'59 Chevy guys - what's the difference?

I have a '59 Bel Air. Have owned it 22+ years and will finally try to get it on the road this summer (DARN roundy-round racing bug). It won't be 'done' by any means but getting it on the road is my first goal then area by area start fixing her up to look like the 'Matriarch' of the 50s that she is. I know a lot of people throw 'Impala' around when talking about '59 Chevys and probably incorrectly in many cases. The 'Impala' is the top-of-the-line model, obviously, but ... now my question ... what are the 'OBVIOUS' and 'NOT SO OBVIOUS' differences between the 'Impala' and the other models? Trim, running gear, etc. whatever. (you think I'd know, but ignorance is rampant from my neck up ) Thanks

 

the speaker grille between the back seats is a dead give away

 

you might check this out
http://images.search.yahoo.com/sear...UTF-8&p=1959 chevy&fr2=tab-web&fr=yfp-t-501-s

 

good lord..impala is longer,sportier, has keener body lines,more expensive.have you ever seen an impala sitting next to a belair???

 

here is a 59 site
http://www.chevy59.com/history.htm

 

aren't all 59 Impalas hardtops?

aren't all 59 hardtops Impalas?

that's what I'm thinking anyways.

 

They're not longer, and they have the same body lines. The Impala is the highest trim level, has a faux roof vent, different side trim (very attractive looking) they had the rear seat speaker (as mentioned) a cooler steering wheel, some options that you wouldn't get on a Belair.

Also with the Impala you got the option of a convertible, and according to my Encyclopedia of American Cars, you got the 2 door hardtop option (apparently no 2 door hardtop Belairs in '59, kinda surprising.)

 

Only in '58 I guess, looks like you could get a 4 door sedan '59 Impala, and you could get a 4 door hardtop Belair, but not a 2 door hardtop Belair, or a 2 door sedan Impala. Kind of an odd setup.

 

I think in 59 a dealer would also install whatever badge and trim level you wanted off of his floor if he had a car that wouldnt move. The only destinctive difference is trim levels. In my opnion, I have always like the slightly conservative Bal Airs a little more... but lets face it, they are all sexy bitches.

 

A reverse light between the tail lights, aluminum dash insert/trim, plus what squablow said. Also nicer armrests and door panel trim. I think all engines were available in all models.

 

Impala's coupe's are all hardtops. A hardtop means it has no post, for example if you roll the windows down front and back , there is no post separating the windows. The trim is different, and I believe the windshied is not as tall. Also if I'm not mistaken the tailights are longer on an Impala. I have a 59 impala coupe but it's at a friends barn in storage. They're such good looking cars....lower em' and you're done.

 

go to chevytalk.com
I also thought the only exterior differences between the belair, impala, biscayne etc was trim packages.

 

impalas were mostly a trim package.
convertible, 2 door hardtop, 4door hardtop, and 4 door sedan were available as impala in 59, the nomad wagon had the same trim package, but was referred as nomad not impala.

rear end: taillights were exactly the same as belair, and biscayne, however the impala had vertical chrome bars inserted between the lens and the surround.
impala also had a chrome trim around the license plate cavity.
impala had a piece of trm running up the center of the trunk lid.

Front end : exactly the same as biscayne and belair. (some, but not all ,impalas had a piece of crome trim trailing the rocket on the top of the fender)

Side view: biscayne had a short piece of rim on the fender and door.
belair had a full length trim front to back, with white painted in the center.
impala had a different full length trim that was solid, and split into 2 pieces midway down the car.

interior:belair and biscayne and impala all had different upolstery patterns.
belair and biscayne had the same steering wheel, however the belair had a horn ring and the biscayne did not, the impala had a completely different wheel.
impala has chrome trim covering the lower half of the dash, belair and biscayne do not.
Impala has different armrests and door handles than the belair and biscayne.

impala 4 door sedan has chrome trim covering the door posts.

impala 4 door hardtop has a 1 inch wide piece of trim running along the top of the door ,by the "whiskers" that seal the window, belair just has a chrome bead.

 

They sold a 59 Belair 2dr ht at Barrett Jackson this year. They said it was one of I think around 1100 made. Dont quote me on that number. I had never seen an a Belair ht so they must have been rare. Quite a bit less chrome than the Impala.

 

On a two tone Bel-Air, the white paint is on the roof, the trunk lid, and tops of the fins.

 

^ the auction company strike again!
A belair 2 door hardtop was proposed for 59, but did not see production until 1960.

