Customs My 1961 Impala

I had never done a thread on my 61 , so I figured I would look thru some old pics and make a thread that goes back to when I bought it in January of 1984.
It started with me playing bingo at the little 6 bingo palace at the Indian reservation in Shakopee Mn. The game was called Mega bingo and was played over closed circuit tv with other bingo places all over the country. The game was cover the entire board in 50 numbers or less for a half a million dollars. when we got to the 47th number, I only needed one more. They called my winning number on the 51st number so I missed the half million by one number but I did win 5 Grand as a consolation prize. I immediately put a 61 Impala hardtop wanted ad in the Mpls sunday paper and received a call from a guy in Andover Mn that had a 61 Bel Air ht for 900 bucks. I went to look and it was a little more ragged than I wanted to start with and I told him so. He said, I have an Impala that I had shipped here from Bakersfield Ca but I am going to Pro street it (gasp) He took me to the other garage to see it and I asked him if he would sell it and he said he would. 59,000 actual miles, 348 Turboglyde perfect virgin floors... 3800 bucks. here are a few pics after the rollback dropped it off that day

 

I rebuilt the engine myself and had removed the front clip so that I could clean and paint the front part of the frame. Also the 6x2 Edelbrock intake that I purchased at a swap meet for 50 bucks (NOS) went on at this time. Also the TG was swapped out for a turbo 350

 

I drove it around with primer spots for a number of years. Here is a picture from when it had 15x6 and 15x8.5 americans. I knew early on that this was not the look I was after on this car..

 

I scrounged up a used set of whitewalls and 3 bar spinners and my 10 dollar NOS swap meet Lee lenses and I was on the right track

 

"big mess, big success"

 

Paint came in 1995, after I have had the car more than 10 years. Paint and bodywork was done by Lakeland auto body. This was before I learned how to do body and paintwork. The car was originally Honduras maroon but there were no urethane paints avail in that color. It Autumn Maple poly, a 1985 ish Oldsmobile color. I brought the car home to do the reassembly myself. The Cal Custom grille I bought at the 1994 KKOA leadsled show swap meet (Huntsville Alabama) for 100 bucks. The side trim is anodized aluminum on these cars and I don't think there were reproductions at the time. I had 4 parts cars, (yes Impala hardtops for 100 bucks or so each) that I cut up for parts. I sent almost enough side trim to Butches trim in Milwaukee to do 5 cars and got enough back to put a nice set on this car.

 

I don't have that welder anymore. that was 39 years ago... I have a Miller now

 

first show at the Gsta rod and custom spectacular in 1995. the lower pic is cavalcade of customs at the world of wheels in St Paul in 1996. this is the interior that was in the car when I got it

 

Here it is at the 1996 GSTA show, this is the same show that I Debuted the restored Ed Roth Rotar

 

Here is a pic from the late 90's in Hub Harness back yard and at the Last run in Ark city

 

no, you may be right, looks kkoa

 

Then in 1999 the real magic came in the form of pearl white rolled and pleated upholstery done by Bob Holland. the design I ripped off from a drawing in rod and custom magazine done by Steve Stanford, he was apparently going to use it in a 58 chev. The interior and the Chrome reverse wheels that were a 50 dollar (for all 4) purchase at a swap meet completely changed the car. here are some pics from about 2000 when Custom rodder was shooting a feature on the car. That is Jerry Weesner sitting with me while I filled out the data sheet and you can see Darryl Arment shooting in the background

 

here is the custom Rodder article on my car