Here is the Frank Sinatra TV Commerical of this car. ENJOY! m.ua-cam.com/video/bD4EQ-D_pDI/v-deo.html&pp=ygUsMTk4MSBjaHJ5c2xlciBpbXBlcmlhbCBmcmFuayBzaW5hdHJhIGVkaXRpb24%3D
I remember several years before this model came out, in the late '70s , Chrysler came out with the carburetor Electronic Lean Burn with Spark Plug Computer system. Very troublesome! Hopefully this injection system was more reliable.
I seen a couple of these in my life. Always thought they were just beautiful cars man oh man talk about luxury bet you that thing rides as good as it did the day it was born
I don't mean to reply so much but man that was a awesome interview I think that made that guy's life could tell he was happy like I say you do good work
This is so awesome and moving, big bro Lou. Really amazing. Reminds me of being a kid and watching The Love Boat with my older siblings, no doubt in my Little League baseball uniform, my tubesocked stocking feet kicking one of my older bro's to annoy him before he kicked my ass lol 🤣🤪....this commercial would no doubt be there with us. 🤗JV Johnny
Pete's a cool gentleman! Gave me goosebumps to see how much it meant to him to be featured by you Lou. That's what makes your channel special! Another legacy story too with his Grandfather being the original owner! #legacy
Hi Dave, Happy to read you have goosebumps watching this video :-) Thanks for sharing the link to the Frank Sinatra TV commercial about this car that is now in the description of this video. Lou
Very few of these cars have the original fuel injection system. Chrysler offered a free conversion to a carburetor due to reliability issues. Strange that just 2-3 years later fuel injection was standard on everything and worked perfectly. It’s good to see this Imperial still with the original fuel injection.
My 1981 Imperial still had its fuel injection when I got it. Unfortunately, the fuel tank was in really bad shape, so the tank pump was bad. ($400 part, if you can even find it! ) It's got a 4bbl now, but I still have the fuel injection pieces. My '83 Imp was converted to carburetor in Dec. '84.
I think they got the styling just right on this imperial. The rear end looks good. The front end looks good. The hidden headlights are amazing. I hope Pete can keep this in the family for many years. It’s a beautiful car.
Remembered when this jewel of a luxury car the 1982 Chrysler Imperial FS first came out & was just out of HS. Only saw an extreme few in California for the past 15 years. Thanks for sharing 👍🏼💙 🎼
A 1982 Crysler Imperial FS Frank Sinatra Edition is a first for me. It looks similar to a Cadillac Seville as far as body style goes. It has a healthy sounding 318 CI engine, and full digital instrument cluster. That particular era of cars was smothered with emission devices. A really interesting looking low mileage rare Mopar. It's always cool to see a car that has been in the same family since brand new. I loved the fact that this car was handed down from the owner's grandfather who originally bought the car off the showroom floor! A real beauty to behold, Lou!
Beautiful Imperial. What's more amazing is that it still has the infamous fuel injection system on it, and it's working. Great job preserving this unique car.
Hi Bashar, Happy to read you appreciate the looks of this car :-) You're right, amazing to see the fuel injections system on this car working. Thank you for viewing, sharing and I believe you're going to see many more cars on this Channel you'll enjoy. Hope you Subscribe, and hit the "bell" so you can see all the cars when they are uploaded on this UA-cam Channel, Lou
Hi, Lou! Most cars of the Eighties are taking a long time for us in the auto hobby to appreciate, and admittedly there weren't as many standouts as in previous decades, but obviously Pete knew he had something extra special and rare with this Imperial. The 1981-1983 Imperial in general wasn't all that common, with only about 11,000 made between the three years, though it was definitely a standout for the era, so he is very fortunate indeed to have this ultra-rare Frank Sinatra edition. I think Lee Iacocca, Ol' Blue Eyes and Pete's grandfather would definitely be proud of how well Pete has kept this car so well-preserved! Thank you both for spotlighting this rare Eighties nugget! As the old commercial said, it was time!
That's a rare Mopar! Not many of any cars left from that era...not exactly a high point of American automotive production. Glad to see someone preserving it as a time capsule...I'm sure the sentimental value of maintaining his grandfather's car far exceeds the monetary value.
Pete and the other commenters are quite right - these are very rare cars now. Definitely "of the era" but that does not mean it is not cool. Very nice Imperial! Thanks Lou and Pete for sharing this classic with us.
My Dad was an Imperial Collector and at one time had around 30 imperials. He had a 1983 Imperial like this one. The EFI was a problem area so Chrysler offered to convert it to a Carburetor in which he had it done. Interesting car.
Hi Scott A, Happy to read this car brings back memories of your Dads car :-) Thank you for viewing and sharing. Hope you see many cars on this Channel you enjoy! Please Subscribe, and hit the "bell" so you can see all the cars when they are uploaded on this UA-cam Channel, Lou
What a very rare and beautiful and nice car. Especialy this Frank Sinatra edition. The blue on blue color combination suites it very well. The digital fuel injection helps to lower the MPG a lot, it Also offers better driveability. Only a part of the computer is in a the engine compartment en gets Hot and can fail. A compliment for the owner who takes excellent car of this car. Lou again a very big thanks for showing us this treat. Greetings from Henry Hendriks from Arnhem in the Netherlands.
I remember seeing one of these on the showroom floor in Tustin, CA, 1981 (not a FS edition) when I was buying a Plymouth economy product. I really liked them. Too bad they didn't turn out to be the smash hit intended. However, this FS edition, has to be the first one I've seen and it's beautiful in that color. And like many others you showcase has a great story of being in the same family since new. More thumbs up than the only two I have!
What a find - and thank you for posting! And one does not these days hear of a make and model car honoring such an iconic entertainer! And I hope Chrysler someday brings back the Imperial as a distinctive brand!
This car was crazy when it came out. All other manufacturers stopped making such large personal luxury cars. Very nice car, especially when lit up. Great guy the owner too.
