Remy's '83 Imperial

[BangShift McT]

Another "WTF?!" Mopar rescue brought to you by Remy-Z.

Now, in honesty, this thing is rather clean. Minor parking lot dings, two pieces of wheelwell chrome bashed up. Headliner falling, the fabric on the pillars are going too, but nothing too bad.



Surprise, it's a EFI car still, one that skipped the recall and conversion at time of acquisition. Until I have the money to do this one right, though, it's looking likely that I have to do the conversion on it. The plan is to use the Mirada's engine/trans/rear to get it moving, probably it's entire fuel system after today's news...I'd love to run the EFI, but on these Imperials, they are a tempermental bitch. So, I think my best route is to build a MegaSquirt system a'la Randal, and run that on the 323. I'm looking at replacement Mirada tanks now, that'll take care of the shot fuel tank issue. I've also got a lead on a carburetor conversion kit, and I'm talking to a suspension group in Phoenix about getting new rear leafs, as the ones on it have collapsed.

I'd like to make big dreams with this car, but until I have the job that supports that, I just want it clean and cross-country driveable. I already proved the running gear's usefulness (and oddly, economic benefits) when I drove the Mirada from Washington State to Arizona, averaging mid-20's MPG.

Stage One will be the engine swap, suspension checked out, and driveable. Stage Two is interior cleanup...headliner, pillar fabrics, etc.

Stage Three is where I attempt my version of Pro-Lux. That'll be the EFI conversion, the paint, the rim/tire/final suspension, Dakota Digital-modified digital dash, and everything else I can't afford.

I'd like to get some ideas as to the best way to set up EFI using a normal carbureted tank/line system, preferably with MS. I'll see what the conversion kit has to deal with, I know part of it is to keep the digital dash happy and productive.

[fast Ed]

Looks very clean! What was the acquisition cost?


cheers
Ed

[MR P-BODY]

I love those cars... worked on many of them.... I was
part of the team that had to come up with a fix for the
EFI on them in the fuel lab at Chrysler.... it was strange
that the group that designed the fuel system for that car
NEVER once talked to us in the fuel lab on what would and
wouldnt work

[BangShift McT]

Looks very clean! What was the acquisition cost?

cheers
Ed

As cheap as it gets.

[Scott Liggett]

Those things always had some kind of Darth Vader looking nastiness to them. I like how you are not buying mainstream. Good luck with that mess of a gas tank.

[Mater]

i take it sense you are stealing parts from it the mirada is too far gone?

the imperial looks great is i ever get another FJM the imperial has always been my favorite body style

[BangShift McT]

Out of the two, the Imperial is more savable. I could do both, but financially it's not smart, and five cars on one insurance policy would be a killer right now.

[BangShift McT]

To catch up the progress of the car...

Since the car made it to my place, I've been bent on trying to get it running. The original plan was to get the 318 to live to prove that the TBI system worked. Once that was done I could start swapping stuff out of the Mirada over, and within a couple of weeks I'd have an EFI Mopar that would be pushing over 30 MPG (hey, the Mirada currently hits 24 highway, it's not completely impossible.)

I've enlisted any and every willing participant into the fun. Ryan and Kara (friend from school and work and his G/F), the other Ryan (another Mustang owner and Motorsports member), Greg (one of the Motorsports guys, a Subaru owner), our own TC...all have seen me at my full Mad Scientist working. Ryan and Kara have also seen me when my temper peaks at the car and my lizard brain kicks in...I had to be talked down from hucking a Dakota brake drum through the windshield of a junked 5th Avenue after I tore a chunk out of my thumb...more on that later.

First step: Is the electrical system good? Other than the driver's side window regulator and a few burnt-out bulbs, all is well. And for those who have followed the Mirada's build...


F*ck yeah.

Now, to see if this thing will crank. I borrowed Greg's ShopVac and spent two hours vacuuming a pile of Hanta virus off the intake manifold and around the engine bay in general. Nasty little furry bastards. The car wasn't cranking on it's own, so I did some parts swapping with the Mirada until I determined that the starter in the Imperial was frozen up. So, with Greg and both Ryans watching, I spent an hour underneath the car with my arm twisted up into Position 27 from the Karma Sutra trying to get the starter out. The whole time, grease, road grime and I'm sure some rat crap kept falling. Once I got the nasty thing out it became clear that the gear was certainly stuck, it wouldn't move after a WD-40 bath and a severe beating against concrete. New starter in, no spin. Then I notice some hanging wires. Turned out that part of the packrat diet is the neutral safety switch wiring, of which they ate about a foot out of. A patched in wiring job, and eagerly, I keyed the ignition. The 318, which had been dormant for about six years, spun over, sending a volley of "dirt" (a ton of shit, actually) right at Greg's face. Lots of swearing and laughter by myself and Ryan M.

Ok, the car will turn over. Now to see if this bitch will start. I had put five gallons of good gas into the tank (that'd haunt me later..) and I had noticed that I could not press the accelerator down at all. It was like trying to pump a brick wall. The butterflies had gummed up so much that they were stuck. So off to AutoZone, where we found a spraycan that has more warnings than information. PERFECT! All I know about it is that it contains MEK. We return, hose down the linkages and butterflies and within a minute, it's working exactly like it should. I don't give a damn if I develop a parasitic twin because of it, that shit is useful! I get in and try to crank the car over...it kicks over hard, like it really wants to start, then doesn't.

Here's where I start to channel Chad. I remember, during Freiburger's LeMons Fury build, that with no carb, they got it to run simply by shooting BrakeKleen at the manifold. Hmm....I convince Greg to get into the car and turn it over. Once the starter engages, I start shooting the MEK cocktail at the TBI. Sure enough, the car coughs to life for a few seconds. Cue the Mad Scientist. Ryan figures out what I'm thinking. He takes the can and positions himself on the passenger side of the engine bay. I get into the car, having professed my "absolute knowledge of getting a beater to run". I crank, Ryan sprays, and the car ran for two minutes on MEK and probably fourteen other chemicals that cause artificial insemination or some crap.

