then back in 2015 I finally changed the Lee lenses for a set from a 61 Pontiac. people had been telling me for years that they couldn't see my brake lights on a sunny day
then last summer I finally ripped that girls transmission out and put in a 4 speed. I also made up a laminated acrylic yo yo shift knob to match the dash knobs I made 30 years prior. I also put a vintage Hurst boot that I modified with a white boot from a 2004 GTO of all things
the last thing I changed on it is I put on a set of Radir checkered flag tread cheater slicks 7.75x14
this car is going to have a 40th birthday at my house in January, best part is that I never went back to the bingo casino and I still have the car! win, win....
Consider this 1 big LIKE on the whole gig. Love that car. I'd change 2 things, the name on the title and give it 4 headlights. I'm not usually a "...would like to have that.." about someone else's car but you have 2 of em. I'd have to arm wrestle myself to pick 1, and not sure if this or the 40 would win. Funny thing is I don't like maroon/burgundy shades but I always gave em both a pass. They wouldn't be the same without. And I never hated the 2 lights on the 61, I just prefer the 4 look more. Your Impala is a benchmark in my opinion, can't say it any better. Thanks for the story...
Hey, I've got a set of big and little weld drag lites that would look the bomb on that car cheap! Or maybe put em on your S-10?
http https://www.jalopyjournal.com/forum/styles/hamb/xenforo/clear.png s://www.jalopyjournal.com/forum/styles/hamb/xenforo/clear.png Man, that McPhail signboard is waaaay cool! The Impala ain't bad either.
haha, they were just to hold it together for the pic. here is the thread I did on the white boot project https://www.jalopyjournal.com/forum/threads/white-shift-boot-for-my-impala.1288139/
Crazy to think that car was only 23 years old when you got it. 23 year old cars today (2000) are boring and suck.
I tell you what, back in the eighties we did not know how good we had it. great swap meets, 20 yr old cars were cool, not worn out and affordable and 50-100 dollar parts cars.....
One of my top custom cars, mild or full, and a big inspiration for the plans I have laid out for my '58 Impala!! Thanks for sharing, some cool pics I haven't seen yet.
Well, I mostly agree with this statement. But, that daily I ended up with recently is neither. And, thanks for the back story Mark! Very cool 61 which has been one of my favorites for a long time. I tried to buy a 61 Biscayne about 30 years ago for quite a while but never got it bought.
the last time I saw the shop half of Marks operation it wasn’t to far off of that. Like the sign said “big mess big success”
Lmao!! Drive down and help me swap em out I just dropped off the cragars at a buddies shop to get em sandblasted, gotta paint em.
When I was growing up, a guy down the road had a red and white 61 bubble top with a wicked big block, 4 speed, and Cragar SS wheels. He beat on it all the time, usually getting rubber in every gear. I haven’t seen the car in years, and he passed away a few years ago, so don’t know what happened to it. I tried to talk him out of it after I was old enough to drive, he said he’d be buried in it, for all I know he may have been. It made an impression on a 13 year old gearhead. It was a hot rod for sure.
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