The 1967 Imperial Crown convertible was built for a buyer who wanted a high-end car with an open roof.
That narrowed down the buyer’s list to less than 600, so this car is extremely rare.
Jerry Sutherland
Brian Mcturk wasn’t looking for this car when he went in search of a vintage Imperial. He was bidding on s Shriner’s Imperial at an auction, and he was outgunned by another bidder. The winning bidder had another Imperial and he didn’t want two Imperials, so he told Brian his ’67 Imperial Crown convertible was for sale.
Brian knew he wouldn’t get another opportunity like that because these cars were so rare, so he cut the deal.
He learned the Imperial was a Canadian car out of Ontario, Canada so it came without air conditioning but with massive layers of undercoating. The car went to a collection after that and then it became an option for Brian.
Brian noticed the Imperial was in great shape plus its leather interior had been recently redone. The body was solid and the paint was still pristine after being done years earlier.
The biggest problem came from years of hibernation because this car wasn’t driven much over the years, and it had the typical problems associated with cars that sit too much. Brian is a hands-on guy, so he wasn’t intimidated by the tasks he’d inherited with the Imperial.
Brian said, “It (440) wasn’t running good”, so he spent six months replacing the seals and tuning the carburetor, plus working on other things that happen after years of storage. The brakes had been done, so that wasn’t an issue, but Brian took care of anything that wasn’t right.
Brian was happy he had the skills to do all the things himself, so he converted the Imperial’s points system to electronic ignition. He said the car idled 100 rpm higher after the conversion and it’s a lot more responsive.
The spark plugs were a challenge. Brian said the exhaust manifolds created some serious access issues, so it took him several hours to change them. The Imperial came with a factory single exhaust, but there was a dual exhaust option, so Brian is considering an upgrade to make it breathe better.
Brian bought a ’68 Imperial parts car and learned the two years don’t have many parts in common. He also learned the ’67 Imperial’s 440 doesn’t ping as much as later versions of the same engine thanks to better combustion .
The driving experience is second to none, Brian said it “floats like a big boat” when he’s on the highway but the topless experience is something he reserves for special occasions because he said, “You’re really exposed to the elements”.
Brian used to drive big block hemis and 440 Mopars at the track, but the Imperial is a totally different driving experience. This new phase in life really suits him because the Imperial is a much more leisurely pace for him.
The Imperial is exactly where he wants it now—nothing is going to change even though there are some minor details that aren’t quite correct.
Brian summed it up this way.
This is the way it’s going to be—I’m not going to pull it apart.
Brian Mcturk
By: Jerry Sutherland
Jerry Sutherland is a veteran automotive writer with a primary focus on the collector car hobby. His work has been published in many outlets and publications, including the National Post, Calgary Herald, Edmonton Journal, Ottawa Citizen, Montreal Gazette, Saskatoon StarPhoenix, Regina Leader-Post, Vancouver Sun and The Truth About Cars. He is also a regular contributor to Auto Roundup Publications.
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