Some classic cars are created more equal than others, and different attributes help one stand out from the crowd. When a vehicle survives unrestored and unmolested for sixty-five years and presents as superbly as this 1958 Chevrolet Impala, it deserves respect. Not only is it a survivor, but its original owner added some desirable factory options to enhance the ownership experience. It needs a new home, with the seller listing it here on eBay in Cochecton, New York. They set their BIN at $74,999, and I must say a big thank you to Barn Finder Larry D for spotting this amazing gem.
General Motors celebrated its 50th Anniversary of vehicle manufacturing in 1958, and it released models across all marques to commemorate this milestone. For Chevrolet, the vehicle of choice was the Bel Air Impala. This was the first year the buying public saw the Impala badge, and it would serve for this one year as the range-topping version of the Bel Air before being awarded standalone model status in 1959. The history of this classic is unclear, but the seller emphasizes it is an original and unrestored survivor. If this is accurate, its condition is jaw-dropping. The first owner ordered it in a stunning combination of Sierra Gold and Honey Beige. It is hard to fault the finish because the paint holds a consistent level of color and shine. There are no signs of patchiness or checking and no evidence of significant chips or scratches. The paint cloaks equally impressive panels. The seller states that potential buyers will not find any Bondo, prior repair work, or rust. The trim is spotless, with no damage evident on the prone spinner hubcaps. The original owner ordered this Impala with tinted glass, which looks flawless. The twin radio antennas and wide whitewall tires add a classy finishing touch to this classic.
You need to scrutinize the supplied photos to spot any defects with this Impala, but the interior shots reveal a couple of minor issues. There is a dirty mark on the passenger side front seat and one in the center of the back seat backrest. Otherwise, it appears to be virtually perfect. The tri-tone cloth and vinyl upholstery is free from rips and wear, with the same true of the carpet and headliner. The painted surfaces and brushed aluminum trim look crisp, as does the wheel. The original owner wasn’t afraid to splash the cash in search of comfort. They added factory air conditioning and an AM radio with optional twin speakers. The air conditioning blows cold, and everything works as it should.
Chevrolet offered buyers in 1959 a broad selection of engines to power their new Impala, ranging from the 235ci “Blue Flame” six through to the 348ci big-block. This car’s original owner ordered a 283ci motor, equipping it with the optional Power Pack. This boosted output from a relatively modest 185hp to a more respectable 230hp. Backing the 283 is a two-speed Powerglide transmission, with power steering making light work of the driving experience. The upgraded V8 made itself felt under the right foot because while the base 283 took 19.1 seconds to cover the ¼-mile before hitting 103mph, the Power Pack improved those figures to 18.3 seconds and 112mph. Although fuel consumption figures were largely irrelevant during this period, the additional power had little impact on potential buyers. The seller indicates they recently rebuilt the power steering, but the remaining mechanical components appear untouched. They claim it has a genuine 28,300 miles on the clock but do not mention verifying evidence. It would be fair to expect some deterioration in the driving experience after so many years, but the seller says the Impala drives as well as it did the day it rolled off the showroom floor. The new owner could fly in and build a relationship with this old Chevy by driving it home.
Chevrolet found itself with a sales hit when it introduced the Bel Air Impala in 1958. Of the 181,469 Impalas sold that year, 125,480 were the Sport Coupe variant. Natural attrition and rust claimed many during the following six decades, and how many survived is unclear. Buying a restored Impala will give many enthusiasts great satisfaction, and most cars in the current market fall into that category. However, cars like this 1958 Impala are game-changers. To find a vehicle of this type that is so beautifully preserved after sixty-five years is a rare treat. The BIN price is at the top end of the market, but the overall condition and list of optional extras justify that figure. Whether someone snaps it up quickly is debatable, but when someone does take this beauty home, and I believe that will happen, they will climb behind the wheel of a car that will make some people turn green with envy. I admit I will be one of them. Will you?
I really do like the 58’s! A fella named Jeff had a blue one on my paper route when I was a kid. I never could work up the nerve to ask him for a ride in it. I just admired it every day when I delivered their afternoon paper. This one is awesome-great color, not turned into a resto-mod, good bones, it seems. GLWTA.
The brake pedal is almost scuffed smooth..methinks it has turned over,but has been brilliantly maintained thoughout it’s life.Always loved the 58′ since seeing it in American Grafitti,this is the rare GM product i’d allow in my garage :P
Edit:rare Chevy* i’d allow in my garage…lotta Pontiacs i want :P
I don’t see that. It looks like a trick of the light – I blew that photo up in my editing software and the ribs are clean all the way around the pedal. That said, gorgeous car, I just can’t get past the clunky styling on the rear.
I blew it up also..the gas pedal looks good..the brake pedal looks smooth though.
I had to laugh about checking the wear on the pedals, as a young kid in the fifties I can remember the older people talking about checking the wear on the pedals because they were almost sure the odometer had been turned back on that used car for sale. (The ones that grandma’s just drove to church and back on Sundays)
That color really makes this car! Beautiful. But then I L❤️VE ‘58, ‘59 and ‘60 Impalas.
You guys said it all. Can’t get any better than this one.
Correction: It can get better right after you take off the head light eyelids.
Good and expensive.
I’m not a fan of the bulbous styling of the ’58 over the ’57. I always thought they looked ponderous. But this is a beautiful, well cared for example. I just hope the original owner made the lions share of the appreciation in value, and not the latest 5 year seller, as he was the one that kept it pristine when they weren’t worth much.
