Vehicle Description
1961 Chevrolet Impala Sport Coupe
Pro Street is a style of street-legal custom car popular in the
1980s, usually built to imitate a Pro Stock class race car. Pro
Street cars should appear to be more at home on the drag strip than
the street, while remaining street legal and not gutted like a Race
Car or Bracket Race car. Typically called a back half car due to
the frame being changed to allow for monstrous rear tires.
For consignment a rare bubble top Impala now pro street car. With a
souped-up engine, tubbed rear, high performance transmission with a
high stall converter, and a powerful mill which has been evaluated
on a dyno at 728hp! Roll cage added, BIG rear tires, this 1961
rocket ship goes in a straight line, and does so very quickly.
Exterior
In 1961 the "bubble top" (referring to the thin "B" pillar and
large rear rounded glass, along with the curved front glass it gave
the appearance of the futuristic all glass tops which one would see
on prototype cars in the futuristic vision of 1961) was only
available on the Impala trim line. There was a bubble top available
on the Biscayne and Bel Air in 1962, but not the Impala. This car
retains its original exterior look and styling. Rust free panels
with well minded gaps are bathed in 60's teal and it's looking
sharp and shiny. We can note some repair work that has been done on
the lower doors where they meet the rear quarters, but it's minimal
as to cosmetic damage. A few scratches remain throughout but are
mostly unremarkable. With its styling of the triple taillights
which reside on the rear panel that sports a "widows peak" trunk
line that forms almost a spoiler-esque rear on either side rear
quarter that takes advantage of stainless trim that dives downward
toward the tubbed wheel well and then makes its way forward on a
stainless inserted trim spear. A mini version of shades of the '57
Bel Airs and their rear quarter trimmings but a lot smaller. Window
surrounds are very nicely preserved and upfront an egg crate grille
with dual flanking headlights and central Chevrolet cloisonne badge
frame from the front edge of the hood downward. 15 inch Centerline
Auto Drag wheels are now attached and in front wrapped with
26x7.50-15 thins, and 31x18.50R15's on back for extra grip....lots
of extra grip!
Interior
A swing of the now inset pattern rectangular broadcloth covered
door panels, with all weight saving billet styled handles and
cranks all in gray and looking good. Inside we note a similar late
model split bench in the same pattern broadcloth as the panels.
This bench is surrounded in a tubular roll cage, body matching
teal. The dash retains its original look but has added gauges for
fuel, water and oil temps to go along with the mid century modern
styled knobs and pulls. Up top is a dash mounted tachometer with
shift indicator lights. On the center hump is a center console that
in a past iteration housed the shifter for a manual transmission.
Next to said cover is a Hurst shifter to control the shifts of the
automatic transmission. Just above this central small metal panel
is a box for fan and lighting ignition power as well as starter.
The rear bench has been removed and the wheel wells tubbed to
accommodate the large rear tires. This back seat area is fully
carpeted and nicely finished with gray carpeting. Same for the
trunk which has also been modified for the tubbing and has gray
carpeting and a stainless steel fuel cell. Some gray carpeting is
on the floors and above is a gray broadcloth headliner nice and
tight and framed by the roll cage.
Drivetrain
Under the new shiny underpainted hood and nestled next to dual
custom fabricated stainless polished wheel well panels is a Jensen
Technologies, consigner stated, 496ci V8 which has 11.0:1
compression. This mill has AFR 260 Oval port heads and a Jet roller
cam. On top is a Holley Ultra 950 carburetor which uses an
Edelbrock intake to feed this hungry mill fossils and air. The
TH400 3-speed automatic has a Huge Performance 4000 stall converter
with a reverse valve body. A 12-bolt rear has been shortened and
puts the power to the pavement. All this is looking like automotive
jewelry, right down to the Hooker Headers and polished radiator. As
noted, the dyno topped out on this mill at 728 horses.
Undercarriage
In the process of the build, the rear section of the original frame
has been replaced with a square tube teal painted framing which
uses stainless insert panels in lieu of the original stamped
floorpans. This not only gives the undercarriage a great look but
adds plenty of structural stability for when those rear tires get a
grip. Disc brakes are now on all 4 corners with Wilwood calipers on
the rear. We see a Flowmaster exhaust completing the trip rearward,
ending just behind the pumpkin. Adjustable coil overs are on all 4
corners with the front being an independent suspension and the rear
being a 4 link style.
Drive-Ability
We fired this car up and took it out for a few performance checks
and it is definitely a head snapper. Let's just say there is more
power than you'll mostly ever need, and anyone who is the recipient
of this power will be a sore loser!
A classic 1961 only year bubble top Impala trimmed bowtie, now a
pro street car and definitely playing the part very efficiently
while staying original looking on the exterior.
VIN DECODE
11837S206825
1-1961
18-Impala V8
37-2 Door Sport Coupe (Bubble Top)
S-St. Louis, MO Assy Plant
206825-Sequential Unit Number
Classic Auto Mall is a 336,000-square foot classic and special
interest automobile showroom, featuring over 600 vehicles for sale
with showroom space for up to 1,000 vehicles. Also, a 400 vehicle
barn find collection is on display.
This vehicle is located in our showroom in Morgantown,
Pennsylvania, conveniently located just 1-hour west of Philadelphia
on the I-76 Pennsylvania Turnpike. The website is
www.classicautomall.com and our phone number is (888) 227-0914.
Please contact us anytime for more information or to come see the
vehicle in person.