1960 Chevy Impala Tri-Power Barn Find

Great LakesClassic Cars

Proudly Presents

1960 Chevrolet Impala

2-Door Hardtop

348ci Tri-Power

Let's start off by saying that this is one of the coolest cars to grace the 'ol bowtie logo.

Swooping lines that flatten out at the rear with distinct "flat fins". quad light jeweled front end. exhaust exits behind rear tires and yes they are factory duals. and of course not to mention the postless side profile of this boulevard cruiser.

The 1960 Impala solidifies it's place in automotive history as both classy and old school muscle.

This particular vehicle was acquired from a much larger collection of cars that had been parked inside a dry building for many many years dorment.

We were fortunate to pick the best of them and this Impala is exactly that.

Once we got it moved we started the assessment process. what does it need to bring it back to life and documenting the condition of it.

Here are the findings and what we did.

The exterior sports it's original Black paint and it's in driver quality condition with some peeling. fading. nbsp;and crackling. We chose to clean and polish leaving it with age and patina.

The interior is all original and extremely well preserved from the seats. rugs. headliner. dash. and steering wheel. The Impala looks great on the inside.

Body is straight with some rust (minimal) on the lower rear quarter by the driver's side wheel opening.   We noticed the floor pan towards the very back by the rear seat floors is a bit soft and eventually you may want to patch or replace that part of the pan.

The trunk has evidence of some mesh patching near the rear tail panel. we have no idea when or why that was done. otherwise the rest of it is still in very good shape.

All the Glass is in excellent shape!  Windows roll up and down with ease and there's no sign of any problems or work needed there.

The stainless on this Impala is extensive and in incredible condition.

We were amazed that once we got power to it. all the lights including the interior courtesy lights all work!

Wheels and covers are original to the car and we replaced the old wide white wall tires with new Coker Wide Whites.

The "GM" stamped 3 Carb setup obviously needed some work from sitting so long that it either required rebuilding or replacing.   We chose to accurately rebuild the carbs to factory specs with a factory rebuild kit. (not cheap).

We had the original heads sent to our machine shop so that they could be freshned and re-installed keping it all original.

Replaced the fuel pump. a few lines. oil change. and etc. All minor things as to not interfere with the authenticity of this fine automobile.

The fact that this is a Black on Black with the desirable Tri-power drivetrain only adds to an already very desirable car.

we went just far enough with it so that you can enjoy driving it as is and go as far as you want with restoration as you deem desired. These cars are worth the money either way and obviously the more authentic and restored they are the more they are worth.   Definitely an investment that can enjoyed now and for many years to come while you watch it appreciate further in value.

All in all we are amazed of how well this car has help up and been preserved all this time.  

We have enjoyed tinkering with it and having it as part of our collection.  Now it's your turn!

A bit of Impala History as offered by conceptcarz. com --- enjoy.

Noted as one of Chevrolet's most historic vehicles. the Impala has been an American legend for decades. Setting a standard in comfort and value. the Impala seemed to set the bar for the American muscle car. A full-size sedan built by the Chevrolet division of General Motors. the Impala was introduced for the 1958 model year. The Impala was Chevrolet's priciest passenger model through 1965 and became the best-selling full-size vehicle in the U. S. It's main competition was the Ford Galaxie 500 and the Plymouth Fury during a time when full-size models dominated the market. It's success forced Chevrolet to separate it into its own separate model. The Impala underwent many distinct styling phases that included iconic grilles and wild rear ends over its production lifetime.

First used for the full-size 1956 General Motors Motorama show car. the Impala name was used on a car that featured Corvette-like design cues. especially on the grille. With hardtop styling the car was painted emerald green metallic and had a white interior. This show car is thought to have not survived. A basic packaging and dimension was established by Clare MacKichan's design team along with designers from Pontiac for their shared 1958 GM 'A' body in June. In October. GM Styling vice president Harley Earl caught a glimpse of the first styling sketch that would directly influence the finished Chevrolet product. The basic design came seven months later.

Beginning its life as a high-end Bel Air. the Impala name was derived from the South African antelope. The Bel Air Impala was only available in Sport Coupe or convertible models and was a departure from the standard Chevys of the day with its longer rear deck. shorter greenhouse and lower setting on an X-type frame. The '58 Chevrolet Bel Air Impala differed structurally from typical Chevrolets of the day. Though the overall length was identical. the wheelbase of the Impala was longer than the lower priced models. Deeply sculptured rear fenders replaced the sharp tailfins of the 1957 models. Soon becoming an Impala hallmark would be three taillights on each side. while lesser models had two and wagons had just one. 1958 would bring with it the first dual headlamps to the Impala.

The top model featured many innovative features like a two-spoke steering wheel. iconic three-circle taillights. color-keyed door panels with brushed aluminum trim and roof simulator extractor vents. With a pricetag that started at $2. 86. the buyers could choose to power the Impala from a 245-cubic-inch Blue Flame I6. 283-cubic-inch Turbo-Fire V8 or a 348-cubic-inch Turbo-Thrust V8 engine. A new chassis with rails laid out in the form of an elongated 'X' replaced the standard perimeter-type frame. Chevrolet claimed that this new frame allowed for more torsional rigidity and a lower. roomier interior design.

Advertised as 'lets you know you're the boss. the Impala truly lived up to its motto for many years. A total of 125. 80 Sport coupes were produced and 55. 89 convertibles. which made up 15 percent of sales production. No other series except the Impala offered a convertible. The Impala was Chevrolets introduction into the mid-price field. even though it brought with it a somewhat radical design. The Impala was marketed as 'quick' with 'eager-to-please' handling.

