1960 impala sport sudan

A few years ago I got this car (pictures at a later time) with my grandfather as my project car as family tradition is to get a project car. I fell in love with it: big back window, boat of a car, four door, long fins, unique, and chrome. This was somebody else's failed project. This car has gotten bigger as i see how much work and money it is, gave up on it for two years until i was ready. Rear end is completely done with checked out differential, engine removed, front suspension off and some other small things.

The outcome:

- fully functional

- mechanically sound

- no future problems ( I have a cozen who was lazy and had problems with his 67 chevell)

- daily driver

- mostly original

- luxury car

I was planing a rebuild, now seeing the car after two years it is now a restoration. I am going to use a mostly bare bone stock 283, three on the tree, ac (live in Phoenix 116 F today), front power disk brakes (drums on back), standard 14" wheels, leather interior, standard rear end, likely standard suspension(might swap out the ball joints in the front for high speed safety), painted white or close to the original cascade green (I think it was), side skirts. I want this to be a daily driver no need for speed, need for reliability and comfort. I plan to keep it almost original except for a few modern driving touches (disk brakes and ac). I want a car that runs better than factory and last 60 years or so when I am done, and will end up costing as much as a new car. No short cuts I'd rather shell out a little extra time and money than have problems.

Right now I have just decided to go from rebuild to restoration. There is a lot of surface rust on the body and even though its the dessert I have decided I am striping it and will get the body and frame acid bathed and hard painted better than new. My uncle fixed up his wives 63 corvette from frame up and since then I want it done like that. It does not have to be show winning worthy I just want it done right. Depending on rust I may take out the floor board and replace the whole thing, and rear fenders panels.

Welcome to the Forum. Sounds like a nice project. I know about the heat. I'm just a little south of Tucson. Good luck on the project and keep us posted on your progress. (We like pictures.) :cool:

Who here knows a place that will do an acid dip in Phoenix (or the closest place to)?

Does anyone know any reason why this car should not be acid bathed? Just want to make sure.

There is little I know about paint so it was thinking that I could get the final paint baked on after the acid bath so it is hard like my truck paint. Any thoughts? I am not frimilar with different paint types eathir.

Welcome to the forum. You sound young (That's a good thing.) and somewhat inexperienced (not necessarily a bad thing.) My family had a 60 Chevy sport sedan (4-door hardtop or flat top as it was often called). It had a 235 six and a powerglide so it was not a hotrod. But I still remember how smoothly it rode. To answer some of your questions: Every restoration car does not necessarily need to be dipped. I had parts dipped and it's a great way to get back to bare metal. If your car is not likely to have hidden rust, like insde the rocker panels, under the hood braces, in the a-pillars, you can clean it up just fine without dipping it. That should save some money and actually save you some time too, when you consider the time it takes for complete disassembly and re-assembly when dipping is involved. Second, aftermarket paint jobs are rarely "baked" any more. Most of the modern urethane paints whether single stage or two-stage are chemically hardened using an additive called strangely enough, a hardener. Whether you like to read or not, I advise you to start reading books, magazines, online articles, etc. about paint and body work. The information is all out there. And be sure, when you settle on a paint system that you want to use, get the product data sheets for all of the layers in the system, primers, sealers, and top coats. Adhere to the instructions in there and you are almost guaranteed to get a decent paint job. Good luck with your project. There is lots of help here on this forum, so feel free to ask questions if you have them as you begin getting your hands dirty. It's a great hobby. Joe

I'm wondering why you're intent on converting to disc brakes when you're retaining the original drive train with no need for speed. Stopping power should be directly related to horsepower, and if you haven't increased the horsepower significantly, then the original drum brakes should remain more than adequate, as they were when the car was new. A more prudent consideration for safety and reliability might be a dual master cylinder instead. This would also allow you to retain the stock wheels and hubcaps if desired. Also, I would only replace the ball joints if the ones you have are worn out. Why replace good parts, unless you want to incur more work and expense.

I have the brakes for 14" wheels, dual cilender, and power; there are so many idiots I need the brakes and, i drive fast not hard. I probably will not replace the ball joints, it was a thought. I drive 80 to 90 on an open road but, thats it. My top speed of all time was 96 so i figure I will be fine there.

Thank you joe, I will look into the paint. And I am also dipping it to get rid of the primer on it... its to greasy to use and its not done right, pervious owner.

