The Impala was perhaps Chevrolet’s most successful model, running from 1958 (as a Bel Air option) to 1996 and then again from 2000 to 2020. The fifth generation (1971 to 1976) was when the cars took on their largest physical proportions, more than 18.5 feet in length in ’76. This 1972 edition is a white-over-red convertible that hasn’t run in four years and has been stored outdoors where Mother Nature has had a field day. A one-family car for the past 41 years, this drop-top project can be found in Norwalk, Connecticut, and is available here on Facebook Marketplace for $9,500. Kudos to “Zen” for the tip.
After a major overhaul in 1971, the 1972s only had enough cosmetic changes to tell them apart. Despite the growth in size over the years, an inline-6 was still standard, though most were probably ordered with a 350 cubic inch V8 like the one said to be in this Impala. The 1972 model year was the last for an Impala with a canvas top, leaving the Caprice to carry that torch for three more years. Just 6,456 convertibles were produced that year, making it one of the rarer body styles to leave a Chevy showroom in ’72.
We’re told this Impala has had just two ownership groups: the originals until 1985, and the seller’s family since then. The ragtop has collected 80,000 miles, but none since 2022. The 350 V8 should be numbers matching and paired with an automatic transmission, probably a TH-350. Its running condition has not been verified, which suggests no attempts have been made to start it in some time. Did something break that caused it to be parked?
You’ll have your work cut out for you in restoring this machine. The red finish is an older repaint, and corrosion and patina development have since been left in charge. The white convertible top is beyond repair, and the matching interior has probably suffered as a result of obvious holes. The car may be intact, but upwards of $10k as a starting point will help drive the cost of a restoration here to get pretty lofty. But when was the last time you saw any big 1972 Chevy, much less a drop-top?
Hunter S. Thompson approved. Nice proportions on these yachts, the wheels and tires fit nicely in the fenders.
This is at best a $1500.00 car these prices some people are asking is not reality based.
Yes!! $1,500 is the best!! If they get $1,500, they should consider themselves lucky!!
For $9500.00, it needs to be in a lot better condition. I think Lakota has the right price as it sits.
What a revoltin’ development this is! This old Cheebie car looks so
sad and forlorn and this guy’s got
the balls to charge someone nearly $10 K for it?!!! Sorry Charlie! Not in this lifetime! Just
in case you haven’t noticed, there’s a big bad recession out here that’s really crushing the classic car markets. Add inflation to the mix, and it seems
that the market is dead in the water right now with no end in sight. Guys and gals that were
buying aren’t now because there’s
just no way in hell they can justify
buying a car or truck now in this
economy. They’re taking the cash they would’ve spent on a classic car and taking care of their families with it! Now, if our
seller would put down his pot pipe, and get all that Barrett Jackson 💩 out of his head, I’d give him maybe a grand for it and
I’m being generous! Face it sports fans, I’m looking at the to
do list for this car and I see the
finished price coming in at some-
where near $30K or more. And though I hate to say it, the money’s just not here on this one.
LoL 9,500????? People are absolutely delusional anymore. As it sits, maybe 2500. That’s it.
I had a pale yellow ’71 Caprice 2 door hardtop with one small dime sized ding on driver’s side door, no dents no rust, working a/c (only on low) 87,000 miles, needed some transmission work, no reverse( I still drove it).
I bought it like that for $300.00 bucks from an elderly lady back in 2001. I it to a friend who needed a car a few years later after tranny got fixed. They totalled it less than a year later and it still kinda hurts. I loved how it just floated on the highway and the power steering was light as a feather. Those were some great “lead-sleds”back then.
That’s a $500 car all day long. People think they’ve all got the next Mecum lottery ticket. If you get it running, then fix everything, you’ll have a nice, floaty land yacht to cruise around in. Once you make it perfect, and spend another $20k on it, it’ll be worth about $12k, maybe $15k if you find a dummy. Sorry if anyone is hurt by my words, just being honest. We need to start shaming people for asking crazy prices. It needs to stop.
AGAIN, another price beyond the reality zone. Also some of these sellers need to know difference between an old car and a classic car
Once again a wonderful trip down memory lane, a guy I worked with in high school had a similar ’72 Impala convertible….we worked 5am til 1pm Monday thru Friday and were at the lake by 2pm every day after work! Lots of Old Milwaukee were consumed as we cruised around in it! He still has it, hasn’t drove it in years, don’t even remember the last time it ran!! He swears he’ll own it until the day he dies!! NO WAY this one is worth the asking price but then again there’s a sucker born everyday!!
In 1983 I had ’72 or ’73 I bought for $300. This was not a great car and not in great condition. Got me around though for around 2 years, haha. It was the ugliest brownish bronze color you’ve ever seen, hard to imagine somebody actually picked it new at a dealer and Chevy even offered it. Went on many dates in that car.
Two cars with steering wheel covers and nobody has complained about them what the……
Complete Turd ! PASS
$9500 with all that rust?
Sorry to say, but someoneis smoking bad crack! Lol
Positive: “Family owned since 1985”
Negative: Obviously, it belonged to a family who didn’t give a crap about it and now wants it out of the yard.
restorable for sure. the 9500.00 price is way out of line. 1500.00 is low. somewhere between would be a fair price. need to see what the floors look like they could be shot. they really should have sold it long before it got to this point. real shame.
I had one just like this in college. Got it for free as a non running rust bucket. $100 for a parts car. Swapped the engine. My buddy painted it red for another $100. Put a fresh top on it for another $100 and had the best party barge around. Cruising topless with 6 or 8 of your closest friends, priceless.
I stopped and asked about one setting near my home town of east TN, setting in front of a trailer, it was about the same year as this one with a white convertible top/interior and had fender skirts, it was in the mid 1980s and it was like new condition and the guy said he would take $1200 for it. Boy did I mess up by not buying it, but back then values hadn’t really started to rise.