For Sale Claimed 5k (yes, 5k) '81 Imp in TX for $12.9k

[Carmine]

Carmine can fix that FI with his eyes closed. Open up a module, scrape some carbon off, give the air cleaner a good smack and vroom--vroom......
Maybe that was something else I am thinking of.
Still a cool car. I would buy one. Easy finding mechanical parts, and if the injection licks your *** you can always put a Hellcrate in it.

Exactly. I don't contend that every one of them must remain EFI, but what the ****... it's worth a diagnosis.

BTW, on the subject of low mileage.. easiest car in the world to fudge the mileage. Disconnect the speed sensor wire next to the cruise, no more miles!

 

[CBODY67]

I liked them when new. According to "Motor Trend", only the best-test-spec parts went into them. Radios, transmissions, axles, etc. Weight about 4000lbs, so the 318 and 2.41 axle ratio was more about "Profiling" than anything else. Would have been better with a 360, I suspect.

The other observed issue with the EFI was the band holding the top of the air cleaner onto the base housing. That air cleaner had to be SEALED around the top for the mass air flow sensor in the snorkel to get accurate readings. Not everyone understood that!

Those brown leather interiors did seem to get a bit of patina early on, though. Not sure why.

Neat cars that were somewhat misunderstood by the marketplace and many owners, I suspect. NOT unlike many other Chrysler vehicles over the years, by observation.

When I checked the supplied link, it said the "Author" had removed the ad.

A 360 or stroker 360, with a self-learning EFI of some sort, would probably make a pretty decent car.

CBODY67

 

[jrdudeman]

My dad owned several of these 81- 83 Imperials. He was buying these Imperials starting in the mid 1980's and I recall three of them having just a couple thousand miles. These cars were between 4 - 10 years old with hardly any miles because they ran like crap. People bought them brand new, not cheap, and then they got parked because they were so unreliable. My dad retrofitted a couple with carburetor conversion, and they were never quite right. Nice comfy car to sit in and ok looks, but I would never drive one more than a couple miles from the house because they were so unreliable. When my dad passed in 2004 there was still three of these Imperials in the garage. I sold these three Imperials in late 2004 and had minimal buyer interest. These are all on my no regret for selling list.

 

[commando1]

I wonder if anybody has swapped out the original efi for a new modern one.
And have it work.

 

[saforwardlook]

My dad owned several of these 81- 83 Imperials. He was buying these Imperials starting in the mid 1980's and I recall three of them having just a couple thousand miles. These cars were between 4 - 10 years old with hardly any miles because they ran like crap. People bought them brand new, not cheap, and then they got parked because they were so unreliable. My dad retrofitted a couple with carburetor conversion, and they were never quite right. Nice comfy car to sit in and ok looks, but I would never drive one more than a couple miles from the house because they were so unreliable. When my dad passed in 2004 there was still three of these Imperials in the garage. I sold these three Imperials in late 2004 and had minimal buyer interest. These are all on my no regret for selling list.

View attachment 260131

Honestly, I find your claimed experiences a bit difficult to believe. I drove a lot of these cars overnight and during working hours and was in contact with many of the owners in the first two years, and their experiences were nothing this poor. And the retrofit packages seemed to be reliable generally too. Why wouldn't they be? Most of the driveability problems were pretty well sorted out with the carbureted packages by 1981 out of necessity given their poor performance in the late 70s. And I drove a lot more of the Miradas and Cordobas with the carbureted 318 packages and they were pretty good finally even before 1981.

 

[Carmine]

I wonder if anybody has swapped out the original efi for a new modern one.
And have it work.

There is no reason you cannot.

Personally I think swapping on the '89 Dodge truck EFI system isn't worth the effort despite what those in bath slippers and a robe say. I test drove one that had the drivetrain swapped with a Magnum 5.9 and that was very nice.

The only gadget that's required to make the fuel mileage gadgets work is the analog-to-digital "counting wheel" flow meter from any factory conversion. Just mount it inline with the fuel line and connect it to the existing harness. All those other extra parts (fuel tank, lines, cluster, etc.) were about emissions compliance and warranty.

My aunt and uncle drove one for years and sold it to me cheap when the EFI became troublesome in the early 90s. I did a backyard conversion and drove it a few more. Sold it, then a few years later bought one that still had the EFI. This time I fixed it. Sold it. Bought one with a factory conversion in the mid-00's but sold it because I felt like some of the character was missing without the EFI.

Probably only Steve will understand that last statement, lol.

Perhaps because being a defiant SOB is part of my character, I like starting carb'ed big-blocks on the first crank when it's -17, or having one of the few EFI Imperials still running in the twenty-teens.

There was a time when I knew lots of defiant SOB's. Now there all being replaced by go-along-get-along types.

 

[70bigblockdodge]

sold it because I felt like some of the character was missing without the EFI

Character is what makes a old car special. Otherwise they are just a good/or bad looking appliance.

 

[Carmine]

Character is what makes a old car special. Otherwise they are just a good/or bad looking appliance.

Good. I'm glad you get it as well.

Makes me feel less crazy.

 

[Davea Lux]

I wonder if anybody has swapped out the original efi for a new modern one.
And have it work.

Mopar Connection magazine for Jan'19 says a Fi-Tech 2BBL conversion for the 318 is now available. It is brand new so I do not know if anybody has tried it yet.

Dave