Remember how I said, "channel Chad"? There's a reason. Not all of the MEK solution made it down the manifold. Some soaked into the air filter. Some pooled onto the TBI plate and the air cleaner base plate. So after a couple of minutes, when the engine had warmed up and a good amount of fluid was present, the Imperial decided that it had enough of my shit and ever so slightly, coughed a tiny flame from the TBI.

Now the air cleaner assembly, on the car, looks like a f*cking Wok after they dump cooking wine into the pan. Awesome.

Reactions, simulteanously:
Ryan:"Whoa.."
Greg:"OH SHIT!"
Me:*facepalm* "...goddammit, not again..."

Greg bolts up from sitting on my back wall, grabs the burning air filter, and hucks it right at the wooden fence.

Ryan grabs the air cleaner lid, attempts to smother, and when that doesn't work, beats the air cleaner to death with a water-soaked rag, putting out the fire.

I'm laughing my f*cking ass off.

[BangShift McT]

Round Two: Why am I not getting fuel?

The ultimate determination was that nothing was coming from the pump onto the TBI. TC (Alex) helped me shoot the system, and after about an hour, we determined that the plate electronics seemed to be functioning as needed, but the pump in the tank had croaked. Ok, fine. A fuel pump, even an in-tank one, is a small price to pay for getting the car moving. (Seriously about the price, it only cost $20.)

I con Ryan and Kara to come back to help me drop the tank down. The night prior, I had tried to do it myself. A FJM tank is two straps, hooked at the rearmost of the tank, bolted at the front with two 9/16th bolts. Nothing I can't handle. I put the car on stands, brace the tank with a jack, and start working. First bolt was easy. Second one was a bitch, and I ran out of daylight. Normally, that wouldn't stop me, but this is a fuel tank. Vapors. Proof that I can still randomly set shit on fire. I call it a night, head inside, and enjoy some moonshine. Next morning, Ryan helps me get the tank down and out.


Most of this has been covered, so I'll just summarize: The tank is worthless, destroyed. It's venting out, the gas is in containers and is being fed to the Mirada, and only is here for potential study or use.

Once we get the wonderful news from the owner of the repair shop, (who, I should add, was honest and didn't want to treat me as a sucker), we head to the Pick-and-Pull in Prescott Valley. Right off the bat, I'm told they punch the fuel tanks as they come in. I'm pissed, but we've committed to raiding the yard. Ryan wants a console for his '00 Suburban, and I need a few crystal Pentastars (only one, actually, for one of the opera lights, but I'm a yard thief.)

Finding the only GMT-800 in the yard is a Tahoe that apparently rolled down the South Rim of the Grand Canyon, we move in on the Chryslers. Two 5th Avenues, a '79 LeBaron coupe, and a four-speed Aspen in the lot. SWEET!

First thing I decide I need: RADIO. The Imperial's works...kinda. First test showed that the power antenna is non-functional, but once it was manually pulled up, the radio's automatic setting tunes it to 92.5, a pop station. Swear to God, first noise the car makes?

"Girrrrl, look at that body..I-I-I I work out..."

The stocker has tuning issues that affect the way it channels out to the speakers. I have the deck in the Mirada, which I raided from the Ramcharger, but I like the stock fake-silver look...and if I can jack the new speakers and amp into the system (YES) then all the better. One 5th has the equalizer-equipped deck, the height of stereo tech back then. So I gut the dash and come up to a new-for-me find:



I want to be perfectly clear on how I feel about the individual who designed this. I understand the reason. I really do. But NOBODY ON EARTH has the f*cking tool to undo these! I resorted to using a flathead screwdriver and a box-end adjustable wrench as a hammer to get it to turn, and that was after I tried cracking the dash shell. At one point I attempted pliers, and tore a .5"x.3" chunk out of my left thumb. At this point, the swearing had reached Level Red and Ryan swapped out to try to get the deck out.

After a few minutes we had the prize out of the dash, but I wasn't done. That bastard bit me. I wanted revenge.

As Ryan and Kara packed up the tools, I went looking for something heavy. Two cars down, a '96 Dakota donated the rear brake drum for my mission. Ryan looked up just as I, covered in dirt, sweat, and blood, had lifted the drum over my head, in a full on throw position, aimed right center at the Fifth's windshield. Unbeknownst to me, a pair of lesbians stripping a Ram Van of it's wheels had stopped to watch the impending coup de grace.

Ryan, calmly: "You might wanna put that down now, man."

Reality kicked back in. Wanton destruction can equal blacklist. Dissatisfied as I was, I dropped the drum, picked up the deck and we left.

Which brings me to tonight. Seeing how I'm at a standstill on work, I figured a deck swap would be ideal. Plug and play, nothing to it.

That pic isn't from the Fifth Avenue. It's from the Imperial. It has the same f*cking bolts.

Karma's a bitch.

[Mater]

huh chrysler must have gotten smart by 88 as my diplomat did not have that mutant spawn of satan bolt

[BangShift McT]

The deck came from an '89 5A. Not likely.

[Mater]

then chrysler is even more messed up then i thought lol

[SuperBuickGuy]

then chrysler is even more messed up then i thought lol

yet you still buy them....

And Bryan, you were killing it with fire; why'd you stop?

[BangShift McT]

yet you still buy them....

And Bryan, you were killing it with fire; why'd you stop?

Good question.

[Mr4Speed]

Grind a slot in it with a dremel tool and take it out with a big flat head screwdriver.