2nd Time Around 1961 Impala

So last week my grandfather and I pooled our money together and bought back a car he had sold 12 years ago. This 1961 Impala 2 door hardtop. He had originally bought the car when I was in like 7th/8th grade and sold it back in 2012. It is a factory 348/4 speed car, but when he bought it, had a pretty hot 327 with tri power stuffed in it, but the bigger fuel line and how it was routed was still big block, even had the correct cross flags in the grille. Over the first time ownership we swapped the 327 for a correct 61 348, done up with tri power and swapped to power front disc brakes. Guy we sold the car to added the grille and bumper guards and moved the antenna off the front fender for the dual rears. He also added power steering to the car and then just let it sit for the last decade. If he put 300 miles on it I would be shocked.

This car also has all the pieces of a factory Super Sport car and I dont think this car has been cloned into one. Everything is correct 61 stuff and then the dash also has never had the holes filled for the cross flags the non Super Sport cars got. If it is a clone, its was done by parting a real car out at some point.

Plan is to just do some maintenance to enjoy it the rest of the summer. Then this winter, yank the 348 back out to detail it again and clean the engine bay, lower the nose down a little, put a new carpet in it, change the wheels and tires and if we have time, remove the dummy antenna and leave just the working one as well as taking off the grille and bumper guards, the car has nice 1 piece bumpers on it.

 

This car is special to my grandfather as back in 1961 he ordered a brand new impala right out of high school. It was the same color combo, 348 and a 4 speed like this current one. Although the one he ordered was the top dog 350hp 348, while this one is currently just a 280hp tri power motor. This was the car he met and dated my grandmother in and then sold when they got engaged to not have a car payment to have money for rent and the wedding.

Here are a few pictures of the original car.

 

If those were TTO’s, I’d say leave them, but since they’re TTII’s I’d change them too. I might would leave the dummy antenna too. Used to see them with duals like that when I was a kid, always thought they were cool.

 

I wouldn't touch anything on it !!
6sally6

 

yeah neither my grandpa and I have never been dual antenna fans, always looked like it was a boat trolling for fish, lol. Plus for me growing up the dual antennas and all the guards was something only the lowrider guys with the hydraulics and dayton wires had.

Yeah if they were TTO's or just 15 inch TTII's I would be okay with them, but these are 16 inch. I have a set of 15x7 TTO's on my 33 pickup, might put one on the car to see how it looks, I am leaning towards chrome reverse wheels and spider caps.

 

The one in my avatar was a 4 speed 350 HP tri power. Unfortunately we hit a bridge in it in 1970

 

Man thats a beauty. West coast car? LOVE the pics of your Grandads Impala, the one he bought new. Are those Olds caps?? 350hp 348 has gotta be pretty rare even then. Dig the dumps behind the front wheels

Even better, he's still alive and you two bought his 'second' 61 back. Get some chrome reverse on it or even the whitewall/hubcap combo that the original car had and you're in business!!

 

yeah car is a west coast lifer. Built at Van Nuys, spent time in eastern Oregon before it came up to Portland when they bought it the first time and it’s been up here since.

The 4 bar caps were dodge lancers, olds were 3.

yeah he was the only 350hp motor in town, closest one was about 2 hours drive away at that time. Even today finding the correct heads is a tough task as they were a one year only hear, but a 340hp 409 head had the same valve sizes.

yeah leaning heavy on some reverse wheels, then I definitely want to get some dumps welded on. I have a set I just to get some caps for to add to it.

 

Awesome story and awesome car. I love x-frame Chevys. But I think 61 is by far my favorite year. I vote chrome reverse and white walls.. A 6.70-15 Goodyear like this would be killer on it.

 

Spent the day today finally cleaning up the car and doing some overdue maintenance on it. Changed the oil, greased the front end, check the fluid in everything else. Finally took some pictures of the rest of the car as well. Have found that either some valve guides or seats have gone bad on the driver side as it puffs a little smoke when you first fire it up. Plan was to pull the motor anyway this winter to detail it, so will tackle that then. Also found today that one of the lower A arm bushing was left loose at some point and the bolt, washer and rubber has just fallen out, so will be fixing that once parts get here. Now thinking of sticking some dropped spindles in it while having to tear the front end apart.

