Some barn finds are exciting because of what might be hiding under the dust. This 1964 Chrysler Imperial Crown carried something heavier: the memories of its late owner, Pete, who had hoped to see the old luxury car brought back to life.
Detailer Larry Kosilla of AMMO NYC had previously worked on Pete’s Dodge Charger, giving the longtime owner a chance to enjoy the car again. After Pete passed away, his widow reached out and asked whether Kosilla could help with another unfinished project sitting in the garage.
That project was the enormous Imperial, which had reportedly been parked indoors for more than a decade. Covered in grime and carrying the unmistakable evidence of years spent housing rodents, it desperately needed attention before it could move on to another caretaker.
What began as a deep cleaning quickly became a larger rescue mission. By the end, the Imperial not only looked dramatically better, but its long-silent engine was running again, and the car had found a new home with someone connected to Pete.
Getting The Imperial Out Was The First Challenge
The Imperial had to be removed quickly because Pete’s widow was preparing to leave the property, leaving Kosilla and the recovery crew scrambling to free the massive sedan from the garage. Finding the key was easier than expected, as it turned out to be sitting in the ignition.
Getting the car to move was another matter. After selecting neutral using the Imperial’s unusual push-button transmission controls, the flatbed had to pull against brakes that had partially seized during storage before the car finally rolled free.
Once it arrived at the AMMO NYC studio, the extent of the contamination became obvious. Mouse droppings, nesting material, and a strong odor had taken over portions of the cabin, turning the first stage of the project into less of a cosmetic detail and closer to a full sanitation job.
A Decade Of Dirt Finally Comes Off
Kosilla began by carefully rinsing the exterior and soaking the bodywork in cleaning foam before gently wiping away years of accumulated grime. The amount of debris left behind on the floor made it clear why aggressive scrubbing would have risked dragging contaminants across the aging paint.
The interior required even more work. After treating the cabin for odors, Kosilla vacuumed out debris, cleaned mold from surfaces, steamed the carpets and upholstery, and worked deep into areas beneath the seats where rodents had stored acorns and other material.
With the worst of the contamination removed, attention turned toward preserving what remained. Interior surfaces were conditioned to combat years of drying and temperature changes, while the exterior paint was polished and protected with a traditional wax-style finish intended to suit the Imperial’s 1960s character.
The transformation was especially dramatic across the car’s extensive chrome trim and whitewall tires. Even though the old tires were far beyond their useful driving life, cleaning the sidewalls and dressing them helped the Imperial look presentable again while it awaited its next chapter.
Could The Big Chrysler Run Again?
Cleaning the car was only half the battle, because an attractive project becomes much easier to save when the engine still shows signs of life. With help from friends, Kosilla installed a battery, checked fluids and began investigating whether the Imperial’s engine would even turn over.
There were encouraging signs almost immediately, including working power windows and windshield wipers. After figuring out the ignition procedure, cleaning the ignition points and confirming the engine had spark, the big Chrysler finally began cranking.
Fuel delivery was the next obstacle. The team eventually improvised a gravity-fed fuel setup connected directly to the carburetor, bypassing the Imperial’s long-dormant fuel system in an effort to see whether the engine would actually fire.
It worked! After sitting for years, the Imperial came back to life, giving the project an enormous boost and proving that beneath the dust, rodent nests, and seized brakes was still a car worth saving.
The Imperial Is Staying Connected To Pete
Originally, the goal was to clean up the Chrysler and make it attractive enough for a new owner to take on as a restoration project. That plan changed when Pete’s widow contacted one of his friends, Ira, who had also been connected to the earlier Charger story.
Ira agreed to take the Imperial, continue working on it, and effectively keep the car within Pete’s circle rather than sending it to an unknown buyer. After everything surrounding the project, it was about as fitting an outcome as the enormous old Chrysler could have received.
The Imperial still has a long road ahead before it can be considered fully restored, and its mechanical systems will undoubtedly need thorough attention after so many years sitting. Yet the most important steps have already happened: the car is clean, the engine runs, and somebody who understands its history is willing to carry the project forward.
For a neglected luxury sedan that started the day buried in a garage and surrounded by memories, that’s a pretty remarkable comeback.