I have a few older cars that qualify as classic cars. I did not set out to collect classic cars, it just happened. Some of the cars I bought new, I kept long enough for them to become classics. I wasn't my intent when I bought these cars to purchase them and park them in a garage for 20, 30, or 40 years. Time has a way of getting away from you until, suddenly, a few decades have passed.
A car club sponsored a car show at the Fanwood Train Station to benefit the food banks of two Catholic churches in the area, Immaculate Heart Of Mary, and Saint Bartholomew the Apostle. Most car shows charge a nominal fee that, with sponsorship of a local business, allows the show to be free for spectators. People showing cars are happy to help a local charity while showing their cars, so it's a good time doing good. Some towns also sponsor car shows that benefit the local town's budget for some department or another. I usually skip those.
This 1976 Imperial Crown is one of my favorites from the show. 1967 was the first year that the Imperial was built on Chrysler's unitized C-body platform. The 1957 to 1966 models were built with an Imperial-only body on frame platform with the frame being extra strong and heavy duty,
Despite sharing the C-body platform the front subframe was unique in may ways with the suspension components being larger and stronger than the other cars built on the platform. The Imperial was also built on a longer wheelbase. I recall that when I want to the dealer to get lower control arm bushings for my 72 Imperial, they gave me bushings for a New Yorker. At home, I compared the new bushings to the original ones and they were about 2/3 of Imperial size parts. They went back to the dealer.
Not only were the Imperials mechanically unique, but the interiors are unique, too. The wood on the dashboard, steering wheel, doors, etc is real Claro Walnut, not plastic made to appear like wood. According to an Imperial ad from a few years before, the wood for Imperials was hand selected and of 52 pounds of wood inspected, about 8 ounces would rate to be good enough for the Imperial. Note that even the exterior door handles have inset Claro Walnut!
This 1948 Pontiac De Luxe Streamliner was bought by the current owner's father in 1950. It's been in the family since then. He did some restoration work but the car has a lot of its originality still in place.
This car is not my thing, but I can appreciate the huge investment in time and talent that the owner put into the car to create it. The owner did all of the body work and mechanical work, as well as the custom paint. All of the design is paint, no computer printed wraps were used.
The owner was interesting. I believe he said he lengthened the car and had to use the roof from two cars to get it long enough to fit after chopping the top down. He doesn't have any glass in the car and I forgot to ask him if he was planning to add it later. This car is unique and worth mentioning. I wish I remember more of the details.
