Imperial Home Page -> Mailing List & Club -> Member Spotlight -> Brad Hogg
Here is a brief interview we recently had with IML member Brad Hogg. All the pictures displayed on this page are from Brad's collection. If you have any other questions for Brad, please feel free to send him a message!
Question: When did you purchase your first Imperial?
Answer: I don't remember exactly the date but it was in the spring of 2000. I had moved
back to Winnipeg from Vancouver, BC in February and while scoping out a salvage
yard for parts for my 1978 Newport, I saw a 1968 Imperial LeBaron 4-door Hard
Top. This car was not in great shape and it would have been a huge restoration
job so I decided to part it out and sell off the parts to IML members and
others. I sold most of the parts to a non-IML member in the Toronto, Ontario
area. I shipped off a 68 Imperial in boxes on the Greyhound bus! Other items
went to IML members and some items stayed. I still have all the seats and the
windshield. I traded the 440 & 727 to my brother in return for shipping my 68
Newport, 300 miles to my home. I sold the hulk of the 68 to a guy in Minnesota,
near Minneapolis. It was a shame that nobody had spoken for the grille and front
bumper because it was in very good condition. I realized too late that the car
had a sure-grip too. That also went with the car. That was a HUGE mistake.
Q: What is your favorite year Imperial?
A: I am a 70s guy. I grew up in the 70s and I can remember a time when everyone
drove cars like the 75 Imperial. If not the Imperial then it's cousins the
various full sized Chryslers. I love huge cars and they don't get a lot bigger
than a 75 Imperial. I know the 50s cars are pretty big too but that's an era I
can't relate to. I love the lines of the 70s Chryslers and Imperials. I love the
plush seats and the soft, quiet ride. I love that huge pulsing V8 under the hood
(even though its a low HP smog engine) it still barks when you open the
secondaries. My Dad owned a 1975 Dodge Royal Monaco Brougham 9 passenger station
wagon, in the 70s. I think that car may be the reason I fell in love with very
large Mopars.
Q: Why is it your favorite? What do you find appealing about that particular year?
A: 1975 Isn't necessarily my "favorite". It's just that the 75 is the last of the
big Imperials. In general, I am into ALL Chryslers and Imperials from 1974
through 1978.
Q: Do you have a favorite Imperial gadget or styling feature?
A: I love my Auto-Temp! Living in the climate that I do, temps from one end of the
spectrum to the other, the Auto-Temp keeps me as comfy as possible all the time.
I love the feature that prevents the heater from turning on until the engine
coolant reaches 125 F. That keeps the system from blowing cold air on me in the
winter, before the engine warms up. Click on the Links To See Brad's Auto-Temp Demo To Read Brad's Tips on repairing the ATC.
Q: What does your Imperial collection consist of? (Note: Please click on any year to see the complete story of any particular Imperial in Brad's collection.)
In August 2002, I bought a 1990 Imperial 4-door. My usual driver, the 1978 Newport, is rather "exciting" to drive in the winter. I liken it to a 5000 lb curling rock! Also, since my Newport came from the wet coast...err...West coast, it has no block heater. I wanted a car that was front wheel drive and a bit smaller and more economical to feed. The Imperial is not quite ready to drive as it needed a number of repairs. It has 313,000 km (194,000 mi) on it but is in surprisingly good condition. I got it fairly cheap so paying for the repairs wasn't as painful as it could have been.
Q: What other collector cars do you own today?
A: Sit down and get yourself a coffee, this may take a while.
1952 Austin of England A40 Somerset Saloon
I can't remember the mileage and I haven't seen this car in many years. It is parked in a field back home under the trees. I got this car when I was a teenager. I had dreams of restoration but as we all know, teenagers have no budget for that sort of thing. The car is drivable but maybe not very safe. It has a four speed in the tree shift and a 4 cyl engine.
http://www.newyorkeronline.org/membercars/74-78/bradhogg/52Austin/index.htm
1968 Chrysler Newport Custom 4 door sedan
This car was my Grandfather's car. I grew up having the car in the yard. The last time I drove it on the road was about 1980. It has 52,000 miles on it. Grandfather only drove the car in the winter as he drove his pickup truck in the summer. The car has its share of rust. The interior is very good and it runs nice, other than needing a carb rebuild. The power plant is a 383 2bbl mated to a 727 of course. I do plan to restore the car but I've been distracted onto other projects since I bought it in the spring of 2000.
http://www.newyorkeronline.org/membercars/74-78/bradhogg/68Newport/index.htm
1976 Chrysler New Yorker Brougham 4 door hard top
In May 2002, I got all car crazy again and bought another beast. This one came from Fort Langley, BC. I bought it sight unseen on the advice of my friend in the area. I rode my motorcycle out to the Vancouver area in June and drove the New Yorker back. This car has a power sunroof. I am told that is a rather rare option. It is triple black with leather interior and 440 under the hood. It runs very well and gets about 14 mpg on the highway. I drove the car 2500 km home to Winnipeg with no troubles at all, even though most of the interior electrical didn't work, including instrument lights. I have done little with the car since I brought it home. It needs alot of TLC but it is in reasonable condition already. The paint was done from a rattle can and the vinyl top is missing. The sunroof leaks and there is some poor body work on the rear quarters. I want this car to be my "show car". The triple black is quite stunning against that 70s chrome. My intention for this car is to keep it as 76 original as I can. I will however do safely and drivability upgrades as needed. I don't recall the mileage on this car either, and it's too cold to go out and look. I have it wrapped up in a tarp for the winter.
