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Easy Being Green: 1969 Chevrolet Impala Custom

It’s amazing to think that gigantic, full-size cars from the Big 3 were once as common on the ground as today’s Camrys and Accords. Caprices and Impalas, LTDs, Furys, and more were the family sedans of the middle class. Chevrolet was usually on top with well designed stunners like this 1969 Chevrolet Impala Custom two door hardtop. Find this clean example here on Craigslist in Hillsboro, Oregon for $9,995.

We could go on and on why so many survivors are green. Instead, lets admire and appreciate a color you simply can’t get anymore on a car you soon can’t get anymore. The death bell has been rung on the Chevrolet Impala, a model made since 1958 that nearly everyone is able to conjure up an image for. For me it was my dad’s 1970 Impala, with a trunk so large that a Christmas tree could fit in it with the lid closed. This 1969 model is one of the best styled of all Impalas. Great front end, unique back window trim, handsome yet sculpted with a hint of sporting, back when less was more.

This example lived with its original owner, a Shell Station operator in California, before being passed down to his mechanic son. The seller claims that nearly every piece of documentation from new is with the vehicle. If they know the history, why not include the mileage? Recently the 350 V8 has received some freshening and is said to run well, though no picture is shown. From my own childhood memories, those 350s with a 4-barrel had no problem racing Nova SS’s by Hobby Airport with the entire family loaded up. And I think I remember dad winning too!

The white vinyl roof looks cleans with no shrinkage or bubbling. California black plates are a nice touch and help to reinforce that this could be a true survivor. Only a bent antenna and a scrape on the back left end cap detract from the near flawless exterior. Inside, green upon more green looks clean and correct. Only faults look like a split where a steering wheel spinner might have been and a drilled in stereo at the bottom of the dashboard. Or is it an 8-track? Either way, you could easily chew up many highway miles piloting this biggie with ease. What memories do you have in an Impala? And what do you think of the demise of the full-size American sedan?

Comments

  1. Avatar slickb

    Drive as is… this thing is sweet!!!!

    Like 0
    • Avatar slickb

      And fatter tires… not sure how I missed adding that :P

      Like 0
    • Avatar willard weiandt

      real nice car clean !

      Like 0
  2. Avatar Dan

    Bought one years ago off of some gal…427 and 4 speed for $250 and drove it home…..exhaust was stopped up…

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    • Avatar ken squires

      I had a 69 Impala SS427. Wish I still had it.

      Like 0
  3. Avatar flmikey

    My dad had one…the only thing you do to these is flip the top of the air cleaner over, and have some fun…

    Like 1
  4. Avatar Tom V.

    My parents ride in the late 60’s. I took and passed my drivers test in it. Not an easy task when you are vertically challenged and had to perform a perfect 3 pointer AND parallel park this leviathan!

    Like 0
  5. Avatar Steve R

    Nice car, reasonable price. Based on the license plate frame, the car might have racked up a lot of highway miles.

    Steve R

    Like 0
  6. Avatar Miguel

    To me this car is common. I have the wagon version in my back yard in this color.

    It is odd that this Impala Customs has the Caprice roofline.

    Like 0
    • Avatar Old Iron Mike

      The custom impalas had the Caprice “formal roof lines” while standard impalas were fastbacks.

      Like 2
  7. Avatar Jim Clark

    Had two of them. Great cruisers and easy to work on. Like flmikey said, the first thing I did was flip the air cleaner cover per dad’s advice. Didn’t go much faster but it sounded cool when the 4bbl kicked in!

    Like 1
    • Avatar William Kopp

      Did the same with my 70-74 Monte Carlos.loved that sound

      Like 0
  8. Avatar jacques girard

    man i had 2 of these i bought them for 200 each . in the eighties .
    they are my fetish cars . they drive great , and are quite reliable ,
    just look at them what styling , todays cars dont stand up to these …

    Like 1
  9. Avatar Peter R

    I know of one in Winnipeg with a 427, under 100k miles, factory air, auto, needs a complete exhaust system but can be bought for under $9k USD and no dutues, only local taxes like any other local purchase

    Like 0
    • Avatar Greg

      Peter please send me details.

      leusgs@yahoo.com

      Like 0
    • Avatar Car nut from Wpg Member

      Is it grey? I think I have seen one here.

      Like 0
      • Avatar Nrg8

        Don’t forget about the green 69 427 that is original, driver, low milage that’s for sale every spring in southern manitoba for 13500. Must be getting flipped, same car, just gets little changes every time it changes hands. First reseller put corvette rallies and rubber, included original wheels. Next one did a dress up kit on the engine. Must be a shed full of stuff with it by now.

        Like 0
  10. Avatar County Liner

    Had this as my First Car in 1976. Same Color, Black Vinyl Roof.
    Smooth Cruiser

    Like 0
  11. Avatar Mattyou63

    I love the Reminiscing. this car brings back a lot of memories

    Like 0
  12. Avatar Ck

    I’m with flmikey nothin like the sound of a quadrajet with the air cleaner cover fliped over. This is a kool ride I love everything about it even the green guts.Throw on a set of rally wheels and drive the wheels off it.

    Like 0
  13. Avatar David Miraglia

    Boy I was five when she came out. Would love to have her.

    Like 0
  14. Avatar Troy S

    Although they haven’t made full size cars quite this big in years I think it’s a shame there won’t be any more. It’s all about the market and what people want, dumb things like the smart car or other “tiny” cars will hopefully be a passing trend. Full size cars like this here Impala were once the best selling cars in America, pony cars and mid sized cars did pretty well but the big cars were the most important to auto makers. Muscle or supercars were just a blip on the radar.

    Like 0
  15. Avatar Kevin W.

