New Project, 66 impala SS 2dr.

[deuce_454]

Just wanted to share, i dug into a new project and im loving it.. its a 66 impala SS i brought back from the states when i moved back, its an original paint, never restored 49000 miles 66 original SS.

it has some rust in the floorpans from sitting with wet carpets but its in immaculate condition. frame is still shiny metal when you wipe the gunk off it..

i just completed the 427 BBC thats going in, other than that it has a built 700r-4 12 bolt locker with 3.31 gears, front discs hydraboost and corvette rims,

my plan is to do a restoration / touring, ill call it grand touring for lack of a better word but it will look almost stock, raven black with black vinyl top, red interior, only thing ill shave is the antenna

the suspension will be global west UCA front with a tall SC&C balljoint to tune the camber curve, front LCA will be stoch with johnny joint and the shocks bilstein or simmillar, rear will recieve currie johnny joints in the stock arms with relocated UCA´s with a GW anti squat bracket and custom panhard

im not sure about the wheels but im open for suggestions, but they wont be bigger than 18, perhaps 19 in the rear,

i dont have great pics yet... but here is one with the car in the background

any name suggestions btw?
http://i155.photobucket.com/albums/s295/deuce_454/038.jpg

[frankenstang]

Nice project. I love Impalas. Had a 1980 2 dr back in Cali, when I lived there. Too bad it had to stay there as a fallen soldier when I came back to Illinois.



On a side note, who did you bury in the floor? Looks like the beginning of a oil change pit!!

[dwfastcam]

Man, I been waiting to see one of these get made over for a long time. The 66 is by far my favorite year impala, and I dont believe they get the credit they deserve. I say, tuck a 20 in the rear because they have a large wheel well to begin with. Good luck with the project and I cant wait to see some update pics!

[esm]

Is Your Malibu Done?

[tones2SS]

Sounds and looks like a cool project.
Keep us posted.:thumbsup:

[Ummgawa]

any name suggestions btw?

pimpala

[black2002ls]

The first thing that came to mind was IMPedance. Though it involves resistance of electric current...

[ItDoRun]

Cool project. Post plenty of pictures during the build.

[impalatpi66]

i have a 66 impala, i had 18s on it and it looked small for the overall look of the car. i would go with 20's for the wheels.

[deuce_454]

On a side note, who did you bury in the floor? Looks like the beginning of a oil change pit!!
a mid rise lift...
http://i155.photobucket.com/albums/s295/deuce_454/002-1.jpg
http://i155.photobucket.com/albums/s295/deuce_454/001.jpg

esm asked: Is Your Malibu Done?
yes and no... all that needs to be done is small stuff, and weekend projects, so the bu is my summer roller and the impala is my new love :-)


with regards to the pictures i have a small problem.. my camera suffered a fatal fall from height and the one i borrowed from my dad needs some docking station that he neglected to mention so i cant download them to my pc and post them..... :rolleyes:

but i have the front blown appart (will post pics tonight) and next stop is dropping the frame....

color sceme update, raven black exterior, black vinyl top, regal red interior and charcoal metallic bc/cc frame, hugger orange engine

now, do i paint the engine compartment gloss- or semigloss- black???

[ProdigyCustoms]

Those are very cool cars. I bet it will be the only one in the country?

[deuce_454]

Those are very cool cars. I bet it will be the only one in the country?


not quite the only one.. there are a handfull but thats all,

i too the front end apart, ground all the rivets off and disassembled it to teh last bit, found some rivet head 10-24 bolts on ebay so it will look stock once its back together..

i also decided to shave the firewall, and move the wiper into the drivers side fender so the only thing showing will be the hydraboost and MC,

the gen IV magnum vintage air setup i had planed for the bu has now oficially found a new home (nice to have cool parts on the shelves when you need them):cheers:

i took the doors off (drilled the hinges so i can bol the doors on in the right location once they are sprayed, you all propably know that little trick, but i thought i was prety clever.... (the fender shims are also marked so it should go right back togther without much adjusting)

ine thing im debating within my self is what fasteners i should use.. many of the j-nuts or were rusted together (its never been disassembled) so ill need to get new ones... do i get OEM looking bolts, stainless?? 12 point polished??? allen or somthing different?

there are also a couple of engine pics, i just had to share :thumbsup:
http://i155.photobucket.com/albums/s295/deuce_454/impala%20Project/impala01004.jpg
http://i155.photobucket.com/albums/s295/deuce_454/impala%20Project/impala01008.jpg
http://i155.photobucket.com/albums/s295/deuce_454/impala%20Project/impala01011.jpg

[deuce_454]

more pics... (ill have to work on my photo skills i know...)
http://i155.photobucket.com/albums/s295/deuce_454/impala%20Project/impala01013.jpg
http://i155.photobucket.com/albums/s295/deuce_454/impala%20Project/impala01017.jpg
http://i155.photobucket.com/albums/s295/deuce_454/impala%20Project/impala01014.jpg
http://i155.photobucket.com/albums/s295/deuce_454/impala%20Project/impala01002.jpg

[WILWAXU]

Looks like a great project.