I guess it is plausible to get this price, but its not a ’57 so its a pass for me.
seems like a fairly high price, but I’m getting old and everything is $$$
One reason this ‘58 looks so good is because it looks the way it should with NO fender skirts and NO Continental kit.
Lol I was just thinking about the skirts and continental kit!
I am not so sure the smooth pedal is a valid concern. It appears to be a great car, it also has a fantastic price, so it should be nice.
Notice the dryer sheets on the floor? Old collector trick. Believed to keep the mice out of the car during storage.
Been using the dryer sheets for years.
Dryer sheets and Irish spring soap may work for city mice but not for country mice, fresh cab rodent repellent didn’t work either. The mice even chewed on the soap, the mice got into my srt 10 and my old caddy setting in an enclosed garage. The only thing that I found that would repel mice is mothballs, not the best smelling thing, but they work! I would put up with smell over the thousands of dollars worth of damage the mice can do!
Absolutely LOVE the ’58 Impalas!! I want one soooo bad but this one is out of my price range. Not a fan of Powerglide transmissions either.
A beautiful chevy. Great colors, inside and out. I would do whatever it took to get the AC to work (if it isn’t already) because that has got to be the rarest option on any 58.
@62Linc
I would say the Level Air Suspension would be the rarest option on a ’58. It had the air bag system instead of coil springs. But, yes, Factory Air is also very rare.
A/Cs were over built, got a 60 Chevy with factory air, took it to SUNY Morrissvile Auto Tech program, to recharge a/c. Instructor said, “NO WAY”…. Put vacuum pump on system for 24 hours….to boil water out of system (didn’t have a replacement receiver dryer..) Shut off vacuum pump, gauge held vacuum for 2 days….charged system, a/c was still cooling 5 years later went I sold it…..GM wanted to sell a/c s forever, so they didn’t want customers to have costly problems, soooooo they over built them, and designed them to have few if any problems
I really like 58’s. Had 3 over the years. I have a couple of questions for someone whose memory is younger than mine.
I do not remember the chrome around the front seat, and that steering wheel doesn’t look right either. It could just be the Impala part throwing me off. The steering wheel looks like a 59. It is a great-looking car and something to be proud of, the seller is prouder of it than I could justify paying.
Seat chrome and wheel ARE correct. The text states the original owner ordered it w/”optional twin speakers”. Nope! The rear speaker selector switch for a 58 goes all the way on the right hand side of the dash to the right of the clock, and there’s none on this car. A LOOOOONG reach for the driver. I’ve had several, and that’s the way they were new.
The writer’s texts always says “original owner ordered ” , without really knowing the history of the car. Like saying the original owner ordered it with a 283 , but more than likely this was an off the lot sale, and then had been well maintained and had options added sometime in its 65 year existence . The 58’s are my favorite Chevy from the 50s and always has been – you can keep all those tri-5s !! lol
I have to “57s to sell, one a frame off restoration of a barn find, and a Survivor, 95% to 97% original four door sedan, a true reference car with 28,000 original miles joeythek P.S. Wasn’t the rear speaker “switch” a fader caontrol, behind the station tuner knob?
@JimmyinTEXAS
Yes, that is the correct steering wheel for a 1958 Impala. The ’58s had a full horn ring. The ’59s and ’60s had basically the same wheel but their horn ring was only on the lower half below the spokes of the wheel.
Absolutely remarkable, beautiful functional automotive piece of history.
I will be glad to know when it’s purchased by someone who fully respects what it is and continues the previous caretaker’s legacy of preservation without messing with it. This car should never fall into the hands of a tinkerer who just can’t leave his busy mitts off anything because he needs to “fix it” or “make it better”. Nor should it ever be so unfortunate as to end up in the collection of yet another clueless fool with way too much money who hasn’t a care in the world about preservation because everything his money can buy becomes his own canvas and he can easily have his people pull, rebuild and fully detail the engine or put an LS in it and cover the original Magic Mirror Acrylic Lacquer with modern clear and ceramic coating to “protect it” if an outright new $40K Ferrari-spec paint job doesn’t somehow find its way onto the list of “improvements”. It needs to be saved from the types of people who’ve commodified cars like these and everything else that’s sacred. The same elites and wanna-be elites that have effectively ruined everything that was good including our very own American way of life in their ravenous pursuit of world domination via “wealth redistribution” and pay for play power to pull the strings of our corrupt government marionette puppets to reign in the rest of us and what we can and can’t do with our rapidly diminishing “Freedom” wink-wink.
I bought this car and will not tinker with it. Coming to SoCal by end of week.
Beautiful car, but the 58 wasn’t one of my favorites, and $75K… not this guy, but for those who have the money… go for it…
Rust on t0p of radiator and air cleaner indicates it wasn’t flushed regularly, Over heating problem??????
Sacrelidge! How dare these losers not regularly flush the radiator on a car they kept in impeccable shape by barely driving it for over a half-century of careful ownership! Shouldn’t THIS have been their top priority… always?? It’s these clueless types of people who give the old car hobby a bad name, dangit! Lucky for this old car these lamebrains finally kicked the bucket, eh Joe? Now this sadly neglected Impala can finally find an owner (like you?) who will give it the TLC it deserves — but not until they lower the price significantly on account of 65 years of improper maintenance!😘🤪
I bought the car, all was as described. And the AC works!
Congratulations. It’s a great looking car.