I've always fancied myself a car guy but get humbled regularly on My Car Story with limited edition collector cars - available during my lifetime no less - that I've never heard of nor seen with my own eyes. If ever there was a truly sporty looking Imperial I believe this is it and no doubt Chrysler's answer to Caddys of this era. Looks great. Iacocca and Old blue eyes joining forces for the North American car market. Thanks Lou, humbled again.
Hi Philip, Happy to read you enjoy the condition of this car :-) I agree, Pete has taken great care of this car. Glad to read "an other great video", Lou
I can imagine Chrysler used Sinatra's lyric " the best is yet to come " in the ad campaign. Here is the best luxury edition . Opulent is what I think when seeing this beautiful car . Great video Lou .
Hi monaro383, Happy to read "Love it" :-) Unfortunately time did not allow to get all the cars in "that shed" :-( GOOD NEWS! Many more cars were videoed at Chrysler Nationals coming up on the Channel to stay tuned! Lou
Hi Jorge, Thank you for viewing and sharing you find this car distinctive. I believe you're going to see many more cars on this Channel you'll enjoy. Hope you Subscribe, and hit the "bell" so you can see all the cars when they are uploaded on this UA-cam Channel, Lou
¡Qué llamativo, y exclusivo, modelo Chrysler Imperial Edición Limitada Frank Sinatra de 1982! Y pensar que, posiblemente, solo quedan unos 12 de éstos. Tiene unas líneas sobrias pero bastante bonitas, típicas de los 80's (mención especial, para los hermosos emblemas Chrysler en cristal). El interior se veía muy llamativo, con esa combinación de instrumentos digitales en pantallas LCD, junto a un hermoso acabado en madera simulada. Por último, me encantaron esos faros escamoteables únicos, junto con las largas guías traseras. No lo sé, pero estas últimas me hicieron recordar a las luces que tenía el Pontiac Firebird "KITT" de la serie Knight Rider (o El Auto Fantástico) de 1982. ¡Gracias por dejarnos ese enlace al comercial con Frank Sinatra de 1981! ¡Saludos cordiales, Lou!
Hi Jaime, Happy to read all the details you enjoy on this car :-) Glad you enjoy the Frank Sinatra commercial too. My pleasure sharing this car with you, Lou
Blue on blue for ol Blue Eyes. Even the valve covers are blue! Iacocca was the best salesman for Chrysler and his buddy FAS helped garner new attention to Imperial.
The fuel injection system on these were incredibly unique. The intake snorkel had fins that caused the air to swirl. The air flow then crossed a sensing wire that detected the characteristics of the flow and number of times it "crossed" the wire per second. Air temperature, speed, density and humidity all effected the flow, and the computer would tailor the injection accordingly. That's why this car had that warning label on the air cleaner cover. As noted by scotta9114 below, many of these were converted by the dealer to carburetors. Very cool that this car is still original!
Thanks for this review of the 1982 Chrysler Imperial. I really liked the exterior styling, with it's sharp lines that blends the front, back and rear very nicely. Yes, it does resemble the second generation Cadillac Seville, and the downsized Lincoln Continental, but I really like how the Imperial's styling makes the 'Bussel back work so well. I'm from Detroit originally, so I had family still living there in 1982. My cousin was with Chrysler in the proditype area with was Part of the design studio. In the fall of 1982, I went to Detroit to visit family. Unknown to me when I arrived, he arranged an Imperial from the factory for me to drive while there. The Imperial he got me was also a Frank Sinatra trimmed car. So I really enjoyed having such a beautiful car to use. Unfortunately, it snowed all the while I was there, so I was driving in very snowy conditions, so I really didn't get to enjoy it the way I wanted to. But the 318 was a great match for the Imperial. The ATC did a great job keeping the windows clear, and the interior nice and warm. The car handled the snowy road conditions very well. No traction loss or sliding and to me that's very important. I don't know why the Imperials didn't sell as well as it did. Maybe it was the marketing, but we have to keep in mind, it was a very dark time for the US auto industry. The 1973 oil crisis left the industry in a tail spin that they were trying overcome. In my opinion, they never did. The Big Three were scrambling to respond to the fuel situation, and by 1982 they had made very little progress. Our American cars were big and not fuel efficient. Up until the 70s nobody really cared about good gas mileage. We wanted our big traditional sedans and that's what Detroit was building for us. Now all of a sudden we no longer wanted what we always had. When the US car buying public was conditioned to reject our traditional cars for cars that got good mpg. To this day I blame the public for not being loyal to the US manufacturers, and I don't think that's right. The public now believes it's better to drive foreign cars, and today there are more foreign cars on our roads than I think there should be. The Big Three have come a long way from where it was before the crisis. The cars are designed and built better than they ever were, they had to be to compete with the foreign cars. It's now gone to far. Instead of just building better cars, we have lost the beautifully designed cars that came in beautiful colors and fantastic styling, and for what? Grey , dull colors and styling that looks like a used bar of soap. Like the saying says "don't throw the baby out with the bathwater, and yet that's exactly what we have done. I have never stopped buying and supporting American cars, I wish others would do the same. So sad. For over 50 years the Big Three held 90% of the world wide auto market, not anymore. No, now I'm forced to share our roads with those ugly bland and boring little boxes. But hey, they all get better gas mileage, and that's about it.
I remember when these first came out. I loved them! However, it doesn't seem that they stood the test of time quality wise throughout the years. this one seems in great condition though. As always, we learn from your videos and that's why I watch them. I had no idea it was actually called an Imperial FS for Frank Sinatra! 140 HP? Wow. Love the front end when the lights came on. Loved the rear end bustle back and the tailights. Very elegant looking for this car. Thanks, Lou.
These were gorgeous cars! It's a shame that the fuel injection was so problematic. I think the ones running today have been converted back to carburetors. Haven't seen under the hood of this one yet. I'm sure there would be more of these around if they just put carburetors in them from the beginning because these are such beautiful cars. I remember looking at these at the dealership with my dad. He bought a Reliant.
