Rusted out 62' Impala 4 door. Derby car?

So my neighbor has a rusted out 62' impala 4 door that i can get off him cheap. Thing looks like it sat at the bottom of a lake. no trunk floor, floor pan is toast, all 4 fenders, trunk lid, hood, everything is rusted through. Frame might even be. Motor turns over but the air cleaner even has a hole from rust. I was thinkin of buying it off him, salvaging the chrome, some panels and shiny bits, then throwing in a running 305 and using the rig at the next demo derby. Doors are even rusted at the hinges. They would have to be welded shut.

Thoughts? or am i going to hamb hell?

 

They will kill you in that heap if its that rusty

 

If it's that rusty I wouldn't even chance my safety at a demo derby!

 

Well it is, but it isnt? The body is still solid, but its a 4 door. Just the sheetmetal is fryed

 

You're going to hell in a rust bucket.
"AND THE BOWTIE ROLLS ON"

 

floorpan is toast. no frame rail out there to protect you,as it has a x frame. not me!

 

I have done a demo derby in a solid car and got the hell knocked out of me. Rusty car ? Better you than me is all I can say.

 

Some where on the web there is a crash between a 59 Chevy and a more modern car. I think it was done at about 30 MPH, you might want to study it in slow motion and see if you'd wanna be in the chevy. the 62 still has the same frame as the 59.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cJrXViFfMGk

 

Get it and part it out, if you sell everything that's usable off of it I don't think anyone gives a shit what happens to it after that. But if any pieces that could have been used on a street car get smashed, then I say it was a waste.

Parting it out before smashing it is at least better than it getting scrapped complete by a metal gypsy.

 

Boat anchor?

 

Our demo derby is pretty rough, i entered 3 cars in the last 5 years and personally, I would want a solid floor under me. Not only to keep things like others' axles and bumpers under my car rather than in it, but also for strength. Depending on the rules though, you may be able to weld a floor into it

 

I have a high sense of adventure. Go or it! peace

 

Your arm is going to be sore a couple days from the tetanous shot.

 

It would be more fun to bomb down firetrails and try to get air on jumps.

Launch it into things with a brick on the accelerator.

Park it in front of people that you hate houses.

Hit garbage cans, shopping carts, small animals.

Destroying cheap cars is FUN!!!

 

As stated before the car has a X frame.. To put it simply the car does NOT have any type of frame on the sides.. I have seen solid X frame chevys in derbys 20 plus years ago and several drivers were sent to the hospital with injurys... Nashville Tenn Fairgrounds Speedway even banded these cars from derbys.. Don't derby it you should buy a caprice or later impala. Best is a Imperial if they let you run one. if you run it GOOD LUCK because you are going to need it.. bobby.......

 

Rusty,Xframe and no pillars,go for it!!!

 

Let´s see a photo of this car...?

 

I was a pit crew for my buddy for years at derbys. I saw all kinds of cars. The last derby I ever went to had a straight pre-64 enter. I cant remember what make/model, but I couldnt even watch. Made me sick. I cant watch derbys anymore, thinking theres some poor sap that needs a driver to get to work and these guys are killin em. Same goes with motor blowing raffles at car shows. Maybe Im the only one, but it pisses me off that people will blow a runner just to guess when itll pop. I love ALL cars and have too much respect for them, thats why I wont ever go to a derby again.
My opinion, no matter what the condition the car is, even a 4 door (Im a 4 door lover):

NO PRE-64 CAR SHOULD EVER DERBY! ITS JUST DISTURBING, PERIOD.

I'd think a HAMBer would feel the same way, but I may be wrong. Go get a '76 or newer ANYTHING and go derby. Be safe

 

salvage what you can then go for it. good luck and take some video.

 

Chop it up, and build a 60s bubble top using an old cowl, the Imp sides and rear quaters? Think Plowboys Atomic Punk, Racerdads 57 Plymouth, or the ElCamino thats been narrowed.?

 

I agree, go for it. Tell us how it works out!

 

Rusty,Xframe and no pillars?

You may lose the derby , but you just may win the Darwin award!!

 

Dont worry all. I decided to skip out on this car. The X frame idea spooks me too much. Just gotta find me a big old 70s lincoln now.

 

What happened to that Buick vert you have a pic of on your page? Pm me

 

Even the strongest demo cars, if rotty, fold right up. The 71-76 GM fullsize tend to be desirable - one year we saw what looked like it had been a decent '73 Pontiac 4-door that had been run and it must have rotted the frame at the rear seat, because the car only took a few hits and folded up through the back doors enough to pop the driveshaft out of it. Damnedest thing I'd ever seen, you'd have thought someone purposely cut 6 inches out of the floors/frame through the back doors and bent the doors and top in to make them fit.

Now if you can run it against 4-cylinder cars only, that would be a different story. Stick a 60's Nova 4 or an Iron Duke in it and see how long you last.