Even though they are the size of a small house, I've always loved that body style.

[JamesJ]

i took the doors off (drilled the hinges so i can bol the doors on in the right location once they are sprayed, you all propably know that little trick, but i thought i was prety clever.... (the fender shims are also marked so it should go right back togther without much adjusting)


I did not know that trick ! I took my doors off just a few weeks ago, man I wish I would have know........

[deuce_454]

started on the trunk lid today... i know im no body man or guru fabricator... but comments are highly valued...

there were some rust in the inner skin, and some pin holes in the outer skin... im done making a patch in a corner, its yet to be welded in though.... but the bulk of the work is done

is there some secret ingredient im missing???

enough words, here are some pix
http://i155.photobucket.com/albums/s295/deuce_454/impala%20Project/impala2024.jpg

http://i155.photobucket.com/albums/s295/deuce_454/impala%20Project/impala2026.jpg

http://i155.photobucket.com/albums/s295/deuce_454/impala%20Project/impala2034.jpg

http://i155.photobucket.com/albums/s295/deuce_454/impala%20Project/impala2033.jpg

http://i155.photobucket.com/albums/s295/deuce_454/impala%20Project/impala2031.jpg

[black2002ls]

I would think that because of the construction, you would lose some rigidity there in that corner and possibly suffer some deformities later on because the edges of the trunk are "rolled over". I'm no expert just looking at it from a logical point of view....

However, that's a dang fine job on that patch piece!

[deuce_454]

I would think that because of the construction, you would lose some rigidity there in that corner and possibly suffer some deformities later on because the edges of the trunk are "rolled over".

my thoughts also.. but ite edge where its rolled will be my weld bead where the outer patch, the new inner patch and the old corner reinforcement meet.... so i figured it would be plenty strong once the sanwich is welded together

[deuce_454]

finished the problem corner, and tackled the other one aswell, the corner ended up consistion of the outer skin, a flat middle reinforcement and an inner skin that was part of the inner structure, all three joined by a continous bead on high current and low wire feed..

the other corner was replaced by a little patch i poubded out using a ball peen hammer and anvil and a soft wood "anvil" to emulate the lead shot bag...

took the trunk lid down to bare metal with stripper and DA... and shot with two coats of priomat 1k 010 etch primer,

patch panel:
http://i155.photobucket.com/albums/s295/deuce_454/impala%20Project/impala3029.jpg

installed:
http://i155.photobucket.com/albums/s295/deuce_454/impala%20Project/impala3035.jpg

the inner skin:
http://i155.photobucket.com/albums/s295/deuce_454/impala%20Project/impala3037.jpg

in primer, with no filler of any kind:
http://i155.photobucket.com/albums/s295/deuce_454/impala%20Project/impala3038.jpg

the sealer was stripped and replaced with a PU sealer/glue...
the last pic is just the primer lid from another angle
http://i155.photobucket.com/albums/s295/deuce_454/impala%20Project/impala3045.jpg

[waynieZ]

Nice work its looking good.

[Bowtieracing]

Really intresting project!! :thumbsup: I have allways liked the cokebottle body.

Do you guys remember one of the earlyest "pro touring "impalas , car craft magazines project heavy metal ?? It was really hitech during its time . 496 fuel injected big block and handling suspension. It was stolen and i dont remember did they ever found it back ? I quit car crafts subscription many years ago so i have not read or heard of it since.

[deuce_454]

i do remember it.. and it was my "that car" that gave me the pro touring bug.... and if i rember corectly the article was about a 66 impala and it was called heavy metal 2... there was some reference to the first that got stolen... (atleast in the article i remember)

it had a cream colored frame, ditto interior. hotchkis suspension... and ive looked high and low for that issue of Car Craft and i simply cannot find it..

they had some sentence that read somthing like... it wasnt built to dice with porsches, but it was supprisningly nimble...


it must have been in the mid 90'ies....

next is blasting the frame... i cannot for the life of me figure out how to cut the bolts in the bodymounts since they are impossible to loosen :-(

any ideas or tricks??

[tones2SS]

Keep us posted.
You're moving right along on it.:thumbsup:

[jbritt]

I just got done swapping body bushings on my '65 Impala. I ended up soaking the mounts with PB Blaster for about a week. I would just spray up in and around the mounts and let it soak in. That worked for all the bolts except the ones in the trunk area. Those started to spin on me. I ended up cutting the trunk where the bolt cages were and cutting the nuts off from there, a bit messy but it worked. Your progress looks good, I am in the middle of upgrading the brakes to forur wheel discs as well as installing Strong Arms from Air Ride. Hope this helps.

[krazyt]

Nice cars, can you tell me where you got your lifts and what brand are they