Vehicle Description
Vehicle to be offered for Auction sale January 19th - 22nd, 2017 at Russo and Steele's 17th Annual Scottsdale Arizona Auction. Please contact us for more information.
Bob Lefelber of Redlands, California purchased this car just after a full career as a U.S. Navy officer. He eventually took the Impala to Nick's Old Car Specialties, where it received a ground-up restoration and custom touches, some of which have been returned to O.E. condition. The door handles were removed, dual spot lights were installed, and a set of lakes pipes were added. These three items were reversed to "as stock." The interior was completely redone by Jon Van Kooten in red and white vinyl. It's not meant to be stock, but it is not a complete custom either. A custom Autosound cassette player is hidden under the dash, the A/C was refurbished, and power windows were installed. Bob wanted a 409 engine, and 348 truck heads were installed and topped off with a Tri-Power intake manifold mounting 3 Rochester deuces and helmet-style air cleaners. Offenhauser valve covers finish the look. Doug's headers added some horsepower, along with 10:1 pistons and a performance cam. The automatic transmission was changed for a 4-speed with Hurst shifter and a Posi rear end with 3.36 gears. Now he was able to cruise Redlands in style and he received trophies at the Route 66 cruise. A short while later, he passed away, and the Impala just sat in storage in Redlands. The car was eventually sold to a caring adult and ended up in Nebraska for several years. According to the Consignor, it may very well be the "prettiest Impala" of all!