 

Nice ride! Not the correct shade of blue for your collection

 

it’s blue enough, lol. It’s about the same color as our 55 Chevy. Sometimes have to go a little wild with the color, lol

 

Nice.

 

Wild? Don't get crazy now.

 

That's a pretty nice car, I'd leave the dual antennas, but that's just me.

 

Beautiful car.

 

Got all the maintenance done on the car that had been neglected. Found one A arm bushing had disappeared so had to tear that apart to get a new one in and back together. Still fixing a few things, but gonna take it out tomorrow for a longer shakedown run to a local cars and coffee event and a bbq at a friends house. Basically have the car decent enough to finish the summer up events with and then this winter the motor needs to come out for a full overhaul and add a few more ponies to it.

 

First weekend out for the 61, had some fun at a local cars and coffee, then went off to a good buddies place for a birthday party car show.

 

Very nice car.
I would replicate your Grandfather's original one. The stance, wheel/hubcap, and tire combo is spot on. So cool!

 

Me too, I’m a fan of dual antennas.

 

not much to update recently, been getting the game plan for this winter and starting to collect parts. Fuel pump died on a drive a couple weeks ago on the way home, was able to limp it home with a mcguyvered in electric pump. Got a new pump on it for the remaining few shows of the season. Have been looking for a set of the big 348 heads to make a 350hp clone, but have a good lead on a 63 409/340hp engine. So could be building a 409 to shove in the car this winter and with it being a 340hp can still keep the tri power.

Then we have finally decided on wheels. After looking at the old pics of the first car, decided to go with steel wheels and the old cross bar hubcaps. Also found a set of lake plugs in our stash to put those on as well with the new motor, so basically now the plan is to recreate the original car, it just looked too cool to me.

 

Not much to update recently. Took the car for a quick drive I’ve the weekend to finally test the new fuel pump and everything is good for now. Still working on getting that 409, just trying to figure out the best way to get it back to our place.

forgot I took these photos of a recent show where my grandpa and I each took a car. I drove the 61 and he took the 55 Chevy.

 

Well as it was a super nice day today and probably the last one for awhile here in the PNW, got the 61 out with my good camera for a quick photoshoot as the car currently sits as we are gearing up for changing the wheels and tires, stance and some other general clean up. Figured it would be good to have some "before" photos of the car. Plus any excuse to drive this thing because its such a nice riding car.

 

Chrome reverse would look killer on that car

 

yeah we are going between a set of those or steel wheels and the crossbar hubcaps to recreate the look of the photos of the original car my grandparents dated in. We cant make up our minds.

 

Going through a old flash drive, found the few photos I took of the 61 the first time we owned the car.

 

Also ordered and received the new drop spindles for the front of the car. Going to be putting those on the car and then nail down the wheel sizes and backspace for the new wheels. The chrome reverse option has taken the lead again. We keep going back and forth.

 

Well a little update on the whole wheel/tire thing. Swapped the stock spindles for 2" drop units since the car has already been converted to disc. While trying to figure out wheels, we looked through out stash and discovered that we somehow ended up with 2 14x6 disc brake steel wheels off of some early/mid 70s Chevy. So once spindles were all in place and done, tried the 14 and found they do clear the caliper so got our front wheels now. Need to pick up another set of 6's or probably just gonna get a couple 14x7 from summit to get a little more meat out back. Then only need to nail down the white wall size and then scoop up some cross bar hubcaps and its one step closer to looking like the old photos of the original 61.

 

Man, those old pics are awesome.

I love 61s. My brother had one in hs. I have the 283 out of it in my 64. I also have a 348 in the shed I pulled from a 57 LCF moving truck.

It's going to look great with the steelies and www.

 

Not much to update with the 61. The water pump failed, just got done replacing that. Getting ready to tear the pumpkin out of the rear end as its got a howl in it and was leaking so time to reseal and maybe change the gears. Now have a complete set of 14" steel wheels for the car. Just waiting for some warmer weather to get them painted.