Close, but in fact they did build a 2 door post Impala in 1961, the only year and not very damn many but they did build them. The have the same roof as the Bel Air and Biscayne 2 dr. sedans. The 6 cyls. were model no. 1711 and the 8's model 1811. That is straight off page 845 of the October 1, 1966 Chevrolet Parts P***enger Illustration and Special Information Catalog issued by the Chevrolet Motor Division. Oh yeah, in '62 you could get a 4 speed with 2 piece console behind any V-8 (Not sure about the 6, who would bother? ) and the automatic and 3 speed cloumn shift SS cars got the rear storage section of the console mounted between the buckets. Early cars got the cast iron TurboGlide. Late 327 automatic cars got the new aluminum Glide. No autos behind the '62 09's either. I'm no expert but I've owned 10 '62-'64's and parted out a few dozen others since 1973. That 4 door would bring decent money up here in the Rust Belt.
Yes, I was alive then, not that that matters. I know a ****load about WWII, the Civil War, and the Magna Carta, but I was not alive then. We move on... When you say "kits", that implies something that would be sent to dealers for installation, rather than an "in-the-trunk" add--on or the like. Since the option was available on ANY '61 Impala body style, the "kit" line makes no sense.
While it's true the '61 SS package was offered on all 5 Impala body styles according to sales brochures I have never seen or heard of any except the 2 Dr. Hdtps and convertibles. I had planned on building a clone at one time many years ago and did a lot of research into it, even went so far as buying the one year only '61 409 aluminum intake. ( Made out pretty good when I put that one on Ebay a couple years ago. ) It is VERY doubtful any 4 door Super Sports were every actually built, 4 door Impalas were family cars. There was also bit more to the option than just some badges , it included heavier duty supension and brakes and a grab handle mounted on the p***enger side dash. All production Super Sports in '61 had a bench seat. The SS package could also only be ordered with a 348 or 409 engine. Note, there was no Impala station wagon in '61, the top of the line wagon was the Nomad. From what I have read over the years there were some production line SS's but also some dealer conversions so both of you may be right. Or not..........
Not to hijack the thread and spoil the arguement, but that's a good look'n car. Who cares about how many doors? Here's a photo of my sons '62 Sport Sedan on it's way to Las Vegas.
A pretty definitive discussion at chevytalk on the '61 SS saga... http://www.chevytalk.org/fusionbb/showtopic.php?tid/198989/ I know for certain that there were/are two known '61 SS wagons - whether they were Impalas, Nomads or whatever doesn't really matter to me. The SS package was most definitely NOT a dealer-installed option package at any time, that's for certain.
Don't visit much since I bought the Stude but I've been a member at Chevy Talk since 2000, if Verne Frantz says "no dealer built SS's" that's good enough for me. However if you read down to 'real61ss's post and the quote from the GM memorandum he possesses it clearly states the SS option was NOT available on Nomad wagons. I also highly respect 'real61ss' and I am quite sure he has researched that fact seven ways from Sunday. Now back then you could get just about anything built you wanted if you had the right connections but an official GM memorandum is pretty hard to argue with without some pretty serious do***entation to the contrary. I can't say if they did or didn't but a '61 SS is too easy to clone and too damn hard to authenticate so unless I had been standing there when they came off the transporter in '61 you'll have to excuse my skepticism. Of course I turned 5 on Sept. 29th 1960 so I wouldn't have known what the Hell I was looking at anyway.
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