http://www.newyorkeronline.org/membercars/74-78/bradhogg/76NYB/index.htm
1978 Chrysler Newport 4 door hard top (the Newporker)
This car is my daily driver and has been for the last three years. I bought it in January 2000 for $300 CDN ($200 USD) in Coquitlam, BC and drove it back to Winnipeg without incident. The car had some substantial front end damage when I bought it and I fixed it all using only hand tools, working in the parking lot at my apartment building. I really love this car! This is the most well equipped Newport I have ever seen. This car has every option I can think of except sunroof and trailer package. The interior is as though it came out of the showroom yesterday. It runs like a top! I have driven it to Vancouver and back twice and once to Iowa and back in the last two years. It gets a consistent 18 mpg on the highway. I have not kept this car original but have instead modified occasionally. It is known as the Newporker because I have done a number of New Yorker upgrades on it. These include a header panel and grille, front bumper, a few interior panels etc. This car really is a joy to drive. The only major thing I have done to this car as for repairs is in October 2001 I replaced the transmission with one I that got from a parts car I bought. I had never replaced a transmission before but I put that thing in and four days later, I drove to the West coast (2500 km). I haven't touched it since.
http://www.newyorkeronline.org/membercars/74-78/bradhogg/78Newport/index.htm
Q: What other collector cars (at least 20 years old) have you owned in your lifetime?
A: I can only tell about my parts cars I have had. These include the 68 Imperial I
talked about earlier, a 77 New Yorker Brougham, and a 76 Town & Country station
wagon. I used the front of the 77 NYB and the transmission from the 76 T&C for
the green 78 Newport.
Q: Which car has been your favorite and why?
A: By far the 78 Newport. As I've said, this car is a joy to drive. It is in
excellent mechanical condition and the ride, If you've ever ridden in a 70s
Chrysler, you know what I mean. I've driven the Newport a while and a long way
and it has never let me down.
Q: What are your future plans for your present collection?
A: The 1990 Imperial. I hope to be driving it as my winter car in another week or
two.The 1978 Newport. I expect this will become my summer car or maybe something to
drive to Church on Sundays just for something special.The 1976 New Yorker. I want to show this car. I hope I can give it a good paint
job and fix up the mechanicals enough so that I can easily drive it to shows
here and there.The 1968 Newport. I want to restore this car for posterity. It would just be
nice to have Grandfather's car to drive now and then. Showing up at family
gatherings in Grandfather's car would be a hoot too.The 1952 Austin. Honestly, anyone who would restore this car or use it for parts
on a restoration could have it for the price of taking it away. You need to
prove to me your intentions though. It's too good a car just to waste.
Q: Do you have any, "I can't believe I let that car get away from me" stories?
A: Mostly just the sure-grip in my 1968 Imperial. I was just new to the hobby and
didn't know what I had.
Q: Do you have any funny or interesting stories about purchasing an old car?
A: They're all interesting to me! I found my 77 NYB while driving back to my home town one day. I stopped in and offered $50 to the man and I took the car away. I found my 76 NYB on the internet. Someone was trying to turn it over for a fast buck without even buying it first. When I got more serious, they just gave up and put me in touch with the owner. It turned out that the "dealer" didn't have the cash to put up for it after all. That saved me about $400. I was looking for a Dart or Valiant slant 6 car when I bought my 78 Newport. I know, I got distracted by this beautiful big green beast. I haven't regretted for a minute though.
Q: Are there any other collector cars (besides Imperials) that you would like to own?
A: I'm a luxo-liner guy but I would like to own a token muscle car. I think a 74
Challenger with a 440+6 would be nice. I also want a 1991 Mercedes Benz 560 SEL.
Q: Do you belong to any other antique car clubs?
A: None locally. I am on the IML, NYB ML, C-Body ML, Mopar ML, and a couple lists to do
with my 1990 Imperial
Q: What was the best car show you ever attended?
A: The one where I took home a trophy! In June 2002, a number of members of the OIC
attended the car show in Washington, Iowa. As a group, we won the Group
Participation award. We had 9 cars in the show. The guys allowed me to take the
trophy home with me.Q: What is the best car museum you have ever visited?
A: I haven't visited many but there is one called the Tin Lizzy Auto Barn near here
and it is really good! I recommend it to anyone visiting the area.
Q: Do you have a favorite car related book or movie?
A: None that come to mind.
We would like to thank Brad Hogg for sharing his wonderful Chrysler collection with us!! Please check back next month when we will be spotlighting another Imperial Club member.
