What the heck is wrong with me?

Backstory: I was in my great uncles junkyard a while back, looking at a truck. Originally, my interest in the truck was the hood for use on my current one. But I asked if I could have it if I couldn't get mine running, and he didn't have an issue with it, seeing as the engine ran and would just end up getting crushed because nobody had any use for it.

Almost immediately I was entertaining ideas of tooling around in an IH tractor red flatbed pickup with a loud exhaust and some helper bags on the back.

Looked it over yesterday, and the frame and cab are in great shape, except stuff was pulled off it to fix my truck, someone yanked the gauges, and it was significantly more work than mine needs, so that idea died(actually got put on a back burner, I might do it to the one I have now)

However, while I was back there, my eye was caught by a early 80s Imperial. I took one look at its rwd, flip up light, 2 door luxo barge goodness and pictured it with nice wheels, a fresh coat of paint and the running gear from a Charger R/T stuffed under it and now I know I must have it.

Even if I get my truck running and on the road, I still want that Imp, so much so that I'm going back sometime this week(probably the same time I get the hood) and ask him if he has a title for it and what's wrong with it. Cause I will need a DD, and what better than a highway cruiser like that?

The Questions: Why does my brain hate me? Why do I have to mentally picture exactly what I would do to a vehicle before I even have money to buy it? Am I alone in this?

Most of my friends have to at least have inspiration before the crazy ideas show up, and I think mine up all by my lonesome.

I don;t see anything wrong with you

I find a new, cooler car every time I check Craigslist.

Sounds pretty normal to me. My wife might not agree though.

There's a great JY near me and every time I go there I see something "new". It's usually a 60's or 70's luxo-barge like you described. Anything from Oldsmobiles to Cadillacs.

I know for a fact that you're in good company here.

I know that because every time I read a "What tow vehicle" thread and I'm thinking F350, you guys are thinking Country Squire or CVPI or Fleetwood.

I love you guys for that!

I was with you until you said the object of your new affection was an '80s Imperial. Since they are basically just Miradas and Chargers and Cordobas in a pale imitation of the early '80s Caddy Seville...I'd rather have the "original", tho I understand that they are harder to find/more expensive when found.

Someone had a Mirada on my local CL that was selling for under $4K. He had no takers. A used car dealer here in Jacksonville had a low mileage Cordoba/Chrysler 300 on sale with less than 100K miles. Price? Just under $8K.

IF, if, I was buying one of the "Big 3s" bustle-backed cars (this Imperial, the Seville, or a Lincoln Continental sedan...it's based on the fox body) I'd buy the Lincoln. Unfortunately, they are hard to find, too.

OK, to feed the Imperial idea:

That generation Imperial (the '81-83 coupes) are a J-body in Mopar chassis speak. That chassis is usually referred to as F-M-J Body since they all share the same design.

They have a transverse torsion bar suspension up front. The bars are an L-shape. All the bars are the same size on all of the F-M-J's. Firm Feel Inc. is making new bars, but I don't know if they are just stock replacements or if they are offering larger diameter bars now.

Those Imps had a fuel injection system on them, but it had some issues and the factory offered a conversion kit to change them over to a 2bbl carb. Same setup used on the Diplomat & Gran Fury. They are all 318 cars.

Transmission is probably a 998 or 999 variant of the 904 automatic. Would have a lock up converter.

It has either an 8 1/4" or 9 1/4" rear in it. I think, but not 100% sure, all the J-body Imperials got 9 1/4's in them. I don't think any were equipped with the weaker 7 1/4". It should have some gears better suited to Bonneville than around town. Probably 2.45 or maybe even 2.29. I don't know if the "good" gears (2.76, 2.94) were available for it off the production line. Anything can be swapped. Would need a 2.76-up carrier for the better gears.

Any Mopar V8 will fit. A 440 will fit in there. Aftermarket conversion mounts are available. A 5.7/6.1 Hemi will fit, but I don't know if there is a clearance problem with the power steering box wanting to occupy some of the same space as the #1 exhaust outlet.

Since the car has transverse torsion bars, the trans mount is a normal crossmember, not an anchor for the torsion bars like the earlier cars. This makes it easier to install one of the Mopar overdrive transmission (A500 or A518, or one of their later variants).

