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This gorgeous 1961 Chevrolet Impala Bubbletop is simply breathtaking with its stylish design and striking color combination. It was the product of a complete restoration and only has 338 mile since completion. Chevrolet introduced a totally new design for the 1961 Impala. For the first time in several years the full size Chevy was finless. The 1961 Impala still sat on the GM “B” body platform and rolled on a 119 inch wheel base. The Impala body was now 1 ½ inches shorter giving it a trim and boxy look. The Impala line stuck with its signature three taillight designs. The Impala and Bel Air two-door sport coupes each featured new roofline styling known as the “bubbletop”. 1961 was the only year for an Impala two-door sedan model. As the original VIN number and trim tag indicates this car was built in St. Louis, MO on the 3rd week of July as a 1961 Chevrolet Impala 2-door Sport Coupe with an 8 cylinder engine. It had a Roman Red with Ermine White roof and white insert exterior. It had a Red and White interior. It was built with tinted glass and a padded dash. From the information gathered it’s unclear when it was restored. During the restoration the exterior was repainted Roman Red with a White side molding. It was outfitted with the Super Sport trim package and a factory air conditioning system that works excellent. It’s powered by a matching numbers 348 V8 and 3-speed manual transmission. The car was purchased from a private collector by MS CLASSIC CARS in late 2021 and was completely serviced in July of 2022. This is a wonderful looking and driving car that was restored to enjoy.
The exterior of this car is in beautiful condition throughout. The body is very straight and it has excellent gaps lines. The hood, doors and trunk lid close very nicely. During the restoration the decision was made to paint the roof the red instead of white and keep the white inserts. The show quality paint was recently detailed to a brilliant shine. The front windshield and rear window were both replaced new. The original door glass and quarter glass with E-Z-Eye stamps is in really nice condition with only minor signs of wear. All of the original glass trim is also in really nice condition. Everything on the exterior was restored or replaced such as wipers, dual mirrors, fender trim ornaments, front grill, headlights, front bumper, body molding, door handles, dual antennas, emblems, taillight bezels and lenses, rear bumper and guards. The car is equipped with the factory painted rear fender skirts. The car sits on 14” painted steel wheels with chrome spinner hub caps and Dean Alpha 365 white wall 215-75-14 tires.
The interior of this car is also in beautiful condition throughout. It was restored in its original color combination of Red and White. The white headliner and sun visors really lighten up the interior. The headliner is tight and the dome lights are in working order. The painted dash with silver trim houses the speedometer, temp gauge, fuel gauge and clock. The clock is not in working order. The classic looking Impala red and white steering wheel is one of the interior highlights. The red, silver and gray door panels look amazing. The front bench seat has been completely re-upholstered and is very comfortable. The rear seat has also been completely re-upholstered and is equally as comfortable. Everything has been restored or replaced such as the chrome rear view mirror, door sills, arm rests, window rollers, door handles, pedals and carpeting. This car is equipped with a factory style air conditioning system which was converted to R134 and works excellent. The compressor was recently rebuilt by Original Air Group in Florida. A new set of red carpeted floor mats with Impala cross flags were added. The trunk compartment was completely restored and is very neat. It was painted with the correct style gray splatter paint and has the correct style trunk mats. It’s also equipped with a full size matching spare and jack tools.
The engine compartment is nicely detailed throughout with many new parts. The backside of the hood was painted satin black and new insulation was added. The firewall, inner fenders and radiator support was painted semi-gloss black. The car is powered by a matching numbers 348 V8 that was completely rebuilt and runs excellent. This engine is believed to be original to this car but Chevrolet didn’t stamp VIN numbers on the block in 1961 so it’s impossible to know if it’s original. The engine casting date is May 11th, 1961 which coincides with the build date of the car. The engine pad stamp reads T0710F which decodes as: Tonawanda – July 10th – (1958-1961) 348/ 250HP 4bbl with manual transmission. The stamp also coincides with the build date of the car. The engine has the correct Rochester 4 Jet carburetor. The orange block and valve covers with black air cleaner looks awesome. It’s equipped with correct GM hoses and Delco battery topper with power cut off knob. The engine is cooled by the correct Harrison radiator. The engine breathes through factory manifolds and a correct style dual exhaust system that sounds sweet. The engine is coupled to a matching numbers 3-speed manual transmission that was completely rebuilt and shifts smoothly. The transmission is believed to be original to this car but Chevrolet didn’t stamp VIN numbers on the transmission in 1961 so it’s impossible to know if it’s original. The transmission casting number is #3743368 and the casting date is April 14th, 1961 which coincides with the build date of the car. The power is transferred to the rear end differential which was completely rebuilt. The rear end casting number is #3725899 and casting date is May 19th, 1960.
The undercarriage is also nicely detailed throughout with many new parts. The underside was painted red in a textured material for durability and the X-frame was painted black. A new fuel tank and new lines were added. The manual steering system, suspension components and manual braking system was restored or replaced during the restoration.