I remember back then I was 15 years old and absolutely LOVED the DODGE MIRADA which looked similar but smaller, never got one though having joined the Army at 18!!!
Hi Pisti, Happy to read you appreciate the looks of this car :-) Good news! If we don't have beautiful cars again, all the cars you enjoy are on this Channel. Thank you for viewing, sharing and I believe you're going to see many more cars on this Channel you'll enjoy. Hope you Subscribe, and hit the "bell" so you can see all the cars when they are uploaded on this UA-cam Channel, Lou
1982 Chrysler Imperial. The Imperial brand wasn't a brand back then, but a Chrysler model from 1927 until 1955. It then became a separate model in 1955 as a luxurious version of Chrysler, competing with Buick, Cadillac, Lincoln, Mercury, and Oldsmobile in terms of luxury, design, and performance. Imperials were well known for changing their model and their codenames every year (For example, the 1961 Imperial RY1-L-M-H would be the 1962 Imperial SY1-L-M-H). Their first models in 1955-1956 came with the First Gen Hemi V8 (5.4 Litres up to 5.8 Litres), while the other models came with the optional "Wedge" V8, which would be standard circa the mid-1960s (1963-1965). The Wedge V8 in 1968-1973 was around 440 Cubic Inches (7.2 Litres). Imperials didn't sell that well and weren't that popular, averaging around 15,000 to 25,000 Imperials per year compared to around 100,000 to 190,000 Cadillac DeVilles sold per year along with around 25,000 to 50,000 Lincoln Continentals sold per year. The longest-ever Imperial was the 1973 Imperial LeBaron, at 235.7 Inches, it would be the second longest, behind the 1974-1976 Cadillac Fleetwood 75, which was measured at approximately 252 inches. For 1974-1981, the Imperial name was cut off for a short time for unknown reasons, but it is believed that factors such as the 1973 Oil Crisis were to blame along with the shift towards more fuel-efficient and reliable cars made by Japanese and German manufacturers. For 1981-1983, the Imperial name was revived for only two years unsuccessfully, with a low-powered detuned 318 Cubic Inch V8 and selling only around 12,385 units, making it one of the rarest luxury cars of the 1980s. Its most famous appearance would be the 1962 Chrysler Imperial in "It's a Mad, Mad, Mad, Mad World" (1963) and "Last of the Red Hot Lovers" (1972).
Hi Tpadave, Happy to read this car brings back memories of the car you drove in IL :-) Thank you for viewing and sharing. Hope you see many cars on this Channel you enjoy! Please Subscribe, and hit the "bell" so you can see all the cars when they are uploaded on this UA-cam Channel, Lou
Hi Robert, Happy to read this car brings back memories of your cars :-) Thank you for viewing and sharing. Hope you see many cars on this Channel you enjoy! Please Subscribe, and hit the "bell" so you can see all the cars when they are uploaded on this UA-cam Channel, Lou
Beautifully styled car. Built in my home town of Windsor Ontario Canada. Too bad some states and provinces insist on requiring a front license plate, as is the case here. Especially when they have to be mounted on one side of the car (as opposed to in the center), it really hurts the appearance of the front of the car. Great video, thanks!
Hi MDavid G, Happy to read you appreciate this car :-) Thank you for viewing, sharing, and you're welcome. I believe you're going to see many more cars on this Channel you'll enjoy. Hope you Subscribe, and hit the "bell" so you can see all the cars when they are uploaded on this UA-cam Channel, Lou
That's a new one on me. I didn't know there was a Sinatra edition. Those Imperials were rare even back in the 80's. You would see a lot of those slope-back Seville's and Lincoln Continental's. Realtors of that era loved the Seville's. Anyway, this featured Imperial is a real keeper!!
I’m my opinion the best looking car of the Malaise Era. If only the fuel injection system developed for this car actually was reliable back then. This car would have been a success story for a struggling Chrysler and been remembered with rose colored glasses for sure. Be that as it may I adore this vehicle. I owned a 1980 Dodge Mirada with the 318 when I was 16. Wish I still had her. Thanks for bringing the obscure to mainstream for us Lou. Kudos to guys like Pete for curating vehicles tied to their families legacy. I’m sure he wishes he still was riding shotgun in this exquisite Imperial with his grandpa behind the wheel.
what a posh edition...gotta love the slope back Cadillac seville-esque / traditional trunk rearend Digital blue instrumention very similar to the '81 turdbirds that had it back then. Very nice rare time capsule ride!
Heya, Lou! Another great MCS! Ooohh, I have always adored this last of the RWD Imperials. Chrysler ran these in NASCAR for a short time, she had a fabulous body & suspension .. (inline torsion bars in front & rear leaf springs, like the 60's-70's Muscle Mopars of yore) for that mighty task..not just a glamorous face, here. She's a glitzed up musclecar..if not showing such in the hp dept..but that can be remedied w/o too much trouble :) cam, carb, ignition & exaust and boom..300hp. Thanks, Mr. C!
Man, I would LOVE to have this car with maybe a modernized drivetrain for road trips. I don't need to drive it to know how AMAZING it would be for a couple 1,000-mile days in a row, having had a few old Buicks/Oldsmobiles and a Cadillac or two. I not only didn't know that this particular model existed, but I also thought the Imperial didn't exist in '82 (you'll have to forgive me, I'm a sorta GM guy, but that's mostly because I can't afford Mopars, hahaha!). What an amazing example of the model, surely the nicest one out there. That 'Cartier crystal' hood ornament and other bling is funny, but it really does look a lot nicer than the regular glass or lucite or whatever they were ornaments on normal Chrysler corporation cars back then. Awesome video, thanks to both of you!
Hey Lou! That brought back some really great memories. I don’t know if you remember the story of me at age 17 buying my dads Uncles 1973 Fleetwood Brougham a Florida car in excellent Condition. My Dads Uncle bought a 1978 Cadillac and Traded that car for what you have here. Same color Old Blue Eyes FS Edition Imperial 1981 or 1982. I drive past it daily on my way to work in front of his Business. I was never a real fan of the Imperial of this generation. I was into the Lincolns of the time. Pretty funny for a 20 year old kid.
