> Joe Machado here with the results and findings of
> the trip from Palm Desert,
> Calif to Denver, Colo. This trip was also to test on
> what to see and do as I
> plan my future business for the Classic Car Tours.
Good show, Joe. These Imperials make great long
distance haulers, they are comfortable and luxurious.
And, if well maintained, they can be perfectly
reliable for long trips. I just bought my 67 coupe
back in January (sight unseen, other than a few
photographs showing only the driver's side and rear)
flew into Austin, TX and drove it the 1600 miles back
to Washington, D.C. virtually trouble-free.
Unfortunately, I did not have the luxury of time, so I
had to stick to the 4 and 6 lane interstates and made
the trip averaging about 70 mph. However, I love your
idea, and think it would be great, given looser
constraints of time and budget, to take off with a
wing and a prayer and stick to the blue routes.
The biggest problem is not the cars' reliability,
which is high, but the availability of parts if they
do break. My 67 is luckily not too bad, I was able to
procure a voltage regulator in East Pig's Knuckle,
Arkansas that, while not stock, worked well enough to
get me home. But a 61 may well be out of the realm of
finding parts for. A good chunk of the admittedly
monstrous trunk may have to be dedicated to
specialized repair parts, and tools. But if time
isn't a problem, that could be part of the fun. Think
"Zen and the Art of Roadside Imperial Repair".
Best of luck!
=====
--Mike Pittinaro
One point eight litres
Stromberg carburators sing
Loose nut at the wheel
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