1958 Impala Sport Coupe
(Call me Toad)

We make a cool driver of this good looking model.

Ever since I watched American Graffiti I wanted a 1958 Impala. It should be white, with a rake to it, four speed, and have '59 Cadillac tail lights! Ok to call me Toad!

Well, after much searching here in the North West USA, I  found this one. It is obviously not white, but it is a solid car with original paint and a factory continental kit.

As found: Straight, dull paint, sagging rear...

The paint on the wheel cover on the continental kit was bad.

After the heater core or/and heater valve had a urinary explosion, the heater had been bypassed. This is after all the North West, so a heater can be nice to have. The old carpet (red residential carpet!) was soaked in antifreeze. You can also spot a collapsed padded dash. Also, some genius put fake wood grain over the beautiful dash inserts.

I removed everything in the car to check the floor boards, and to add some protective paint.
No rust was found. We saved this car just in time. 

Trunk area was in similar condition. Completely solid with just surface rust.

I removed the padded dash, thinking I would buy a repro dash later...

All components in the dash needed freshening up.

+

After cleaning up from the dash mess, I found a decent steel dash left.

A rebuilt heater core was made up, and I had the heater valve restored.

I used POR-15 on all the exposed areas in the floor. Then I added new sound deadening.

All the inside stainless was polished.

Christmas for gear heads! You can see the H-4 lights as well. This is going to be a driver, so good lights are essential.

The heater core box was refinished in a stock looking grey metallic.

Other component were blasted and painted semi gloss black.

Stealth stuff: I like my cars "traditional", I don't like some modern digital stereo hanging under the dash, or big speakers installed in the rear shelf. I installed good quality Pioneer speakers under the stock front and rear speaker position.

The car had originally a black and silver interior. Now, much to my delight, it is sporting black tuck&roll. The stock steering wheel was silver and black. I decided to paint the silver part white, and then follow up with white edging on my floor mats.

I can't put this back in!

However, this works! Installing the Cad lights was pretty easy. Looks natural if you ask me!

A new repro dash was $600+, and that is NOT in the budget. So I painted the steel dash for now.

All of the trunk was painted with POR-15. It flows well, and makes a nice surface. Besides, it's black already.

After much cleaning, and some repro knobs, the dash was coming together...

Now with white accent on the steering wheel, and the new floor mats and carpet. I also installed a new firewall pad.

Well, how did it come out??

Just fine, if you ask me. The original paint has some blisters, but after a good polish and wax, it looks decent. This makes it a good driver, and having original paint gives it character.

I straightened the silver bumper insert, and welded up the holes for the license plate. Looks clean.

I would love to have chrome reverse with wide white walls, but that is not in the budget this year. I left the new radials on the car for now. I did add a bullet to the original wheel covers. The car had sagged in the rear anyway, so I cut two laps off the front coils, giving it a nice rake.

I bought a new wheel cover for the rear, and painted it. The outside ring was $100 in raw steel, $160 in chrome. That was a hard choice!!  A reproduction "Chevrolet" emblem looks nice.

New sill plates and interior screws was added. The black tuck & roll was in great shape, so I just cleaned it.

 After some new ball joints, drive shaft center bearing and lots of other small issues, I have a great driver. It has a 283 V-8 with Powerglide. New brakes, new dual exhaust. Goes down the highway at 70 mph all day long, and looks great in the evening at the cruise night.

Call me Toad...

2007 Up-date

I decided to loose that gaudy contraption called continental kit. What is so continental about it anyway? Steve Bolander and Toad didn't have one when they cruised for chicks...so why should I?  Now those Cad tail light do what they do best...stick out !

2009 Up-date:

The rear end was howling pretty bad, and made some noise even without load, and was leaking fluid.

.  Found this posi unit locally, and I replaced the outer bearings as well.  Works great, I am very pleased.

Should I manage to get a hot 348 under the hood in the future, it may come in handy.

While I was at it, I added some chrome tips to the exhaust.

1958 Impala Memorabilia