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Words: Tommy Parry
After scouring many CraigsList ads, Anthony was able to wrangle this pretty Chevy for a reasonable sum. The ‘62 Impala was originally powered by a 327/Powerglide combo, but the previous owners replaced it with a 350, fitted with a Rochester Q-Jet quad and headers and sending power to a TH350. The exhaust was re-routed to dump in front of the rear wheels; they added power steering and gutted the interior. It was also covered in a thick layer of primer. Other than that — the car was stock.
Anthony, being a true hot rodder, saw the potential in this package, and the glee from the purchase offset some of the pain suffered on the ride home — he’d forgotten to bring a set of earplugs. With the exhaust routed as it was, and no sound deadening, he had to deal with some ringing in his ears for the next few days. It was a small price to pay.
After parking it, he installed seat belts front and rear, replaced the starter with a high-torque model and replaced the Pittman arm seals in the power steering. As his functional weekend car, he would drive it a few times a month, but it needed some work to be a real head-turner.
So he started shopping for modifications. Taking advantage of some great Black Friday deals, Anthony picked up a Wilwood Big brake kit with 6-piston calipers mounted to 12.88" rotors in front, 4-pistons in the rear and a parking brake; a Ridetech Level 2 air ride kit with Shockwaves, an air pod, Strong Arms’ UCAs and LCAs and a Musclebar swaybar; and a Moser 9" rear with 31 splines, 3.73 gears and a Truetrac posi. Quickly, this Impala was becoming a real force to be reckoned with.
Next, Anthony replaced the finicky Rochester carburetor with an Edelbrock Performer 600, then started shopping for a new set of rollers — with the big brakes, the tiny Torque Thrusts would have to go.
A set of US Mags Rambler U111, measuring 18x8.5” in front and 20x9.5” in the rear, would give him the stance and footprint he was after, and shodding them in Sumitomo HTR2 tires would provide him with the grip needed to excel on the autocross. “The Ridetech suspension makes it feel like its a go kart,” he notes.
With a strong foundation and a surplus of traction, Anthony pulled the trigger on a new engine and gearbox: a Tilden Motorsports 6.0L with an aftermarket cam, a sheet metal intake manifold, and upgraded injectors — all feeding power to a TKO500. Keeping the new mill cool: a Ron Davis radiator; not easy on the wallet, but great in the long run.
With attention paid in equal measure to turning, stopping and accelerating — and doing those tasks “well enough to leave a big goofy smile plastered all over my face,” Anthony adds — this build has already yielded a seriously impressive car, although it’s still far from complete. One can only wonder what the future holds for this striking Impala.
To keep tabs on this build, you can visit the thread here.
