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
- Tree Up. Tree Down. January 13, 2025
- MegaTree Controller Packaging January 6, 2025
- Injection of Power December 30, 2024
- Tree Topper. And Bottomer. December 16, 2024
- Making a (Mega) Tree December 9, 2024
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Category Archives: Restoration
Re-Foaming
I’m not happy with the replacement foam on the back seat. I need to do something better for the front seat – after all, this is where I will be sitting! OK, drag out the new foam, cut it over … Continue reading
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Front Seat Base
Good thing this was saved for last – the base of the front seat was trashed! Once the aftermarket covers were removed you could see that the factory covers were completely shot – worn out, shredded, stretched, and basically horrible. … Continue reading
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Front Seat Back
The seat backs were much like the rear seats with a few differences. Since all sides are visible the covers must cover everything. Unlike many cars there is a separate flat panel on the back of the seat – this … Continue reading
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Front Seat
With the rear seat done it was time to turn to the front seat with high hopes and expectations of replicating the successful work on the rear seat. Yeah, that is a bit of forsehadowing… The front seat had to … Continue reading
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Learning with Cechaflo
Tackling upholstery has been a learning experience in many ways. My usual approach when tackling a new skill is to get some books on the subject, see if any classes are available, start with practice pieces, and then tackle a … Continue reading
Posted in Resources, Restoration, Tips and Tricks
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Door Cards
In addition to the seat covers the door cards need to be replaced. Someone had started to do this job on the rear doors – the factory cardboard door cards had been replaced with hardboard, but had not been covered. … Continue reading
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Seat Bottom and Seat Done!
Well this is a milestone! The bottom of the rear seat has been completed and installed in the car. And it isn’t half bad! The starting point was rough: worn, torn, pleats filled with crumbling foam (and foam powder), and … Continue reading
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Arm Resting
With the seat backs done next up was the arm rest. You know the drill by now: take the old cover off, take the old cover apart, use the pieces of the old cover to make templates, cut out new … Continue reading
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Seat Back For Real
The test cover was just that – a test. The actual vinyl is different – heavier and harder to stretch. And the test cover could have been a fluke. One way to find out – stop stalling and make a … Continue reading
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Complete Test Cover!
Time to bring all of the pieces together, make a complete seat cover out of junk vinyl, and see if it actually fits. No, I’m not concerned at all. Nope, nope, nope… Step one: cut out all of the pieces: … Continue reading
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