Beautiful 1958 Bel Air Impala Sport Coupe that has been tastefully restored with a frame-off restoration. Born in California, this car was made in GM's Van Nuys plant ("VN" Cowl Tag Code). It's loaded with desirable upgrades for both performance & comfort, all while retaining its original classic charm. This was my Father's car, and a lot of time and money has gone into it. I may miss a few details, but I'll definitely cover most things about the car here..
EXTERIOR:
The body is straight and rust-free, finished in a vibrant "Rio Red" paint job. The chrome and stainless trim is all there and it's in great shape. All of the glass is in good condition, and this does have the factory-optioned Tinted Glass (Code: EZI). The entire undercarriage and frame have been painted, the floors are solid, and there is no rot underneath—it's solid throughout.
INTERIOR:
The interior is very clean and in excellent condition. The seats, carpet, dash, door panels, and headliner are all good with no rips, holes, or stains in them. It features the original steering wheel, gauges, radio, clock, etc. The stainless trim inside is in great shape. The weatherstripping has been replaced throughout the car as well.
DRIVETRAIN & MECHANICAL:
- 348 Engine with Tri-Power
- Turbo 350 Automatic Trans
- Original 3.55 Positraction Rear
- Aftermarket Power Steering Kit
- Vintage Air A/C system
- Aftermarket Power Disc Brakes
- All brake lines & hoses replaced
- Fuel lines, fuel pump, sending unit, and gas tank replaced
- New Aluminized Dual Exhaust System - Flowmaster 40 Series Mufflers
- Removable rear Side Skirts
- Insterstate MTP-24 Battery (940 CA)
- New Starter, new Gabriel rear shocks, plus more..
I did check casting #'s and date codes on the engine & rear, and they are both original to the car. The engine casting# is "3751872", that number was only used on 348's that went into 1958 passenger cars, and the casting date on the block is February 25th of '58. As far as the rear goes.....the casting date on that is "L97" which means it was made on December 9th of 1957, it has a Posi case casting# "3743833", and it has a 3.55 ratio code stamped into it "AK".
Overall, it has most of the things that people would want in a classic like this. It runs strong, shifts smoothly, and sounds great. It's also unbelievably easy to steer for a large car.....though it could use some fresh suspension bushings in the rear trailing arms & front sway bar. The A/C blows cold and it was professionally serviced & recharged not that long ago. The 1958 Chevy Impala was a one-year-only iconic body style, and this car is an excellent example of it.....a true head-turner that anyone would be proud to own.
