Vehicle Description
No question the 1958 Impala is a landmark automobile, and has
rapidly eclipsed its popular Tri-Five siblings in terms of
desirability and value. This stunning resto-mod retains everything
that was great about the stunning Impala, and adds a few modern
conveniences to create what is perhaps the ultimate '50s luxury
cruiser.
The '58 Impala never looks as good as when it's dressed in pastels.
With light blue paint and a white roof, it has a pure '50s look
that really emphasizes the dramatic one-year-only styling. During
the restoration, they took their time so the doors fit extremely
well, the gaps are quite good, and all that glittering trim was
carefully aligned to give it exactly the look the designers dreamed
of in '58. Two-stage urethane creates an high shine that will look
this good for years and years, and all the correct Impala logos
were faithfully replaced when it was dry. A small fortune was spent
on chrome, from the massive bumpers to the delicate fins atop the
front fenders to the dual antennas on the rear fenders, all of it
is shiny, bright, and in great shape. Very impressive! It has been
driven, of course, so perfection isn't the goal, but this is a
trophy winner at any local show, especially with the skirts and
continental kit out back.
Although there's a lot of new stuff under the skin, the interior
was restored to factory specifications using blue tri-tone
upholstery as original. The beautiful door panels feature blue
anodized inserts, and you'll note that the big steering wheel was
painted to match, complete with white accents like the bodywork.
The factory gauges have all been restored, and it's possible that
the 120 MPH speedometer is no longer just a dream for this car. A/C
has been subtly added under the dash, but beyond that it's pretty
much the way GM built it back in 1958, which was the entire point.
The factory AM radio is gone but the AM/FM unit in its place looks
pretty authentic, there are correct floor mats for protection, and
even the original clock is still in the dash over in front of the
passenger. As you can imagine, the back seat is massive and
features that trick pop-up armrest, while the equally gigantic
trunk is trimmed with a correct mat and includes a CD changer.
The top engine in 1958 was a 348 cubic inch V8, instantly
recognizable by its W-shaped valve covers. With plenty of dress-up,
including a chrome air cleaner and finned aluminum valve covers, it
looks as flashy as the rest of the car. Rebuilt 500 miles ago, it
was dressed in Chevy Orange paint so there's no question that this
is Bowtie muscle. Up top there's an Edelbrock intake manifold and a
Holley carburetor, although the original Tri-Power setup is
included with the car. The A/C system uses modern components and
R134a refrigerant, so it's effective and easy to service, and the
braking system uses a dual-circuit master cylinder feeding vented
front disc brakes for safety. A 3-speed TH350 3-speed automatic
transmission spins the original rear end, so it's happy around town
and on the highway, and the burbling dual exhaust system sounds
fantastic blowing through a pair of chrome tips just under the rear
bumper. Original wheels and spinner hubcaps give it a retro look
and wear fresh wide whitewall radials for better ride and comfort
and an authentic look.
This is an extremely impressive '58 Impala that captures not only
the best of what was possible at the time, but everything that it
could be with just a bit of modern technology. Call today!