Customs 61 Impala Sport Sedan

Here’s my next project; it’s a 4dr BUT its a 4dr hardtop so hopefully that’ll buy me some forgiveness from the 2dr only purists. I’ve known this car for a long time. A good friend of mine bought it several years ago and drove it around with a pretty hot small block and a TH350. It’s got a lot of custom upgrades; it got a lowered front suspension with g-body spindles and Mopar screw in ball joints, disc bakes, full Flowmaster exhaust, new fuel tank and lines, frame reinforced for the dreaded X-frame, quick ratio steering box plus some other goodies.
I did some metal work on the body a long time ago but it never progressed past what you see.
He took it off the road a few years ago when he robbed the small block for his 69 C10 and the car has been sitting since. He called and asked if I’d trade some metal work on his C-10 if he gave me the Impala, a parts car, and a bunch of other spare parts. Sounds like a deal to me! The body is really pretty good and it’ll make a nice budget priced cruiser for my wife and I. I’ve got the original 283 short block and plan to use some later model 58cc heads, change the auto transmission to the three on the tree from the parts car, paint it the original color, redo the interior in the original color, and add some A/C.

 

Cruise in comfort, good for you.

 

those were never considered traditional hotrods

 

Congrats to your purchase! There´s nothing wrong with a 4dr in my opinion, I built this sedan a few years ago... heck that was back in 2008, time flies.... those Chevys are some beautiful driving cars.

 

More of a custom

 

That´s probably why he posted his thread under the topic " customs". But you are right, trad hot rods always had fender mounted spare tires, green wire wheels, full fenders and bumpers.

 

Please don't shave the rear door handles....

 

Lighten up, you have numerous posts just like this one.

 

Here’s my brothers. 95% stock.
Beautiful car.

 

I like it, sounds like a good plan to me!!

 

Exactly what I’m going for; love the skirts!

 

get it on the road & enjoy it

 

You need to build one of these.

https://www.jalopyjournal.com/forum/threads/61-impala-ss-four-door.1005300/

 

Very cool! I wonder if that’s where Chevy pulled the idea for the 94-96 Impala SS 4dr?

 

Funny you mention that as my first car was a 61 Sport Sedan and I have a 96 now.

 

I pulled the 283 apart and it looks really good. All the bearings look new, the crank looks like it was just turned and it’s got .060 pistons. It looks like it was just put together except for three pistons with valve contact marks. I’m going to drop it at the machine shop to get it checked but I’m hoping to be able to get a new set of pistons and put it back together.
I also pulled the seats and carpet and the floors are rock solid as are the rockers and the whole underside of the car. Nice to not have to dig into a bunch of major rust repair for a change.

 

Great that you have such a solid car to build your mild custom from. Dash and door panels look like a cleaning would do the job. Steering wheel no cracks, one year only part. Torq Thrust wheels would be perfect IMHO.

 

Put something between the Ice and Water you used for insulation and the carpet. If the car gets real hot inside the Ice and Water will bleed on the edges and stick to the carpet.

 

Thanks! Door panels are actually pretty rough, I plan on making some new ones 1/2 pleated vinyl and 1/2 carpet and use the same vinyl on the seats.
I’m thinking of leaving the rally wheels, painting the wheel body color and using the trim rings and flat rally center caps. Love that torque thrust wheel but I have a set on my 48 Plymouth.

 

Like your vision. 4 door's make great cruiser's.

 

Solid car, good news on 283, should be a cool build. Keep it simple.

Do you have the side trim, or deleting it on sides and rear ?

 

Thanks, I’ve got Impala and Biscayne trim; not sure which I’m going to use yet.

I got quite a bit done today. Pulled the dash, column, and pedal ***embly so I can swap in the manual trans stuff and I’m probably going to rewire the car. I’m going to go ahead and start sanding the car down and fixing panels as I go. Not a ton of body work needed; just a patch here and there. Not bad at all for a 60 year old car.

 

Nice project. I sent this one off to Sweden two years ago. It was bone stock with a 235 and PG.

 

Youre moving right along, whats the paint plan - color etc.
Body color roof, or accent color, or some panel paint / flake ?

The impala trim is nice if you want an accent color, white, silver, black, even body color tinted a few shades lighter or darker.
Lucky to have the trim, tracking down 4 door side trim pieces can be challenging.

 

My buddy has a 56 Chevy 4 door. He owns the garage where we do most of our work. As we get older I will admit that if we decide to go to lunch, it's nice not having to climb into the back seat.

We cut up a parts car to make it into a 2 door but the more we use it, the less we want to do so.

 

I think Im going to use TCP Global's paint, Tropical Turquoise in a single stage urethane with the white quarter panel insert if I use the Impala trim. I'll probably paint all the metal interior parts the same color.
And I'm thinking of keeping the rally wheels with the wheel painted body color; maybe a set of fender skirts.

 

"As we get older I will admit that if we decide to go to lunch, it's nice not having to climb into the back seat."

Man, I'm the same way. I like letting the grandkids jump in the back with their own doors and I cant see paying 3 or 4 times as much for a project just because it's got two less doors. Plus it seems like it's a lot easier to find a four door in nice condition that hasn't beat to death its whole life.

 

When you check out the engine, watch for bent valves on those cylinders where the valve kissed the piston. Also check that the rod isn't bent.

You can make a guess as to how I know this.

.bjb

 

Yeah, I’m using different heads but will definitely have the rods checked.