Disclosure: This site may receive compensation when you click on some links and make purchases.

Rust-Free Survivor: 1968 Chevrolet Impala SS 327/4-Speed

When a classic car like this 1968 Chevrolet Impala SS pops up for sale and is being offered in a No Reserve auction, then it is sure to be a vehicle that attracts its fair share of attention. This is especially true if it has a lot of positive attributes, and this is a car that would seem to fulfill these criteria very well. If you find yourself attracted to the prospect of owning this beauty, then you will find it located in North Las Vegas, Nevada, and listed for sale here on eBay. Bidding has now reached $8,000 in a No Reserve auction.

The presentation of the Impala is extremely good, but it appears that the car has undergone a repaint at some point in its life. According to the trim tag, the car rolled off the production line finished in Paint Code “N.” This equates to the car wearing Cordovan Maroon, but the SS now wears Ermine White instead. It still looks extremely nice, with the paint appearing to be in good order and no signs of any significant dings, dents, or blemishes. The owner provides a good selection of photos of the trunk and floors, and these all look to be really solid and free of rust. At first glance, this also appears to be the case externally, with no obvious signs of rust. However, I suspect that there might be some previous rust repairs to the driver’s side of the Impala, because it looks like there is evidence of something slightly odd with the paint and panel finish in the lower corners of the door and the lower rear quarter on that side. It is plausible that it is a trick of the light, but it appears to be present from multiple angles, so it is something that will probably require some investigation.

The Parchment interior trim of the Impala looks quite good, but it really needs someone to take it to the next level. For me, this is as much to do with consistency as it is anything else. The front bucker seats wear new covers, but the cover on the rear seat, along with some of the interior trim pieces, have developed a somewhat dirty and discolored appearance. It would be worth the effort to try giving these items a thorough clean because they might respond quite well to this. It is to be hoped that this is the case because interior trim kits are not a cheap investment for an Impala. However, I did some searching and have discovered that if the next owner chooses to start replacing trim pieces, then it is entirely possible that a complete kit could work out as a better proposition financially than buying individual pieces. The armrests are missing off both doors, there are a set of aftermarket speakers in the rear parcel tray and a weird-looking rub mark on the dash pad on the passenger side. None of these issues require urgent attention, but it would be nice to have the interior presented in a consistent fashion in a classic like this. It’s also worth noting that the Impala was originally fitted with air conditioning. It would seem that the majority of the system is still present, although it will require a new compressor.

Occupying the engine bay of the Impala is the numbers-matching 327ci V8. In addition, the car comes equipped with a 4-speed manual transmission and power steering. There is no hiding the fact that at 3,856lbs, the Impala is no lightweight. However, that 327 brings 275hp to the table, which endows the vehicle with pretty reasonable levels of performance. A 0-60 time of 6.9 seconds is hardly going to set the world on fire, but it still remains fairly respectable. The owner of the Impala claims that the car has covered a genuine 103,000 miles, but doesn’t indicate whether he holds any evidence to support this claim. What he does say is that the engine is in good health, the car runs and drives nicely and that the transmission shifts smoothly.

This 1968 Impala SS does have a lot of positive attributes, including its numbers-matching status, and the fact that the floors and frame seem to be free of any rust issues. It is an attractive looking car, but that question about potential previous rust issues on the driver’s side of the car hangs over its head. Still, if there have been previous repairs, and if these have been completed to a reasonable standard, it could still be a pretty nice thing to park in your driveway.

Comments

  1. Avatar photo Dusty Rider

    This seems to be a really nice car, but I agree, there is something going on with the driver’s side, front to back it looks like. Great highway cruiser though.

    Like 1
  2. Avatar photo GuernseyPagoda

    Nice car, but it looks to my untrained eye that there is putty all over this car. Both rockers, both quarters, and drivers fender for sure. Definitely restorable though, and I would take it back to original colors and all.

