1956 Imperial

By Jay Hirsch

The 1956 Imperial seen here is not all that it appears to be. It is more. Aside from the 20-inch wheels and the side chrome molding that is now painted bright red and some other minor body modifications, it is what is under the hood and under that body that makes this 1956 Imperial very different.

In 1955 Chrysler Corporation made the Imperial a separate division from Chrysler.  Prior to 1955, the Imperial was called the Chrysler Imperial. The 1956 Imperial was longer than the 1955 with a 133 inch wheelbase and a length of 229.6inch where the 1955 was 223 inches long on a 130 inch wheelbase.

Paul White, the owner and builder of this under-stated spectacular car, is well known in the custom and rod world for turning out some great pieces of iron that are built to be driven.

Paul always had a soft spot in his heart for the 1956 Imperial with its gun-sight tail lights. While looking similar to the 1955 Imperial, Paul preferred the slightly longer 1956 with its larger trunk. As Paul likes to drive his cars, he wanted that larger trunk for making journeys of 1,500 miles or more.

What began as a rust-free 1956 Imperial was transformed into a 21st century cruiser that has remained all Mopar, with some major modifying.

Paul began with a 2008 Dodge Magnum SRT-8 for all mechanical components and its chassis. The 120-inch chassis had thirteen inches added to it to conform with the 229 length of the Imperial’s body.

The engine was rebuilt and dyno-tested to ensure it was to Paul’s and his son’s liking. The original leather seats from the Magnum were recovered in two-tone gray leather to match the 1956 two-tone-gray exterior paint colors of West Point Gray and Satin Gray. The lighter color Satin Gray has been “pumped up” to be brighter. The dials and the dash are from the SRT-8, as are  the heating, air-conditioning and all electrical parts.

“Those seats are unbelievably comfortable. Driving to Las Vegas from Maine is when you realize how great they are,” Paul said.

imperail4The body of the Imperial was taken down to bare metal and then primed and painted in Paul’s custom body shop. The primer had pigment blended in to match the color of the paint that was to go on top. The grill, bumpers, and all the bright work were re-chromed, except for the side molding that runs the length of the body.

“I wanted a third color to the car as some 1950s cars had three colors, and thought the side molding painted a deep, bright red would set the off two shades of gray perfectly. After all the car is not exactly stock. By the time we got that molding smooth enough to paint, the cost difference in chroming the molding was negligible,” Paul said.

The engine compartment was sandblasted and then painted in flat black and satin silver — no shiny chrome or gloss paint, which would detract from the workings of the engine and the work that went into installing the engine as it would have looked in the SRT-8, or if Chyrsler made the Imperial today.

The Imperial sits about four to five  inches lower than a stock 1956 Imperial. Even though it rides on 20-inch wheels, the diameter of those lower profile 245/45 x 20 tires is 28.68 inches. The original 8.20 x 15 tires are 30.5 inches in diameter. The chassis of the Magnum is about two to three inches lower than the original Imperial chassis. The overall stance is what the 1956 Imperial would look like if it was made today. Imperial may have realized this lower look was for the better also for the 1957 Imperial with its new body style was 57 inches tall compared to the 61 inches of the 1956.

The stock 1956 Imperial had a 354 cid Hemi V-8/5.8 liter engine which produced 280 horsepower and went from 0-60 mph  in ten seconds. The 2008 SRT-8 6.1 liter hemi engine puts out 425 horsepower, goes from 0-60 mph in five seconds and gets 19 mpg while cruising at 75 mph. The engine was built in 2008 to run on today’s gasoline. The Imperial has four-wheel Brembo disc brakes to stop this two-and-half-ton car quickly and safely.

On Nov. 1, 2007, Chrysler announced that after the 2008 model year, due to “restructuring plans,” the Magnum would be discontinued. A cult-like following has developed over the Magnum.

This 1956 Imperial is in today’s car terminology a “restomod” or “resto-mod.”  This being a car that retains its original appearance but has all components replaced with modern high-performance parts.

The car has the classic look of its time period but with benefits of modern technology for a better ride and safety.  •