Vehicle Description
Hard to top the style of a bubbletop Impala. With a restoration
that's just plain elegant, a 348 with a 5-speed manual gearbox, and
those tall 17-inch wheels, this 1961 Chevy is a rock star
everywhere it goes. As a tasteful resto-mod, if style is your
primary ambition, few cars can match this one.
Everyone paints these cars red or black, but I can assure you that
the guys who finished the bodywork on this Imp knew that subtle
colors work well on dramatic sheetmetal. They were also very
careful; every curve is smooth and unbroken, the flat panels are
exceedingly flat, and every edge and corner is crisp and sharp. I'm
sure there's another substantial chunk of time tied up in hanging
all the sheetmetal, because gaps are quite good everywhere you
look. And then there's the paint, which doesn't bowl you over with
color but the more you look, the more there is to like. Two-stage
urethane looks so deep that you could fall in and drown, and as a
backdrop for the brilliant trim it's absolutely ideal, letting the
chrome speak for itself. More color sanding and then some buffing
brings out a great shine with only a few signs of use and age.
Things like the virtually unobtainable front and rear windshields
are in great shape, the trim was either re-chromed or polished, and
nobody will ever mistake this Impala for anything else on the road
thanks to the iconic triple taillights and dual antennas out
back.
Even better than the Fawn Beige paint is the sophisticated cream
interior, which includes custom piping on the seats to tie it all
together. Nicely restored using factory-style patterns, it's both
sporty and upscale. Pure 1960s cool covers every surface, from the
bright trim on the edges of the seatbacks to the two-tone steering
wheel to the beautifully restored instrument panel. All the
original gauges are still monitoring the engine, and there's a Sun
tach strapped to the column in the usual fashion. That Hurst
shifter with the cue ball knob now manages a modern 5-speed manual
transmission with overdrive, making this car a fantastic highway
cruiser. The original AM radio is still in the dash, but there's
also a modern AM/FM/cassette head unit hidden in the glove box so
the dash still looks right. The trunk is very tidy, carrying a
correct mat set, a spare tire up on the shelf, and no signs of
distress on the metal itself
Don't worry, there's still a 348 cubic inch V8 under the hood,
beautifully dressed with lots of shiny bits like those gorgeous
finned valve covers. Upgrades include a dual reservoir Wilwood
master cylinder, a chrome alternator, and a K&N air cleaner.
Then there's the Demon 4-barrel carburetor atop an Edelbrock intake
manifold and the dual exhaust system that has a wonderful mellow
sound and outlets just behind the rear wheels. You'll be delighted
to see how clean the floors are, and with Wilwood front disc
brakes, this cool bubbletop stops as well as it goes. The
suspension is rebuilt, the shocks are fresh, and it goes down the
road like a much younger car. Perhaps its most striking feature are
those big Torque Thrust wheels, which wear 225/60/17 front and
235/60/17 rear BFGoodrich rubber.
With a great look and pleasing road manners, this stunning Impala
delivers in every way: looks, performance, and style. Call
today!