Hot Rods 61 Impala SS (four door)

Gotta have the an original article in order to create a tribute/clone. Sooo...
That said, I do admire your persistence! Now a 'what if...' build would be a different story!
Enjoy when this thread pops back up outta the blue!

 

This discussion reminds me of the story behind the 1967 Ford Country Squire station wagon that Tom Cotter of Barn Find Hunter fame used to own. It came from the factory with a 428, four speed, bucket seats and console. The original owner went to the dealer to order it and was told it couldn't be done, but he got the phone number of Lee Iacocca, called him up and Lee said OK.

Probably the only way a 1961 SS four door could have been made would have been through a similar call to the president of Chevrolet.

 

I'm going to put in an order for a time machine first!

 

I think if a person knew the right person at Chevrolet it could have happened.

 

Thinking if GM was going to get more interest in this thing they may have geared up to build some, don't think they could justify building onesy twoseys as orders came in.
I have a feeling some rogue engineer and an overzelous advertising/marketing guy got a little ahead of the sign-off guy before sending the order out for literature.
IF one upper management head wanted one for "his wife" I can see just one being built, that did happen from time to time from what I've read.
At this stage it's just a pipe dream for some nostalgic types like us to make a deal out of it.

 

usually the marketing department would be kind of guessing at some things as they had to be ahead of final decisions on the details of a new model. You can see that often with the ads and brochures during model year change. I know of good ones with the Camaro, in 68 they showed a 68 Super Sport Camaro with a 327 (never officially built, the L30/M20 cars were an oddball) Then there is a 69 Camaro in the "new for 1970" lineup as the 70 Camaro was delayed half a year with panel die stamp issues.

Then usually the ones off's were build by engineering to showoff to the higher up that had the power to approve things they wanted to do. Great case of this is the only first gen Z/28 convertible ever built. It is a 1968 car with loads of prototype 1969 stuff they wanted to run in the next year and Pete Estes only drove convertibles.

So if a 4 door SS had been built I could see it then being as a test mule of some kind to either get approval for parts for 1962 or something that would have flown under the radar of people at the time over a bubbletop or drop top car.

 

You never know what folks ordered from the factory back then. A guy called me the other day with a '68 442 for sale, tucked away for 40 years. Mind you bucket seats were standard equipment, this "rag top" 442 (VIN verified) was ordered with a split back bench seat (a credit was issued) and a column shift TH400 automatic.

 

Reason enough!

 

I don’t get the comments about “onsey twoseys” or a “four door test mule”, yes, the suspension and brakes were upgraded but it was basically a trim package. All the SS parts were in the system already, if a customer wanted one it was a simple matter to fulfill the order.
Along the lines of the 442 @Bandit Billy just mentioned I factory ordered a ‘73 Cutl*** S, 350/4spd and a bench seat. Something like 397 4 speed Cutl***’s were built, 442’s, Supremes and S coupes, I did see a Supreme once and I’ve wondered how many 4 speed S coupes with a bench were built.

 

Tap Tap Tap
Is this thing on?

 

Over the years I've had people try to convince me my own ot supercharged car was either a super rare option car or a lost factory prototype.....even after I usually tell them I built it. Not a lot is factory on it. Always amazed the O'Reilly guys when I'd ask for a part that actually matched the ***le lol

 

As for my $0.02 on original question. Often packages were actually available. But none were ordered. Most guys wanting a 409/4 speed as in 61 would have wanted a two door. If they wanted a four door they wanted under the radar so they likely wouldn't want stuff like SS emblems etc drawing attention.

 

I would agree with that as the SS option was similar to the Z/28 on Camaro, when you checked the box for the option, it then auto checked a whole list of other options that would have driven the cost up to where it would not make sense for a family car. Granted in 61, really the only people getting a 409 were racers as they only produced 142 409 cars in 61 regardless if it was a Impala, bel air or biscayne.

I have heard multiple times over the years that during the model change between 61 and 62, dealers would add the SS emblems and the grab bar to left over cars to try and help sell the leftover inventory. Never had then anyone back that up with a do***ented car with that done. At this point if there ever was a true 4 door Super Sport, its probably been used as a parts car for all the SS stuff on a convertible or bubble top Impala.

 

Just like everything you see on the Internet isn’t true, not everything some magazine wag pens is true, either.

The Hemmings guys must be employing AI, just like all those factually incorrect YouTube videos out there now. No fact checking, whatsoever.

 

I looked at the factory brochure information at oldcarbrochures.org. A bench seat option was shown in the salesman data for the 4-4-2, it was a $68.46 credit. I once owned a '65 Grand Prix that had a bench seat, I've seen other cars like Camaros and Mustangs so equipped. While it was unusual it wasn't rare, and not the sort of thing that would have required a special order or anything.

 

A good friend of mine had an unrestored 64 Impala SS years ago that had a 3 speed on the column. Ig was a buckets/console car and had a block off plate where the shifter arm would have been.

Does anyone remember the issue of Super Chevy that had a fuely 57 Sport Sedan in it? I thought there was a 61 Impala sport sedan in it with the SS package...

 

I posted back on page 2 post 34 and nothing as far I know has changed since. Still I don't remember 61 SS Impalas much at all and at least in my hood they weren't a big thing or we just thought as them as Impalas. 62 with the 327 or 409, those were big things around here. Still to me the 61 Impala 2 door hardtop was one of the best looking full size Chevys ever built.