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Donated Fundraiser: 1966 Chevrolet Impala Convertible

I will always respect someone who donates a car to a charity to be auctioned as a fundraiser. That respect ramps up significantly when the vehicle in question is a classic like this 1966 Chevrolet Impala Convertible. It has generated plenty of interest since it was listed for sale here on eBay. That’s no real surprise because this is a project car that shows a lot of promise. It is located in Orange, California, and there have already been 48 bids submitted on the awesome Chevy. This has pushed it along to $16,355 in what is a No Reserve auction.

The Marina Blue Impala might not be perfect, but for someone who is searching for a classic project car, it is well worth a look. The paint shines reasonably well, while the White convertible top appears to be in excellent condition. The panels are straight, with no dings or dents to address. External rust seems to be confined to a few small bubbles in areas like the trunk lid. The rest of the panels look good, but the bad news is that there appears to be some rust visible in the rear frame rails. This doesn’t look to be too bad, but only an inspection will determine what it will take to address this. The chrome and trim seem to be in good order, and there are no visible issues with the tinted glass.

It isn’t clear whether the Impala is numbers-matching, but it does come equipped with a 283ci V8 and a Powerglide transmission. With 195hp on tap, the vehicle would have been capable of covering the ¼ mile in 18.7 seconds in its prime. The seller says that the engine will fire into life, but it won’t run. It appears that it will require at least a new fuel pump and a carburetor rebuild if it is to be revived, but it is stressed that the vehicle isn’t roadworthy. Maybe getting it roadworthy would be a great winter project. That way, the Convertible will be ready for some top-down cruising when the weather turns warm once again.

It wouldn’t be unusual to find a classic of this type and age needing some major interior work, but this Impala has a lot of plus points. It is serviceable as it stands, and there’s nothing that urgently requires attention. The upholstery on the seats looks good, while the dash and pad aren’t bad. The Chevy has been fitted with a CD player. However, this is mounted under the dash, so the original radio remains intact. The door trims are showing some wear, and while they might potentially be able to be saved, I would be inclined to hand over $220 for a replacement pair of trims. One item that is beyond salvation is the carpet. You could try dying it, but I believe that you would probably be wasting your time and money. Spending $240 on a new set would be money well spent, and when combined with the door trims, it would lift the interior presentation enormously.

There’s no doubt that there are still plenty of generous souls left in our society, and the donation of this ’66 Impala Convertible to charity demonstrates that. It isn’t perfect, but it looks like it would be a great project car that could be returned to active duty relatively easily. If you bought this, you’d get the car, and a charity would receive some much-needed funds. That sounds like a win-win to me.

Comments

  1. Avatar Rex Kahrs Member

    Nice looking car. Really nice color.

    Like 12
  2. Avatar Kube1989

    A $1 raffle set at 25,000 tickets may have generated more money?

    Looks like a fun project!

    Like 3
    • Avatar smokeymotors

      raffles are tricky legally from state to state and whos putting it up for raffle lots of rules.

      Like 3
  3. Avatar 370zpp Member

    And a very decent person for donating this.

    Like 8
  4. Avatar Darrell Dirr

    Scam Alert, KarsforKids Such a beautiful car I hope the money goes to a good cause !

    Like 1
  5. Avatar Retired Guy

    This car has been listed in the past.

    Just so you’re aware, this is a copy and paste of eBays rule on vehicle purchases. The seller perhaps is not aware of this…

    “…For motor vehicles and real estate, a bid or offer initiates a non-binding transaction representing a buyer’s serious expression of interest in buying the seller’s item and does not create a formal contract between the buyer and the seller…”

    Like 1
  6. Avatar Robet

    My brother had that car back in the 70,s except it had 396 big block motor and four speed t shifter.

    Like 1
  7. Avatar 19sixty5 Member

    Add rally wheels, heck, I’d probably leave the whitewalls on it, add new carpet, replace the cheap spring base antenna, replace the horrible looking red heater hoses, and cruise!. At some point add A/C. Nice looking Impala.

    Like 2
  8. Avatar Mountainwoodie

    Kind of concerning that someone would “dump” this on a “charity”. Best I can tell this seller is a third party aggregator who handles the disposal of “donations” to “charities”.

    The back story to this car would be kind of interesting.Someone obviously started to rehab it…..doesnt run? It’s carbureted……not much between it and the fuel tank. Compression check etc. Answer to the running problem becomes apparent. So why “dump” it? Maybe someone died and there were no heirs.

    In any event its a nice boat. Not a particularly desirable model beyond being a convertible…at least to me. Interesting that it has been bid to almost twenty grand!

    Like 0
    • Avatar local_sheriff

      The whole sales process is definately sneaky considering this is supposed to be charity. Buyer is required to pay an additional 8% fee – if this were true charity the seller would’ve done this free of charge for both the buyer plus the organization he’s supposed to be representing.

      It should be noted that despite its Cali location the car has an Illinois title. Definately looks nice for a Midwest ‘vert though

      Like 0
  9. Avatar Maestro1

    Very nice. I have a 66 Impala in the barn, waiting for renewal which will happen when the virus is under control. I am on the Left Coast where the
    virus is rampant.

    Like 0
  10. Avatar John L.

    Car has been pulled from Ebay, Ebay shows 0 bids @ the $250.00 starting bid.

    Like 2
  11. Avatar Rex Kahrs Member

    This is starting to look pretty shaky.

    Like 1
  12. Avatar gaspumpchas

    The red light here should have been the rear frame rust. Then we find out the car was from Illinois, Looks nice in the pics. Like Rex says, looking shaky. Good luck and stay safe.
    Cheers
    GPC

    Like 0
  13. Avatar Bill McCoskey Member

    Interesting car, it’s the top-of-the-line Chevrolet Convertible, but has only 5 options: 283 V8, Powerglide, Radio and Heater, tint/shaded windshield. No power steering, no power brakes. [Power top was standard on the Impala convertible.]

    Like 1

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