The Journey
Introducing theĀ Imperial Deathstar, a black 1963 Chrysler Imperial. This is one of the largest production sedans ever built, and arguably the best luxury car of its day.
Join me what will probably be a never-ending saga of grease, aching muscles, and an empty wallet as I work to restore this over 50 year old survivor to a reliable cruiser.
Major Articles
Major articles presented in chronological order.
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Recent Posts
- Tuning the Milling Machine September 16, 2024
- We Aim to Please September 9, 2024
- New Toys. Errr… “Tools” September 2, 2024
- Electrical 17: Chasing Gremlins August 26, 2024
- Electrical 16: Heater Illumination August 19, 2024
Archives
- September 2024
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- May 2024
- April 2024
- March 2024
- February 2024
- January 2024
- December 2023
- November 2023
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- April 2023
- March 2023
- January 2023
- December 2022
- August 2022
- July 2022
- June 2022
- May 2022
- April 2022
- March 2022
- February 2022
- January 2022
- December 2021
- November 2021
- October 2021
- September 2021
- August 2021
- July 2021
- June 2021
- May 2021
- April 2021
- March 2021
- February 2021
- January 2021
- December 2020
- November 2020
- October 2020
- September 2020
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- June 2020
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- March 2020
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- December 2019
- November 2019
- October 2019
- October 2018
- December 2017
- October 2017
- August 2017
Author Archives: RussD
A Juki Roller Coaster Day
Having achieved an almost acceptable test panel with the junk vinyl, I decided to make one last test panel. This last test panel would use the actual vinyl I will be using for the seats. I also needed to change … Continue reading
Posted in Restoration
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Cornered
With the main seat insert largely under control it was time to deal with the next challenge – corners! “But”, I hear you say, “haven’t you already handled corners in multiple places?” Yes – flat corners. These are three dimensional … Continue reading
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Interior Starting Point
The Imperial had been re-upholstered at some point. While the upholstery fit fairly well it was made with non-Imperial quality materials. To be frank, it was ugly! Not to mention worn, dirty, and tearing in several places. There are springs … Continue reading
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Sewing Suckage
I have never done anything with a sewing machine. I have to learn everything from scratch. Using a technique known as a cannonball dive into the deep end of the pool.To summarize the early results, I suck at sewing. Exactly … Continue reading
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New Machine Tool
I’ve just acquired a new machine tool for the workshop – a Juki LU 563 walking foot sewing machine. Now the Imperial interior gets real! Why do I call this a machine tool? It is a fabrication tool, just like … Continue reading
Posted in Resources, Workshop
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First Parts!
While sewing is needed for the seats and door panels there are a couple of trim pieces that don’t require sewing – I can start with those. The back seat has a trim panel that goes between the seat and … Continue reading
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Covering Quandary
With the shop and materials for upholstery work coming together I ran out of room for stalling on what material to use. Time to make some decisions and place an order. The first big question was leather or vinyl? Leather … Continue reading
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Inside Prep for Interior Work
Since upholstery work is completely new the workshop needs to be reconfigured a bit to support it. The main features are a work table and an industrial sewing machine. I don’t have a sewing machine yet, but I have tracked … Continue reading
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Opus 100
Yup, this is the 100th post! When I started this blog in 2017 I really thought it would die of neglect after a year or so. While I was sure I could remember everything, She Who Must Be Obeyed pointed … Continue reading
Posted in Misc
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Act III
The original plan was to restore the Imperial in three stages: mechanical, paint and body, and interior. The original plan was also to accomplish each stage in a year, with three years for the total restoration. I’m now nine years … Continue reading
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