Imperial Home Page -> Imperials by Year -> 1966 -> Peter Östrand
Here is Peter Östrand 's Gorgeous 66 Crown Convertible Imps of Omaha parade car
It is a former Imps of Omaha Parade car. These cars were purchased by the Tangier Shriners in Omaha Nebraska who flew up to Detroit and drove in group from the factory to Omaha Nebraska They then drove the matching cars in parades throughout the Midwest to promote and raise money for the activities they sponsor. They bought the first Imperial convertibles off the line from the 50's until 1968 when Imperial convertibles ceased production. At that time they switched to Caddy converts until they too ceased production in the mid 80's. Then they went to matching red 64-65 Mustang convertibles.
PETER ÖSTRAND
My real name is Peter Östrand (but I'm called Teddy), I live in Stockholm, Sweden.
My wife (Ann Sofie) and I bought the car in November -99. So I haven't done so much with it, I have cleaned and restored the carburetor (was a mess inside) and installed a new fuel filter. I put in a new alternator and a battery. The car must have been stored in a very dry and warm place (I guess that's Texas), all bushings and rubber has dried. So I have also fixed the brakes and put in new wheel cylinders (was leaking), all ball joints are new. I have ordered new tires, I hope I receive them this week. They are polyester bias tires from 1970 on the car now (a nightmare)
This is the correct original paint and interior. It is a unique black/gold/green seats it came from the factory with.
Spring is slowly coming to Sweden and we have taken the car for a few drives, it runs great whit the new tires.
The car is one out of four Imperials that was bought in Texas and shipped to Sweden in 1997.
Serial number is YM27J63108458, and the data plate is as shown below.
g p tuwy
6 6 0509
ABC GHJKL N RS WXY
815 12589 8 41 3 1
SO NUMBER BDY TRM PAINT
90996007 YM27 999 551
Options include Air Conditioning, power windows, power vents, power locks,dual 6 way bucket seats,signal seeking am Radio,auto pilot,4 way flasher,Automatic headlight dimmer, inside trunk release, and tinted glass.
Today looked I closer on a sticker that´s on my front bumper.
It looks somthing like this:
K.I SAWYER USAF
AFB REGISTERED VEHICLE IIT 873
US AIR FORCE 66 MAY
I think that this must be the first owner of the car. I hope that this info can help your search the records for my car.
On Saturday July 8, 2000 I will we take the car to Power Big Meet, the biggest car meet in Europe (about 10 000 cars) it´s in Västerås Sweden.
I didn't import the car I bought it from the guy who imported it. He bought four Imp's from a old lady in Texas, here husband had been a Imp collector when he was alive. I have the car Title from Texas, his name was Lawrence H Taylor, Rout 1 Box 549, Weslaco Tex 78596. He bought the car in 1987 from Ted Martin Harvey, Michigan, odometer reading was 004605 in -87 (it's now 005900). The guy who imported the cars is not a car guy, it was for the money (cars are much more expensive over here). He shipped the four Imp's to Sweden in 1997, after we bought our car he only had a -55 Imp left, he sold the -55 a few weeks later.
When we bought the car the tires were polyester diagonal from 1970, they were as new. I have change to radial tires, at the tire shop I asked the guy to check the tire settings, he wonder why when he looked at the tires, it can't be wrong. But he check the settings and it was totally wrong, so it can't have been on the road for many miles since -70.
We bought the car in -99 in a small town called Karlstad 350 km from Stockholm. Half way home we have no brakes, all wheel cylinders were leaking so it was a nightmare, but we survived. The brakes have been restored, new oil and filter in engine and transmission, carburetor cleaned and new fuel filter, new battery and alternator and finally a set of new tires and the car runs great.
The 12/24/98 issue of Old Cars Weekly has a story on page 27 regarding the "Tangier Imps" motor unit of the Omaha Shriners chapter. Here's a summary:
The motor unit had been parading in homemade 1/2 scale race cars but decided on moving up to something larger and more impressive in 1957 and the new Imperial convertibles fit the bill. Each member of the Imps bought and maintained his own convertible for personal and Shrine events. 15-21 cars were bought each year thru the last year of the Imperial convertible in '68.
Here are even More Great High Resolution Pictures of this WONDERFUL car!
Note: Large Files so Download times may be long.
Here are a set of picts of his new Blue 66 Imperial Convertible! He now has a "set"!
