1966 Impala

When I was 19 I was in the Navy in San Diego California.  I found a car in the paper for $500.00.  It was advertised as a "low rider."  When I got to the used car dealership I found out what they truly meant.  In order to make the car a low rider the original owner had taken the back coil springs out of the car.  By the way just removing some coil springs is not a good idea.  The shocks will not hold the car and as you drive it, the gas tank bounces off the pavement at every bump, pot hole, or even bit of concrete.  I am not good at science, but I do know that sparks, and gas can lead to very bad things!

The car was a 1966 4 door Impala with a small block V8 and a 2 speed power glide transmission.  The car sat about 2 inches off the ground in the back and if you bounced on it the gas tank hit the ground.  The paint job was grey primer, and the only interior was the seats.  One window was missing and there was no door panels.  It was a horrific site and I wanted it!  My wife cried and I bought it.

On the drive home, yes the car did start and drive, I was pulled over by the police.  The officer said I was showing the road with sparks and he did not feel the car was safe. Remember the above paragraph, sparks, gas can be a bad thing.  The good news is cars from the 60's were not made with flimsy metals and the tank had held up for the drive home.   Luckily, I was less than a mile from my apartment, so he let me off with a warning and told me to get the car fixed.  He said he was upset that I threw sparks all over the front of his car.  I cannot imagine why?  I believe he had a love of cars or else I could have been forced to tow the car home.  He escorted me to the next ramp as I slowly crept along trying not to throw too many sparks on the pavement.  I did not have the heart to tell him my brakes did not work well either, but I think he might have known since out of the 6 lights in the back only 2 of them lit up and one of them was pretty dim.   I got the car and my family home safely that night.

The next day I talked to the mechanic shop about putting the coil springs back in the car and fixing the brakes.  They did not work to well either.  It took the shop almost an hour to get the car in the garage!  That afternoon I had my Impala back and raised to a proper height to keep the gas tank off the ground.  It was my first classic car and I was thrilled.  My wife cried again.

Later that week I went to the junk yard and bought some door panels and a new window.  Nothing really matched but you could lean your arm out the window without cutting yourself on the old metal edges.  I was young and had a lot of plans for the old car.  I drove it everywhere while I lived in California.  I even went on  a trip to Mexico for three days in the car!  During these times I slowly fixed certain parts to make the car more driver friendly.  It was hard because this was my daily driver as well.

One thing I never could get to work right was the gas tank and I did run out of gas quite a bit.  I knew the car got around 10 mpg so I would put gas in every 100 miles or so.  It seemed like a solid plan, but it did not always work out so well.  Did I mention how heavy the car was when I would push it down the road trying to get to a gas station because I forgot my gas can?  It was dead weight but I loved the old car.

While in California, I slowly added some interior pieces, a very large stereo with amp and speakers, matching door panels, and a back dash.  I had  basic steel wheels that I had painted black so they all matched since they did not when I got her.  My wife and I hand stitched a custom headline since I was a lonely E-2 in the Navy.  I could not afford to take the car to a shop, but I could afford some fabric remnants at the fabric store.

The following year I moved to Mesa, Arizona.  On the typical 8 hour drive my old car started to over heat when I made it to Yuma, Arizona.  It was five in the morning and I figured we would make it the other four hours relatively easy.  The car would get hot and we would stop for an hour or so.  Around 5:00 p.m. we finally arrived in Phoenix and that was when my car had enough.  I pulled off the highway to a gas station to let the car cool down, and as I turned the key off, the radiator exploded! It shot steam thirty feet out the front grill.  I thought I had killed my Impala.  A few days later, I bought a new radiator and the car fired right up.  Nothing was wrong and I drove the Impala all the way to St. Louis, Missouri to visit some relatives.  I could not believe I had not killed the car.

Once I returned to Mesa, Arizona I moved into an apartment complex where another guy had a love of old cars.  Both our cars needed a lot of attention, and we tinkered with them on a constant basis.  Slowly, they came together and there was a love for these old machines even with all of their problems.

My old Impala lasted for years.  Over time I added door panels, carpet,and a custom headliner.  For some reason I never painted the car but it always started in the morning on the way to work,and I left well enough alone.  I drove the car across the United States twice and once way down into Mexico.  I never questioned the cars abilities.  The only thing I wish is when I lived in Arizona I would have installed an air conditioning system!  It was hot hot hot.

I loved my Impala but I was young and did not have the skills to complete a restoration.  My career was taking off as a Respiratory Therapist.  I did not see storing the car until I had time, and I was moving around a lot.  Finally, I decided to sell her so someone else could enjoy the car and make the Impala what it could be.  I understand why I sold the car, but I do miss the old girl and one day I hope to find another one to place in my driveway again.  I have the abilities to work on cars these days along with the patience.  I look forward to finding another 66 Impala I can make my own one more time.