Penny
“Penny” LeBaron Sedan The full restoration story and History
Penny was assembled in the brand new Imperial Assembly Plant for all 1959 Imperials, located at 8505 West Warren Avenue Dearborn, Michigan. Scheduled to be built 1/22/59, assembled 1/29/59 and shipped to the George Gorson dealership in the heart of Philadelphia on 1/31/59.
The Goerge Gorson Dealership was located across from City Hall where the famous William Penn statue sits atop it. It was the tallest building in Philadelphia for many years. Hahnemann Hospital is now located on the site that was the Goerge Gorson Dealership was located.
I don’t know the identity of the original owner. I do know that they special ordered a 1958 color for the car “Fiesta Copper”, the only documented special color order I know of. They lived in or near Philadelphia and sold the car to its second owner through a man that was a Manager of a shop called the “Golden Asp” in Neshaminy. I did once run and add with a picture of Penny in a Philly newspaper asking if anyone knew the original owner but no luck. Also I went to the Golden Asp store and no one knew anything about the former guy that sold the car to the second owner for the original owner’s family.
Pre 1987 when 2nd Owner Daniel Kervick owned the car
In Penndel, Pennsylvania
I later came up with the name “Penny” from where I bought it (PENNdel, PENNsylvania) and the copper color.
Photos I took when I first looked at the car
1987
Penny in the
1980’s
That’s my Daughter Natasha at about age 7 leaning on the car looking cool. The car has its original super long antenna and it’s still factory original without the passenger mirror and hood ornament. Just found this picture in a box of stuff while moving.
1987 the car was used in the made for TV movie Flying Blind directed by Charles Haid (the actor that played Renko from Hill Street Blues). The same production crew that was used for the original McGiver TV show. Shot in Philadelphia. Got paid $2000.00 for the use of the car for 2 weeks.
Photos from my hometown of Levittown, Pennsylvania
1987 -1999
1988ish my first car show
This was a car show sponsored by the International Imperial Car Club. This was cool because they had the cars all lined up by year. This was the last time I saw a group of Imperials together until 2009 at a car meet in Sacramento California. The International Imperial Car Club was the first Imperial hat existed into the 1990s and then the Main organizer passed away. I was continued for a few years longer by his Daughter. Later the Online Imperial Car Club formed and I joined and contributed research until 2008.
1989 Had transmission rebuilt, breaks and air conditioning fixed by the Imperial Guru Dave Green of Freeway Garage in Trenton New Jersey. Bought a used gas tank in great condition and had it coated by Gas Tank Renu.
1988 – 2004
Pre-restoration pictures
1989 had the transmission rebuild the first time, had no reserve gear when I bought it.
1999 – 2004 pictures
2004
Phase 1 of restoration – Body tear down and metal replaced.
The car went in to the shop of Bill Rice, where it would be for two years as Bill did all the body work, engine and suspension rebuild. All back to factory original except hardened valves were put in to remove the need for lead in the gas. Almost all rubber, seals and clips were replaced. Over $1500.00 in clips, rubber and seals from Gary Goers alone.
2004
Phase 2
Body work and more body work
2005
Phase 3
More body work.
2006 – Phase 4 Restoration body work, suspension
Got the unattainable quarter glass and front windshield from Lowel Howe in Peterson California. Brakes redone keeping them original system.
2006 – 59 Imperial Phase 5 of restoration primer, engine work, reassembly.
Bill Rice painted the inner fender wells, inside the trunk and hood prior to the body and door jams getting painted. We had to scan inside the trunk to get the correct color. Used the ZZZ Copper Spice metallic formula for correct metal flake content. The factory custom ordered color is called Fiesta Copper. I believe the original Owner special ordered this 1958 color. I know of no other 1959 Imperial with documented proof of a special ordered non 1959 year color.
2006 – 59 Imperial LeBaron Phase 6 of restoration Paint and reassembly.
I had the painter use Sickens paint. Sickens is a European paint, almost pure urethane, used on Rolls Royce’s and Porsches. I believe this is the secret to why the car’s color it so striking and has held up so well. 1 quart of color and 3 quarts of clear. $1255.00 for just the one gallon of paint alone (in 2005) plus $400.00 labor for spraying the car with four coats. Bill Rice had did all the body and prep work beforehand. The inside of the hood and engine compartment and the trunk compartment was painted in PPG. Both type paints used the original factory blend of metal flake and pigment.
2006 The day I finally brought Penny home from the shop.
Penny was in the shop for over 2 years.
(Penny) Imperial LeBaron Sedan 2006-2008 Christmas parades and car shows.
Penny got new tires all around, plus the spare, with the correct size white wall.
Christmas Cards featuring Penny from 2006 until present day
The last few pictures are the first Christmas card I did with Penny as Elfis, the Christmas elf. I’ve done a Christmas card every year since that features Penny in some way.
2007 Car show and movie night in Red Bluff, Ca.
Sometime around 2007 I organized a car show in front of the old courthouse in Red Bluff, California and then a movie in the old State Theater just around the corner. We parked all the 1950’s cars in front of the theater and the movie we had playing was American Graffiti. Everyone said we should do this on a regular basis but we never did it again.
