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Said hello to the Impala today

4K views 16 replies 6 participants last post by  Lost in the 60's 
#1 ·
As I was parking my latest acquisition with it...





 
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#5 ·
The Impala will be a driver this year. I'm really looking forward to local cruising with it...:yes:

The Chevelle is rugged. I will drop an engine/trans in it this summer so it "yard drives" but that will be the extent for a while. It really needs the entire floor from the firewall to tail panel to do a proper restoration.

I like Impalas but the Chevelles have a strong pull on me. If I were to buy another full size, it would be a '66 Caprice. I had one in the mid 70's with buckets, console and gauges and really like the tail lights and roof line of the Caprice. If a big block, 4 speed project came along, it would be a "must have"...
 
#6 ·
You can have both an Impala and a Chevelle in one car (or Caprice if you want) just buy a 1977-'99 "full size" car as it is the same size dimensionally as the 70 Chevelle and is close in weight when put on a diet as a 1970 Chevelle. It just happens to look like a Taxi/Police Car because that was most peoples experience with them.

Makes a great sleeper when you get a four door body with a huge displacement BBC under the big flat hood. No one knows what hit them.

Big Dave
 
#9 ·
I'll say it is pricy that is only two grand less than I paid for my car brand new off the lot in 1985 (it was ordered by a cabby to use in town but his financing fell through come time to accept this special factory order; so I bought it for MSRP less his twenty percent deposit to order the car from the factory).

You can find low mileage mid eighties B-bodies with a 305 and 700R4 tranny (mine had a 200R4) for two to three thousand as drivers with good paint and interior from retirees around here. (Retirees are dying to move to Florida, which is why the major used car wholesalers and resellers of antique furniture flock to estate sales in Central Florida).

Big Dave
 
#12 ·
I can help you with that goal...:D
I'll be selling the other Canadian built 70 SS. It is an automatic with nice options.
 
#14 ·
I see I never updated this post last year.
I did get the Impala to driver status and drove it a few times, but it seemed to have spun a bearing and lost oil pressure...:mad: I didn't get into the engine, as I was way deep in other "things", so I parked it on a lift and it is still sitting there now.
However, earlier this week, I came across a replacement engine for it. I have been checking sources occasionally over the last year for a reasonably priced W motor and Tuesday, this one followed me home. I haven't run all the numbers yet, but it's a running engine, ready to drop back in. Supposed to be a '65 with a .040 over rebuild. May be a truck block, but hey, they seem to be more sought after to get the compression friendly for street use.



 
#15 · (Edited)
The reason there are more truck blocks sold today is because there are so few passenger car blocks that survived the abuse people put them through. Truck blocks are stronger castings than the passenger blocks containing more tin in the mix when cast and having thicker main webs. Only down side is the notch cut in the block to kill compression but it it can be brought back to passenger car status with a cylinder sleeve (eight of them).

Makes you wish they were cast out 356 aluminum as then you could simply weld up the cavity.

Big Dave
 
#17 ·
Well, it is a truck block and everything I've read about this casting number is, they were used in either passenger car or truck. Same block, no changes and used interchangeably. The difference being the notch and flat top pistons to lower compression to 8-1.
Hopefully, the rebuild pistons have enough dome to get the compression back up around 9, but I'm not going to pull it apart just to look. The goal is to get it in the car and running this summer.

HEADERS...OMG. I'm used to buying painted headers for ~$200. Headers for a W motor are crazy !!! I may use the manifolds but even just the down pipes are $200...:mad:
 
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