1938 Chrysler Imperial Touring Sedan Black Exterior Body off Restore Must See

In 1938 the Chrysler Imperial was based on the new Chrysler Royal. The Imperial had a special engine and longer wheelbase with various panels stretched to fit; a variety of custom coaches were available on these expensive high-end cars all of which had chrome chevrons on the fenders and model names in script on the hubcaps and above the grille. A series of Custom Imperials essentially stretched versions of the Imperial were made in both five and seven passenger variants in some cases farmed out to custom coach makers. Chrysler’s slogan was “You get the good things first from Chrysler” and in many cases it was true as the company was well ahead in innovation at this time.

The 1938 Imperial was a thrilling motorcar if there ever was one. Powered with a new bigger engine than previously found in other cars The straight-eight engine used a conventional L-head and displaced a modest 299 cubic inches with a standard 6.2:1 compression ratio putting down a beastly 110 HP the highest found in their motorcars at that time. This car was engineered to take any road in stride. With the advantage of a 125 inch wheelbase and an “Airflow” principle of balanced weight independently sprung front wheels and Hydraulic shock absorbers this Chrysler rode like a dream and this example continues on that fine tradition.

This takes us back to 1996 where two brothers happened across one nice and complete 1938 Chrysler Imperial Touring sedan. It was part of a collection mixed in with some other classics. It was in nice original condition retained all of the hard to find factory parts and was extremely solid top to borrom. A deal was struck with the owner and the sedan was loaded on a trailer waiting its rebirth.

So the long haul started and the 38 was taken back to the shop where it was completely dismantled down to the frame. The driveline was pulled and the frame and body were prepared for blasting and paint. The engine was disassembled rebuilt and repainted. Meticulous care went into making sure everything was in order even the lines and wiring in the engine bay were sorted through. All the engine accessories were also repainted to correctly match. Months later the engine was finally reunited with the now bead blasted and painted frame and suspension components and the beautifully refinished Body adorned with Jet Black paint. Several more months of interior work was completed including refinished seats and interior components carpet door handles dash knobs and bright metalwork. The restoration was a lengthy one occupying hundreds of hours. Finally in August of 1997 the freshly restored Imperial was rolled out and driven under its own power for the first time in many years. All in all the meticulous restoration performed on this Gorgeous 1938 Chrysler Imperial illustrates two brothers dedication to making this car worthy of its place in history. Please call to schedule a private showing today.

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This car VIN is 6734518 and the odometer shows 01195 GET OUT AND DRIVE!!