Ol blue eyes couldn't make that car a hot 🔥 seller as it should've been, not without yesterday's drivetrain and suspension upgrades, the LA engines at the time weren't up to flagship material.
I performed a Google search for any available 1982 Chrysler Imperial Frank Sinatra models for sale and none came up. Wow, this must be rare. I remember when these were introduced and enjoyed the nostalgic trip.
When asked why he purchased this particular jewel of a vehicle I bet his grandfather said I did it My Way 😁 Am sure he's looking down with pride on the loving care bestowed upon his car 🌝
Here is the Frank Sinatra TV Commerical of this car. ENJOY! m.ua-cam.com/video/bD4EQ-D_pDI/v-deo.html&pp=ygUsMTk4MSBjaHJ5c2xlciBpbXBlcmlhbCBmcmFuayBzaW5hdHJhIGVkaXRpb24%3D
I remember several years before this model came out, in the late '70s , Chrysler came out with the carburetor Electronic Lean Burn with Spark Plug Computer system. Very troublesome! Hopefully this injection system was more reliable.
I seen a couple of these in my life. Always thought they were just beautiful cars man oh man talk about luxury bet you that thing rides as good as it did the day it was born
I don't mean to reply so much but man that was a awesome interview I think that made that guy's life could tell he was happy like I say you do good work
This is so awesome and moving, big bro Lou. Really amazing. Reminds me of being a kid and watching The Love Boat with my older siblings, no doubt in my Little League baseball uniform, my tubesocked stocking feet kicking one of my older bro's to annoy him before he kicked my ass lol 🤣🤪....this commercial would no doubt be there with us. 🤗JV Johnny
Pete's a cool gentleman! Gave me goosebumps to see how much it meant to him to be featured by you Lou. That's what makes your channel special! Another legacy story too with his Grandfather being the original owner! #legacy
Hi Dave, Happy to read you have goosebumps watching this video :-) Thanks for sharing the link to the Frank Sinatra TV commercial about this car that is now in the description of this video. Lou
What a great car & custodian! Those Imperials were always something special and unique, and this one is the perfect example of why. Thanks, Lou!
HI TheGunfighter45acp, Happy to read "What a great car & custodian!" :-) My pleasure sharing this car with you. You're welcome, Lou
Hi, If you like this video, please click on SUPER THANKS ❤ with the $ in the middle which is the SUPER THANKS button under the video. Thank you! Lou
Very few of these cars have the original fuel injection system. Chrysler offered a free conversion to a carburetor due to reliability issues. Strange that just 2-3 years later fuel injection was standard on everything and worked perfectly. It’s good to see this Imperial still with the original fuel injection.
Hi Gru, Happy to read you appreciate seeing the original fuel injection system :-) Lou
My 1981 Imperial still had its fuel injection when I got it. Unfortunately, the fuel tank was in really bad shape, so the tank pump was bad. ($400 part, if you can even find it! )
It's got a 4bbl now, but I still have the fuel injection pieces.
My '83 Imp was converted to carburetor in Dec. '84.
I think they got the styling just right on this imperial. The rear end looks good. The front end looks good. The hidden headlights are amazing. I hope Pete can keep this in the family for many years. It’s a beautiful car.
Happy to read you enjoy this "beautiful car" :-)
Remembered when this jewel of a luxury car the 1982 Chrysler Imperial FS first came out & was just out of HS. Only saw an extreme few in California for the past 15 years. Thanks for sharing 👍🏼💙 🎼
Hi Richard, Happy to read this brings back memories of when this car first came out :-) My pleasure sharing this car with you. You're welcome, Lou
A 1982 Crysler Imperial FS Frank Sinatra Edition is a first for me. It looks similar to a Cadillac Seville as far as body style goes. It has a healthy sounding 318 CI engine, and full digital instrument cluster. That particular era of cars was smothered with emission devices. A really interesting looking low mileage rare Mopar. It's always cool to see a car that has been in the same family since brand new. I loved the fact that this car was handed down from the owner's grandfather who originally bought the car off the showroom floor! A real beauty to behold, Lou!
Hi Michael, Happy to read "is a first for me" :-) Me too. Glad to read you enjoy the looks of this car, Lou
Beautiful Imperial. What's more amazing is that it still has the infamous fuel injection system on it, and it's working. Great job preserving this unique car.
Hi Bashar, Happy to read you appreciate the looks of this car :-) You're right, amazing to see the fuel injections system on this car working. Thank you for viewing, sharing and I believe you're going to see many more cars on this Channel you'll enjoy. Hope you Subscribe, and hit the "bell" so you can see all the cars when they are uploaded on this UA-cam Channel, Lou
One you NEVER see...thanks Pete and Lou for showing a real special Imperial.
Happy to share this Imperial with you CJ Design :-)
because they never run
Love it, such great lines! Always great to see people preserving automotive history. Well done Pete!
Happy to read "Love it" :-)
Hi, Lou! Most cars of the Eighties are taking a long time for us in the auto hobby to appreciate, and admittedly there weren't as many standouts as in previous decades, but obviously Pete knew he had something extra special and rare with this Imperial. The 1981-1983 Imperial in general wasn't all that common, with only about 11,000 made between the three years, though it was definitely a standout for the era, so he is very fortunate indeed to have this ultra-rare Frank Sinatra edition. I think Lee Iacocca, Ol' Blue Eyes and Pete's grandfather would definitely be proud of how well Pete has kept this car so well-preserved!
Thank you both for spotlighting this rare Eighties nugget! As the old commercial said, it was time!
Hi iswc27, My pleasure sharing this Eighties "extra special" car with you :-) My pleasure sharing with you. You're welcome, Lou
Super, wow, what a treat. Thanks for sharing. I absolutely love that model.
