Customs My new daily driver / 60 Chevrolet 4dr Impala

[straykatkustoms]

Originally Posted by ryno

Looking good Mick
I don't think I've ever seen or heard of the impala.
My 2 cents,leave the roof alone

I'm still crazy about Mercurys and when you get bit by the Mercury bug
nothing else matters. I quickly lost interest in the Impala when the motor
gave out.

I agree with ya, I started working on it this weekend and studying the top.
If I was too chop it, it would be because I could and not because I should.
It wouldn't improve the look so why do it. Chop top is not going to happen.

I appreciate the opinion.

Happy Trails, Mick

[Tugmaster]

Mick,

Nice touches with the Merc grille. I went with a tube grille in mine. What did you do on your wheel covers? They look like large bullets. Thanks, Todd

[straykatkustoms]

Originally Posted by Tugmaster

.... What did you do on your wheel covers? They look like large bullets. Thanks, Todd

Love the tube grill. The big reason I went with the Merc Grill; Hub Harness owns a '59
El Camino and he is running a '60 Merc grill. Everyone around here wants to be as Kool
as Hub so this is my attempt. I know I'll fall short but it kool trying...

Hub caps are stock Impalas with large bullets. Kool doesnt have to be expensive.

Happy Trails, Mick

[40StudeDude]

Just shows to go ya...if you don't ask questions about some guy's "kustoms", you'll never know he was into them 30 (plus) years ago...I too, did not know Mick had the '60...or is still hanging onto his '55...I thot he was just another "Mercury" guy thru and thru...!!!

Nice Mick...very nice...

R-

[x-shift]

Subscribed!

Hellfish, Tugmaster, and myself are all on 3" lowering springs (Coil Spring Specialties or Jamco), stock spindles, and I'm running the 2 deg. offset shafts on the upper arms. Radials (say what you will) and my car almost drives itself. I replaced everything in the front end (no P.S.), and I couldn't be happier.

I also bought the slip joint driveshaft from Inland Empire, and it got rid of a lot of vibration caused by lowering. Buy the heavy carrier while you're at it. The last step is an adjustable panhard bar, because the lowering shoves the rearend off center. I had a FULL trunk last weekend, and it kissed the tunnel a couple of times. Got about 800 miles on this setup now, and it was worth every penny!

Good luck! Very interested to see how this plays out...

[straykatkustoms]

Originally Posted by 40StudeDude

Just shows to go ya...if you don't ask questions about some guy's "kustoms", you'll never know he was into them 30 (plus) years ago...I too, did not know Mick had the '60...or is still hanging onto his '55...I thot he was just another "Mercury" guy thru and thru...!!!

Nice Mick...very nice...

R-

I adopted my '55 back in 1979 and it has been part of the family since then. Been into
the kustom thing since '81. I fell in love with them the sumer of '81 at the Spectaular in
Wichita, Kansas. Being involved with Kustoms and the people is the best thing that I've
ever done. Who knows what I would have done without their influence.

The '60 will be my daily driver and hopefully will be kool enough to go to some shows.

Happy Trails, Mick

[straykatkustoms]

Originally Posted by x-shift

Subscribed!

Hellfish, Tugmaster, and myself are all on 3" lowering springs (Coil Spring Specialties or Jamco), stock spindles, and I'm running the 2 deg. offset shafts on the upper arms. Radials (say what you will) and my car almost drives itself. I replaced everything in the front end (no P.S.), and I couldn't be happier.

I also bought the slip joint driveshaft from Inland Empire, and it got rid of a lot of vibration caused by lowering. Buy the heavy carrier while you're at it. The last step is an adjustable panhard bar, because the lowering shoves the rearend off center. I had a FULL trunk last weekend, and it kissed the tunnel a couple of times. Got about 800 miles on this setup now, and it was worth every penny!

Good luck! Very interested to see how this plays out...

Thank you very much for the suggestions on the set up. This is what I need to hear...

[x-shift]

Glad to help! I didn't necessarily do it the least expensive way, but I hate doing things twice. Make sure you find a good alignment guy when you're done, makes all the difference. For reference, my front crossmember is at about a 6" ride height (14" wheels). Too much lower, and I might take the oil pan off at the Quickie Mart!

