Customs My new daily driver / 60 Chevrolet 4dr Impala

It's been seven years and I'm getting tired of my daily driver so I started looking into buying
another late model. After looking around I decided that I needed something kool instead
of boring.

Looks like my 60 Impala will be my winter project this year. I’ve owned the car for years
and it was my daily driver. Renee loves the 60’s style Kustoms so we’ve decided to get it
back on the road. Sadly it has been sitting for the past 8 years. We will be doing a complete
rebuild; 350 crate motor with a 350 tranny, front end rebuild, adding power disc brakes,
Vintage Air, maybe even some tunes. I’ll correct my cheap, ruff riding lowering job by adding
drop spindles and springs. This should improve my ride.

After I get it road worthy then the fun will begin. I have some kool ideas that I’d like to try.
The Impala already has a 60 Mercury grill, ’59 Bonneville taillights and I have a ’59 Chevrolet
front bumper. Paint is in bad shape so it will be wearing turquoise primer next year.

I’m looking forward to driving the 60 everyday. Driving a kustom is great therapy






Stay tune for updates

Happy Trails, Mick

 

Sounds like a plan. Subscribed.

 

Neat Chebbie man. Love the tail lights.

 

NICE!!! I'll be following this one for sure! I'm working on/driving on a 60 Belair. Lots of parts suppliers out there. You can get most anything except for trim stuff. Todd

 

Kool car.....You are the man!!!!!!!!!!!

 

Cool I like your plan...If and when my daily gets on its last legs this is my plan...but I'm gonna be looking for a straight 6 w an overdrive trans! Can't wait to see how this shapes up!

 

I thought about running the six but it's already setup for a small block. My 55
Chevy will be next in line and it will be my six banger. I would run it with a five
speed.

 

Gotta have a cool daily driver. Nice!

 

Care to elaborate?

She's already sweet!

 

WOW!!! There's not much that's cooler than owning both an old Merc and a '60 Chevy. Can't wait to see it.

 

I like it a lot. Very cool bod' style. I LOVE the idea that it's going to be your daily... something I think a lot of us are either doing or working towards... who the heck wants to drive a plastic lump? Subscribed. I hope your plans come together quickly.

 

Love the '60s .....kool kar . Love what ya already done to it too.

 

Great car. My Dad had a 60 Chevy. Naughty things were done in that car when I drove it. I am subscribed, too.
Tom

 

60 chevy one of my favorite yrs!!!! i love them as a street machine, gassers and customs. ah hell i just love them anyway they are..

 

Thanks guys for all of the feedback...

You asked what my Kustom plans are so here we go right off the top of the head. Jeff
Myers and Gary Howard are huge influences. I already have a wild Kustom so I m going
to make this a mild kustom. Just because it will be mild doesn't mean it will be easy. I
want the Impala to look like it could be stock.

I don't like the back glass so I plan on changing the back glass. I just don't like the fish
bowl look. Keith Kaucher did this sketch for me years ago. Keith did a good job with a
major change looking like it should have be done this way.



Been studying "C" pillars, I like the ones on a 61 & 62 Caddy...

In the past '59 & '60 Chevys have been kustomized a lot like 55-57. They are so kool stock
all they need is to be cleaned up and lowered and that is all they really need. My biggest
challenge is improving the back hump behind the bird. I see a lot of guys scoop them and
clean them up but I would like to improve the body line. I'm thinking about using the body
line from a '62 Pontiac Catalina. Cut it out and recess it into the area. Not ground breaking
but it will be a clean modification. I'm working on a sketch

I'm already running a 60 Mercury grill but I'd like to find another one so I can install one
between the Bonneville tailights. I love matching grills.

I like the stainless that runs along the fin, but I don't like it across the back of the trunk. It
will be welded up to show off the fin.

Give me some feedback with my ideas, When working on a kustom project this is my
favorite time. On paper nothing is impossible.

I have time to think of the body changes, right now I got to get her back on the road.

Happy Trails, Mick

 

love the roof line.

 

should be a nice daily ride

 

I like the Flattop, but if you wanted a heavier C pillar what about a Elco rear glass.
Lid swap looks like a bunch of work, and that takes time from the daily.

Those of us that know where your Merc came from, know whatever you do will be awesome.

 

Do it like the drawing Mick, that will be a badass four door!

 

You know me, my brain is messed up and it's stuck in kustom mode. I agree it will be
a lot of work and if I start to do something with the top it will be on down the line.

I love the concept drawing and that could happen. At lunch I found a picture of a stock
four door. Looking at the picture, the stock profile it’s not too bad. Kinda kool...



This is how I want the stance to be on the Impala. Looking for a Wichita style rake, low
enough to be kool but not to low for a daily driver

Happy Trails, Mick

 

My daughters everyday is a 60 4dr Bel Air sedan. Has more of the roof line and rear window that you are looking for but with out the hardtop look. Also has those little quarter windows as well.
You might be able to use that roof as a starting point.
I do love the flat tops though. Have fun, they are geat drivers.

 

I hate 4 doors! That said, I like the original flatop-back glass a lot better than the 60-ford-type glass in the drawing. I actually believe your 60 could be a very nice looking car with a simple drop and repaint. I really doubt I'd mess with the 62 Pontiac side molding...it'd be a helluva big job with a lot of shrinking and metal work before it'd look nice.
No, I think I'd shoot for a finished product like the blue car in the photo.

 

I say do the mechanical work then just drive it!! It looks good as it already is

 

That is my plan is to basically look like the blue car but with smoothies and spiders. Down
the road who knows what will end up looking like. I Like the Kaucher drawing but I also like
the stock profile. I still think the 62 Pontiac has a future in the back part of my 60. I have
plenty of time to talk myself into something else.

The engine I plan on painting everything orange except the Air Cleaner, A/C Compressor,
the alternator will be painted satin black. Hope to give it a stock look.

Thanks guys for the feedback.

Happy Trails, Mick

 

I sure could use the roof, moldings and back glass. Oh well.. it is, what it is!

 

Very cool, I have a 60 two door bel air waiting in the barn for me to redo. Some day soon I hope.

 

yeah thats a cool looking 4 door, looking forward to the build.

 

I love these flat tops !I am jelous !

 

Mick, it's gonna be great to see the '60 on the road again! I remember seeing it all over town way back in the '90s!

 

Gonna bring it to PnP?

Oh, BTW I have a hankering for some Babe's.
Not sure I can hold out til 11/10 though.