Over the years, various companies have produced a wide range of accessories to satisfy every niche of the car market. This 1960 Chevrolet Impala is not only a tidy classic that is ready to be driven and enjoyed, but it comes with one of the more quirky and obscure accessories. Located in Marco Island, Florida, you will find the Impala listed for sale here on eBay. Whether it is this accessory that has had an impact, the Chevy has already attracted 45 bids. This has pushed the action past the reserve, with the bidding currently sitting at $30,000. I have to say a big thank you to Barn Finder Larry D for spotting the Impala for us.
The Impala’s owner admits that the vehicle has received one repaint in its original Ermine White and Roman Red combination. It presents superbly and is a car that the buyer could drive with their head held high. The paint shines beautifully, with no issues worth mentioning. The same is true of the panels because there are no dings, dents, or any evidence of rust. Everything fits together perfectly, which suggests that there is no prior history of significant accident damage. The underside is just as impressive. There is surface corrosion present on some mechanical components, but the car appears structurally sound. The trim and chrome are in excellent order, while the same is true of the glass. That is one of the strongest design features of the 1960 Impala Coupe. These are big cars, and there was a possibility that they could have looked cumbersome. However, Chevrolet’s design department did an outstanding job with the model’s “glasshouse.” The Coupe tips the scales at 3,810lbs, but the vast expanses of glass help give it a lighter and more elegant appearance.
Lifting the hood on the Impala reveals a 283ci V8, a 2-speed Powerglide transmission, and power brakes. It isn’t clear whether the vehicle is numbers-matching, but it does appear to be in sound mechanical health. The owner indicates that the engine has been rebuilt, which means that it should deliver all of its original 170hp. When combined with the limitations imposed by the Powerglide, the Impala should be able to cover the ¼ mile in 20.2 seconds. To gain an insight into the transmission’s limitations, you only need to compare that figure with what the same car could achieve with a 4-speed bolted to the back of the 283. The ET would be slashed to 18.3 seconds. However, one of the strongest attributes of the Powerglide is that it is essentially bulletproof, so the buyer shouldn’t need to lay a spanner on it for many years to come. The Impala runs and drives well, but the owner says that it prefers fuel without ethanol. That isn’t surprising and is quite common for vehicles of this age. The buyer will just need to be selective about where they top up the tank.
The owner provides plenty of interior photos, but most of them focus on a specific feature. Overall, the Impala’s interior presents well, with no significant issues that would require immediate attention. Items like the dash, door trims, headliner, and carpet appear to be in excellent order. The back seat is in as-new condition, but the front has some wear and a previously repaired tear. Unfortunately, the owner doesn’t show us this issue in any of his photos, so it isn’t clear how bad it is. The buyer might be able to ignore it, or an aftermarket slipcover might prevent further deterioration. Replacement covers in the correct colors and materials are available, but they are generally only sold as a complete set. They typically sell for around $850 and might be worth considering if a factory-fresh appearance is desired.
I mentioned the quirky accessory earlier, and there it is, hanging under the dash. Someone has installed an ARC Melody 2500 record player. These were an aftermarket device designed to play 45rpm records in cars. They are similar in concept to the Highway Hi-Fi offered by Chrysler in the late-1950s, but the ARC had one crucial advantage over the Highway Hi-Fi. It could play regular records, whereas the ones for the Chrysler unit were specific to that brand. A couple of other manufacturers offered similar systems to the Melody 2500, including a Sears Allstate model. This unit doesn’t currently operate, but they aren’t a complicated system. It should be possible to have the 2500 repaired if the buyer wants to retain this accessory in working order. For those of you who are too young to remember, perhaps I should explain what a “record” is. Imagine a CD, only bigger…and black…and not as robust…and analog. They are also shockingly prone to warping badly if exposed to heat, making the inside of a car on a sunny day a less than ideal place for them. However, hide them under the seat when they aren’t in the player, and you should be okay. I admit that I have a comprehensive collection of records, and I’m glad to see that they are making something of a comeback in this era of iTunes and music streaming services.
