1956 Chrysler Imperial

Coupe

8 - Cyl.

Automatic

C562955

Gasoline

Up for auction is my rare and beautiful 1956 Chrysler Imperial Southampton Coupe! The car is solid as a rock, no significant corrosion anywhere. Great running and driving condition with 119K original miles. The engine, transmission, brakes, exhaust, chrome (bumpers and grill), interior, tires (steel belted Coker classic radials) and paint all redone/replaced, or otherwise overhauled in the last 6 years (4,000 miles). Fresh battery. The car is 100%, not missing one original component. The chrome and trim is in excellent condition; as you can see in the pics. All gauges/lights/wipers/horn work, car holds the road wonderfully-smooth, straight and true-very competent-has no trouble driving in modern traffic. I drive it to work periodically in heavy Fort Worth traffic, 108 degrees out and the car does not meet a beat. You will be impressed by how well this car runs and drives. The 354 Hemi is a power house, the Power Flite transmission shifts smoothly. Car is ready to rock -n-roll! Issues: Unless a car has been body off restored-there will be items to be addressed. These items are as follows: rock crack in the windshield, as seen in the pics. very small and well out of the line of sight. The lower right side of the trunk lid has a surface rust blister (does not penetrate the metal). There are some other small paint imperfections throughout. The power windows all work well, however-they only work from their individual switches. The radio does not work, and the power antenna was removed to be rebuilt as well (never happened-but have all the parts to reinstall). The window sill chrome trim could stand to be re-chromed. the tail light pods look perfect from 5 feet, however close inspection reveals pitting, same with the trunk eagle. The interior trim, along with the interior needs a heavy detail cleaning. It would come out really nice-although some pieces may require plating. The front pass side hubcap is dented. This is not a show car-rather a 100% functional and authentic 1956 Imperial Coupe. You can drive this car whenever, and however. You can restore the nuances as time allows, or do nothing to it. I have not seen one in this kind of shape come up for sale in a long time. Most of what is out there, is rusted junk/money pits/incomplete, or a basket case, etc. I have been a member of the E-bay community for 7 plus years, I have 95 feedbacks, 100% positive. I have sold 8 cars on E-bay (and 3 times as many before the auction ended) and have always exceeded the buyer's expectations...this car is no different. Take the time to read my feedback. Spot on description and accurate pictures tell the story. No glamour/detail pics to make the car look better than it is. I am selling the car because I own several Imperials. Private seller-no dealer here-just a collector. The reserve is significantly lower than the buy it now; and if the car does not meet it's modest reserve, I would be willing to listen to offers/deal with the high bidder. Enjoy! On Aug-21-11 at 08:17:39 PDT, seller added the following information: Just to clarify-I have spoke to many people on the phone-perhaps I should have been more clear in the ad: Both the engine and transmission were fully rebuilt 4k miles and 7 years ago ($8,000.00). At that same juncture the brake system was fully restored, the exhaust replaced, and new steel belted white walls installed ($3,000.00). Shortly there after the interior was redone (correct patters, material and colors-although, the inserts were redone in vinyl, instead of cloth) ($2,000.00). Also, the complete front and rear bumper assemblies were re-plated, along with the grill ($2,500). The car was repainted in 03', at a cost of $4,000-very nice driver quality, but not concours. The body beneath required very little prep work, and is completely rust free. The paint blister on the lower driver's side of the trunk lid appeared shortly after painting, it has very recently started flaking. The quote to address this is $150, the windshield (if you wanted to replace it) is $300. You could make this car a daily driver, or weekend cruiser-it needs nothing. Or, it can be elevated to concourse level by someone so inclined to do so. I can't stress enough how darn nice it is. I know the economy is in shambles-while I don't intend to give the car away-for the price it is a heck of a deal. Several people have asked why the interior is so dirty-I am in Texas (dusty/windy), I keep the front windows halfway down (inside the car's storage building) to keep the interior from turning into a blast furnace, and possibly cracking the steering wheel. I guess it would not be dirty if my building was not so drafty. I wipe it down to go for rides-but, it would look awesome with a full detail. I had to replace the steering wheel ($400), that is why it's black, you can paint it blue or white, or whatever, not hard to do. I hope this anserws most of the simple questions...I try not to leave any stone unturned-hence the thorough description. On Aug-21-11 at 14:52:05 PDT, seller added the following information: Drove the car today...second guessing selling it. Seems bidding has picked up...we will see. Going to put a fresh tune up on it before it goes...also cleaning the interior up...