Vehicle Description
1966 Chevrolet Impala
Residing on the African Savannah and confronted with a threat, the
sleek, nimble, and fast Impala will take flight to outrun or
confuse its competitor. Aptly named, the Chevrolet version
introduced in 1958, continued to emulate its animal namesake
through years of design modifications and power options made
available. In 1966, the jet age was in full swing, and automobile
designers were transitioning from nonfunctional visual
embellishments, to sleek, cleaner line designs for their cars.
Engineers also caught on that more power will attract more buyers,
and the "race" was on!
This resto-mod version of the 1966 Chevrolet Impala includes a
beautiful exterior restoration and powertrain enhancements to the
small block 4bbl V8. A black interior 2-door hardtop coupe, loaded
with chrome, and visually stunning when viewed in person with its
factory gauges, console with floor shifter, banjo style steering
wheel, and nicely done paint.
Exterior
Fully restored, all panels show as straight and mostly blemish
free. A few areas of the metallic Pea Green have chipped or cracked
and noted are slight bubbles forming at various places which have
been touched up. The chrome body trim and bumpers, as well as the
shiny egg crate grille, are very clean, and rust free, and just the
right amount has been used for the belt line trim, rocker and wheel
well trim, and window surrounds. Within the wide doors are a hinged
quarter window, just aft of the A pillar, that is operated by a
crank in the door panel. The cranked main door windows are trimmed
in thin stainless, and operate smoothly, and are free and clear of
any imperfections. This also holds true for front and rear glass,
which shows with some scratching of the rear window glass. On back
are the standard 3 taillights, (on every Impala), and a shiny
bumper below. To finish this car, body colored Boss Motorsport 5
spoke wheels with low profile ZR rated tires all around.
Interior
Beautifully restored black vinyl front bucket and rear bench seats
mounted in a sea of black carpet envelope the interior. A long
black console races between the seats and is topped with a smooth
aluminum panel to hold the chrome T-handle shifter. This console
continues up to meet the dash with a quadrant of gauges to monitor
engine vitals and to the left side a aftermarket oil pressure gauge
has been installed. Black door panels and a very nice black
headliner continues with the theme to the interior. The original
gauges with their black faces and white numbers are installed into
the original dash as well as a new AM/FM radio. A highly polished
banjo style steering wheel is mounted atop a brushed aluminum tilt
steering column to complete the package. A shout out to the trunk
with its black felt mat and additional CD changer.
Drivetrain
Under the long hefty hood is a 350ci small block V8 bored .030 over
and now displacing 355ci. A 4bbl carburetor mixes air and fuel into
an Edelbrock intake before being fed into iron 2.02 valve heads
complete with roller rockers. A mild camshaft works the valves and
gives a good bumpy idle. Brushed finish Chevrolet emblazoned valve
covers, an MSD distributor, and an Edelbrock air cleaner top things
off. The TH350 3-speed automatic transmission with a shift kit and
3500rpm stall converter pushes the power through a 10-bolt
differential sporting a Positraction 4.10 ratio.
Undercarriage
The underside of this car shows some slight light surface rust and
patina on the frame and suspension components. The steel floor pans
and trunk pan show signs of severe invasive rust and will need to
be replaced. Fortunately, our consignor has a 3 piece replacement
trunk floor that will be included with the purchase. Independent
coil spring front suspension is on and for the rear we note a 4
link with coil springs. In the event that you need to slow down or
stop, 4-wheel disc brakes have been added as well as power
steering. Headers working with Flowmaster mufflers handle the
exhale with the exhaust ending just behind the rear tires.
Drive-Ability
This restoration-skate fired right up and with a nightly roar we
were off to the test track. Here it performed flawlessly with
smooth acceleration and plenty of it, bias free panic stopping, and
great handling for a large car. The horn was not working at the
time of our drive.
A very tasteful resto-mod of an iconic Chevrolet Impala makes this
car eye candy to look at, but with a hidden secret in the power it
can provide. Interesting modifications and upgrades make this
"Gazelle" a street cruiser, or an animal if confronted...hop in and
turn the competition green with envy.
VIN DECODE
164376Y241902
1-Chevrolet
64-Impala V8
37-2 Door Hardtop Sport Coupe
6-1966
Y-Wilmington, DE Assy Plant
241902-Sequential Unit Number
TRIM TAG
06C-3rd Week June Build
ST 66 16437-1966 Impala 2 Door Hardtop Sport Coupe
BDY BW25731-Wilmington Body #
TR 811E-Black Cloth Bench With Headrests
PNT NN-Madeira Maroon
Classic Auto Mall is a 336,000-square foot classic and special
interest automobile showroom, featuring over 650 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.
