Known history... This classic Chevy Impala Super Sport was someone's neglected dream project. This SS is quite desirable since it's a no power options Chevrolet. The only options we can tell were bucket seats, floor console and rear bumperettes! Do you really want air conditioning and power steering on a fast car? No not really. Accessories diminish horsepower and speed.
According to the VIN tag, here is this car's breakdown:
- 1 = Chevrolet
- 68 = Impala SS V8 (1966-67)
- 37 = 2-door Sport Coupe (1965-66 Impala & SS)
- 6 = 1966
- N = Norwood, OH
- Last 6 digits = Production sequence (started at 100001)
The title mileage is higher than the car actually has. The Ohio title is marked Odometer Reading Not Actual. Originally assembled in Norwood Ohio, this Impala appears to have been an Ohio car all it's life. After purchasing this classic SS minus engine, battery and all the seats, we made a full inspection on a hoist with our certified technician. The frame of this 66 Chevy Impala SS is still strong from what we can see. No previous repairs could be found. Too bad all the flooring was bad, except the floor over the rear axle housing. The brakes were all new (hardware and shoes), but the wheel cylinders were leaking and it needed brake lines. The front end appeared tight for the car's age. So the decision to restore the Super Sport was made.
The repairs... First was new brake lines and front flex hoses. Next was rebuild the wheel cylinders. With brakes, we could safely move the car around. The engine was the next thing, seeing there wasn't one. An old tired original Chevy 350 truck V-8 engine was rebuilt for this Impala. The rebuilt 4 bolt main 350 truck engine contains a Crane© Blue Racer cam (.465 lift at valve, 290 duration), Hastings© rings, True roller rockers, Performance hydraulic lifters, Melling© oil pump, Edelbrock© Performer aluminum intake, Weiand© aluminum valve covers, Double roller timing chain and a Holley© 650 dual feed double pump with mechanical secondaries. We installed an H.E.I. distributor with new AC Delco© spark plugs and performance ignition cables. The heads are 58cc chamber from a 1985 Z-28 305. It gives the 350 a great compression boost. We cleaned up the engine compartment and prepped it for a fresh engine install. After installing the engine, many other repairs continued. Other repairs include battery, new clutch, new fuel pump, new fuel line, new pressure plate, new release bearing, new pilot bushing and new dual front exhaust pipes from the headers with two 2.5 inch glasspacks. All needed to run the engine.
This classic muscle Chevy then re-appeared on the roads of Ohio in 2005. It runs Super Sport strong and proved to be very fast launching from a red light. With a rebuilt engine installed, driving this sweet old muscle car you can feel it still tracks and accelerates straight. This old Chevy is really tight to the road for it's age up to 90 MPH. Body restoration then started.
Sheet metal and body work already completed:
- New trunk floor (comes as 3-piece set)
- New left & right trunk floor braces (attaches trunk floor to body mount behind rear wheel)
- New left & right trunk floor drop panels (attaches trunk floor to quarter panel bottom)
- New tailpan (attaches trunk floor to body mounts behind rear bumper)
- New pair of fuel tank braces (provides place for fuel tank to mount to trunk floor)
- New fuel tank (20 gallon capacity)
- New pair of fuel tank straps (holds fuel tank to the braces)
- New fuel tank sending unit (sends the fuel to the engine & the fuel level reading to the dashboard)
- New main floors left and right (each piece is front & rear floor)
- New floor under the backseat (one piece does left & right sides)
- New right front quarter lower patch panel (ahead of rear wheel)
- New right rear quarter lower patch panel (behind rear wheel)
- New left quarter panel skin (complete quarter skin)
I took this Impala Super Sport to Dragway 42 a few times in July 2007. The best time I dialed was a 14.82. Next time trial right after that run, I broke second in the Saginaw. Now was the time to build a Muncie 4 speed for it. I overhauled a 1965 date code Muncie M-20 wide ratio transmission, which miraculously became available to me a year ago by a previous owner of this Super Sport. When I went to install the Muncie I decided to check the rear differential out, since the pinion seal had started to leak. Turns up that the ring gear had 2 missing teeth! Been missing for a long while it appeared due to a bad right carrier bearing. The stock differential ratio was 3:31. New 3:55 gears were installed along with new carrier and pinion bearings. Back to Dragway 42 on October 9th, 2007 for a test and tune night. Low 15's 4 times, had to get use to the wide-ratio Muncie. Then I had it down. Don't floor it, ease into it. Then I dailed in a 14.89, and the last of 6 runs was 14.60 @ 95.51 MPH! Not bad for this very heavy car and a stock rods and pistons small block!
Current work planned for Summer 2008 is:
- Replacing the rusted out left fender bottom with a nice solid Texas fender I found that was smashed in the front.
- Then onto repairing the rear wheel housings and rear window channel.
Yes, this Chevy is fully driveable and is a "mid 14 seconds rolling restoration"!
The price as is...
Currently this Chevy Impala Super Sport is priced below NADA Guides low retail value.
The more work gets done, the higher the price will be.
It is currently considered a "daily driver".
Current price to take over this project and have this Super Sport for your own is
$7500.00 . The price is non-negotiable.
Go to
NADA Guides and see for yourself the current market value of this classic!
The picture above and below is of the Super Sport the day it arrived in August 2005.