Hi Russ, High praise :-) Lou
That's a rare Mopar! Not many of any cars left from that era...not exactly a high point of American automotive production. Glad to see someone preserving it as a time capsule...I'm sure the sentimental value of maintaining his grandfather's car far exceeds the monetary value.
Hi Steve, Happy to read you appreciate the rarity of seeing this "time capsule" :-) Lou
Its Canadian autocorrected
Pete and the other commenters are quite right - these are very rare cars now.
Definitely "of the era" but that does not mean it is not cool. Very nice Imperial!
Thanks Lou and Pete for sharing this classic with us.
Hi Jeff, Happy to share this "rare car" with you :-) My pleasure sharing this "classic" with you. You're welcome, Lou
My Dad was an Imperial Collector and at one time had around 30 imperials. He had a 1983 Imperial like this one. The EFI was a problem area so Chrysler offered to convert it to a Carburetor in which he had it done. Interesting car.
Hi Scott A, Happy to read this car brings back memories of your Dads car :-) Thank you for viewing and sharing. Hope you see many cars on this Channel you enjoy! Please Subscribe, and hit the "bell" so you can see all the cars when they are uploaded on this UA-cam Channel, Lou
I just posted some info on the original injection system - give it a look-see.
Probably by far and away one of the cleanest styled cars of all time.
High praise :-)
What a very rare and beautiful and nice car. Especialy this Frank Sinatra edition. The blue on blue color combination suites it very well. The digital fuel injection helps to lower the MPG a lot, it Also offers better driveability. Only a part of the computer is in a the engine compartment en gets Hot and can fail. A compliment for the owner who takes excellent car of this car. Lou again a very big thanks for showing us this treat. Greetings from Henry Hendriks from Arnhem in the Netherlands.
Hi Henry in the Netherlands, Happy to read "What a very rare and beautiful and nice car. Especially this Frank Sinatra edition." :-) Greetings, Lou
cool car, love the opera lights...and color!
edit: thanks for sharing it with us!
Hi Rick, Happy to read you enjoy this "cool car" :-) Lou
I remember seeing one of these on the showroom floor in Tustin, CA, 1981 (not a FS edition) when I was buying a Plymouth economy product. I really liked them. Too bad they didn't turn out to be the smash hit intended. However, this FS edition, has to be the first one I've seen and it's beautiful in that color. And like many others you showcase has a great story of being in the same family since new. More thumbs up than the only two I have!
Hi K B, Happy to read this car brings back memories of the car you remember seeing in the CA Car Dealership :-) Thank you for viewing and sharing, Lou
Cool. I have a Mahogany Mist 81 Imperial but have not loaded it on my channel yet. Love these.
Hi Mark, Glad to read you have an Imperial too. Thank you for sharing, Lou
What a find - and thank you for posting! And one does not these days hear of a make and model car honoring such an iconic entertainer! And I hope Chrysler someday brings back the Imperial as a distinctive brand!
Hi William, Happy to read you appreciate this find :-) You're welcome, Lou
I think my favorite Imperial after the 1960"s was the big boat 1973.
This car was crazy when it came out. All other manufacturers stopped making such large personal luxury cars. Very nice car, especially when lit up. Great guy the owner too.
Hi danam0228, Happy to read "Very nice car" & "Great guy" :-) Lou
I've always fancied myself a car guy but get humbled regularly on My Car Story with limited edition collector cars - available during my lifetime no less - that I've never heard of nor seen with my own eyes. If ever there was a truly sporty looking Imperial I believe this is it and no doubt Chrysler's answer to Caddys of this era. Looks great. Iacocca and Old blue eyes joining forces for the North American car market. Thanks Lou, humbled again.
Hi Bruce H., I don't recall this one either. Fun to find one like this where I'm learning the whole time from the Caretaker. You're welcome, Lou
Hi Lou, that chrysler imperial, is in beautiful condition, that guy has realy looked after it, and it is a credit to him, an other great video.👍👍.
Hi Philip, Happy to read you enjoy the condition of this car :-) I agree, Pete has taken great care of this car. Glad to read "an other great video", Lou
Thank you Lou for taking the time to showcase our car. It is always fun to hear the reactions of people who see it for the first time.
Hi Joanne, My pleasure sharing your car. Come back in a week to see what more people say :-) You're welcome, Lou
What a beauty! Thanks for sharing pete!
I do love an Imperial! ❤
:-)
I can imagine Chrysler used Sinatra's lyric " the best is yet to come " in the ad campaign. Here is the best luxury edition . Opulent is what I think when seeing this beautiful car . Great video Lou .
Hi Michael, "the best is yet to come" NICE! Lou
Thankyou Pete for showing the car, Love It.......I hope Lou got a chance to record all the other cars in that shed too
Hi monaro383, Happy to read "Love it" :-) Unfortunately time did not allow to get all the cars in "that shed" :-( GOOD NEWS! Many more cars were videoed at Chrysler Nationals coming up on the Channel to stay tuned! Lou
Absolutely beautiful. Thank you for being a great caretaker of this fine automobile, Pete.
Happy to read you comment :-)
I have heard of these cars , beautiful!!
Hi Andy, Happy to read "beautiful!" :-) Lou
😍Beautiful Imperial👍
Nice !
Lou, you never disappoint. Nice car!
Thank you zeevon9
Lovely, unique car. Amazing that they put a strip of chrome inside the trunk.
Hi mockmonkey1, Happy to share this "Lovely" car with you :-) Lou
Distinctive car, reminds me the Cadillac Seville bustle back.
Hi Jorge, Thank you for viewing and sharing you find this car distinctive. I believe you're going to see many more cars on this Channel you'll enjoy. Hope you Subscribe, and hit the "bell" so you can see all the cars when they are uploaded on this UA-cam Channel, Lou
A bold design. I always thought they were attractive. Nice one Lou!
Hi David, Happy to read you enjoy the looks of this car :-) Lou
Buddy Arrington raced an Imperial in NASCAR in the early 1980s. What a neat car.