Dont let anyone tell you they know production #'s of certian models for 1959 chevys.
Gm did not keep track of anything but body style.
here is the info I do have:
conv..............(impala).......................................72,765
sport coupe.....(impala).....................................164,901
sport sedan.....(impala and belair)........................182,520
2 door sedan...(belair, and biscayne)....................281,924
4 door sedan...(impala,belair, and biscayne)...........525,461
2 door wagon..(brookwood, and parkwood)..............20,760
4 door wagon..(nomad, brookwood, and parkwood)..188,623

 

I was thinking of the 60 when I described the tail lights. duh!

 

The first thing I notice is the difference in the windshields,all 59's share the same windshield..except the impala.The impala windshield is the only one in my opinion that looks proportional...top to bottom is shorter.On the post cars,4 doors etc..the top ofthe windshield looks like it goes to far up into the roof line...kinda look goofy if you can compare the 2 different bodystyles side by side.The 2nd thing is the sheet metal between the bottom of the back glass and the edge of the trunk lid-its longer on the impala and shorter on all other bodystyles,like the hardtops on the previous years its longer than the post/4 door cars.Also the trunk lid is longer.Everything will swap out from all the 59 bodystyles except the trunk lid and windshield.The impala and the convertible have the same doors.Ive had several 59's and just liquidated a life time collection of parts...I think the 59 impala is the best looking bodystyle to come out of the 50's-you either love em or hate em

 

BelAir 2 door hardtops were sold in Canada in 59, there have been many articles on them over the years but they are a rare find. Automobile Magazine had one in their article on the 59 Chevy... My pops used to have the original sales "podium book" that included them, and the 8mm film ads.
We had a Impala 2dr, a Nomad, and a sedan delivery with a flip nose. He still has most everything for a 2 dr hard top just no body. The original car was stolen while apart.

 

You're referring to the 2 door hardtop. A '59 Impala 4 door sedan would have the same windshield that the other normal sedans would. Not all Impalas were 2 door hardtops.

 

Geez! I'm amazed at all the people who post on subjects like this without having a clue! jonzcustomshop, I think you are right on the money! I actually had to go out to the garage to check the vertical strips on the taillights. Yup, they are there! I do believe they are stainless, though. Junkie, my car is far from perfect, but I'm always amazed by the number of people who think it's gorgeous! I think people appreciate the design of it now more than ever. Count me in the "love 'em" category.

 

hardtops had a 2 in shorter front glass/ roofline

 

I had a 1959 Belair 2 dr hardtop.. with a 283 , 2 spd power glide.. , Ive also had a 59 Impala 2 dr hdtp with a straight 6 , 2 spd pwer glide.. .. ..
kind of odd ball but it was original.. both cars are still in the city....

 

No...You´re confusing the "Impala" windshield with all 2dr HT, 4 dr HT "Flattop" Sport Sedan and Convertible windshields and roof height. All said bodystyles were part of the Impala -lineup, but the 4 dr HT "Flattop" Sport Sedan could also be had in the Bel Air -lineup. These three bodystyles shared the same-height roofline and hence the w/s to go with it. In addition to that, the Impala could also be had as a 4dr "post" sedan with the arched roofline. And as a Nomad STW. These two shared the higher-style windshield with all the lower-level (post) sedans, wagons, panel wagons as well as the El Camino. This same (higher) -height windshield and -gasket is also shared by the ´59-60 Cadillac 6-window 4-dr HT`s, BTW.
As far as the tulip-panel and deck lid length, You´re again talking about the Impala generally where You really only mean the 2d HT Sport Coupe (Impala). The 2d HT Sport Coupe has its own unique-length, longer decklid. Due to the shortest pass compartment and roof of all bodystyles. All other bodystyle Impalas with a decklid, (of whom there were the 2 styles of 4-drs as well as the one with the big domelight as mentioned before), shared the same-length, shorter decklid. This due to the longer roofs of the 4-drs and the tub behind the rear seat of the convertible where the roof rack would fold into. Lastly, all ´59 Impalas shared the same-length rear overhang. You´re confusing the ´59 with the ´58 here. The´58 was the first-year, 1-off edition where the Impala was only offered as the 2dr HT and Convertible for the only time in the life of the nameplate, and where no body- or trim-part aft of the cowl (with the possible exception of the rear bumper) would interchange with the lower-level full-size Chevies due to the unique, longer-overhang and lower-roofline body exclusive to the Impala that year only.
As probably outlined before in this thread, the difference between a ´59 Impala and Bel Air 4-dr sedans, be it the post- or the "flattop" Sport -variety is only the trim level, as in the Impala having wider stainless strips down the mid-section of the body, the aluminum panels on the bottom-half of the dash, a fancier steering wheel, an aluminum trim piece on top of the pass side dashboard with an "Impala" -callout as opposed to just "Chevrolet" on the lesser models, a more upscale upholstery patterns, the strips of brightwork down the taillight lenses as well as the stainless trim on the door window frames of the Impala (post) sedan.
Kind Greetings.

