AboutDick Benjamin Expertise I can help on most American passenger cars built between 1930 and 1970, and Imperials through 1983.
I have over 50 years experience in restoring and maintaining antique and classic cars, including 20 years operating a classic car repair shop. I am now retired, but I am willing to help with any questions of a technical or mechanical nature. I have more experience with Packard, Studebaker, Hudson, Imperial and other luxury makes, but I do have reference material and experience with most makes.
I do not know anything about modifying cars - if that is what you want to know about, pick someone else. I keep them the way the factory built them, and I advise you to do the same, to maintain the value of the car and also for your safety.
I can only handle mechanical or technical questions - I am not a body/paint expert!
Experience
Past/Present Clients Currently support a technical advice service for the Imperial club, responsible for the technical data section of the Packard Club website. Served as a technical expert for "Expert Central" before it was recently absorbed by this service.
Question Hi: My 65 Imperial's radiators water looks real dirty....is there a valve on bottom of radiator that I could open and drain it out---flush with clean water and then refill with coolant/water mix ? thank you sir ! Bob, West. Pa.
Answer Yes, there is a brass drain spigot on the bottom tank. The handle looks like a wing nut. Turn it to the left, like a normal faucet, and it will drain, unless there is so much accumulated crud that it is plugged up. If this happens, you'll have to remove one end of the lower radiator hose from the radiator. This is usually pretty easy, but it is a messy job - you will probably get a bath in dirty water. Before you refill the radiator, take a small flashlight and look through the radiator cap opening at the tops of the verticle tubes - if you see pieces of junk in there, you probably need to take the radiator out and have a radiator shop clean it out for you. Of course you should also flush out the engine also if there is loose material in there.
I'd like to make you aware that there is an on line Imperial Club at www.imperialclub.com - I am a member (I have 6 Imperials) and I find it a very valuable resource. It is free, and the folks there are really helpful and friendly. Just sign on at the web site, and in a couple of days you'll get more e-mail than you probably want about Imperials. You can put yourself on Digest Mode 0- that cuts way down on the e-mail.
Good Luck with your beautiful car - they are really the class of the mid 60s!
