My 1964 Chevy Impala Convertible, 10 Years Over Due. · Aug 3, 11:21 AM

While leaving a cruise night last week, I found myself behind a 1964 Chevy Impala SS hardtop for most of my ride home. It was an amazingly beautiful car in every way, and yet, it hurt me to look at it. 2007 is the 10 year anniversary of me owning my 1964 Chevy Impala convertible project and Not driving it. It has driven approximately 10 miles since I took ownership of it in 1997. That means that I am averaging 1 mile per year, which is completely unacceptable and abysmal. So in response to all of the people harassing me about it, I have declared the last half of 2007 to be “get the Impala driving” time. By the end of this year I will have driven it at least 100 miles. My friends and family have heard this several times before, but this time it is true…. I swear. With my turbocharged truck driving, my motorcycle running great, and my daily driver still daily driving, it is finally time to play with my pride and joy again.

Before buying this dream car of mine, I had looked at dozens of Impalas. I liked all the years from 1958-1965, but I had my heart set on a 64 convertible. It is, in my opinion, the best Impala (and automobile) ever created. I didn’t care much about the engine or transmission, I just needed a solid (I use that term loosely) 64 Impala convertible base to start with. After months of car-hunting, I found exactly what I had been searching for. It was a one-owner car that had always been parked in a dirt floor garage, was only driven in the summer, and had 107,000 miles. It had it’s share of rot and dents, but the price was reasonable and I just had to have it. I towed it home soon after, removed the mouse nests, and washed about 5 years of dust off of it. I then tossed in a battery and got her 230 cubic inch straight 6 running again. Other than the exhaust leaks, it ran pretty well. At that point in time, I should have just fixed the brakes, patched the body and floors and started driving it, but I had a much worse plan. I decided that I wanted to start a frame-off restoration. Unfortunately, I was 15 years old and had no idea what I was getting into.

Millions of nuts, bolts and boxes of parts were removed and the body was gently lifted off. While looking at the rotted floors, quarters, fenders, doors, rockers and the rusty frame, it became very apparent that I was in way over my head. I didn’t own a welder at the time, nor did I know how to weld or do bodywork. I had a lot to learn in the years ahead.

Many years have since passed, it has traveled to 3 different homes, and here we are today, with the car about 80% back together. It is in about 4 different color primers, it runs, and it could drive, but it is far from “legal”. This late-summer, I am confident that I can get the metal straight enough to please the pickiest of Impala enthusiasts (myself). I will shoot it all in one color primer, and make it look presentable. I will then get all the lights working, and double check the new disc brakes that I installed years ago. Once that is all accomplished, I can finally stop my excuses, and the people hassling me, and cruise the open road with the top down. I want to drive it so badly it hurts.
Wish me luck!

— Jeremy Nutt

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Comment

  1. Ok Jeremy, if it wasn’t for me already seeing the car at your house, it could all be a phantomcar. LOL. Nobody here has seen my Vette either. Rumor has it that I had taken pics of someone elses car and call it my own. Good luck with yours. Looking forward to seeing it in the parking lot here at work…or better yet, local car show

    — Brian Freitas · Aug 6, 10:48 AM · #

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