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2nd Time Around 1961 Impala

Discussion in 'Off Topic Hot Rods & Customs' started by Taboo56Chevy, Jul 23, 2024.

  1. Roothawg
    Joined: Mar 14, 2001
    Posts: 25,776

    Roothawg
    Member

    I bought one years ago at an auction. Same color combo. Mine was a 283/powerglide car. I paid $600 for it, pulled the motor and sold the car for $500. I should have kept it, but a buddy wanted it for his daughter's first car. Can't turn a kid away.....
     
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  2. Moriarity
    Joined: Apr 11, 2001
    Posts: 35,864

    Moriarity
    SUPER MODERATOR
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    I have 2 1/4" whites on mine. 7.501x14 on front and 7.75x14 Radir checker flag tread cheater slicks on the back
    61slick.jpeg
     
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  3. Roothawg
    Joined: Mar 14, 2001
    Posts: 25,776

    Roothawg
    Member

    I freaking love that car.
     
  4. Moriarity
    Joined: Apr 11, 2001
    Posts: 35,864

    Moriarity
    SUPER MODERATOR
    Staff Member

    thanks man
     
  5. DDDenny
    Joined: Feb 6, 2015
    Posts: 21,489

    DDDenny
    Member
    from oregon

    Hmmm....what do you suppose my second time around 61 would look like?
     
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  6. Moriarity
    Joined: Apr 11, 2001
    Posts: 35,864

    Moriarity
    SUPER MODERATOR
    Staff Member

    4 door hardtop super sport with a 4 speed?
     
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  7. Did you have to roll the front inner lip at all? I thinking the drop spindles and disc brakes pushed the wheels out a touch. Right now the 16x7s have very little turn before getting into the fender. They have 4" BS, the 14x6's we have for the front also have 4" backspace so will gain a inch of clearance.

    Been holding off on hubcaps for now until we get the wheels painted and then tires mounted up. Have been going through options. Probably will pickup the crossbar style to recreate the original car, but looking to start putting together a nice set of original 61 caps to add the correct spinner to make a set of 61 SS caps for when wanting to change it up.

    Also picked up a original tri power air cleaner for no reason other than it was a smoking deal to put on the shelf.
     
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  8. There was a 4 door hardtop impala not to far from CJ's for years but disappeared within the last year or so. Guy wanted a fortune for it and had a lot of rot.
     
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  9. Moriarity
    Joined: Apr 11, 2001
    Posts: 35,864

    Moriarity
    SUPER MODERATOR
    Staff Member

    my car has its original drum brakes. The wheels have 2 1/2 backspace and there is zero rubbing. My car is lowered by cutting 2 coils in front
     
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  10. DDDenny
    Joined: Feb 6, 2015
    Posts: 21,489

    DDDenny
    Member
    from oregon

    I remember visiting CJ in the early 70's in ?Beaverton? I wasn't too far away from him either when mine was cruising the area, it was a cream puff until I sold it, this happened within months of the kid buying it.

    20160627_142351.jpg
     
  11. SS327
    Joined: Sep 11, 2017
    Posts: 3,605

    SS327

    Little shit!
     
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  12. Roothawg
    Joined: Mar 14, 2001
    Posts: 25,776

    Roothawg
    Member

    122?
     
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  13. DDDenny
    Joined: Feb 6, 2015
    Posts: 21,489

    DDDenny
    Member
    from oregon

    Good one Einstein!:D
     
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  14. Moriarity
    Joined: Apr 11, 2001
    Posts: 35,864

    Moriarity
    SUPER MODERATOR
    Staff Member

    I measured my car. 4 inches to the inside fender lip with a 14x6 2 1/2 backspace wheel. Your spindles and disc brakes mus have pushed it out quite a bit. I have heard of that problem before. A friend of mine had to raise the front of his 59 after putting disc brakes on it….. IMG_2825.png
     
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  15. Thanks for that info, yeah it seems that be the case, I had this happen with my C10 when I converted it over. I think once I get the 14s on the car I should be good as I am gaining another inch of clearance by going from a 7 to a 6 inch wheel.
     
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  16. Progress update with pictures finally! Whitewalls finally showed up, got the wheels painted last week with the nice weather here and got them mounted and stuck on the car today! Got some hubcap options we are thinking about at the moment so gonna think on it for a few days. I am really like the attitude change the car had going from the americans to the the steel wheels.

    483464071_18445709746076672_7940682324703443899_n.jpg

    482883181_18445709737076672_904372121692539536_n.jpg
     
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  17. Better pics on the street to check the rake. Thinking might lower the rear just a touch, but not much to get it dialed in. Need to pull the pumpkin out anyway as the rear has a slight noise and a leak to get fixed. So good time to lower it a touch.

