If you are a fan of the bowtie, then it would be hard to look at this 1966 Impala SS without getting a bit misty-eyed. There is no doubt that this Impala is nicely presented, and with a claimed 29,000 original miles on the clock, it is barely run in. If this car stirs your soul, then you will find it listed for sale here on eBay. The Impala is located in Chester, New York, and while bidding has reached $16,250, it is no surprise that the reserve has not been met.
The owner claims that the Impala is 100% original, but I guess that this is a claim that is open to some interpretation. It has undergone a repaint at some point, but it was in its original color. The wheels also aren’t original, but the original wheels and hubcaps are included in the sale. So, I’ll let you make your own decision on the claim. Leaving that aside, the Impala does present exceptionally well. It’s hard to fault the panels, paint, or trim on the car, and even though I would rather see the original wheels on it, I think that I could live with those aftermarket ones…at least until the tires needed to be replaced.
The news under the hood also appears to be good, with this being a full numbers-matching car. The original 327ci V8 pumps out 275hp and sends its power to the road via a 4-speed manual transmission and a Posi rear end. Everything looks clean and crisp, but it is here that we find another deviation from the vehicle’s original specifications. It was originally fitted with manual drum brakes but is now sporting power front discs. I guess the option is always there to return it to standard, but I’d probably be inclined not to, especially if the Impala is going to get any significant amount of use. Extra braking ability never goes astray. However, if the new owner chooses to follow this path, then I’d fully respect and understand this decision.
The presentation of the interior is equally as impressive as the rest of the car. Once again, it’s an area that is pretty hard to fault. The only deviation from standard is the pair of gauges fitted to the floor console. These were apparently fitted by the original owner when the car was new. So while they may not be original, the saving grace is that they are period-correct. All of the upholstery and carpet looks to be in fantastic condition, while items like the factory radio still hold pride of place in the Impala.
There is no denying that this 1966 Impala SS is a beautiful car, and I have no doubt that bidding is likely to become quite lively before the auction ends. I would place a question mark over the owner’s claim of 100% originality, but the work required to return it to that state would be quite minimal. I have no doubt that we’ll get a fair split of readers who will provide strong and sound arguments for either leaving it as it is or for returning it to original. This is one of the nicest examples of the Impala SS that we’ve seen for a while, and it will be interesting to see if any of our readers love the car so much that they start to bid on it.
OMG I need a smoke and a cold shower. This is probably one of the sexiest vehicles I’ve ever seen on Barn Finds, in spite of the aftermarket wheels. The color is beautiful, and I loved when they switched from the triple circular taillights to the rectangular style.
I rather prefer the “triple zeros” on each side. To me they have more character. Either way is good, & this Impala is wonderful!
You got that right. Much more character w/ the round tails on it. Enough said !!
why in the hell would you remove the disk brakes and go back to drum brakes! that makes as much sence as buying a 32 ford coupe that been converted to hydraulic brakes and go back to mechanical brakes!just plain stupid to do it even fancy car shows don’t knock points of a restored 32 for doing this!
We all knew that it was coming! Time travel is real and is here today! What a honey! I hope that everything about this post is true!!
Well in my thoughts (I’m not an opinionated type guy) This is as original as it can get given the stock rims and covers go with.
As for the repaint somewhere back in time – – – the listing might have noted all original Except it has been repainted.Having said that and having been an independent appraisal business owner back in time, it would be beneficial to have a professional opinion as to the quality of workmanship that went into prepand paint.
I saw way to many repaints that had poor masking and weather strip, door strikers, hinges etc. has\d paint or overspray on them.
Also a good first hand look under the car when it is on a hoist for me is a must too
It’d be a sad situation to get carried away bidding this beauty up to $30K and discover it needs $10 to $20K rework,
Given the mileage if it is documented it’d be interesting to find out why the repaint ??
Fred, there are a couple of things that seem to make this too good to be true. The close-up of the rear quarter seems to show that paint and underlying body work may not be the same quality there as the rest of the car and it’s obvious the engine compartment black and some of the chassis has been resprayed fairly recently. The paint is still on the door latch pins sticking out of the body as well and the car is a 50+ year old vehicle out of upstate New York that’s had a respray (to your point). This is a great looking car but I share your concerns about what’s under the paint and I’d have to lay my hands on it (and run a magnet over it) before plunking down that kind of money.
I had a 66 Impala SS as my first car in 1978. Mine was all original and black. I wish I had it today. The antenna on the front passenger fender tells me something is not right with this car. The antenna should be on the passenger rear next to the trunk and angled back towards the rear. The front antenna was on the pedestrian Impala and I had one of those also as a parts car that I picked up because I dented the same fender.
Sweet looking ride I’d be proud to be seen in. Wonder what it will go for?
I wouldn’t believe the mileage claims. The dealer offers no proof that this car has traveled just over 500 miles per year since new nor that it has ever seen snow or rain. How would he know? It may be nice, but his unsubstantiated claims throw into doubt everything in his description.
Steve R
This kind of car would get driven, at least that is my opinion, so I truly doubt the 29K original miles claim. That said, the restore on it has been pretty nice, and if it runs and presents great, who really cares, except the boys who want our hobby to be about monetary value vs pleasure. A guy from my high school class had one like this in black with a red interior, set up the same except, of course the wheels, he had Cragers. I was a Mopar man in those days, but even I loved that ride. Waaaay back then, cars like this truly were often 29K original mile ones, not unusual at all. Wish I could go back and nab a few of those gems, but better yet, just wish I could go back and be young again when my joints didn’t hurt and I had decades of possibilities ahead of me to explore the world.
Kudos to the person that put those console gauges in. They look like they are right out of the Generals parts book.
I don’t know how anyone could resist driving a car like this every day. I’d have driven the wheels off of it a long time ago. Cars are meant to be driven, not to sit in the garage.
I would definitely lose those wheels and revert to the stock wheels and covers. And turn the tires black side out. I’m not a fan of white letter tires.
A 1966 Impala SS was the first family car that I can remember as a mere child. It was red with a white vinyl interior, I know it was a 4 speed and I think it had a 283 in it. We took it on a vacation to Colorado from SW Missouri, drove to the top of Pikes Peak and visited many of the other tourist attractions in Colorado as well. Mom and Dad did a pretty good job of documenting our trip with a Kodak, I still love going through the pics.
Thanks for stirring up the memories…
Ended: Mar 16, 2019 , 10:28PM
Current bid:US $21,100.00
Reserve not met
[ 21 bids ]