All,

I want to purchase a 1967 or a 1968 imperial someday as my weekend or 2nd car, maybe a main driver in months without winter weather. But I haven't found any consensus on its overall reliability or which one is objectively better mechanically to the other.

In terms of styling I prefer the 67 hands down. But in terms of practicality the 68 seems "better." The gas cap in the 68 is metal, not plastic, and the wood is "updated" to bronze. There's also more chrome in front as opposed to plastic. However the 68 has a collapsible steering column as standard and slightly better headroom/legroom and trunk space, over the 67 despite being .2 inches shorter. The 67 on the other hand had the last year of "hand-balanced" crankshafts in their 440s. Some also say build quality is overall superior in these earlier models. However numerous reports of electrical issues from the factory and occasional panel gaps plague these years as they shifted over production from the separate plant to the new Jefferson assembly one.

The reason I want the 67-68 besides styling is practicality (parking anyone) and this is coming from a guy who owns and currently daily drives a 2004 Lincoln town car (215.4 inches of durability). Because the imperials of these two years have been called: ideal daily driver collector cars by some. And are shorter than the imperials that came before or since (1966 was exactly 19 feet long, and the 1969's grew to the biggest proportions ever). But the 67-68s are 18.5'-ish, making parking less of a nightmare. Plus they have better headroom and visibility (I'm 6' 2 I need my room and HATE these ugly SUV's)! Plus a menacing looking car that's huge and heavy like the imperial more or less suits my old-school vibe and persona! Screw rolls Royce! If I make it with my small business idea/IP I have I want an imperial. It is my shield and sign of protest against the green establishment!

I'd so love to be next to these blue-haired "freaks" driving minis and Prius' at a stoplight in my fancy suit and an imperial with its loud 440, loudly breathing dual-exhaust and muscle car sound next to their pipsqueak little car making them angry. So long suckers!

I know, my humor is dark. Yet, there's always something majestic to me about these imperials whenever I get the rare chance to see them at the Mopar nationals in Carlisle every year! And apparently even with some of them being original and seldom driven by their owners, besides the frequent stops for fuel, they say they never break down on their way there to the show driving many hours.

I was originally turned onto the car watching Jay Leno's garage numerous years ago and I was stunned by the styling. The handsome masculinity and raw power associated with it. If you were the man with good, clean taste, loyal intelligent persona and "new money" you bought one of them. As opposed to the establishment's Lincoln Continental or Cadillac Fleetwood, cookie-cutter cars. But imperials aren't cookie-cutter. Far from it, they scream individuality, fearlessness, boldness, a healthy amount of pride yet refinement. An attribute we could bring back to society today!

I dunno, which is the better built, more reliable car, and which is the more convenient one? Or is one model objectively better than another?! Please let me know from experience!