Thank you for sharing.
¡Qué llamativo, y exclusivo, modelo Chrysler Imperial Edición Limitada Frank Sinatra de 1982! Y pensar que, posiblemente, solo quedan unos 12 de éstos. Tiene unas líneas sobrias pero bastante bonitas, típicas de los 80's (mención especial, para los hermosos emblemas Chrysler en cristal). El interior se veía muy llamativo, con esa combinación de instrumentos digitales en pantallas LCD, junto a un hermoso acabado en madera simulada. Por último, me encantaron esos faros escamoteables únicos, junto con las largas guías traseras. No lo sé, pero estas últimas me hicieron recordar a las luces que tenía el Pontiac Firebird "KITT" de la serie Knight Rider (o El Auto Fantástico) de 1982. ¡Gracias por dejarnos ese enlace al comercial con Frank Sinatra de 1981! ¡Saludos cordiales, Lou!
Hi Jaime, Happy to read all the details you enjoy on this car :-) Glad you enjoy the Frank Sinatra commercial too. My pleasure sharing this car with you, Lou
Blue on blue for ol Blue Eyes. Even the valve covers are blue! Iacocca was the best salesman for Chrysler and his buddy FAS helped garner new attention to Imperial.
Feeling blue :-)
I don't think the blue on the engine was for Ol' Blue Eyes though, because my dad had Mopars in the 70s that had the same blue paint on the engines.
A pristine ride, and with fuel injection too, thnx LC and Mr. Imperial New Yorker. . . :>/
Happy to share this "pristine ride" with you :-)
Fantasic car, I love this model 🎉
High praise :-)
That’s one beautiful car
Happy to read you enjoy the looks of this car :-)
The fuel injection system on these were incredibly unique. The intake snorkel had fins that caused the air to swirl. The air flow then crossed a sensing wire that detected the characteristics of the flow and number of times it "crossed" the wire per second. Air temperature, speed, density and humidity all effected the flow, and the computer would tailor the injection accordingly. That's why this car had that warning label on the air cleaner cover. As noted by scotta9114 below, many of these were converted by the dealer to carburetors. Very cool that this car is still original!
Hi David, Thank you for viewing and sharing your knowledge. Lou
🙋♂️THANKS LOU,AND PETE …I REMEMBER SEEING THEM ADVERTISED 😎💚💚💚
Hi Budget Audiophile Life-long, Happy to read you remember this car being advertised. Lou
I saw one years ago , always loved the design. They should have pushed them more than they did. Beautiful car . Bet it rides great.
Happy to read "always loved the design" :-)
Thanks for this review of the 1982 Chrysler Imperial. I really liked the exterior styling, with it's sharp lines that blends the front, back and rear very nicely. Yes, it does resemble the second generation Cadillac Seville, and the downsized Lincoln Continental, but I really like how the Imperial's styling makes the 'Bussel back work so well. I'm from Detroit originally, so I had family still living there in 1982. My cousin was with Chrysler in the proditype area with was Part of the design studio. In the fall of 1982, I went to Detroit to visit family. Unknown to me when I arrived, he arranged an Imperial from the factory for me to drive while there. The Imperial he got me was also a Frank Sinatra trimmed car. So I really enjoyed having such a beautiful car to use. Unfortunately, it snowed all the while I was there, so I was driving in very snowy conditions, so I really didn't get to enjoy it the way I wanted to. But the 318 was a great match for the Imperial. The ATC did a great job keeping the windows clear, and the interior nice and warm. The car handled the snowy road conditions very well. No traction loss or sliding and to me that's very important. I don't know why the Imperials didn't sell as well as it did. Maybe it was the marketing, but we have to keep in mind, it was a very dark time for the US auto industry. The 1973 oil crisis left the industry in a tail spin that they were trying overcome. In my opinion, they never did. The Big Three were scrambling to respond to the fuel situation, and by 1982 they had made very little progress. Our American cars were big and not fuel efficient. Up until the 70s nobody really cared about good gas mileage. We wanted our big traditional sedans and that's what Detroit was building for us. Now all of a sudden we no longer wanted what we always had. When the US car buying public was conditioned to reject our traditional cars for cars that got good mpg. To this day I blame the public for not being loyal to the US manufacturers, and I don't think that's right. The public now believes it's better to drive foreign cars, and today there are more foreign cars on our roads than I think there should be. The Big Three have come a long way from where it was before the crisis. The cars are designed and built better than they ever were, they had to be to compete with the foreign cars. It's now gone to far. Instead of just building better cars, we have lost the beautifully designed cars that came in beautiful colors and fantastic styling, and for what? Grey , dull colors and styling that looks like a used bar of soap. Like the saying says "don't throw the baby out with the bathwater, and yet that's exactly what we have done. I have never stopped buying and supporting American cars, I wish others would do the same. So sad. For over 50 years the Big Three held 90% of the world wide auto market, not anymore. No, now I'm forced to share our roads with those ugly bland and boring little boxes. But hey, they all get better gas mileage, and that's about it.
Hi William, Thanks for viewing and sharing your thoughts, Lou
Cool daddy o.. does the horn go doobie doobie do 😎👍
NICE!
Rare treat, Lou. TY!
You're welcome :-)
I remember when these first came out. I loved them! However, it doesn't seem that they stood the test of time quality wise throughout the years. this one seems in great condition though. As always, we learn from your videos and that's why I watch them. I had no idea it was actually called an Imperial FS for Frank Sinatra! 140 HP? Wow. Love the front end when the lights came on. Loved the rear end bustle back and the tailights. Very elegant looking for this car. Thanks, Lou.
Hi Brian, Happy to read "I love them!" :-) Lou
These were gorgeous cars! It's a shame that the fuel injection was so problematic. I think the ones running today have been converted back to carburetors. Haven't seen under the hood of this one yet. I'm sure there would be more of these around if they just put carburetors in them from the beginning because these are such beautiful cars. I remember looking at these at the dealership with my dad. He bought a Reliant.