2008 – Photo shoots and Roller Derby’s
The car was used for a Roller Derby Program. Had a wonderful picture taken on film by Rick Madrid (the rear angle with the road trailing off in the distance), it has held up in the top ten hits on Google Images when you search 1959 Imperial for over a decade now.
Penny 2009-2011
Had the exhaust manifolds ceramic-ed with copper gaskets. All new factory correct exhaust and two mufflers and two resonators from Waldron’s Antique Exhaust. Had the heater control switch redone by JC Auto Restoration. Had some engine parts and rims powder coated. Bought new emblems for the LeBaron scripts on both sides of the car. Took the car to the top of Mt. Lassen (well as far as you can drive a car).
Penny 2012-2015
Got tons of parts from Gary Goers. Decals, switches, clips, reproduction tags, screws, glove box insert, rubber parts, tail lenses and much more. Acquired the last pieces of body trim I needed. Found a NOS washer bag. Exchanged five piece front bumper assy for newly rechromed one. Had temp control buttons redone by JC auto restoration.
Penny 2016-2017
Had the dash buttons redone by JC Auto Restoration. New Brake, Gas and park peddle rubber from Gary Goers,
New park, reverse and rear reflector lenses from George Laury in Australia. Had the generator rebuilt to a new HD generator keeping the original casing and solid state voltage regular in original housing From Gener-A-Nator. New trunk lid emblem from Sweden. Had Tranny buttons redone by JC Auto Restoration.
Used the car for my Nephew’s wedding in 2017.
Penny 2018 Original VIN Tag
Got the original VIN tag back after 30 plus years of missing from the car. The previous owner Dan Kervick found it in his garage at the bottom of a box of parts. He couldn’t remember why he ever took the tag off the car. He got a hold of me and sent it to me. God bless him. I had the car painted in 2006 and the paint matches perfect to the original color on the VIN tag.
Penny 2018 Interior
Had the headliner, wind lace, back dash, parcel tray, sun visors, rugs and kick panels done.
I’ve ordered Dark Grey Broadcloth and the faux wood material that goes on the inside door panels from SMS in Oregon. It was over an $1.400.00 order and had to be special made from a factory in New Jersey. Received the cloth order from SMS on 4/16/2021. A year and 6 days to get my order, but it is exactly like the original dark grey broadcloth from the factory.
Once I get the material, I’m having my Upholstery guy do the benches and the inner door panels. I’ll have any chrome on the interior done at that time as well. That will finish the upholstery work. Can’t wait to sit on comfortable seats again instead of feeling like I’m sitting on loafs of dried bread.
2019 Took Penny out to the BLM for a Summer cruise
Some before and after shots of Penny
2019 Sent the 4 door sills out to King of Trim for redo
Had the old anodizing stripped off, trim straightened, re anodized two tone, painted and reassembled.
2020 Bought a good set of air intake grill parts on eBay.
2021 Penny gets new underwear “Hood Insulation”
Penny has never had hood insulation, but I thought it would be a good idea to make her even quieter and reduce heat and cold transfer to the engine. It fits perfectly and looks factory original, Don Schwanke recommended them to me, glad I got the set. It comes in two pieces and they just fit right in, no cutting to fit.
If you’re interesting in getting some, I almost always list a new parts vendor on the Parts / Misc. page after I’ve have a good experience with them.
2021 Chrome Batch #1 of chrome getting redone
The hood ornament, the front hood letters and front hood piece. All the fin chrome and the truck handle. 27 pieces all together.
Picked up by Platers 4/7/21
Dropped off finished parts in Texas 5/14/21
2021 Penny – Back in the Upholstery shop to finish the interior.
Ordered 15 Yards of the exact replacement Dark Grey Broadcloth and 1 yard of faux wood grain from SMS in Oregon. Took one year and 6 days to get it.
Having both bench seats and all inner door panels redone to original.
Door panels are being formed out of Plexiglas to replace the modeled cardboard.
A bunch of Interior chrome has been rechromed. I worked on all the interior stainless steel trim, any dings have been fixed, sanded and buffed out. All other interior trim has been cleaned, buffed and polished. Amazing how many shiny bits are on just the interior of these cars.
Sent broadcloth material to Sweden to have the back of the seats embossed with the correct Crowns. It was the only place in the world that I knew could do it correctly and on broadcloth. It was a first for even them, but was done that way at the factory originally also.
2021 Chrome Batch #2 Interior pieces
18 pieces to be rechromed along with a dozen stainless steel pieces I’ll be buffing out. Some other pieces that look great already and a few too fragile to rechrome so I’ll clean them up.
Picked up by Platers 5/14/21
2021 NOS Trunk Handle
Found a NOS trunk handle online, still in the box, with the original factory decal. I was really impressed with the decal, reproductions I’ve seen don’t do it justice. I had just had my original trunk handle re-chromed, and it was very pitted, so they had to remove a bunch of surface material, but back to back, you can see how much detail was lost from the NOS one.
2021 Chrome Batch #3 Front grill assembly
Sent out batch number 3 for rechroming. 11 pieces.
Sent to Texas 8/2/21