Vehicle Description
The '64 Impala remains a perennial best-seller, but this particular
Imp stands apart. It isn't insanely fast, it doesn't have a
show-winning paint job, and it isn't even an SS. However, it has an
awesome stance, great patina, and a silky smooth inline-6 that
purrs, especially with the slick-shifting manual gearbox. This is
an Impala that feels a lot sportier than its "Super Sport"
siblings.
There's enough patina on this Impala for us to believe the paint is
original, or at least pretty old. It's not damaged, just aged, and
you could take it either way. If it were ours to keep, we'd
probably go with roughing it up a little more and really committing
to the patina. Fortunately, the steel underneath is in great shape
and none of the patina includes rust holes or rot and we have to
admit that the beige paint works really well. The chrome is in
decent shape and the long spear of stainless along the flanks lines
up quite well thanks to the car's originality. The two-door sedan
body style with the B-pillar gives the doors a substantial feel and
the wrap-around rear window is a neat bit of design that you don't
notice on flashier cars. This is a subtle car that gets attention
for all the right reasons.
The interior is also quite original and in good shape overall. The
tri-tone upholstery looks stylish and aside from a split in the
driver's seat, it's nicely preserved. Dark tan carpets anchor the
interior and the seats are still firm enough to cruise all day. The
instrument panel is stock with just basic gauges for speed and fuel
level, and it's still cool to see three-on-the-tree shifting in a
full-sized car. You'll also note this is a radio-delete car,
meaning the guy who bought this didn't splurge on anything which is
kind of cool to see these days where even the cheapest cars have
all the gadgets. The gauges under the dash are for the freshly
installed Air Ride suspension and at some point seat belts were
added for safety. The immense trunk has no secrets and that's
probably the original mat. You'll also spot the fresh air tank for
the suspension neatly tucked on the upper shelf.
Yep, that's a 230 cubic inch inline-6 under the hood (remember what
we said about no frills on this car). It's torquey and smooth and
with the 3-speed manual transmission, it's actually a lot of fun
and plenty quick. An HEI distributor lights it off almost the
instant you turn the key and the fresh exhaust system has a nice
6-cylinder growl that never gets annoying. Maintenance is a snap,
the engine is virtually indestructible, and it's nicely finished
with Chevy Orange paint and a factor-style air cleaner assembly.
You know it's never been abused, so it should run virtually
forever, and it's happy on the cheapest gas you can find. The
suspension is original aside from the aforementioned Air Ride, and
that's what gives it the cool stance as well as a luxury car ride
that makes this a fantastic cruiser. Heck, with highway gears out
back, this thing even pulls down decent fuel economy. Chrome
steelies with baby moon hubcaps add to the lowrider look, as do the
215/70/15 BFGoodrich wide whitewall radials.
This is an easy car to like. The price is right, the look gets
attention, and it's an awesome way to own a cool car without
spending a ton of cash. Take it anywhere and watch the attention
this cool Imp generates. Call today!