Despite being disdained by forum bashers here and here, I think this 1965 Imperial that was converted into a flower car, probably when new, has a tremendous amount of potential. It’s located in Newcastle, Oklahoma and is listed for sale here on eBay, where the buy it now is $3,000 (despite being listed previously on craigslist for $2,750), however lower offers are welcomed.
Unlike a lot of flower cars, this one looks fairly well done, and I can easily see modifying the rear to fold out like a tailgate (clearing the round Imperial emblem might be the toughest part).You would then have a fairly useful pickup truck like no one else’s! The Imperial Club has this set of pictures of the same vehicle taken in 201o. You can see that it’s a little less deteriorated, especially the plastic rear window. That shouldn’t be too hard to fabricate a glass panel for instead, though.
It really does look pretty nice to me; not really awkward lines at all. Of course, that’s just one person’s opinion; you may think it’s awful.
It’s a shame that the interior is so trashed; I hope some of the walnut trim can be saved. Since the car/truck is a custom anyway, I think if I couldn’t easily find a factory dash, I’d put something in that was in keeping with the rest of the vehicle.
Here’s how the bed was constructed…interesting to say the least. I”m guessing a layer of wood was involved originally? The seller mentions that the floor only has one little hole in it (I’m guessing from the deterioration of the rear window since 2010) but overall it looks pretty solid.
If this is the original engine as I believe it to be, it’s a 413 V8 with factory air. The seller says it does turn over, which is a good start. I’d love to start on this car/truck and make it my own; what do you think? How would you finish it?
I wish I had the $$$$ I’d own it with pride I have a nice idea for it without messing it up.
Would be more interested in the 59 skyliner in the back round
Jim, Click on sellers other items, and the skyliner is advertised. Has a 406 w/ 3 deuces in it!
What a cool vehicle to tow a vintage fifth-wheel travel trailer with. Did they have fifth-wheel trailers in the mid-1960s?
I Would Give Five Ben Franklin’s For It.
The forum guys don’t seem to be bashing the car as much as the condition it’s in. I agree the lines on it are great. If you could make the tailgate and entire bumper swing down that would be the biz.
I see a bike hauler
For Vincent Black Shadows…………..
I recall having a plastic model identical to this layout waaay back. Never realized it was a flower car, just a cool pickup…
JoHan made a 3 in one kit that could be built as a pickup. It would be cool to find one of the kits and build it up alongside the real thing!
Yes, I remembered that kit immediately when I saw these pictures. I built mine as the pickup, and painted it metallic purple. Who knows whatever happened to all the plastic models I built as a grade-school kid. They are 50 feet deep in some landfill, I suppose.
I still have a few from my teenage years, which I built with somewhat more skill. I should dig them out of whatever box they are in, and display them in my toy cabinet.
No media blasting needed, a pressure washer should do it. The lines of the truck look much more “Ranchero” like than most flower cars, only the bed has the funeral look and it might be possible to flatten the bed. I wouldn’t bother with the tailgate as who is really going to haul anything in it? Get a 4 door sedan with a nice interior and start transplanting parts.
Oh, Fred, I’d use it! Love to have it as a business promoter if I had a restoration/refurbishment business!
Heck Fred! Why not make the tailgate idea work? If they can figure a kit for Lamborghini doors on an Olds Cutlass, this can be done. I’d have it go straight back- as now is, to clear the emblem, then fold-either to a flat position, or slightly angled down so you could either load, mount your 5th wheeler, or put your bike in, more easily. Definitely would flatten & reinforce the bed for loads or a 5th wheel mount pad. Turn the under bed cavaties into storage areas. Manually control the rear’s air ride suspension! That’d enable a 5th wheeler to be raised to clear the hi-lo bumper dragger driveways, etc. We had a car show here in Northwest MT, few years ago. One of the more interesting visiting entry combos was a ’25 T Coupe hot rod style( no fenders!), that had a reinforced 5th wheel king post, behind the seats & extending thru the roof. All weather sealed & tight, not in the way. It put the car/trailer’s turn radius, & trailer 5th mount weight, right where it needed to be. The car & trailer were dead level! The trailer was a converted long base, 4 wheeled horse trailer. It had a galley, big bed over the 5th mount, fair sized bath with shower, all the usual bells & whistles. He’s driven it all over the pacific Northwest for years, with no problems. I didn’t get his name, but think he was orig. from WA state. He made it his own self Vern! And it worked! Dang! Have a good day man!
