Why The 1961-1964 Chevrolet Impala Was All Things To All People
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- Опубліковано 28 вер 2024
- The 1950s and 1960s were the golden years for Chevrolet and no other car was more representative of this period of Chevrolet's greatness than the 1961-1964 Impala. Find out why this third generation Impala was such a special car.
The artform of these older cars remains timeless.
School was out for the day, and we all came out to see a mother pull up to pick up her daughter. Mom was driving a new '64 Impala SS. It was a very light yellow with black interior w/bucket seats. There were so many boys crowded around that car that the girl had to squeeze in between us boys just to get in. That was the most beautiful car I had ever seen. I still think it's one of the most beautiful cars GM has made. Here I am, 60 years later, still talking about a wonderful memory and a beautiful car.
I had a sixty three Impala I unfortunately had to let go in 2019. It was my first car got it in my junior year of high school. It’s about one hundred miles away and some day I will go see it.
My first car was a 63 impala ,what a car it was
Yup still thinking/talking about them and wishing I hadn’t traded it. Three little ones/2door not the answer!👨🏻🦳
What an Imagination!
My senior year 1975 I had a '62 SS two-door hardtop w/ the 283 and the toque flyte 3spd auto on the floor.
My 2nd grade teacher had 1 1964. It was beautiful with the Ermine White paint, and blue interior. She still had it when I moved on to middle school a few years later.
I'd wish it would be 1961 again.
Me too, for I wasn't born yet. I could possibly get a do over!
I lusted after these cars when I was in high school. Beautiful. Great motors.
Bought a new 61 2 Door, 283 4 Bbl. $2750.00 out the door, loved everything about it except the Powerslide.
Continued great reviews of classic cars. Myself, along with many others, appreciate your hard work. Look forward to seeing your next video of car history.
My first car (thanks dad) was a red 62 Impala SS, 2dr sports coupe, 283, 2sp, with bucket seats and a storage unit between them. ;-)
Very cool, I hope you still have it❤😊
Thanks for the great video which brought back many memories of my youth. In my neighborhood there were many of the 61-64 Big Chevys... a very rare 61 Impala 2 door Sedan, 61 Impala 4 door hardtop, 62 Bel Air 4 door sedan, 62 Impala 2 and 4 door hardtops, 63 Biscayne 2 door sedan, 63 Impala Wagon, 63 Impala 4 door hardtop, 64 Impala 4 door sedan. My favorite was a 63 Impala SS Hardtop red with a black vinyl roof, white bucket seats and rare factory wire wheel covers. Those were the days. I never remember seeing a gray car back then, now they are everywhere.
My older brother came back from Germany in late ‘61 and bought a brand new 62 Impala convertible with a 327. White with red interior and top. I was 8 and thought it was the most beautiful car I’d ever seen. That started a family wide love of Impalas. My dad never bought cars new back then. Around ‘68 he bought a ‘65 Bel Air when I got my license in ‘69 that was the car I used. I bought a ‘63 Sport Coupe/327 4v. Super nice car! My dad then bought a 396 ‘66 Caprice. A year later I bought a ‘64 Impala SC 283 4v. Always wanted a ‘61 Bubbletop!
I owned this (BEATEN) as a dirt-track "ground pounder"!
A few days ago I was loooking at the front and rear lights of present cars and I hate most. Back then cars looked like cars with decent lights and styles. I do miss them.
Back then, CARS WERE ACTUALLY VEHICLES and not rolling plastic GARBAGE!
@@johnmaki3046 I certainly agree with you.
So many look the same no matter who made them
I MISS REAL, ACTUAL VEHICLES!
My late brother in law had a '63 with a 283 with three on the tree. His baby. That era Impala was a thing of beauty. Thanks for this.
Yes, these cars were TRULY CLASSIC!
A friend of my mother drove a '64 Impala convertible. Light blue with a white interior. It used to be fun riding in that car during the summer, with the top down.
WOW! You have presented some of the greatest cars on the planet! Your videos are also top-of-the-line! I really love all of them! Thank you!
As a wholesaler to the classic and antique GM car and truck restoration market (41-87), I can tell you, these cars are red hot. Personally, I always thought they looked better than the Galaxie.
GM styling during the 1960s under Bill Mitchell was pure fire.. Ford and Mopar products were clunky in comparison.. AMC wasn't even in the running. Great, great era..
The theme music 🎶 and cool voice sound makes this a great channel to kick back and relax 👍
I had a 61 impala sport coupe, aka bubble top. Got it when I stared college in 63. Black with red interior, 283 v8 with 3 speed stick. Loved that car
I remember these--- Many of my Aunts and Uncles preferred s certain Impala for each taste
My Dad had a black 61 impala when I was real young. Cool car!
Owned 2 in my lifetime. Both gold and both 327 engines. Great cars.
