96 Impala SS

What does it take for a car to become a classic? Is it the rarity of a vehicle, custom desired modifications, or maybe just a high profile name that can make a car a classic? A classic car should be able to stand the test of time… The same way your favorite movies as a kid could 30 years later bring the same  joy to your son or daughter.  And a large part of what defines a Classic is the  fans who toil and sweat to keep Classic heritage alive. From one generation to the next they play a significant roll in keeping that legacy going.

I believe the second generation Chevy Impala SS can pass that test. With its brute, yet sleek body style, and LT1 V8 engine, what kid 30 years from now wouldn’t love to have one?

Chevy brought back the second generation Impala SS in 1994. This was the first four door ” Impala SS,” and was only available in black (previous Impala SS models were either coupes or convertibles.)

Chevy made sure that it lived up to its heritage with a 5.7 liter LT1 V8 engine that produced 260 Horsepower and ran 0-60 in 7.1 seconds. In the first year of production we saw about 6,000 Impala SS made.

Besides foldaway mirrors there were minimal changes to the 1995 Chevy Impala SS.  One major plus, was the Impala was now available in three colors: Black, Dark Cherry, and Dark Green-Grey. Production increased to over 18,000 that year.

My favorite second generation Chevy Impala SS was produced in 1996. The shifter was now mounted on the console, and the dash sported an analog gauge cluster. The fuel pressure and voltage gauges were replaced with a tachometer and analog speedometer. This was the last year of production for the second generation Impala SS. Comparatively, there was an unprecedented production run of about 41,000.

So do you agree in my first choice for a Future Classics?

I have a few more cars I believe will be classics that I will talk about in future blogs.

So keep reading and send me a list of cars you think would fit those criteria.

63 Chevy Impala Super Sport

I was thinking back on a trip me and a friend took recently to Indiana to look at a  Numbers Matching 1963 Chevy Impala Super Sport on the web. We knew this SS probably needed some work, but we decided to take the gamble and fly all the way from Florida. Other than running into some scheduling problems with the owner of the vehicle the traveling and trip itself didn’t have any speed bumps.

Click image to see photos from our Indiana trip

When we lost our foggy gazes we quickly snapped back into focus and realized we were here to FULLY inspect the entire vehicle. You could immediately tell the paint was starting to fade and the chrome striping was dinged and missing in some parts.  I thought to myself, it wasn’t that big of a deal and if everything else was good we would soon own a piece of American history. Once we opened the door I was surprised at how good condition the interior was for being a 46-year-old car. I decided  to start the engine and I tell you what, when I turned that ignition and heard the engine roar: I was in pure bliss, possibly even Heaven itself. I was immediately transported back to a time when the American Muscle Car reigned and was the fastest, most beautiful beast on the streets (and it still is in my opinion.) Needless to say the engine sounded excellent, we popped the hood and looked like two kids at a candy store. The sound of that engine was simply put… mesmerizing. As our eyes continually scanned the rest of the engine bay we noticed some rust spots but shrugged it off as wear and tear, nothing we couldn’t fix.

Unfortunately, all good things must come to and end. We quickly realized why this was a,  “too good to be true moment”. The owner probably didn’t want us to know that the entire underneath of the car was completely rusted out. To give you a good example of how much you could probably stick your fist in a hole where the shocks are mounted. The floor panels looked weak and about ready to cave in. The drive side door had two 8″ sections of Bondo where they had to piece the door back together.

Rusty Bottom

It doesn’t get any better from here on, as the trunk itself was missing the whole bottom. It looked like someone had tried to spray some black rubber material on the back quarter panel to hide something. These are things you should warn people about before they travel 900 miles to come see your vehicle. He knew that we were planning to drive this vehicle back and didn’t think of our safety, not only was this thing rusted but all four tires where dry rotted. I’m sure it would have fallen apart once we got on the highway.

We decided to hang our heads and walk away on this one. We spent the rest of the day looking at other classic cars such as a 69 Firebird and a 66 Impala Super Sport, but found the same problems of rust. Now let me ask you, is this typical of the Midwest? We see rust here and there in Florida since we are so close to the ocean but man, it sure does seem like these classic cars are sitting in the snow too long and are being destroyed by weather. Should we stay out of the area, or can you still make some good finds up North? Click here to see images of our trip