Ramjet fuel injection was offered as an option for the Turbo-Fire 283 V8 engine in 1957. Today the 1958 Impalas equipped with this exclusive option are considered highly collectible. Instead of the old rear leaf springs. all Chevrolets had a full-coil or air ride suspension. Without any loss in headroom. a new 'Safety Girder' X-type frame helped reduced the height in the Impala. Ranging from 185 to 290 hp a 283 cu in (4. 40 cc) engine became the standard V8 engine. A new engine option was a big-block 348 cu in (5. 00 cc) Turbo-Thrust V8. producing 250 hp. 280 hp or 315 hp. Chevrolet production sales were improved by the 1958 Chevrolet Bel Air Impala during the recession year.

The Impala broke away to become its own standing model in 1959 and featured an incredible redesign that made it one of the most distinct-looking vehicles in American vehicle history. The Impala was defined by Ed Cole. Chevrolet's chief engineer in the late 1950s. as a 'prestige car within the reach of the average American citizen. ' The new Impala was nearly two inches longer and had a rear 'bat wing' lid with 'cat eye' sideways teardrop taillights that flowed with the protruding lid. A more spaced grille and long drawn-out eyebrow air intakes that no longer stretched over the headlights was front and center and gave the Impala a leaner. sleeker look.

In part of a GM economy move. the Impala shared bodyshells with lower-end Oldsmobiles. Buicks and Pontiacs. Riding a wheelbase 1-1/2 inches longer than before. the Impala was now on top of a new X-frame chassis with a three-inch lower roof and a two-inch wider body. Curb weight was increased because of all of these modifications.

The Impala name was made into a full lineup that included a four-door hardtop. four-door sedan. two-door Sport Coupe and convertible. With a 'virtually unlimited rear view' Sport Coupes had shortened roofline and wrap-over back window that perfectly accessorized the new compound-curve windshield. The Sport Sedan was hardtop and featured a large. pillar-free back window and 'flying wing' roofline.

The base V8 engine was the same 283 cu in (4. 40 cc) as before. at 185 horsepower. Buyers itching for performance could opt for the 280 cu in outputs to 290 hp. or the big block 348 cu in (5. 00 cc) V8 engine up to 315 hp. The Impala convertible was priced at $2. 49 with a six-cylinder engine. and $2. 67 powered by a V8. Impalas featured top of the line features like electric clock. dual sliding sun visors. front and rear armrests and crank-operated front ventipanes. Deep-set gauges were housed in a contoured instrument panel below hoods that prevented sun glare. A new option was a Flexomatic six-way power seat. and a 'Speedminder' device that allowed for pre-set speed setting by the driver and a buzzer that would sound once the speed was exceeded.

For 1960 Chevrolet toned down the Impala look a little bit and made the design a bit more conservative. Three modestly sized round taillights were placed on each side of the Impala and the nostril air intakes above the headlights were deleted entirely. With more than 490. 00 Impalas produced for 1960. compared to nearly 60. 00 built in its debut year. the Impala may have featured more chrome than Bel Airs or Biscaynes but it seemed to work in its favor as it was America's No. 1 seller. The 1960s model had a white band running along the rear fender along with nonfunctional air intake scoops and the slogan. 'Space. Spirit. Splendor'. Leading the Impala lineup at $2. 47 was the Convertible Coupe. followed by the Hardtop Sport Sedan. Sport Coupe. and Four-Door Sedan.

Seven V8s in 283-cu in or 348-cu in size drive train choices were offered this year with the top choice being the 348 cu in Super Turbo-Thrust Special which breathed through triple two-barrel carbs and used 11. 25:1 compression and dual exhausts that produced 335 hp. Less robust versions of the 348 produced 250 to 320 hp and the carbureted Turbo-Fire 283 cu in V8vould have either 170 or 230 hp. Fuel-injection wasn't offered anymore on full-size Chevrolets. Speed and cruise control were added to the options list. a first for such a device being offered on a low-price automobile.

Thank you for looking at our listing.

Good luck bidding!

If you have any questions about this or

any of our other auctions

please feel free to contact us

via e-mail sales@glclassiccars. com

or you can call us at (800) 510-3797.

Thank you for your interest and 

we look forward to hearing from you.

Accent Stripes

Body Side Moldings

Chrome Bumper

Cloth Upholstery

Courtesy Lights

Dual Exhaust

Floor Mats

Rear-Wheel Drive

Three on the tree Manual Transmission

V-Style Engine

This vehicle is being sold as is. where is with no warranty. expressed written or implied. The seller shall not be responsible for the correct description. authenticity. genuineness. or defects herein. and makes no warranty in connection therewith. No allowance or set aside will be made on account of any incorrectness. imperfection. defect or damage. Any descriptions or representations are for identification purposes only and are not to be construed as a warranty of any type. It is the responsibility of the buyer to have thoroughly inspected the vehicle. and to have satisfied himself or herself as to the condition and value and to bid based upon that judgement solely. The seller shall and will make every reasonable effort to disclose any known defects associated with this vehicle at the buyer's request prior to the close of sale. Seller assumes no responsibility for any repairs regardless of any oral statements about the vehicle.

Winning bidder must contact us within 24 hours of auction end. and make arrangements for payment at that time. A $500. 00 deposit is due within 24 hours of end of auction. The remainder is due within 3 business days of Auction end. If no contact is made within 24 hours we reserve the right to re-list the vehicle. sell it to the next high bidder. or sell it otherwise. Most banks and credit unions do not finance vehicles older than 1995 or with more than 100K miles. Make sure if financing. your financial institution accepts the year and miles of this vehicle before bidding. Please arrange financing prior to bidding.

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Also published at eBay.com

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