IML: Fuselage Era

["Eric" <gearhead@xxxxxxxxxxx>]

Joe Amos, I guess great minds do think alike! My fuselage recommendation 
makes a 3rd-ing of the opinion, then. I'm glad to see another 
"mini-Imperial" Newport owner with the same thoughts. The Imperials of the 
like years had a 3'' longer wheelbase and a vibration damper at the rear of 
the torsion bars. I'd like to do a side by side comparison of the two cars, 
someday.
I fixed the links from my original post in this email. The one on ebay has 
44 bids currently and closing in on 9 grand.

Eric
Portland, Oregon
_______________________________
From: "Joe Amos" <newportnavaho@xxxxxxx>
Subject: IML: Fuselage cars
Date: Sat, 23 Oct 2004 22:51:57 -0400

I must second Kenyon's opinion on 70-73 cars.
_______________________________
From: "Eric" <gearhead@xxxxxxxxxxx>
Subject: IML: Fuselage Era
Date: Sun, 24 Oct 2004 08:55:27 -0700
Reply-To: mailing-list@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx
My 2 cents worth. I'll 2nd Kenyon's appreciation of the 'wide body' fuselage
cars. While most of the components were carried over from earlier years,
there are a few areas where they were better designed, and before some of
the decontenting of the later 70's models. Door latches were more sturdy, a
few more safety items, electronic ignition standard in '72.
Kenyon mentions a little realized design trick with the height of the belt
line giving an impression of security to the occupants of the car. The '61
Lincoln used this effectively. (I'm glad to see other folk spend their
mental effort on design trivia :-))  On my '72 Newport, the bright trim at
the beltline is slightly raised on the furthest outside edge to accentuate
the effect.  The tumblehome, or curvature of the body side, which created
the fuselage form, completed the effect of the curved side glass that
Imperial introduced in '57, which had its origins in the '55-56 cars with
their canted greenhouse sides. And yet, the fuselage cars get no respect.
Are these the Dangerfield of Imperials?
The mimicking of design to current events is an interesting study. My '72
Newport sometimes gets called the Chrysler 747, as it is of that era. The
front turn signal lamp units on the '72-3 Imperials were a take on gas
lanterns in the nostalgia craze just prior to these years, as well as the
pillowed and buttoned seat upholstry design in some of those cars.

Here's the link to the virtually new 1973 that Kenyon mentioned.

http://cgi.ebay.com/ebaymotors/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&category=43905&item=2496778922&rd=1

And it seems that I read that this '72 coupe was up for sale. It looks 
likenew, as well, and should make someone a great car

http://www.imperialclub.com/Yr/1972/Terry/index.htm

Eric
Portland, Oregon 



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