Keep the patina,tubbbed,cage,blower=Power Tour.
Proportionally this has the best lines of flower car conversion that I’ve ever seen. From the side view it works well, doesn’t look like a hacked up sedan. I would love to see someone save it and so us the restored version.
would try to get the original engine up and running, but if not drop a 440 4v into it it is way too classy to keep the ” look” as is. a good repaint, and fix or replace the panels as for the interior, I agree with CJay very MILD custom . would be great at an all Chrysler show. would not bother with trying to make a tailgate, that is not what it is designed for any of the chrome pieces may be hard to find. would not want to do any hot rodding with it, but I would want it to have some ” scoot” . would love to do a weekend ” cruise tour” in my area ( and of course ” some” of those during the week) all I’d need to go with it is a Chrysler Hearse ( if they made one)
Great Find!
Love the lines, very well proportioned. Whoever did this one knew a thing or two about aesthetics. I’m encouraged to see that it sits over pieces of corrugated metal, instead of bare earth. That should have helped reduce the underside rot, which is probably a factor anyway.
So it needs a lot, but is worth the effort. How many others are you likely to see? None.
Cool !!!!
SOLD! The Imperial Club’s pictures show a floor shift for the automatic (’65 Imp’s were column shifted) that’s probably from the same ’80’s vintage cruiser that gave up the red velour buckets and the same era aftermarket wire wheels. Great for somebody with a sedan parts (or soon to be a demo derby) car. First flower car I’ve seen without the ungainly stainless steel quarter panel extensions.
Did any of you readers buy it?
What a shame to let an Imperial get to this state.
Sorry. The flower car is cool, but I’m just seein’ the Retractable in the background. And I have Retractables in my background.
Almost ANY Imperial of that vintage was OUTLAWED, long ago, for use in the demolition derbys. Took out tooooo much of the competition and “kept on running”.
Would be a nice car when done. If that model year has the normal Chrysler B/RB valve covers, a 440 that looks like a 413 would be easy to do. BUT a 413 with better exhaust manifolds and 1.74″ exhaust valves would be pretty close in power to a 440. The dual exhaust 413 was rated at 360 horsepower, where the base 440 was 350 horsepower. No real need for the 440 if 440-era parts are put onto the 413.
I would like to have something like that car for the farm. Would be “killer” to show up at a cruise-in with a few bales of hay in the back! Or pulling a 2-horse horse trailer. Especially in TX!
I’m surprised somebody in the Imperial club hasn’t scarfed it by now as THEY have the lines of parts to put it back together, I suspect.
Shame that some owners allowed it to disintegrate to this extent.
In looking closely at the dash pic, it appears the entire A/C “in dash” unit, controls, and vents are gone. Prior owner probably bought it for the A/C system, took it out & let the car sit.
Back in 1991 I found a 1965 Imperial Ghia limousine, # 10 of only 10 built [yep, the LAST Imperial factory authorized limo. When found it was 100% original with 5700 miles, original tires, ect. Was owned by a very wealthy man, Mr Joe Jones, in Washington DC, it was kept in the bottom area of his office building’s parking garage, in it’s own special garage room. He used it ONLY to go from the building to Redskin’s games & back. The ‘Skin’s head coach Joe Gibbs often rode along with Mr Jones. He died in 1991, and I bought the car. Should have kept it. Was equipped with a 413 police interceptor engine with dual point distributor.
At the big “Super Mopar” event at the old 75 & 80 drag strip in around 1992 I was talked into running it down the strip. No one would run against me, but I still have the run sheet: 17.7259 seconds for the 1/4 mile! Not bad for a 3 ton limo! True story!
I HATE that I saw this so late. I would have paid the $2750 in a heartbeat. I LOVE it !