Imperial Home Page -> Imperials by Year -> 1931 -> Close Coupled Sedan
| Classic Car - Senior First - Lake Mary 2005 | Badge Number 2676 |
| 8 Cylinders | 384.84 Cubic Inch | 9 Main Bearings |
| Production | July 14, 1930 thru November 15, 193l. | |
Imperial Bodies were generally made by The LeBaron Division of Briggs Body. They made both the Standard and Custom Bodies. Total production was 3,238 cars of which perhaps only 30 exist today. 871 Close Coupled or Club Sedans were built..
Twenty- Three chassis were exported to Europe .
Sixty were shipped to American Custom Body Manufacturers..
Standard factory colors for the Close Coupled Sedan were Sand Beige, Tan fenders and Orange wheels with orange pin strip, just as this car is painted . Many other car manufactures used various shades of the same colors for their cars.
Most of these cars were special ordered . This car was delivered in Marquette Blue and therefore was probably a special order. The most popular color that year was Cossack Brown with Green fenders.
The car was sold in Columbia, South Carolina, March 31, 1931. During World War II, it was obtained by a preacher , an old car that got 8 miles per gallon.. There was gasoline rationing, along with the scarcity of rubber tires, made this old car cheap to buy for the person who could obtain enough gasoline ration stamps and tires to keep it on the road.
Sometime later it was obtained by Dr. E. B. " Bacon" Hardee, who used it during his college years while, in Medical School in Richmond Virginia. Upon graduation, he brought the car to Vero Beach, Florida in the summer of 1951. It was parked under a lean-to on the Hardee Family Ranch, which is now Bent Pine County Club.
When the lean-to collapsed, the car was pulled out and restoration was started. It was parked in Dr. E.B. Hardee, Sr.'s garage when I first saw it around 1972. It was a big car that left little space between it and the front of the cloths dryer. So the car had to go. I was approached by Dr. Hardee, Jr.. His proposal left no doubt who he wanted to have the car. The asking price was way below value. His price was $ 600.00 and not a penny less, but the terms were pay now, remove the car from the garage, and pay later. Of course, I agreed. Many years have passed with me owning and caring for his "College Car".
The car was restored in 1974 by George Willard in Chattanooga, Tennessee at a cost of about $ 32,000.00 1975 dollars. The car was complete when purchased except for the exhaust manifold, one door handle, Choke Cable "C" , bumper brackets and Mascot. Replacements had to be found to complete the car.
| Axle - Rear | Semi-floating, Pinion spiral bevel type. Ratios : 5 passenger and close coupled sedan 3.818 to 1, 7 passenger and limousine 4.10 to 1. Hotchkiss type horizontal drive. |
| Axle - Front | Heat treating "I" beam. |
| Battery | Three cell, 17 plate, six volt, 153 ampere-hour. Under floor board |
| Brake- Service | Hydraulic, internal-expanding. 15" drums, brake shoes 1 3/4" wide |
| Brake-Parking | External contracting on 8" drum mounted at rear of transmission. Dynamically balanced, hand controlled, Brake band 2". |
| Camshaft | Mounted on 6 steel backed babbitt lined bearings. Center drilled and forced oil to lubricate all of it's bearings. Oil pump, distributor and fuel pump is integral with camshaft. |
| Carburetor | Dual down draft plain tube type. Compensated for all altitudes and temperatures. Automatic adjustable accelerator pump, Air cleaner , manifold heat control. One-half of the carburetor fuels the first 4 cylinders and the other half the second 4 cylinders. |
| Cooling System | 6 1/2 gallons. Water jackets completely surround each cylinder wall and valve. |
| Crankshaft | Counter weighted, statically and dynamically balanced, 9 bronze backed, babbitt-lined main bearings. Drilled to permit oil forced to bearings at 30 - 50 pounds pressure. |
| Cylinders | Bore 3.5 inches, 5 " stroke. Bosses drilled for full force lubrication |
| Horsepower | Developed horsepower 125. Displacement 384.84 Cubic Inches |
| Electrical System | Generator - Third brush regulation, 6 volt, Starting Motor - 6 volt with manual engagement. Battery 6 volt, 153 ampere hour capacity. Single wire system. |
| Fuel System | Fuel pump camshaft driven , with sediment trap. 21.5 gallons. Fuel tank of rustproof, Terne plate. |
| Dual Point Ignition | First set of points fires the first four cylinders, the second set fires the last four cylinders. |
| Spark Plugs | Metric thread, heavy electrodes |
| Tires | 750 X 17 balloon cords. Dual Side Mounts |
| Transmission | Granny or Low-Low, first, with normal range, second and third ratios. |
| Speed | 0 - 60 Miles per hour - 20 seconds. Top speed is 110 miles per hour. I have driven the car on I-95 - 90 miles per hour. |
| Folding Trunk Rack | Trunk Optional |
