The debut of the Impala in 1958 and the unexpected overnight hit it has become kind of changed Chevrolet’s priorities.
And without a doubt, this happened just at the right time, as the main role of the Impala was to put the GM brand back on the map at a time when Ford was already the big star of the American automotive show.
The Impala proved to be just what the doctor ordered, so it was promoted to a stand-alone series only a year after it originally debuted as the top Bel Air version. In other words, the Bel Air was more or less turned into a second-class citizen, with the Impala now becoming the main focus of the company.
Bel Air and Impala, however, continued to share many parts and engines, and today, this is actually more important than many people seem to think. A Bel Air can easily be turned into an Impala clone, and unsurprisingly, many fans are willing to pay big bucks on such a project.
The 1960 Bel Air that barn-finder i*find*u*flip has recently posted on eBay seems to tick just the right boxes either for an Impala clone or for a restomod. Given it no longer comes with the original engine, the best way to go is likely a restomod, especially if you’re into LS upgrades.
The car has already received a series of improvements, including new brakes and rebuilt front suspension, but it’s obviously a project that still needs quite a lot of attention in addition to the said engine. The amount of rust, however, isn’t necessarily concerning, and this could be a sign that the Bel Air spent most of the time inside.
But of course, you should just reach out to the seller for more information on this front, especially if you believe the Bel Air is indeed worth an LS upgrade.