 

The car I had brand new white on top like that, and acrylic gray below.
, couldn't make the payments, was a Biscane, rubber trim around the windshield, hardly no bright metal at all..................

The '59s stand alone, beautiful, way-beyond the tri-fives in my book.

 

so they made 2 dr hardtop impalas and sedan 4 door impalas??...well I stand corrected,in my 25yrs of owning and collecting 59 chevy cars and parts I've never seen or heard of a 4 dr impala,but to have a lower windshield I would think the roof would have to be 2" lower to accomodate that windshield which would mean the door tops would have to be 2" lower,which would mean those 4 dr impala door tops would be different than all other 4 dr doors out there....not to say it dosent exist...but I've never heard of it or seen it,I've never seen a set of 4 dr doors that wouldnt swap out with another set of 4 dr doors

 

Built a 2-door post Biscayne for my son's high school car. Impalas were top of the line, trim levels etc. but the major difference is the windshield is entirely its own, it will not fit other body styles.

 

Disreguard my last post,been up 16 hrs straight,I'm tired-goodnight

 

impala 4 door sedan: mainly just a trim package, all major body panels and glass will interchange with the belair, and biscayne 4 door sedans-
** I'm curious abou the canadians, they might have prod. figs for them..., and I do remember on our trips to canada for 567 conventions the abundance of 567 210 2 and 4 door hardtops up there, seems like canada got more of the lower end trim packages***

some pics of some 4 sedan , and 2 ht, I will try to get some more shots up later.

 

Boy. I thought I retired from this place to become a lurker, and then I see this.

Now here it is.

ALL 1959 Chevrolet hardtop cars and convertibles have interchangeable windshields. This means: 2-door hardtops, 4-door hardtops (Flat roof), and convertibles. Yes, this includes the 4-door Bel Air Hardtop (pretty rare) and the Canadian 2-door Bel Air hardtop (rarest of all). It also includes like GM cars for 1959 and 1960.

Wagons, El Caminos, and sedans (Cars with posts!!) are all interchangeable as far as windshields also.

The difference? Hardtop/convertible windshields are 2 inches shorter than the rest of them.

The convertible vent window frame is different than the rest of the hardtops. So is the door glass frame. They will work, but they're not the same.

A lot of people think that since they have a 1959 2-door Bel Air, they have a hardtop car. WRONG.

Common parts across the board for cars: Tail lights, bumpers, sheetmetal, etc. Primary difference is trim levels.

Wagon/El Camino rear bumpers are different than the cars. The lower rear valance panels are different also (they have an extra notch in them).

Want to get nit picky? a 2-door sedan Bel Air or Biscayne door will NOT work on a Sedan Delivery or a 2-door Brookwood. The curvature of the window frame is slightly different. Oh wait... it will work, it'll just be obviously wrong. The doors between a 2-door Brookwood and a Sedan Delivery *are* interchangeable.

If you try turning a 59 Canadian 2-door hardtop Bel Air into an Impala, you will be found and shot.

Let's see... all trunk lids are interchangeable EXCEPT for the 2-door hardtop. It's like 8 inches longer than all the others. So if you need a trunk lid for your 59 Impala convertible, don't pay $900 for a convertible trunk lid. Pay $100 for a 4-door Bel Air trunk lid. Same shit.

Impalas and Nomads are the only ones that have the stainless strips on the tail light lenses. You can NOT put Impala stainless strips on a wagon and vice versa - the wagon/el camino lenses are flatter. You can put the Nomad strips on an El Camino though, and you can put the Impala strips on a Biscayne.

If you have a messed up fin trim (the LONG piece on the fin edge) on a 2-door, you can take one from a 4-door sedan and cut off 1/2" near where the door is. Then it's exactly the same piece that you just took off the 2-door. $10 part vs $100 part.

1959 was the last year you could order fuel injection on the 283. 1959 was the FIRST year you could order a 4-speed in a full sized car. Therefore, 1959 is the ONLY year you could order a fuel injected 4-speed Impala.

If you're too lazy/broke to add disc brakes, you can add 1961-1964 roller bearings (cheaper and stronger) along with 1963-1964 self adjusting brake hardware. Makes it so much nicer in the brake department, short of getting the disc brakes.

What else do you want to know?