This 1960 Impala Coupe is a turn-key classic that presents extremely well. Its few interior trim issues would not be expensive to address, and it would then be hard to fault this vehicle. Whether the Melody 2500 adds anything to the value is debatable, but if it can be returned to a working state, it would be a guaranteed conversation starter at any Cars & Coffee. It seems that there are plenty of people who like what they see with this Impala, and a new home is only a few days away. Are you tempted to join the bidding party on this one?
I so love these / ANY bubbletops. Ideal collection would be to have one of each from Ford and GM…just lottery dreams. Right after I complete the Fleetline ‘fastbacks’ and the ‘boattails’ and 4d flattops and pillarless long roof wagons…ok BIG garage needed along with the winnings…
LOL, this disk player probably skips more than the CD players we used to have. Remember when you had the first CD player in your car? That was epic! Now just imagine how cool that would have been to have a record player back then. Groovy man!
Nah, I can’t see how it should be possible to experience your records skipping in Chevrolet’s ‘Jet Smooth Ride’! 😄
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TmMiV5ptbk0
If this were mine, the record player would be the only omission I would make. Otherwise, this is a great `60 Impala.
Could never understand why they brought the base 283 down to a mere 170 horses between 1960 and 62. At least it was bumped up to 195 from the following year to the end.
It’s principally due to the fact that the 283 was a two-bolt main bearing system and the 327 was a three-bolt main bearing system. That’s why the 327 could be built to produce more horsepower than cubic inches. Put too much power to that two-bolt main bearing and then backing off suddenly, resulted in many a camshaft snapped in two! Just wasn’t enough support for horsepower across that much of a span inside the block to support the cam under excessive power.
I bought one in Biloxi, Mississippi in 1966, for $600.
Engine rebuilt at 56k miles? Might be 156k & with new carpet & it had seat covers on over the years. & little bad weather driving.
Tasteful partial fender skirts are already built into the qtr panels. No need for more.
I think owner means it’s just easier to start the car with non ethanol gas after sitting for long periods – due to lower evap rates vs that of ethanol fuel.
Nothing special about this car. Matching numbers mean nothing.
It appears to actually have a padded dash — and for this time period/model year, that really was something special!
Needs twin antennas out back.
Had 3 of these ,2 -2door hard tops and a convertible ,and still have a 348 complete setting in my garage, just waiting for another 60 Impala to come along.
The padded dash was an option to be ordered back in 59 and 60. A friend had a 59 El Camino with a factory padded dash, rare option then. This Impala has a replacement 59 non push button straight line radio. The 60 face plate would show 2 bowtie’s one each side. Those old 45 players are collectible today, the record plays upside down also. First ones made by Muntz radio as I recall. I like the ’60 but would prefer a ragtop version.
The 45rpm car record players were only suitable for use when the car was parked. The original Chrysler HiWay HiFi record players allowed play while driving due to their very slow speed [16 2/3 RPM] and deep needle grooves.
I’ve owned several Imperials with the original players, and they did work well provided one didn’t drive over rough terrain. I’ve also owned 2 NOS versions
of the 45RPM players, both NOS in the box, similar to what is shown here, and both came with instructions to use only when parked.
Here is what Wikipedia says about the HiWay HiFi:
The system appeared in Chrysler automobiles from 1956[2] to 1959 (1956-1958 model years). Records for the system were manufactured exclusively by Columbia Special Products, and could hold roughly 45 minutes of music or an hour of speech per side. This was accomplished by the use of a slower rotation speed of 16+2⁄3 rpm—versus 33 rpm for conventional long-playing records and 45 rpm for singles—in conjunction with an extremely tight groove pitch of 550 grooves per inch (216.5 grooves per centimeter, over four times that of a standard monaural LP of the period) and an extremely small ultra-microgroove width of only 0.25 mils (6.4 μm), roughly one-third the groove width of a standard stereo LP at 0.7 mils.