This 1996 Chevrolet Impala SS proves that a car doesn’t need to be a million years old to be considered a classic. It offers a perfect blend of looks, luxury, and performance. This gem has been meticulously maintained using mainly genuine parts and is ready to find a home with a new owner. Therefore, the seller has listed the Impala here on eBay in Zephyr, Ontario, Canada. The seller set their BIN at US$16,995 with the option to make an offer.
Chevrolet launched the latest version of its Impala SS in 1994, basing it upon a concept that first saw the light of day at the 1992 Detroit Motor Show. In keeping with a philosophy that has always been mistakenly attributed to Henry Ford, buyers could order a 1994 SS in any color, as long as it was Code 41 Black. The company added three additional shades before production ended in 1996, with our feature SS emerging in the final year wearing the iconic Black. The seller states that most of the paint is original, with the bumpers removed and refinished in a clear-over-base process when the original clear began to succumb to age. Its presentation is extremely tidy, with no major cosmetic or panel flaws. The seller doesn’t mention rust, and I can’t spot anything in the supplied photos that causes concern. They say that the SS is never driven in winter, sparing it from snow and salt that can turn steel into Swiss cheese pretty quickly. The trim is in good condition, and the distinctive 17″ alloy wheels are free from stains and physical damage.
Chevrolet offered 1996 Impala SS buyers a single drivetrain configuration. These cars left the factory with a modified version of the LT1 fuel-injected 5.7-liter V8 under the hood. The small-block is teamed with a four-speed 4L60-E automatic transmission, a limited-slip 3.08 rear end, and power-assisted steering and brakes. The engine’s power and torque figures of 260hp and 330 ft/lbs probably look modest by modern standards, but the Impala should be able to get up and moving pretty effectively if the driver gives the “loud pedal” a shove. The seller is candid about our feature car, admitting that it currently experiences an intake backfire. They have been told that the problem is in the Optispark distributor, which brings us to an interesting fact about this car. It has been meticulously maintained using genuine parts, but the seller has been unable to locate a NOS Optispark unit. However, a brief online search uncovered plenty of non-genuine examples for only a few hundred dollars. Therefore, addressing this problem won’t be difficult or expensive. Otherwise, the SS is in excellent mechanical health, having recently received an enormous list of new parts.
The seller doesn’t provide an image that gives a clear overview of this Impala’s interior. However, piecing together the detailed shots paints a positive picture. The carpet is worn under the driver’s left foot, which appears to be the only shortcoming. They recently replaced the driver’s seatcover, but the rest of the trim is original. The leather looks excellent, with no wear or other problems. The plastic hasn’t succumbed to UV rays, and there are no aftermarket additions. It ticks the boxes for those seeking a luxurious motoring experience, courtesy of the air conditioning, power windows, power locks, power mirrors, cruise control, tilt wheel, auto-dimming mirror, and the premium AM/FM stereo with a trunk-mounted CD changer.
This 1996 Chevrolet Impala SS isn’t perfect, but it seems to tick the box as a nicely preserved survivor. It has a few needs, but the suggestions are that these are relatively minor. The parts required are available and relatively affordable, allowing the new owner to lift this classic to a higher level without breaking the bank. The seller’s price looks highly competitive in the wake of recent successful sales, which helps to explain why this Impala has garnered considerable interest since it hit the market. Whether this translates into a successful sale is a matter of conjecture, but it will be interesting to discover whether we have readers who might consider parking the SS in their garage. I won’t blame you if you do.
Have a friend that drove one identical to this for some years (minus the intake issue) and loved it. Though the mpg literally sucked around town it would cruise all day long on the open roads and return 25mpg according to her car diary.
If it checks out, offer $15k. If they go for it, fix the distributor and sail across North America.
There’s room enough inside to sleep a couple people comfortably…
Good luck finding an Optispark that works, and maybe my idea of “Difficult” differs from others, but see the Water Pump? the Optisparks behind and under it, and might want to replace the pump while you’re there, because it’s leaking is often what causes the problem in the first place. At least there’s more room to work than there was in my 1994 Camaro.
been there done that with the opti spark. water pump indeed while there. another 1 of gm s great ideas. great cars. miss the 1 had but not the black color.
It’s not difficult or expensive to replace the Distributor, why hasn’t he done it?
I bought one of these new and put 224k miles on it. Was a great car. I changed the optispark at 100k only because people said I should. Never had an issue with that at all.
The best looking Whale on the road.
Bought one new in 96, loved it. Jumped a corvette off the line & beat him in 660, then on a long stretch of Texas interstate a mustang came cruising up behind me so I eased on the gas…he did too. At 145 he was still pulling away from me.
I absolutely adore these cars. I firmly believe that they are one of the top 10 or 15 factory “hot rods” ever produced. Had a maroon one for a couple of years in the early 2000s and only parted ways with it because a fella with a ’70 LT-1 Vette wanted it worse than I did so we were able to come to terms that worked out for both of us. Great cars!
Remember when they came out only black was available… The full twin page ad in the car mags read, “Darth Vader, your car is ready”… Very fitting.. Cool cars…!!!
One of the first thing to do is change the waterpump to an electric Meziere unit and no more problems. Plus it makes changing the coolant extreme;y easy. Turn the key to the on position and the pump runs, open the bleeder on the thermostat housing and when coolant comes out the bleeder screw the system is burped and ready. That, and an aluminum radiator were the best cooling mods I made to my Roadmaster Limited tow package wagon…after eliminating the mechanical fan and going to dual factory electric fans. However, that was back in the day when plug and play HD wiring harnesses were being made in the aftermarket. You may find that via the impalassforum group. I finally broke down and put my NOS Impala SS wheels on the wagon. Still have the NOS center caps with lug nuts and valve stems. Never had a problem with the optispark, but I do regular maintenance. With over 250K miles she still purrs and gets good city and highway mileage. Also installed a ram air intake and Corvette throttle body. Great platform to play with using basic simple modifications. Clear Image stainless tri-y headers are a nice change as well. The air injection system had a TSB allowing it’s legal removal, the engine was so clean running. Car has the potential to outlast me.