Picture time of the day

That is the A frame from hall that is not removable, one bolt holds it in place. I had a jack on a wedge lift the car and could not remove it.

If someone put it on, it can be taken off. You need a factory shop manual to get things done right.

BTW, save your money on the interior and just go with the original type fabric and vinyl. Chevy didn't use leather in their interiors in 1960.

Check this site out for example: http://www.classicindustries.com/shop/1960/impala/parts/interior-soft-goods/seat-upholstery/

I have not had any experience with this company and there may be other companies offering similar products.

You could also take a trip to Nogales or Mexicali and get the interior made there if you're not too concerned with originality.

I had to grind the upper A frame off (the bar that holds it to the frame technically)

I have it stripped down to the cab but the picture will not load

lots of work

Is it still a four door impala if it has no doors?

Now its a two door. These doors are hard to take apart, gonna try again later. They are also hard to remove most of the philips heads are frozen, definitely getting new bolts.

If those door hinge screws have the large phillips head, you need an impact driver with a large phillips bit. That's the way to make short work of those screws and to keep from having to drill one out. Joe

Thanks joe it's a lot of work, I will get one in a few days from my gramps shop. I wanna use a different head when I am putting it back or a grade 9 scerw.

Looking good. I did a full frame off on my 63 Impala and making it reliable and safe was my main concern. I too switched to disc brake in the front and rebuilt the drums in the back. There are many places that sell complete sets for around $500 plus or minus depending on what you want. Trust me.....it will make a big difference if and when an idiot cuts you off. Saved my ass from crashing a few times!! Good luck on the build!

Chris

While not my car thought I'd post a shot of a fellow car nut's '59 to help with your vision. The trailer he had made from a smashed up El Camino. (Needed a lot of tweaking to get the balance right)

Good luck on your car! I think they look GREAT!

I'm taking the dash apart today, just got the steering column out things are looking less messy... I'm going to have the underside of the dash painted white so I can see under it, this simi black grease rust dust look is just not for me. Anyway I need transmission advice. I would like a six speed (four speed two overdrives) automatic, a five or six speed manual (with an overdrive or two) is fine to. I thought of using a four speed with a gearvenders... I have doubts about GV (it's adding another unit of electronics and gears that gets me, just seems like something more that could go wrong). I want a few extra gears to keep the mileage up and the engine RPMs down under normal conditions. No frame or body cutting, I'm ok with driveline shortening, something that requires little to no car modification. The big catch, I am dead set on having column shift, I'm putting original bench seats in it. The interior of this car needs to look more like a house, early 50's Packards ( the next project is a 53 Packard) and Catilacs have that look a couch, with a steering, and dash; so abosolty no floor shift. Just a reminder runing about 200 hp with 300 hp as a definite limit and will likely be pulling a small trailer a few times a year, keep in mind reliability I drive a half ton gmc truck it's always worked I want the same in my car.

Also I bought the assembly manual, my car came with a "shock absorber unit" option does anyone know what that is or is it just the technical term for shock? Any advice for taking the dash out? Going to take out the front window tomorrow and get a better look. If the dash doesn't come out I am going to have to pick a colors pretty quick, so if anyone lives in phoenix and has a 60 impala white (with two tones or mono) or a fairly original green and original-ish interior I would like to see it.

I got the front window out, the dash does not come out. little trouble with the outside roof steel liner. I'm pretty solid on jade green and white stripe, its the color i've always really liked, kept coming back to it and now it seems like the right colors (the old add its the color combo and the car is the jade green on a car for reference). That interior is just perfect and it goes with the green, plus its an all original look. The inter in the picture is a standard sedan, the inter of a sport sedan has all polished steel column covers and has a ring around the top of polished steel. In the interior I want to use hide on the brown and white with cloth on the pattern. I know a guy named Frank who will do the interior. I don't know any paint places, I want a nice paint job not a perfect show car job. If anyone knows any places that would be great I have a someone that will help with the body work now, I may paint the car myself first and strip it to get the body just about perfect with loads of money not spent. I also need a guy for epoxy and dash painting if anyone knows anyone.

When I was in my teens in the 70's, my dad bought a '60 sport sedan with a blown 348 in it. It was primered and had a beautiful blue interior. For some reason, he had a local garage swap in a 283/Powerglide and then drove it for awhile. It went to the great junkyard in the sky when involved in a barn firel

Good luck with your project!