1971 Impala (regaining my youth)

I got this car from my grandmother ten years ago. It had 70,000 miles on it and no problems whatsoever. I drove it for five years before smashing in the front end. The timing chain then broke and I pulled the engine out and rebuilt it, intending to restore the car completely. While I was in law school it sat in storage in Utah, rusting away to the shell you see below.

I would still like to restore it. I drove it from Salt Lake to LA last week with zero problems. I'm mechanically inclined and want to do this cheaply but also do it well... I'd like any general advice, suggestions on colors and modifications, and any resources that you know of. (I've already thought of the portrait of the virgin mary on the hood and the gold rims.) If anyone knows of another forum that this would be well suited for, please let me know. Thanks.

http://img466.imageshack.us/img466/5773/p10100753fl.jpg http://img466.imageshack.us/img466/6162/p10100731vq.jpg http://img113.imageshack.us/img113/5628/p10100788uv.jpg http://img464.imageshack.us/img464/2717/p10100664qt.jpg http://img464.imageshack.us/img464/5761/p10100853zd.jpg http://img183.imageshack.us/img183/9867/p10100816it.jpg

[Blarg]

You want to low-ride-duh it, eh? You could also Starsky & Hutch it.

God I love those bench seats. Miss 'em.

Actually I want to keep it fairly stock, but don't mind changing colors etc... I'm not planning on dropping it or putting a four barrel in it or anything. I was joking about the gold rims.

These bench seats were the best for oh so many reasons. Most of them female related.

[[censored]]

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(I've already thought of the portrait of the virgin mary on the hood and the gold rims.)

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Yuck and double yuck.

Blue is what I initially thought.

[TheRover]

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(I've already thought of the portrait of the virgin mary on the hood and the gold rims.)

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Yuck and double yuck.

Blue is what I initially thought.

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Don't bother with any stupid ass designs like that. Dark blue with some sort of black trim seems like a great idea to me. Try to keep it as stock as possible.

[jba]

this is a sweet ride, and other posters telling you to go for a classic look hit it right on the head.

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(I've already thought of the portrait of the virgin mary on the hood and the gold rims.)

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Yuck and double yuck.

Blue is what I initially thought.

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Don't bother with any stupid ass designs like that. Dark blue with some sort of black trim seems like a great idea to me. Try to keep it as stock as possible.

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Here's a blue one I found on Ebay: http://i21.ebayimg.com/03/i/05/a7/04/80_12.JPG

Auction. (http://cgi.ebay.com/ebaymotors/Chevrolet-Impala-1971-Chevrolet-Impala_W0QQcmdZViewItemQQcategoryZ6169QQitemZ45960 80993QQrdZ1) I think I would go darker than this. I also think a dark green would look good.

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this is a sweet ride, and other posters telling you to go for a classic look hit it right on the head.

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Thank you sir.

It would make a nice lawn ornament.

[loose passive]

Don't do it!

Spend your time and money on a car that has a good resale value. This project seems like a big waste of resources. Sell it and find something in LA with less rust and not as beat up.

[Blarg]

I love dark green, but I lived in those days and don't remember dark green on those cars back then. So I think you would be "modernizing" it if you chose dark green, kinda like if you painted it teal. Except less gay.

[TheRover]

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Here's a blue one I found on Ebay: http://i21.ebayimg.com/03/i/05/a7/04/80_12.JPG

Auction. (http://cgi.ebay.com/ebaymotors/Chevrolet-Impala-1971-Chevrolet-Impala_W0QQcmdZViewItemQQcategoryZ6169QQitemZ45960 80993QQrdZ1) I think I would go darker than this. I also think a dark green would look good.

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oh my jesus that is perfect. Perfect shade, everything. Please do that and post pictures so that I can be jealous.

[BCPVP]

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You want to low-ride-duh it, eh? You could also Starsky & Hutch it.

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Starky & Hutch an Impala?

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Don't do it!

Spend your time and money on a car that has a good resale value. This project seems like a big waste of resources. Sell it and find something in LA with less rust and not as beat up.

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This car has a lot of sentimental value to me. I got it from my grandma who died two years ago. I dated my soon-to-be wife in this car. I got laid in the backseat for the first time. It's been on countless camping and road trips. I remember all of these times and feel good in this car. And it's fun to drive.

Also, I'm not doing this because it makes financial sense. It's a hobby/passion, not an investment.

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I love dark green, but I lived in those days and don't remember dark green on those cars back then. So I think you would be "modernizing" it if you chose dark green, kinda like if you painted it teal. Except less gay.

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This sort of modernizing is fine with me. I don't care if they offered a particular color in 1971. I just don't want to change it in a meaningful way. Car color isn't meaningful in my book so long as it isn't over the top pink or something. I'm fine putting radials on it too. /images/graemlins/grin.gif

[HtotheNootch]

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Don't do it!

Spend your time and money on a car that has a good resale value. This project seems like a big waste of resources. Sell it and find something in LA with less rust and not as beat up.

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Don't listen to this. This has two great things going for it - sentimental attachment, and the fact that it's not monstrously expensive. There were a lot of impalas made, and finding parts or, better yet, a whole parts car might not be too hard or expensive.

eBay is also great for finding parts for old vehicles. However, be very careful about prices. Some of the people bidding are idiots and push prices way too high.