    483011604_18445709710076672_2175100192344535529_n.jpg 483155752_18445709701076672_7507002346139211329_n.jpg 483165923_18445709680076672_3388563510346301138_n.jpg 483474389_18445709692076672_3920559138895458229_n.jpg 482808699_18445709719076672_123811354175051409_n.jpg
     
  18. While on the street, also blocked up to look at the lake plugs we plan on stick on the car to just get an idea. I had the rear of the old tube sitting on top of the exhaust pipe, the cap is about on the level of the actual exhaust, hence why its leaning down. These have been on the shelf a long time, but are gonna go on it just like the original 61 Impala had on it.

    482838577_18445709755076672_1335895976927993174_n.jpg 482877481_18445709764076672_4649740224533570592_n.jpg
     
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  19. Moriarity
    Joined: Apr 11, 2001
    Posts: 35,864

    Moriarity
    SUPER MODERATOR
    Staff Member

    so much better.....
     
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  20. I agree, lol. We went back and forth on the white wall width due to era of what the end goal would be, but went with 2 1/4" like what your car has and it looks perfect.
     
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  21. Moriarity
    Joined: Apr 11, 2001
    Posts: 35,864

    Moriarity
    SUPER MODERATOR
    Staff Member

    I think I would go with the 4 bar caps...
    61lancers.jpg
     
  22. I bought a set and they are ready to stick on, but grandpa wants to try a set of the poverty small caps first to save redoing paint.
     
  23. Moriarity
    Joined: Apr 11, 2001
    Posts: 35,864

    Moriarity
    SUPER MODERATOR
    Staff Member

    I personally don't understand the fascination with poverty caps these days. Back in the day it was the cheapest cars that came with them. I always wanted my cars to not look cheap..... but to each their own
     
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  24. Yeah I understand that. I’m the same way. I like the look when it’s a lower trim level/not a flashy car it can look good. Top of the line stuff needs nice full caps. I’m gonna start piecing a set of factory 61 caps to add spinners and make Super sport caps to have. I liked the looks of those as well.

    But my grandpa originally ordered his original 61 with the small caps. I think the dealer just swapped wheels off a biscayne on the lot because I think Impalas had to come with full caps.
     
  25. Moriarity
    Joined: Apr 11, 2001
    Posts: 35,864

    Moriarity
    SUPER MODERATOR
    Staff Member

    Now that you have proper wheels on it you should start a new thread on the main board....
     
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  26. redo32
    Joined: Jul 16, 2008
    Posts: 2,269

    redo32
    Member

    Grandpa is pretty smart! I always liked the "sleeper" look. I vote poverty caps. With the baby blue it screams "Little 'ol Lady". Then they look inside and see the 4 speed instead of a powerglide. Cool!
     
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  27. Well just complete one heck of a road trip. Drove from home over a 1000 miles to Wyoming to pickup this piece of gold for the 61. Picked up a pretty much complete 64 409 340hp engine. On the quick check over once getting home looks like we at worst got enough good parts to make our money back, but I think we landed a great base for a decently hopped up 409 for the 61. One nice thing was a freshly machined 427 crank to fit the 409 to make a stoker motor if we decide to go down that path. 495096491_18456143131076672_6921827211214950590_n.jpg 495187999_18456143122076672_739491659152687726_n.jpg 494674820_30277545641832468_5643863379460348299_n.jpg 494991248_30277546818499017_7477619811128933062_n.jpg 495133586_18456143110076672_6601370544997523713_n.jpg 495450982_30277547505165615_6871013415364053169_n.jpg 495777596_18456143140076672_634218435646629210_n.jpg
     

    Attached Files:

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  28. Forgot to update as well that back at the Portland swap meet picked up a mint dual quad intake for a 409 as well. We had picked up a pile of 409 parts awhile back that had a set of 690 big port heads.
    IMG_5205.jpeg
     
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  29. Glad to see you are putting the lakes caps back on, very period correct.
    Little fancier than the ones we used back in the 60's. 2" plumbing nipple with a threaded cap with piece of rebarb welded to it to knock the cap off and tighten back up.
    I think they still repop '57 Dodge Lancer 4 bars.
     
  30. the original 61 had “crossbar” caps not actual lancers, they are different. I already have a set of crossbar caps on the shelf ready to go.

    yeah the original had this style of cap at the time. I think my grandfather made the actual caps, but just painted them at the time. Yeah the car that followed the impala was a 57 Plymouth Fury that he used a gas neck for a lake plug, lol. Would go to the junk yard for gas caps and just replace them when they fell off.
     
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