[straykatkustoms]

Originally Posted by x-shift

............ Too much lower, and I might take the oil pan off at the Quickie Mart!

LOL!! Brings back memories, Years ago when I was driving it a lot I took the front tires
off of my '55 and put them on my Impala. They were a smalller tire and man did it look
kool. I drove it to work the next day and heard a scrape that I hadn't heard before. Kool,
I'm scrap'n something new. The second day I hit the same bridge at the same speed and
figured out what it was, it was my cross member. Not Kool at all. Needless to say I
switched them back that evening.

I been through the "Cheap" way and not excited about doing that way again. I want it
to be right and safe for my family to drive. I'm going to run 15x7 raidal wide whites so
my tire size will give me some more clearance then I had before. I don't want it to sit as
low as my Merc.

I have a real good front end alignment guy that can take care of what ever I need. Thanks
again for the details.

Happy Trails, Mick

[finkd]

just put the money in the trunk and drop the car off, I know what to do......

[straykatkustoms]

As soon as I get the cash, I'm gonna have to take you up on your offer. Can I just park
it on the north side of your shop?

Happy Trails, Mick

[Gusaroo]

Love the 60! Car is definitly big...my house was also built in 1960 and my Bel Air barely squeezes into the garage, passenger basically has to climb out the window, dont know what folks were thinking back then.

[Harrison]

I love a flattop four door.

[The Continental]

Cool DD. I'm hoping to get my grandmother's '61 Impala 4 door post to make a frequent DD. I like the '60 Merc grills on these and a matching rear grill would be even better. GM '59s looked pretty wild to begin with, but the '60s are good to liven up.

[Okie Pete]

Good looking car Mick. Liken your ideas.

[x-shift]

A man with a two door is a man with few friends...

[finkd]

Originally Posted by straykatkustoms

As soon as I get the cash, I'm gonna have to take you up on your offer. Can I just park
it on the north side of your shop?

Happy Trails, Mick

Yes , you can, get it running and i will break it in for you, makes sure the pipes sounds just right, the ride highth is correct, and make sure it has the proper view looking across the dash and hood. OH and I am a big fan of flattop 4 doors so the roof change might not be needed, but if I do change the roof can I keep the flattop? I got plans for it !!! so get it here already ....I"M dieing a slow death here lately. been slow on the creatfull side of town. Winter is close and I need some stimulating late nights , jambing out on some heavy blues and working super late getting in my groove. I been workin on my 59 lately and what better to do then build a 59 and 60 at the same time, they both require simular mods....LOL

[straykatkustoms]

Hey Jeff, I'll have to take ya up on that, I can't wait to get it on the road. I'll be over
soon.

Have another question, Should I run 14s or 15s? right now I'm running 14x7 but they
look a little bit small in the fender well. I was thinking about running 15x7 in the front
and 15X8 in the rear. Any advice?

Right now I'm waiting on the motor to be built and it should be done in a couple of weeks.
Stay tune when I pick up the motor I'll start posting progress pics.

Happy Trails, Mick

[KarBabe]

i cant wait to see this car papa!!! too cool!

[straykatkustoms]

I've been busy working on the 60, It has to look bad before it gets better. Bought my
rebuild kit from CPP, Power disc brake conversion from Speedway motors and my drop
spindles form Bell tech. Can't wait to get it back together to see where she sits. I will
have time to get the stance right before the Stray Kat 500. Thanks you guys for all of
the help.

Went through some pictures last night and found some pictures of my '60. this is a family
trip that we took to Colorado in the mid 90's. Pic taken at Durango, Colorado.



On the way up we stopped at a car show in Farmington, New Mexico.


Lost.... Lost, really lost somewhere in New Mexico. Its funny now. After all of these years
we still can't find the road that we were on. I had to stop and ask for directions and they
sent us down this 30 mile dirt road adventure. It was awful but it did get us where we
needed to go. We never saw another car during that stretch of road.....



This is what it looks like after ten days on the road with the family. Oh what a mess, boy I
miss those days. Good times... yes, Good times.