1966 Imperial Crown convertible

I got the car out last weekend for a parade. Of course, it rained and the parade was cancelled. But, on my drive, the power brake booster failed, most of the dash lighting is dead, the brake lights and turn signals are on vacation, and one of my wipers is wonky. Crap.

First thing is getting the brake booster rebuilt, and the decision was easy with so many recommending the same guy. I'm going to do a dual-circuit master cylinder conversion concurrently. Then will come the brake light and t/s issue, which I believe to be ground-related.

It would be relatively easy to pull the instrument cluster out to renew all of the bulbs and check continuity, while having far easier access to the power booster bolts in the process.

It never ends.
 
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Can't believe it's been eight months since I even touched the car, other than to move it a couple of times. I found out that the rebuilt brake booster I've had in a box on a shelf for two years is an exact replacement for the bad one on the car, so the dual master cylinder conversion is in full swing now.

The steering wheel i got from member boltupal is in way nicer shape than the pics suggested. Of course, the '64 metal ribbed center is different than the '65-'66, I'm hoping the later woodgrained center trim swaps to the early wheel.

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Hmmm...I found out something new today while getting ready to install that new '64 steering wheel. The wheel diameter is a full 1.65" larger on the '64 wheel, so the horn arm is longer, as well. So, for now, I'm gonna install that earlier wheel and the ribbed horn bar as-is. The '64 wheel is in way better condition. Might look odd to us, but 99% of people out there aren't gonna know, unless it's pointed out.

This week, the weather is gonna be in the mid-'80s, so this will be a perfect opportunity to get all that installed.
 
Well, I managed to get a few things done...on the Hudson. Got three parts off to the powdercoater, and am supposed to pick those and two other parts for it back this week. Got a friend coming by later this week to help me with its underhood wiring so it'll start and run. With the 12V conversion, it should be pretty straightforward.

Found a few little bits for the Imperial last week. More proper fasteners and a few more light bulbs. Gotta get crackin'!
 
Hmmm...I found out something new today while getting ready to install that new '64 steering wheel. The wheel diameter is a full 1.65" larger on the '64 wheel, so the horn arm is longer, as well. So, for now, I'm gonna install that earlier wheel and the ribbed horn bar as-is. The '64 wheel is in way better condition. Might look odd to us, but 99% of people out there aren't gonna know, unless it's pointed out.

This week, the weather is gonna be in the mid-'80s, so this will be a perfect opportunity to get all that installed.

Would have never guessed in a million years that they changed the wheel that much between '64 and '66.
 
Geez, the Summer has flown by, and it's been nearly a full year since I last drove the Imperial. Like I've said in other threads, just too damn many vehicles and not enough time/cash to do any of them justice.

With that said...I vacuumed the car today and got the steering wheel off. I think the '64 wheel will do fine. Plus, it started right up, too! Got two weeks to get things finished to drive it on the Hot Rod Hundred run on 28 September. Finish the brake work and do an oil change, plus the steering wheel.
 
If I ever move back to OK I want to be more involved in the car hobby scene. I missed out in some ways.
 
Well, kids, things are back on track! I tried bending my own lines for that dual master conversion. Suffice to say, bending tubing for tight quarters isn't my forte. I bit the bullet and ordered pre-bent stainless lines and the brass junction block together. Got all that together this week. Now, I actually have time to attack the job. I hate crawling under dashes, even as large as the Imperial has. Gotta suck it up, right? Been so damn full of aches this month, couldn't hardly move, and my arthritis has a mind of its own! But everything is currently feeling better, and I'm in the mood to get this together. Haven't driven it on the road since October 3rd, a year ago. I miss the big yellow beauty! Got shocks to install, too.

Pics later. See my contorted corpse under the dash as joints lock into position, and I become immobile! Should be fun, right?
 
Got the Imperial scheduled to go my friend's Mopar shop the day after Thanksgiving for some work. He's going to perform the brake work and do the shocks, since he has a very large lift (12,500# capacity!) and I don't have to crawl under the car!!! Plus, I'll have him perform a complete fluid and filter change, too. I was getting ready to get under the dash Sunday night, and felt like I tore my back in half! It took me about 15 minutes to extract myself from under the dash, it hurt so bad! Screw that. He did fantastic work on my Coronet 2-1/2 years ago, and he's the best Mopar wrench in central Oklahoma.
 
Went out to the shop tonight on a warm 60* night and fired up the Imperial. Hadn't started it in a few weeks, so last night, I had put the battery on a charger. Sat in it, turned the key after two punps on the gas, and she started right up! Smooth as silk, no rattles and good oil pressure. Let it run for a few minutes. Man, do I miss driving this car! Rest assured, it'll get at least 2,500 miles added to it, starting in March or so.
 
