1951 Chrysler Imperial Convertible 331 Hemi Very Solid Car on 2040-cars

VIN: 7741166 Year: 1951
Make: Chrysler
Model: Imperial
Options: Leather Seats, Convertible
Power Options: Power Windows
Drive Type: Fluid Drive
Mileage: 81,000
Exterior Color: Black
Disability Equipped: No
Interior Color: Black
Warranty: Vehicle does NOT have an existing warranty
Number of Cylinders: 8
Trim: Chrome

Condition: UsedA vehicle is considered used if it has been registered and issued a title. Used vehicles have had at least one previous owner. The condition of the exterior, interior and engine can vary depending on the vehicle's history. See the seller's listing for full details and description of any imperfections.Seller Notes:"Car was in the process of being restored when the gentleman passed away, we purchased this classic from his estate. Very Very solid car as you can see in the pictures. I will send other images upon request."

1951 Chrysler Imperial Convertible

Very, very rare car; only 600 made and only 31 are known today worldwide

Hemi 331 engine, first year for the Hemi

Fluid-Drive automatic transmission

Top of the line car in 1951

Car is complete

Power top 

81K miles 

Feel free to call me at 603.209.5867

Car has 81K Miles. 

I can send other pictures upon request and feel free to come and inspect her please. 

This car was in the process of being restored when the gentleman passed away we have all the parts to put it together. Also come with a donor car that also has the original Hemi drivetrain & Power Windows as well. This car has Power Windows , Power Top , Power Steering. The windows work!!!!.  Car is Black with a White Top. 

This 51 Imperial has a donor car 51 Imperial Sedan with a Hemi drivetrain as well. 

The 331" Hemi runs good as long as you drizzle gas in the carburetor I believe this car has been sitting so long that the carb needs to be taken off and cleaned. 

Fluid Drive tranny was told it worked perfectly. 

Upholstery is all original, on a scale of 1 to 10 I would rate it a 5. 

Solid car overall

Its NOT a show car at all, paint has some shadows and little scratches, Minor dent left rear quarter minimal , hard to show them in the pics. Over all a nice driver condition car, needs to be finished being put back together. 

WW radial tires are practically new

Underneath is clean and solid, just dirty.

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On Jul-10-13 at 17:50:59 PDT, seller added the following information:

Three Imperial bodystyles were produced in 1949. The short-wheelbase Imperial was only available as a four-door six-passenger sedan. The 4-door 8-passenger Crown Imperial was available as a sedan, or as a limousine with a division window.

The new custom-built Imperial sedan was based on the Chrysler New Yorker. It shared the same trim, but had a canvas-covered roof and leather and broadcloth Imperial upholstery. These features were installed byDerham, on the all new postwar Chrysler sheetmetal. Early 1949 Crown Imperials were actually leftover 1948s. The really new models didn't arrive until March, 1949. Their styling was sleeker than previous models, yet conservative. Fewer, but heavier bars were used in the cross-hatched grille. The upper and center horizontal pieces wrapped around the front fenders. Rocker panel moldings, rear fender stoneguards, full length lower window trim and horizontal chrome strips on the rear fenders, and from the headlights to about halfway across the front doors, were used to decorate the side body.^[20]

The 1950 Crosley Hot Shot is often given credit for the first production disc brakes but the Chrysler Crown Imperial actually had them first as standard equipment at the beginning of the 1949 model year. The Crosley disc was a Goodyear development, a caliper type with ventilated rotor, originally designed for aircraft applications. Only the Hot Shot featured it. Lack of sufficient research caused enormous reliability problems, especially in regions requiring the use of salt on winter roads, such as sticking and corrosion. Drum brake conversion for Hot Shots was quite popular.^[25]

The Chrysler 4-wheel disc brake system was more complex and expensive than Crosley's, but far more efficient and reliable. It was built by Auto Specialties Manufacturing Company (Ausco) of St. Joseph, Michigan, under patents of inventor H.L. Lambert, and was first tested on a 1939 Plymouth. Unlike the caliper disc, the Ausco-Lambert utilized twin expanding discs that rubbed against the inner surface of a cast iron brake drum, which doubled as the brake housing. The discs spread apart to create friction against the inner drum surface through the action of standard wheel cylinders.^[25]

Chrysler discs were "self energizing," in that some of the braking energy itself contributed to the braking effort. This was accomplished by small balls set into oval holes leading to the brake surface. When the disc made initial contact with the friction surface, the balls would be forced up the holes forcing the discs further apart and augmenting the braking energy. This made for lighter braking pressure than with calipers, avoided brake fade, promoted cooler running and provided one-third more friction surface than standard Chrysler twelve-inch drums. But because of the expense, the brakes were only standard on the Chrysler Crown Imperial through 1954 and the Town and Country Newport in 1950. They were optional, however, on other Chryslers, priced around $400, at a time when an entire Crosley Hot Shot retailed for $935. Today's owners consider the Ausco-Lambert very reliable and powerful, but admit its grabbiness and sensitivity.^[25]

The 1950 Imperial was essentially a New Yorker with a custom interior. It had a Cadillac-style grille treatment that included circular signal lights enclosed in a wraparound ribbed chrome piece. Side trim was similar to last year's model, but the front fender strip ended at the front doors and the rear fender molding was at the tire top level and integrated into the stone guard. Unlike the standard Imperial, the Crown Imperial had a side treatment in which the rear fender moldings and stone guard were separate. Body sill moldings were used on all Imperials, but were of a less massive type on the more massive Crown models. A special version of the limousine was available. It featured a unique leather interior and a leather-covered top that blacked out the rear quarter windows. Power windows were standard on the Crown Imperial.^[20]

In an unusual move for the 1950s, the 1951 Imperial had noticeably less chrome than the lower-priced New Yorker that it was based on. It also had three horizontal grille bars with the parking lights between the bars and a chrome vertical center piece. Aside from its front fender nameplate, side body trim was limited to the moldings below the windows, rocker panel moldings, bright metal stone shields and a heavy horizontal molding strip running across the fender strips. Three 2-door bodystyles were added to the Imperial model in 1951: a Club coupe, a hardtop and a convertible. Only 650 convertibles were sold and it would be discontinued the following year.^[20] 1951 was also the year that Chrysler introduced its 331 cu in (5.4 L)Hemihead V8.^[20] "Hydraguide" power steering, an industry first for use in production automobiles, became available on the Imperial for an additional $226.^[26] Full-time power steering was standard on the Crown Imperial.