let 
> me know.
>
> John Meyer
> 1965 Crown
> Tucson



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