Hi Eric, Thanks for viewing and sharing, Lou
The vast majority of them were retrofitted with carbs early on .
apparently the EFI was a simple fix by gadget geeks but they went the extreme route and converted to carbs.
When I had my 70 Cutlass going to shows around Rochester I remember this car. The shag carpet is amazing.
Happy to read you remember this car :-)
incredible
Hi Timothy, Happy to read "incredible" :-) Lou
That's a rare one Lou, thanks for the video
Hi Jason, Happy to read you appreciate the rarity of this car :-) You're welcome, Lou
I seen these cars before but nothing like this this is a one-of-a-kind nothing but awesome
Happy to read you enjoy this "one-of-a-kind" car :-)
*AWESOME!*
( no more words )
:-)
I remember back then I was 15 years old and absolutely LOVED the DODGE MIRADA which looked similar but smaller, never got one though having joined the Army at 18!!!
Hi TheSpritz0, Happy to read this car brings back memories from when you were 15 years old :-) Thank you for viewing and sharing, Lou
Just a cool old car Lou thanks for the video,
You're welcome Leroy :-)
Pretty snazzy 😎 ..Bustleback styling they called it I just read.
HI Florida Alan, Happy to read you enjoy this "Pretty snazzy" :-) Lou
Such a beautiful car. We will never see beautiful cars ever again.
Hi Pisti, Happy to read you appreciate the looks of this car :-) Good news! If we don't have beautiful cars again, all the cars you enjoy are on this Channel. Thank you for viewing, sharing and I believe you're going to see many more cars on this Channel you'll enjoy. Hope you Subscribe, and hit the "bell" so you can see all the cars when they are uploaded on this UA-cam Channel, Lou
WE APPRECIATE PETE’s REACTION AND…The quiet exhaust …so we can appreciate FRANK’s singing 😎💚💚💚
NICE !
The most beautifully designed car EVER! I wanted one when new but all I could get was a Dodge. ;)
High praise :-)
1982 Chrysler Imperial.
The Imperial brand wasn't a brand back then, but a Chrysler model from 1927 until 1955. It then became a separate model in 1955 as a luxurious version of Chrysler, competing with Buick, Cadillac, Lincoln, Mercury, and Oldsmobile in terms of luxury, design, and performance. Imperials were well known for changing their model and their codenames every year (For example, the 1961 Imperial RY1-L-M-H would be the 1962 Imperial SY1-L-M-H). Their first models in 1955-1956 came with the First Gen Hemi V8 (5.4 Litres up to 5.8 Litres), while the other models came with the optional "Wedge" V8, which would be standard circa the mid-1960s (1963-1965). The Wedge V8 in 1968-1973 was around 440 Cubic Inches (7.2 Litres). Imperials didn't sell that well and weren't that popular, averaging around 15,000 to 25,000 Imperials per year compared to around 100,000 to 190,000 Cadillac DeVilles sold per year along with around 25,000 to 50,000 Lincoln Continentals sold per year. The longest-ever Imperial was the 1973 Imperial LeBaron, at 235.7 Inches, it would be the second longest, behind the 1974-1976 Cadillac Fleetwood 75, which was measured at approximately 252 inches. For 1974-1981, the Imperial name was cut off for a short time for unknown reasons, but it is believed that factors such as the 1973 Oil Crisis were to blame along with the shift towards more fuel-efficient and reliable cars made by Japanese and German manufacturers. For 1981-1983, the Imperial name was revived for only two years unsuccessfully, with a low-powered detuned 318 Cubic Inch V8 and selling only around 12,385 units, making it one of the rarest luxury cars of the 1980s.
Its most famous appearance would be the 1962 Chrysler Imperial in "It's a Mad, Mad, Mad, Mad World" (1963) and "Last of the Red Hot Lovers" (1972).
Hi Matthew, Thanks for sharing your knowledge and adding to the Channel, Lou
That gorgeous Imperial looks showroom new. Pete is the perfect custodian for this rare Chrysler. Buddy Arrington used the Imperial body in nascar
High praise :-) Thanks for sharing info on Buddy too.
Wow! I drove the same color FS edition at a car dealer in Downers grove, Illinois years ago. Wish I had the money to buy it then.
Hi Tpadave, Happy to read this car brings back memories of the car you drove in IL :-) Thank you for viewing and sharing. Hope you see many cars on this Channel you enjoy! Please Subscribe, and hit the "bell" so you can see all the cars when they are uploaded on this UA-cam Channel, Lou
Beautiful Imperial Frank Sinatra Edition.
Happy to read you enjoy the looks of this car :-)
Had an 81 and a 83. Loved them.
Hi Robert, Happy to read this car brings back memories of your cars :-) Thank you for viewing and sharing. Hope you see many cars on this Channel you enjoy! Please Subscribe, and hit the "bell" so you can see all the cars when they are uploaded on this UA-cam Channel, Lou
Yessss, finally an Imperial 😍😍
:-)
1982 FS Imperial. "It was a very good year!" Thanks Lou!
NICE Brian SD! You're welcome.
"From the brim to the dregs"!
@@loucostabile BTW Lou. Thanks for posting a link for the Imperial commercial. That was cool!
Beautifully styled car. Built in my home town of Windsor Ontario Canada. Too bad some states and provinces insist on requiring a front license plate, as is the case here. Especially when they have to be mounted on one side of the car (as opposed to in the center), it really hurts the appearance of the front of the car. Great video, thanks!
Hi MDavid G, Happy to read you appreciate this car :-) Thank you for viewing, sharing, and you're welcome. I believe you're going to see many more cars on this Channel you'll enjoy. Hope you Subscribe, and hit the "bell" so you can see all the cars when they are uploaded on this UA-cam Channel, Lou
That's a new one on me. I didn't know there was a Sinatra edition. Those Imperials were rare even back in the 80's. You would see a lot of those slope-back Seville's and Lincoln Continental's. Realtors of that era loved the Seville's. Anyway, this featured Imperial is a real keeper!!
