Vehicle Description

This is a rare 1966 Imperial LeBaron. It was Chrysler's top of the line luxury car. It was the most expensive American made production car in 1966 at a $6,540 MSRP. It competed against the Lincolns and Cadillacs of the day. Only 1,878 LeBarons were manufactured in 1966.

I purchased this car at an auction in Los Angeles in 1997 with 58,000 miles on it. I'm guessing it was a one owner car. It showed signs of having set for a couple of years. I suspect the owner became ill or died. I used it as a daily driver until I moved to Montana in 2001. It has been garaged and driven occasionally during the summer here in Montana. This is a beautiful and elegant car.

Vehicle Condition

Overview
This is an original, un-restored Los Angeles car with 90K original miles. It has obviously always been garaged and well cared for. The paint is a cheap paint job in the original color. The body is straight and mostly rust free. The engine always starts easy and runs strong. It burns and leaks some oil but nothing serious. The transmission shifts smooth and strong. The interior is in good condition especially for a 38 year old. It has the 440ci engine and 727B transmission. It hasn’t been modified since new. The stereo and other items people usually upgrade are still original. Most everything still works including the power wing windows, power antenna and auto-seek AM/FM radio. The chrome and stainless steel is in great shape with the exception of the rearview mirrors that have noticeable pitting. The tires are fairly new. I’ve put over 30,000 miles on this car since I bought it. It has been a dependable car. I’ve always had it garaged here in Montana and always stored it under a car cover in Los Angeles. I’ve probably only put 100 miles on it over the last two years.

Details
Interior: The interior is in really good shape. The leather seats are in good shape with the exception of the drivers seat. The drivers seat is starting to separate at the seams and needs help or replacement. The front passenger seat shows some use but is in good shape. The rear seats are in near perfect condition. The carpet is good in the rear but is worn in front. Steering wheel is good. Dash panel is good. Dash pad is good. Headliner is near perfect. The interior chrome is in great shape. The walnut wood trim has some water damage on the door panels. I'm not a wood-working guy but it looks like they can be refinished without too much effort.

Body: The body is straight and mostly rust free. The paint job is a low-budget redo in the original color. The top looks good but there are some rust bubbles under it near the rear window. There is a rust bubble under the paint on the left-rear quarter panel and the rear deck. If I was going to keep the car, I would get the paint and top redone and take care of the rust before it becomes a real problem. This car shows no sign of being in an accident. I've found no signs of bondo anywhere. It has one dent on the trunk lid where a garage door fell onto it. It is about the size of a quarter.

Mechanical: The engine and transmission are strong. It does leak/burn some oil. It isn't serious maybe one quart per tank of gas depending on the driving conditions. I checked the compression and all of the cylinders a few years ago and they were good and fairly even. The power steering developed a leak recently probably from sitting too much. I rebuilt the power steering pump and replaced the pressure side hose a few years ago. I think running some stop-leak fluid would probably expand the seals and stop the leak.

Replaced or Rebuilt Parts (I have paper work for all of this):

• Timing Chain
• Water Pump
• Oil Pump
• Distributor
• Fuel Lines (rubber)
• Master Cylinder
• Alternator
• Power Steering Pump (rebuilt)
• Power Steering Pressure Hose
• Muffler
• Shocks

Known problems:

• Brake drums (4 wheel drum) will need to be replaced with the next brake job. They are fairly easy to find and run about $100 each.
• Air conditioning doesn't work. The whole system will need to be upgraded to get it back online.
• Heater radiator leaks and needs to be re-cored. It is currently disconnected.
• Fan shroud is missing. It fell apart when the timing chain was replaced. I still have parts of it to use as a reference when looking for a new one. The motor always ran cool and still runs below halfway on the temp gage.
• Left rear door doesn't open. It was sticky until I had the car detailed last. I think the guy got rough with it and caused the internal linkage to pop off.
• Cruise control doesn't work. There are solid state replacements available.

Additional Stuff:

• New California Car Cover
• Two additional wheels
• Reproduction shop manual

Summary

This is a rare and classy luxury car that is in really nice original condition. I've looked a lots of Imperials at car shows over the last few years and it is rare to find an unrestored Imperial this complete and in this good of condition. It would be a fairly easy project if you want to bring up to show quality. The interior alone will save you thousands of dollars in restoration costs. Add the solid body and good mechanical condition and you have a really great project car. This car is ready to be your daily driver with some minor TLC. Give it a tune-up and drive it anywhere. I drove this car from Los Angeles to Montana with no problems. Please contact me for more information, additional photos or to schedule an appointment for a test drive.

$5,800 OBO

Call 406-671-3155 (Billings number) or e-mail kevin@e-folio.com

Here is some general information on 1964-1966 Imperials