A 1966 LHD Original Chevrolet Impala

[anjan_c2007]

This is a 1966 model LHD Chevrolet Impala now with my friend who is a

garage owner here at Nagpur with a Mumbai registration.The car "Impala"

is named by GM after the southern African antelope with this name.

This car has the straight six original petrol engine.The dash is fully

original. The seat fabric is original.The door trims too are original.

Lastly, the paint is fully original since 43 years! No doubt the car

has some corrosion in its bodywork.The mechanical work is being done at

the workshop to restart the engine.

Notice the Impala logo on the steering console (horn button) and on this picture above.

[sarabjeet]

ahh beauty , my dad use to own one in the 80's , he still talks about the beauty and the pleasure of riding it.

 

@DD , can u tell me how much your friend got it for ?

[designersf]

I absolutely love this car and would have picked it up at the first instance if I came across one! I'm still looking for one in Chennai though. The pillarless doors are spectacular as are the horizontal speedo. Timeless classic. By the way how much did you pick it up for?

[anjan_c2007]

Thanks sarabjeet and designersf.I am not aware about the cost paid but will post it soon.

Meanwhile some technical details for information about the six cyl 1966 Impala:

Pictures from the oldride website of perfect examples

Chassis Data

Model / Wheelbase / Overall Length/ Width / Front / Rear Treads/Tires

Chevrolet / 119 in 213.2 in / 79.6 in / 61.5 in/ 62.4in / 7.35 x

14/8.55X14

More information about the straight six 1966 Impala from the hemmings website:

The buyer of a new 1965 Impala had a choice of 10 engines including the standard 230-cu.in., 140hp straight-six.

By 1966 the choice narrowed down to seven engine options. The beauty of

the Impala was that Grandma could order an economy car with a straight

six-cylinder engine and three-speed manual transmission or Powerglide;

and those looking for performance could order one of two big-block

V-8s, a 396- or 409-cu.in. engine, even in a four-door Biscayne, the

lowest-priced of the full-size Chevrolets, and have it bolted to a

four-speed transmission. The VIN tag that is riveted to the driver's

side door post will tell you what model the car was originally. For

example, if the first five numbers are "16867," you will know that it

is a true 1966 Impala SS convertible. There is also a cowl tag below

the windshield on the driver's side, which states where the car was

built and gives the paint code and trim. Brent Barrett, a technical

advisor on 1966 full-sized Chevrolets for the National Impala

Association, says some factories, like St. Louis, included a list of

options on the cowl tag, while other factories did not.

The

cylinder heads themselves are strong iron pieces that rarely ever see

head gaskets fail, unless the engine has been severely overheated. The

engines were well designed, but given the state of technology at the

time, including lubrication qualities and out-of-tune carburettors,

many engines need a rebuild after 100,000 miles.

The standard braking system on 1965 and 1966 Impalas was a

four-wheel-hydraulic 11-inch drum setup, front and rear. The total

swept braking area was 328.3 inches. While certainly not

state-of-the-art at the time, the brake system was adequate, and if

properly maintained, rarely failed. The standard 14-inch wheels were

pressed steel with drop-center rims and were fitted with 8.25 x 14-inch

bias-ply tires.

Like all big Chevys of the 1960s, the Impala utilized an independent

front suspension that featured unequal-length A-arms with ball joints,

direct-acting shocks inside heavy-duty coil springs, and a stabilizer

bar. Due to their size and weight, Impalas are known for wearing out

lower ball joints, even with regular lubrication. The original ball

joints were riveted on at the factory, so if you find a car with

bolt-in type, they've been replaced. The upper ball joints, however,

last nearly forever.

The rear suspension is stout and has a rigid axle, coil springs,

direct-acting shocks and a lateral control bar. The bodies on 1965 and

1966 Impalas were rugged, but as with most 1960s cars, they are prone

to rust. Steve Leuing, the National Impala Association and Vintage

Chevrolet Club of America's technical advisor for 1965 full-size

Chevrolets, says the biggest area of concern is body and frame rust.

"Unfortunately, because of the nature of the construction of these

cars, they are very prone to rusting in front, above and behind the

rear-wheel opening, wheel wells, floors, trunk pan and gutters at the

base of the windshield," Steve says. Convertibles are susceptible to

severe rust in the front and rear floor pan because water doesn't get

channeled out properly. However, one area of these cars, the rocker

panels, remains solid unless exposed repeatedly to salt-covered roads.

This is due to "flush and dry" rocker panels, which were designed to

allow water to flow through, followed by a burst of air to dry out the

remaining moisture. The door hinges were built like Fort Knox, but

after 40 years, the bushings may need replacing.

[CYRUS43]

Absolutely brilliant. Though I would prefer an earlier finned Impala to this. This is more of a butch sort of car.

[sgiitk]

I have fond memories of this model. My uncle used to own a sky blue one of the same model. That one had initially Bihar numbers, which later were changed to Delhi as he moved from Patna to Delhi.  

[anjan_c2007]

Thanks Cyrus and sgiitk.The car's mechanicals are being worked upon to make it fit for use.Seems it was off road for quite a few years.

[anjan_c2007]

Again took the car's pictures with the OE wheel caps on. I lifted these

wheel caps (with real spokes affixed on the wheel cap rim) and believe

me- each one weighs maybe as much as a Maruti 800 rim (without the

tyre/tube)! The original chrome is quite intact here with some little

signs of rusting only in a few places.

[designersf]

Hey Anjan, any news about this Impala? What is its present condition?

[anjan_c2007]

designersf the owner was negotiating with someone in Kolkata who may buy it perhaps. The 6 cyl engine has fired up now. Indeed, I was often seeing the gigantic Rochester carburettor being readied for the engine firing D day.

Also saw the RC/TC book. The car is an import and came to Mumbai in 1967. It was imported by an industrialist. Thereafter in the 1970's it was sold to the business family of the sister of Mr Prafulla Patel, Union Minister. This family resides in Chandrapur.It was garaged by them maybe a decade back and was kept as original.

That explains the mystery (was asked this question by many as it has a Bombay registration) as to why it was not dieselised or why it did not land up with Bombay film wallahs to end up being bashed up or burnt in some movie? It was 1200 kms away from Bombay and in safe custody.

anjan_c20072010-01-25 10:59:18

[designersf]

Thanks man. That was a quick response. Good to know that the vehicle is back to running condition. Good to hear that Bollywood hasnt burned it down! Any other cars you know of?

[linheli]

Post deleted.

Member Banned.BornFree2011-08-13 04:01:13