Happy to read "this featured Imperial is a real keeper!!" :-)
Pretty neat that all the electronics work. Loads of these cars got recalled and were converted to carbs. The FS for 82 was 1 of 269 odd built.
Happy to share this car with you :-)
I’m my opinion the best looking car of the Malaise Era. If only the fuel injection system developed for this car actually was reliable back then. This car would have been a success story for a struggling Chrysler and been remembered with rose colored glasses for sure. Be that as it may I adore this vehicle. I owned a 1980 Dodge Mirada with the 318 when I was 16. Wish I still had her. Thanks for bringing the obscure to mainstream for us Lou. Kudos to guys like Pete for curating vehicles tied to their families legacy. I’m sure he wishes he still was riding shotgun in this exquisite Imperial with his grandpa behind the wheel.
Hi Randy, High praise :-) My pleasure sharing this car with you. You're welcome, Lou
That's a beautiful car.
Happy to read you enjoy the looks of this car :-)
😍😍😍😍😍 Thanks Lou!
Happy to see you enjoy this one motorTranz :-) You're welcome, Lou
The last of the luxury cars!
They turned to K cars shortly after.
GREAT VIDEO LOU
Thanks for sharing TCT9MM. Appreciate the kind words on the video :-)
Fabulous car!
High praise :-)
Very nice 🥰
:-)
Great car from the malaise era. More malaise survivors Lou. And Woodgrain. Love your channel
Hi Retro Corner, When I see good ones, you will too :-) Appreciate you "Love" the Channel, Lou
what a posh edition...gotta love the slope back Cadillac seville-esque / traditional trunk rearend
Digital blue instrumention very similar to the '81 turdbirds that had it back then.
Very nice rare time capsule ride!
Hi Narrow Hwy, Happy to share this "time capsule ride" with you :-) Did you see this one? Lou ua-cam.com/video/BCS4vSeDlj0/v-deo.html
@@loucostabile I saw the video in the line up and will definitely check it out and thumbs up and subribe.
I think it is AWESOME
Nice :-)
Heya, Lou! Another great MCS! Ooohh, I have always adored this last of the RWD Imperials. Chrysler ran these in
NASCAR for a short time, she had a fabulous body & suspension .. (inline torsion bars in front & rear leaf springs, like the 60's-70's
Muscle Mopars of yore) for that mighty task..not just a glamorous face, here. She's a glitzed up musclecar..if not showing
such in the hp dept..but that can be remedied w/o too much trouble :) cam, carb, ignition & exaust and boom..300hp. Thanks, Mr. C!
Heya Tom! Happy to read you "have always adored" this car :-) You're welcome Mr. J.
It has road presence. Cars and coffee oddity.
Thank you for viewing and sharing.
A rare beauty!
Happy to read you appreciate the rarity of seeing this car today :-) Glad to read you enjoy the looks of this car.
Absolutely, I really can't remember the last time I saw one. That was in mint condition
beautiful ❤
:-)
5:07 - It’s funny how the folks at Chrysler labeled the clock with “CLOCK.” I guess they thought some people wouldn’t recognize it as a clock.
Thanks for sharing what you notice.
Man, I would LOVE to have this car with maybe a modernized drivetrain for road trips. I don't need to drive it to know how AMAZING it would be for a couple 1,000-mile days in a row, having had a few old Buicks/Oldsmobiles and a Cadillac or two. I not only didn't know that this particular model existed, but I also thought the Imperial didn't exist in '82 (you'll have to forgive me, I'm a sorta GM guy, but that's mostly because I can't afford Mopars, hahaha!). What an amazing example of the model, surely the nicest one out there. That 'Cartier crystal' hood ornament and other bling is funny, but it really does look a lot nicer than the regular glass or lucite or whatever they were ornaments on normal Chrysler corporation cars back then. Awesome video, thanks to both of you!
Hi The sinner Jim Whitney, Happy to read you enjoy this car :-) You're welcome, Lou
Hey Lou! That brought back some really great memories. I don’t know if you remember the story of me at age 17 buying my dads Uncles 1973 Fleetwood Brougham a Florida car in excellent Condition. My Dads Uncle bought a 1978 Cadillac and Traded that car for what you have here. Same color Old Blue Eyes FS Edition Imperial 1981 or 1982. I drive past it daily on my way to work in front of his Business. I was never a real fan of the Imperial of this generation. I was into the Lincolns of the time. Pretty funny for a 20 year old kid.
Hey gene978, Happy to read this car brings back memories of your Dads Uncles car :-) Thank you for viewing and sharing, Lou
This car is bee-utiful my God the holy Grail right there
High praise :-)
what a unique car!
Thanks for viewing and sharing.
elegant beauty 👍🏻
High praise :-)
Ol blue eyes couldn't make that car a hot 🔥 seller as it should've been, not without yesterday's drivetrain and suspension upgrades, the LA engines at the time weren't up to flagship material.
Hi Raymond, Thanks for viewing and sharing, Lou
Nice car!
Happy to read you enjoy this nice car.
In fact (see below): this car's problems and low sales apparently strained the friendship between Frank and Lee.
Yikes !
Круте авто! Цікава історія дідуся! Дякую! А головне - Сінатра!
Hi Сергій, Happy to read you enjoy this story of Pete's Grandfather and yes...Sinatra too :-) You're welcome, Lou
They came with Sinatra tapes.
Bonus :-)
Those '83 road wheels look sweet on that Sinatra!
:-)
I performed a Google search for any available 1982 Chrysler Imperial Frank Sinatra models for sale and none came up. Wow, this must be rare. I remember when these were introduced and enjoyed the nostalgic trip.
Thank you for sharing your research.
That's a cool car.😊
Happy to read you enjoy this cool car :-)
Cool Car
:-)
When asked why he purchased this particular jewel of a vehicle I bet his grandfather said I did it My Way 😁 Am sure he's looking down with pride on the loving care bestowed upon his car 🌝
""I did it my way" NICE!