    My dad and I said for decades that so many nice survivors are green. Nice to see that you concur.

    Like 0
  16. Avatar Boba Samphire

    I had a 67 impala, it was a beauty. It was blacked out and I had put a new radio in it with a aux port but it still looked classic.

    Like 0
  17. Avatar BillO Member

    I didn’t realize it was definite about the Impala, but heard talk of them getting rid of it. Sad. Our friends have one. It’s a nice car but the back was not distinctive enough. Should have made it with triple taillights. It’s hard to distinguish it from the Malibu from the back. And unfortunately, the Malibu may not be far behind. I just don’t see many Malibu’s on the road anymore either. BTW, once big cars were the rage. Now big trucks are the rage, and only what was once a mid-size car is offered by most manufacturers. I’ve driven my brother-in-law’s F150 quite a bit on trips we’ve taken. They’re comfortable, but those big trucks are tough to park at shopping centers.

    Like 0
  18. Avatar lawrence

    Yes I had a 1969 SS427 as well as a 1969 396 coupe and a 1970 coupe with a 350….just nice cruisers with yer lady beside you !

    Like 0
  19. Avatar ACZ

    That was a terrific year for Chevrolet. Every model was worth having. Not a pooch in the bunch. Wish I still had my 69 Elky but at least I still have my 69 Corvair.

    Like 0
  20. Avatar Daniel (Smitty) Smith

    I have had 68s and 69s, Great fun. I do miss them

    Like 0
  21. Avatar Johnny

    My first car ever, lol….many memories made in that car. LMAO

    Like 0
  22. Avatar Rex Kahrs Member

    The last good Chevrolet.

    Like 0
    • Avatar Car nut from Wpg Member

      What about 1st gen Montes?

      Like 0
  23. Avatar Dan

    Aahhh…GM “No-Color” green. They must have had thousands of gallons of the stuff.

    Like 0
  24. Avatar james burton

    know for bad motor mounts, fixed with cables wrapped around the control arm mounts the ball joints were shot when the backed them off of the hauler. mine was a 327 with a glide. blew the rear main out of it at a buck 10 racing a 70 monte

    Like 0
  25. Avatar Steve

    “The owner of this car owned a Shell Gas & Service station were it was maintained & then after he retired it was maintained at his son’s auto repair shop for the last 36 years.”, yet not one shot of the engine…

    Like 0
  26. Avatar Billy Bob

    The two built in ashtrays for the rear seat passengers — an interesting time in history. I don’t believe I know anyone that smokes today.

    Like 0
  27. Avatar Rex Kahrs Member

    I remember back in college in the late 70s people would smoke in the grocery stores. Nobody would dream of doing that now. But, now they bring their dogs into grocery stores, which isn’t any better.

    Like 1
  28. Avatar Derek Martin

    I currently have a 67 that has been partially restored. 283 2bbl 2speed.
    60,550 miles original to it ( as far as I can tell). The color scheme is classic black with a red interior. I love it. The only drawback is it’s 19 1/2 feet long and I gotta build a garage because it barely fits in the storage unit.

    Like 0
    • Avatar Derek Martin

      Side shot

      Like 0
  29. Avatar Derek Martin

    Sorry…heres a better pic..had to move some files.😊

    Like 0
  30. Avatar Mark P

    In the mid nineties my sister in-law had a ’60’s Impala she was going to pay someone to haul away. It ran great but New England winters killed the chassis. It was a 327 4bbl. Told her to put it on her front lawn with a sign that said “Running 327 4bbl, $500”. She didn’t understand the sign but the car was gone in a couple hours.

    Like 0
  31. Avatar ddb

    This Impala is a lowriders dream. Would sell in LA real quick.

    Like 0
    • Avatar russell spreeman

      I dread the thought of this nice car being ruined and forced to wear CHROME CLOWN SHOE wheels.

      Like 0
  32. Avatar Pursang

    When I got out of college In 76 I worked for a NY based food company and travelled to all of their plants. One trip was to City of Industry, which was an outskirts of LA, well, industrial area. They had a 454 auto version of this car w/o the white vinyl roof, sun baked flat pickle green over pickle green, company gopher car that they let me use so I didn’t have to rent a car. Somebody ordered that engine as a joke.

    Great fun as the company was a rendering plant, where slaughterhouse refuse was rendered into grease and bone meal. Try driving to your hotel in the rare rain in south LA with a nose heavy 454 version of this after it has absorbed a few years of grease into the sun baked tires!

    When I hit the gas, the rear tires would just spin!

    Thanks, I had not thought of that car in decades!

    Like 0
  33. Avatar Will

    Here’s the saved ad with all the info saved http://www.craigslistadsaver.com/view.php?name=1969ChevroletImpala

    Like 0
  34. Avatar Brian

    I had a 1966 Impala Super Sport with a 283 – 2 bbl, 4 speed, buckets, console, power steering, and power brakes. It was single exhaust, so I put on a set of Doug Thorley headers, turbo mufflers, and full dual exhaust. Put on a factory 4 bbl, too. Only bad thing was that my gf had to sit on a pillow on the console!!

    Like 0
  35. Avatar ronniecarlo

    Corey Komendo,If you are familiar with Hobby Airport then surely you know if Rankin road.I wrapped my 1975 Monza Town Coupe 5 spd.Swapped from a 4.3 to a 5.7 out of a 1980 Bonanza..Good times.

    Like 0
  36. Avatar Lloyd Conway

    My dad bought one new in 1969, and lost it due to finacial difficulty, I loved that car maybe I can replace it sometime. I remember how well it road and how comfortable the seats were. He let me set on his lap and drive it. So many memorys that are now gone.

    Like 0

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