1960 Chevrolet Impala Sport Coupe - Roman Red Bubble Top,
350/TH400, Ford 9" Rear
The Car
This is a 1960 Impala Sport Coupe - the bubble top - finished in
Roman Red over a red and white checkerboard-pattern interior. It's
a driver-built '60 Impala that's been repowered and updated for
modern road use while keeping the silhouette that makes these cars
worth owning in the first place. Stock #165140, priced at $49,990.
Mileage shows 22,250 (TMU).
The cowl tag reads Style 60-1837 (two-door V8 Impala Sport Coupe),
Trim 809 (Black/White), Paint 936 (Ermine White), with accessory
code EZW for the tinted windshield. So the car left the factory
white with a black-and-white interior. It's now Roman Red with a
red-and-white interior - neither the paint nor the trim is original
to this body, and we're up front about that. The repaint date is
unknown.
What It Has
Under the hood is a 350ci V8 fed by a 600 CFM Holley four-barrel
sitting on an Edelbrock Torker 2.0 intake. Behind it is a TH400
three-speed automatic and a Ford 9-inch rear - a common, durable
swap that turns these into reliable cruisers. Power steering and
power front and rear disc brakes are on board, along with
factory-style A/C. An aftermarket oil pressure gauge has been added
to the dash.
The interior is the part that catches people. Bench seats trimmed
in red vinyl with white cloth checkerboard inserts, red carpet, red
door panels - it's a period-correct '50s/'60s diner aesthetic that
suits the bubble top better than the original black-and-white
scheme did, in our opinion. Seats, carpet, and door panels are all
clean. Headliner is tight. Dash is clean.
Functionally: horn works, all gauges work, all lights and
indicators work, interior lights work, wipers work. BF Goodrich
Silvertown 8.00-14 four-ply wide whites at all four corners. Spare
tire is in the trunk. A car cover is included.
What You Should Know
We're going to be straightforward about the cosmetic and functional
issues, because we'd rather you know now than be surprised at
pickup. The clock does not work and the radio does not work.
There's no jack in the trunk - just the spare. Paint has a few
flaws worth flagging: a bubble spot on the hood near the
driver-side windshield, a crack in the paint behind the rear
window, and a blemish in the paint on the rear driver-side quarter
near the trunk. The rear passenger window glass is frosted
(delaminated). None of these are deal-breakers on a driver-tier car
at this price, but they're real and we want them disclosed.
The mileage shows 22,250 but is marked TMU - true mileage unknown -
which is normal for a car this age and should be treated as a
number on the odometer rather than verified history.
The Bigger Picture
The 1960 model year is the second and final year of the bubble-top
Impala body before Chevrolet moved to the more upright '61
roofline, and it's the year a lot of collectors and cruiser-buyers
prefer. The "bubble top" Sport Coupe - formally the 1837 body style
- has the wraparound rear glass that defines the look. Chevrolet
built somewhere around 204,000 Impala Sport Coupes for 1960, so
they're not rare, but clean drivable examples have been climbing
steadily, and a Sport Coupe with modern brakes, a 350, and a 9-inch
rear is a more usable car than a stock 348 setup.
What you're buying with this one is the look and the experience
without the maintenance headaches of vintage Chevy
small-block-or-W-engine ownership. The 350/TH400/9-inch combination
is the most-supported drivetrain in the hobby - parts are
everywhere, every shop knows it, and it'll cruise at modern highway
speeds without complaint.
How to Buy It
The car is at our shop in Orwigsburg, PA. We'd encourage anyone
serious to come see it in person - the paint flaws and the frosted
rear window are easier to assess with your own eyes than over
photos, and we want buyers who've made peace with what the car is.
We'll send additional photos of any specific area on request, can
arrange a third-party PPI, and can help coordinate enclosed
transport. Call or message RT 61 Classics & Toy Barn to set up a
visit or get more info on stock #165140.
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