    Like 4
    • Avatar photo Tom Member

      I have a trained eye and that drivers side is full of filler AND THESE photos are not that good!!!! I would bet good money the filler is due to rust repair. These cars, no matter where they are from, based upon panel design, rotted out in the lower fenders, door bottoms and behind the rear wheel. If the left side is bad, the right side is too probably….ESPECIALLY if it spent most of its life as WHITE because light colors rust out far faster than dark colors. (Dark colors absorb the heat in to the metal panel, conduct the heat and dry things out faster. Light colors reflect the heat and really never dry out).

      The factory maroon (my bias because it is my favorite color) would be AWESOME on this car.

      LOTS OF WORK. Like I always say, Yes… the good news is that it is “all there” but it still needs EVERYTHING!!!!! from a replate, restore, repaint, refurbish, replace, re-do it all.

      I am sure you can buy a DONE example for WAY less than it would take to restore this one. Fun driver. Cool that it has a manual trans, buckets and console. Always liked these cars. LOVE the 8″ GM Rally Wheels. My favorite!!

      Like 15
  3. Avatar photo Daleone3

    Love this car AND a third pedal, hard to find but that is a lot of work to get the drivers side right. Passenger side looks good so imagine it was lower body damage with an amateur repair. Have to see it up close to be sure but if the price stays low be a nice score but I am sure some over zealous buyer will overpay for their pending disappointment when the car carrier shows up and they realize there is more to be spent.

    Like 1
    • Avatar photo Tom Member

      Yes like $25K + (new emblems, moldings, gaskets, etc) more. Knock all the filler out. Fix all the rust…..the right way with welding and new metal. Getting that car back to the factory Maroon will take A LOT to get rid of all that white. Ok I’m done now. I think.

      Like 9
  4. Avatar photo Dennis Ford

    Had one in 1972. Same color fastback with blue interior. 327 4 Barrel 3 speed on column. Maybe one I should of kept. Got Drafted. Life goes on………….

    Like 5
  5. Avatar photo Rustytech Member

    I agree that it appears this car has lots of bondo in the left side, but I think it’s more likely it was from a side swipe since there is no sign of rust anywhere else on the car. Still it will need new sheet metal to correctly repair it, which by itself will be expensive. There my be some buyer remorse on this one.

    Like 3
    • Avatar photo 86_Vette_Convertible

      Have to agree it looks more like a side swipe rather than rust from what I can see. That would need to be looked over properly but could be corrected by the right person.

      Like 0
  6. Avatar photo Vin_in_NJ

    I want a 1968 Impala Sportsroof. My grandfather bought one new in 1968 and I was driven home from the hospital in it when I was born. He put over 200K on that car and drove it until 1989. At that point, both quarters were rotted right up to the crease on this car. Sadly, my older brother sold it in 1991. Even though it had a 307, auto, bench seat, manual steering, brakes and windows, I wish we still had that car.

    Like 1
  7. Avatar photo Rob

    THE BODY IS IN EXCELLENT CONDITION NICE AND STRAIGHT LMAO now thats funny OMG you can see the mud in it I feel sorry for the new owner to be!

    Like 1
  8. Avatar photo Del

    I cannot see the problem with the body that people are commenting on.

    Pics are to poor.

    Wonder what the 4 speed is ?

    A Saginaw ?

    Like 0
    • Avatar photo Dusty Rider

      I think the reason the pics are poor is because the body has problems.

      Tranny would be a Muncie or a B-W T10, I think.

      Like 0
  9. Avatar photo Comet

    If you can see bad body work from a picture on a white car, it’s gotta be a mess up close.

    Like 0
  10. Avatar photo TimM

    If you can get some scales and drive the car on them you can tell how many pounds of bondo are in this car!! I have a white 67 caprice 396 with a power glide and I would still love to own this 68 must be fun with the hog leg!!!

    Like 1

Leave A Comment

RULES: No profanity, politics, or personal attacks.

Become a member to add images to your comments.

*

Get new comment updates via email. Or subscribe without commenting.