What was supposed to be a day job on the Imperial work (shocks, brake booster, oil change), is now a wait for a proper booster. The one in the car was wrong to start with; and the replacement, though identical, had the brake rod 1-1/2" too long and the mounting studs 1/4" too close. So, for now, the shocks are in, and the oil changed and fluids checked. Got a line on a '66 booster from OR, I'll know tomorrow if it's available.

Pictured are the removed part and the planned replacement. And my car on the rollback.

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This booster was rebuilt, by booster dewey, and has been on a shelf waiting for the rest of the parts gathering for my 70 300 build. That's still on the horizon somewhere, so I'll offer it up if it will work on your 66, as I have several cores. Ben

Measurements of the back and front.
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My mechanic sourced a new reproduction booster for $349. Dunno where he found it, but we'll see what's up when it arrives.
 
My baby has been gone a month. Will the booster show up before New Year's Day? I hope so! The temp is supposed to be 45-48*F all next week. With the heater currently bypassed and the right vent window stuck open, it's gonna be a cold ride home!!!
 
My mechanic is back from his vacation. The new booster arrived. It's the wrong bolt pattern...WTF??? Looks like he's going to send my booster that was bad (and incorrect, but the right b/p) out for overhaul. Looks like another three weeks. Or more.
 
I'm picking up the OLD booster tonight to ship out to Booster Steve in the morning. My mechanic was concerned about the modified booster arm on mine as being a problem, but now, we have no choice to ship it out for overhaul and hope it goes well.

Damn, this thread turned three years old.
 
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In my very first post on the car in this thread, I detailed what my intentions on the car were going to be. Here'$ what I've accomplished over the past three years of the thread:

-Trunk carpet and finish panels. Also included a new tire, powder-coating the wheel, jack base and the metal tire cover. Fixed trunk wiring problem. And had a carpeted tire cover made, which all looks great! I consider the trunk itself done.

-Windshield header weatherstrip and top w/strip install went well. Much quieter with no leaks.

-Dash pad removal, install new pad. Removing was cake! Installation was a true pain in the ***! This involves removal of the speaker and vents, vent tubes, radio, glove box and dash bezels. If I ever do that again, I'll have the w/s removed professionally, and remove the entire dash assembly as one item. A '64-'66 Imperial dash pad is NOT a simple operation.

-Radio swap with new speaker. Took about an hour,, with the wiring for the speaker needing to be modified with a different end to mate with the speaker properly.

-Wheel covers: I restored one late in 2018. The others look good, but I need them all to match exactly, in terms of finish and appearance.

-Steering wheel removal and installation of the restored wheel ($$$!): I found from Boutupal, a very nice'64 wheel assembly. It is 1.65" larger than the '66 wheel. I'm going to run that this Summer, and maybe I can get the old one restored...for $1,600 and change(!!!)...but it'll be perfect!

-Air conditioning repair: Amazingly enough, it still holds a charge with R12 still in it! I'm looking to top off the R12 and go with it.

-Heater core remove/install: Learned a cool trick recently concerning heater core testing inside the car. Remove the hoses. Take a bicycle inner tube - a skinny tube works best. Cut across the tube opposite the valve stem, so that it is one long tube, with the valve stem in the center of the tube. Put the end over the heater inlet, then blow out any coolant remaining with LOW pressure air! Attach the other end to the outlet. Clamp. Pressurize (preferably a hand-powered bicycle air pump!) to approximately 12 pounds, which is the normal fluid pressure. Leave the gauge attached, and watch it. No loss of pressure? You have a good core. Hopefully, this will be me. If not, I'll go heater-free for awhile. The dual core on an air conditioned car is NOT cheap.

Here is what I've done in addition to what I said was going to be done at the start of the thread:

-Fluid changes: Oil and filter had roughly 2,600 miles. Fuel filter had not been changed during my possession. Both are fresh and ready

-Shocks F/R: The originals were so worn out, driving the car was quite literally like driving a boat across choppy waters. Up, down, up, down...I was looking for a bow wave! The new ones are KYB gas units.

-Brake booster and conversion to dual master cylinder: No choice here - do it or keep it parked. Still waiting for the booster the guy said "Yeah, it's on the way" ten days ago. The one my mechanic Steve removed was indeed the correct, and likely original, booster. I'm going to ship it out tomorrow and it'll be done. If the new one shows up before mine comes back...I'll have TWO.

-Parts I've found in the meantime: The chrome fillers behind the rear bumper. Two additional taillight lenses. NEW glovebox guts, the defroster ducts to replace the broken pair that were in the car to start with. Passenger side mirror. The lower interior lenses for the back seat. One pair of correct wiper arm assemblies. Maplight switch.

-Things still to do: Rebuild the window motors. I've got four additional motors that I need to dig into and rebuild/install. Install the rear bumper fillers. I have the six installation studs that are mandatory to complete the job.

She's getting there!!!
 
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