The one I've built in my head would be put together using later Dakota & Ram parts swapped in. 360 Magnum with EFI, A518, and a 3.55 or 3.91 geared 9 1/4" rear. Cam and intake swap on the 360, some Volare/Aspen headers, 2.5" duals with the Dynomax Hemi Turbo mufflers (the long case ones to keep it quiet, after all it's an Imperial), a mild shift kit in the trans, and a limited slip rear. Add some decent shocks and better sway bars and that would make that car a very fun cruiser and a bit of a sleeper.

Oh, they have very generous wheel wells too. I ran 255/60-15's at all 4 corners of the '83 Mirada I had. It's a sister J-body to that Imp.

Let us know when you start the build thread.

integraguy wrote: ...Someone had a Mirada on my local CL that was selling for under $4K. He had no takers. A used car dealer here in Jacksonville had a low mileage Cordoba/Chrysler 300 on sale with less than 100K miles. Price? Just under $8K....

I owned my '83 Mirada twice. The second time I gave it away to the guy I sold it to the first time around. If he didn't take it I was going to watch it burn to the ground. He sold it again to the guy he sold it to the time before. I made sure that guy knew not to call me this time around. That particular car was evil. And not in the cool way.

I did keep the factory forged aluminum wheels though. They look very nice on my wife's Challenger.

In reply to Rob_Mopar:

All of that is awesome, and I hate you for it.

If I was gonna switch to carb(which I would) I'd go 4 barrel at least. Maybe a cammed up 340 six pack or a 408 would be in order.

I really do not understand the question.

These problems also arise when you marry into families who have salvage yards. I feel your pain.

Clearly it's a sign.

Maybe I should grab the other one as well and go crazy with it.

E: Yes, I know it's a Dodge.

I spent years pining after my fathers Magnum, I figure a slightly newer Imperial is close enough.

am i wrong in remembering that the Imperials were pretty damn rare, and only made so they could play in NASCAR?

Probably.

Pretty sure the Mirada/Imperial were just the replacement for the Magnum/Cordoba and are only rare because ChryCo went all FWD a few years after they came out.

Grizz wrote: In reply to Rob_Mopar: All of that is awesome, and I hate you for it. If I was gonna switch to carb(which I would) I'd go 4 barrel at least. Maybe a cammed up 340 six pack or a 408 would be in order.

Glad I could help.

I wasn't recommending going to the factory 2bbl setup, but if you open in the hood and find that there, the original owner must have complained about the fuel injection...

There are some guys over at the Imperial Club that have sorted the original EFI out, but I don't think I would go that route.

novaderrik wrote: am i wrong in remembering that the Imperials were pretty damn rare, and only made so they could play in NASCAR?

They were a halo car for the early Iacocca years. They were a personal luxury coupe. Chrysler wasn't backing any NASCAR teams at that point. Buddy Arrington was the last racer to run a Mopar body until Dodge came back in 2001.

Rob_Mopar wrote: There are some guys over at the Imperial Club that have sorted the original EFI out, but I don't think I would go that route.

Yeah, considering most of the issues I've had with this truck are EFI related, I doubt I'd go that route either.

Grizz wrote: However, while I was back there, my eye was caught by a early 80s Imperial. I took one look at its rwd, flip up light, 2 door luxo barge goodness and pictured it with nice wheels, a fresh coat of paint and the running gear from a Charger R/T stuffed under it and now I know I must have it.

The 80s Imperial won't fit on a truck frame?

In reply to 914Driver:

I think it's too small to fit.

Which is probably the first time thats ever been uttered about that car.

i believe if it were me, id grab a 5.9 auto combo out of a late model ram. wire up the EFI, AC, and cruise. lower it a little with some black aero wheels and fat rubber, and rock it all day long.

bonus points for good stereo, comfy lincoln buckets, and tint.

michael

Good to know I'm not the only one with this sickness!

And proof that my problem is a problem, I went back and talked to him today, and the Imperial isn't his, it belongs to a neighbor who's planning on putting it back on the road.

That makes me a sad panda.

Buck up there panda. There's more projects to ponder just around the corner.