While the 1958 model year is the most desirable Impala for an obvious reason – it was the first-ever Impala ever produced, its successor is also a classic with a well-deserved place in the garages of wealthy collectors across the world.The 1959 Impala was the first model sold as a separate series. Chevrolet kicked off the Impala effort in 1958 with Bel Air’s help but then promoted the new nameplate to a standalone nameplate only a year later.
1959 witnessed the introduction of a significant redesign, borrowing design cues from other GM cars. It was now available as a four-door hardtop and sedan and two-door coupe and convertible.One of the 473,000 Impalas produced in 1959 is now looking for a new home, apparently after it had already received a second chance not long ago.
The photos don’t tell the full story, as despite looking like a full project, this 1959 Impala has already received a bunch of fixes. Including under the hood, that is, as the car now runs and drives.
As a big Impala fan, restomods aren’t necessarily my favorite cup of tea. I would rather prefer the Impala as original as it gets, so the 350 (5.7-liter) under the hood could make people like me walk away. On the other hand, if you don’t mind a well-done restomod, this Impala could be worth a look.
The 1959 model year was available with the same lazy six-cylinder developing 135 horsepower and with the base 283 (4.7-liter) Turbo-Fire producing 185 horsepower. A four-barrel version of the same engine increased the output to 230 horsepower. The icing on the cake was the 348 (5.7-liter) unit rated at 335 in the top Super Turbo-Thrust configuration.
The new engine under the hood of this Impala isn’t the only bad news, as the car also comes with the typical metal issues you’d normally expect on a car this old. However, it’s far from becoming a rust bucket, so bringing it back to the road shouldn’t be too difficult.
It’s hard to tell how original the car continues to be today because the seller hasn’t shared such information, but given the engine is no longer original, a full inspection on this front is certainly recommended. The good news is that it runs and drives – don’t consider it roadworthy, though, so if you end up buying the car, make sure you also bring towing.