by The Chevy Impala was completely redesigned for the fourth generation in the mid-60s, becoming one of the best-selling automobiles of all time during its first 12-months out and about. To put it plainly, these cars were so nice, both inside and out, that you could have easily replaced the Chevy badge with a Cadillac one.
Two years after its debut, the fourth-gen Impala was heavily redesigned to feature Coke Bottle styling, not to mention improved passive safety features like the collapsible energy-absorbing steering column, and shoulder belts.
New options included front disc brakes, a stereo 8-track player, vacuum power door locks, plus an all-vinyl upholstery for the interior, available on both sedan and coupe body styles. These Impalas had a lot going for them in terms of visuals, although the closest they’ve ever come to earning celebrity status was on CW’s Supernatural TV series, where Sam and Dean drove a 1967 sedan variant.We, on the other hand, are here to talk about the Sport Coupe model, specifically this Bolero Red example, getting auctioned off to the highest bidder.
Visual highlights include the repainted exterior, chrome bumpers and trim, the cowl induction-style hood, driver-side mirror, replacement emblems and taillights, plus the chrome American Racing Torq Thrust II wheels, measuring 18-inches at the front and 20-inches at the rear, and wearing Toyo Proxes ST rubber.
This Impala also comes with power-assisted steering, 2” lowering springs, and upgraded brakes – Wilwood master cylinder to go with six-piston front and four-piston rear calipers. This is what we call a “clever setup,” as this car should be much better to drive than any factory-standard example.
Moving on to the interior, that’s where you’ll find the black vinyl front and rear bench combo, together with the color-coordinated dashboard, headliner and door panels. Meanwhile, a replacement wiring harness was installed during the refurbishment, as well as a Lokar floor-mounted shifter.
Other highlights include the dash pad, radio blanking plate, rear parcel shelf, window cranks, door panel armrests, lock pulls, and pedals – all “new”.
Then there’s the three-spoke steering wheel, itself a replacement. It was mounted on an Ididit tilt column, and it fronts a set of Dakota Digital gauges.
As for the power unit, it’s a replacement 350 ci V8, working alongside a Holley four-barrel carburetor, an MSD distributor, plus an aluminum radiator. All of these were installed during the refurbishment. Other noteworthy mechanical bits include the Billet Specialties 14” air cleaner, the serpentine belt pulleys, and the Chevy-branded aluminum valve covers.
However much power this Impala has, it all goes to the rear wheels via a replacement TH350 three-speed automatic gearbox, and a 3” chromoly driveshaft. There’s also a custom exhaust system present, rocking dual Flowmaster mufflers.
As far as I know, the 350 Turbo Fire V8 engines didn’t become available for the fourth-gen Impala until the 1969 model year, producing both 255 and 300 horsepower. We’re probably dealing with one of these engines, and so the output should be somewhere within that range
