Chevrolet seemed to get the formula right with the 1966 Impala SS. It proved that a car that had muscle didn’t necessarily have to be spartan and uncomfortable. This Impala is a spotless and unmolested survivor that is loaded with plus points. The 396ci V8 under the hood provides the muscle, while the inviting interior and air conditioning take care of the comfort sie of the equation. Perhaps its strongest attribute is that there is an opportunity for you to park it in your driveway. The SS is located in Massapequa, New York, and the owner has listed it for sale here on Craigslist. You could drive away in this classic by handing the owner $34,995. A big thank you has to go out to Barn Finder Pat L for spotting the Impala for us.
The first and probably most important thing to note about the Impala is that the owner states that it is rust-free. That is always a good starting point with classics like this because it can be easy for new owners to get bogged down in rust repairs that can sour the ownership experience. He admits that the vehicle received a repaint in its original Chateau Slate in 2010, and this appears to have survived pretty nicely. There is no evidence of crazing or matte issues, with the entire vehicle maintaining a healthy and consistent shine. A Black vinyl top perfectly contrasts the paint, and its condition is just as impressive as the paint. The panels are straight, the gaps are tight, and I can’t spot any problems with the tinted glass. The owner has retained the stock appearance by avoiding the trap of fitting aftermarket wheels. The bumpers have had a recent trip to the platers, while the remaining trim is in excellent order.
We’ve reached the point where we can consider the muscle part of the equation with this Impala. Any production car you drove off the showroom floor in 1966 with 325hp under the right foot was guaranteed to be something special. That’s what this numbers-matching 396ci V8 should be producing, while the SS also features a 2-speed Powerglide transmission, power steering, and power brakes. That combination is tasked with motivating a car that weighs north of 4,000lbs, and this it manages to do pretty effectively. The Impala should be able to romp through the ¼ mile in 16.4 seconds before winding its way to 126mph. This classic is in sound mechanical health because it has only accumulated 8,000 miles since the owner treated both the engine and transmission to a rebuild. The owner says that if a buyer is searching for a vehicle that they can show and drive, this would be the perfect candidate. It also comes with a significant collection of documentation. This includes the Original Title, Registration, Original Protect-o-Plate, Bill of Sale, complete ownership history, and receipts for all of the mechanical work and servicing.
One area where the buyer won’t need to spend a dime is the interior of this Impala. The owner has replaced the front seat covers, carpet, and headliner. The remaining trim and upholstery are original, and its condition is difficult to fault. The dash is unmolested and in excellent condition, while the same is true of the console. The bucket seats and console are part of the luxury equation, but it goes deeper than that. The Impala comes equipped with factory air conditioning, an AM radio, and a rear speaker. That might not seem a lot by modern standards, but it is enough to make any journey feel like a special occasion.
This 1966 Impala SS is a turn-key classic that has a lot to offer. It has the space to seat five people in comfort, it is nicely equipped, and it has plenty of power available at the press of a pedal. Sales figures for the ’66 Impala SS suffered enormously as buyers switched their attention to vehicles like the Chevelle SS and the Pontiac GTO. However, the company still managed to sell 118,400 cars equipped with a V8. Today, a tidy example with the 396 under the hood can commonly command a market value of $35,000, while an absolute belter will nudge $50,000. I would class this one as being better than simply tidy, so I believe that the asking price is highly competitive. It has been on the market for a mere four days, and I suspect that the owner won’t be waiting long to find an eager buyer.
Ah yes, a repainted, reupholstered, rechromed, rebuilt “survivor.”
Good grief, everything and anything is a survivor according to this author.
While aybe not a “survivor” as this term has certainly been diluted as of late down to any old car that is “pretty”, it sure is a pretty and well equipped example of a 66.
The term survivor was copyrighted by Bloomington Gold founder Dave Burroughs, and eventually I guess he caved or the copyright expired as it pertained to Corvettes. The word is overused and this is certainly no survivor. Nice car, but survivor can mean anything in our Internet world. Heck, my 73 Corvette has survived almost 50 years. Does that mean it is a survivor?
Much like the word “mint” condition! Good grief! LOL
While maybe not a numbers-matching or museum quality car, it looks like a good driver quality car. The 396 would definitely move it, but too bad it was still hobbled with a powerglide. The vinyl top looks tight and flat but I still shy away from them due to rust issues I’ve seen in the past.
Looks like a nice driver quality car IMO, though I’m not up to date on this model so don’t know if the price is reasonable or not.
I think I’m going to start referring to this site as the “Chevy Finds” since about 3 out of 5 postings seems to be Chevys. Time for something else…
This was the car that 15 year old me convinced my Dad to buy in 66. 2 years later it got traded in and I was working across the street. $2495 would have bought me a winner. I never got that far ahead. Dad never bought another car a sweet. Much later, I bought a few.
This SHOULD have had the TH 400 behind the 396. PG was available, but why? The TH 400 was first used on Chevys in 65, but only with the 396, same in 66. Strange it has an aftermarket AM radio (no Chevrolet name on the dial). Must’ve been sold by a dealership which ordered cars sans radio so they could add it for an extra profit. This practice wasn’t unusual in the 50s & early 60s, but by 66, it had pretty much disappeared.
I remember climbing in the back seat of a 66’ Impala SS in 1967’. I was 6 years old and was more into E-type Jags but did like that SS.
White with that bluish/green turquoise I guess interior, buckets. Remember the new car smell yet.
My parents ordered a new 1966 Impala (non-SS) with the 396, Turbo 400, AM radio and whitewalls. It was two-tone silver with a black PAINTED top – not vinyl – and a black vinyl bench seat interior. It had a single exhaust and may have had the also optional front and rear vertical bumper guards. They kept this car until 1970 when it was traded in.
My dad wanted a bucket seat SS but my mom argued for the base bench seat in case she needed to slide over to get out on the passenger side. I doubt that she ever did that!
I remember sometime around 1968 my dad decided to put radial tires on it. He talked about how the tire bulged out where it met the road and that was normal.
I also remember going for a ride with my dad one day when he wanted to “blow the carbon out” of it. On that ride, we hit 80 mph in a 35 mph zone pretty quickly – certainly the fastest that I had ever gone by that time. What a great sound!
It was my mom’s car and it didn’t get driven all that much so I imagine at the time they traded it in it probably had less than 40k miles on it. No accidents, either.