Great video. I was a crossing guard as a student at my elementary school and we looked at all the cars that came to drop off the kids. We got to see the new cars as soon as they were delivered to the customers and it was so exciting to see all the changes from year to year.
I had a 1964, Daytona blue, with a 283 motor. I sure miss that car
I have a ‘64 Galaxie 500 , but I do love the ‘61 - ‘63 Impalas .
My first car was a 1964 Chevy Belaire 230 cid, 4-door sedan w/ 3 on the tree. What a great car.
My uncle bought the twin to the car featured with the 427. It was stolen 3 months later. He couldn't find another one with the 427 and ended up with the 409. Traded that one for a 67 GTX 440.
He upgraded nicely ...😀
The bubble tops are works of art and performance. Beauty and brawn in one package.
I well remember my Aunt’s ‘62 Impala 2 door hardtop. It was a 283 with three on the tree. It was a wonderful car to drive.
I had a 65 SS 327
So did I, in Mist Blue.
@@chrisjeffries2322 mine was 2
An excellent-ly narrated, informative video and report on these beautiful, classic Chevrolet Impalas. As a young boy, I was crazy about cars… and knew every make and year going down the street… simply by their taillights. These triple tail lamp Impalas were easy to spot for their distinct, sharp styling, and tail lamps were refreshed in some way each year. I was only about 6 years old when the ‘61 Impala came out… I remember them all so well. Thanks for your research and hard work in making your videos! Hope you can keep more of these coming! These were beautiful and varied examples. Great job! Thanks!
My first car was a "63 SS that I paid $150 for in 1973. 283 4speed and rough, but it ran ok.
Dec 31, 1962 my mom traded in her 59 Parkwood station wagon for an SS63 Impala. Two tone, ice blue with white top, light blue interior, AC, AT, PS, PB. 327 300 HP V8. So beautiful. She sold it in 75 with 55k for $500. I had to replace the starter. I wished I had the $500. The buyer turned it into a low rider, broke my heart.
I remember back then it seemed that half the cars on the road were these chevys
My dad's first car was a 61 Impala bubble top, red with white stripe and a white roof. Long gone, but in 2012 we bought a copy of her and drive her around now!! Both 283 power
My dad used to buy a brand new Impala every year. We were not rich, by any means. It was the fact that Impalas retained so much of their retail value that he was able to do that. Nowadays, when you buy a new car it depreciates something like 40% the second you drive it off the lot. What surprised me in this video was the lack of mention about the Chevrolet Impala later became the #1 choice for low-riders everywhere! 😎
I would have said 1960 thru 1965. Had both a 60 and 65 when I was in High-school, 69 - 73.
My uncle had a 63’ that was maroon and to a 7 year old it was amazing
Had a 63 SS 327 with power glide in college. Loved that car!
The town I grew up in, all 4 door Chevrolets went to Star Cab Company, got painted yellow, and got abused.
I have one that got away, a 4 door 63 Belair.
My uncles first car was a new 57 BelAir, then got a 60' Impala, then a 63' Impala...I remember them all as a small kid. I also remember those were the days when America was still sane. He's dead now. My current car is a 17' SS Camaro 6 speed manual.
Granddad had a ‘61 Impala convertible, white with black top and zipper back window. I remember it had an SS emblem, but don’t know what engine it was. Also had 2 speed powerglide. When we went to visit, (they were in Cuyahoga Falls, OH) he took us for rides with the top down. Man, was that cool. I was 7 at the time.
My first car was a 1962 Impala SS with the 327 and a PowerGlide. It was white with a red interior and the then rare factory A/C. What a car. It actually got 11mpg if I drove carefully, and I never did. It only needed a tuneup once every 6 months too. I wish I still had it.
My family had a 1961 Biscayne in African spec- 6 cylinder -column change manual -no air=con or PAS= it was a great car over there in silver with white roof.
The 1961 Impala styling said the chrome encrusted finned excess of the 1950's were definitely over
I had a 63 ss 327 4sp.muncie,what a ride
Great explanation. I agree!
My dad loved the 1961 Impala. He had several 2 door hard top in Red. He also had several 4 door in the post and hard top styles. He also found a convertible. They are all gone now along with my dad.
My Dad built that honduras maroon 1961 Impala SS in the 90s. It was a really nice survivor plain impala with a 283. He made it into a "dealer installed SS" and added a correct QA block 409 and 4 speed.
There were two 2-door hardtops, the one with the delicate C-pillars, and the one with the top that was styled to look like a convertible top.
My family had two of these. The first was a '62 4-door hardtop. Pretty basic, 283 2-barrel, powerglide transmission. The second was a stunner, a 64 SS. I was a teenager at the time, loved cars and had a lot of input in its selection. 283 4-barrel, still powerglide, but the appearance was where it shone. Silver sport coupe. a silver and black (carpets) interior, that I had seen at the dealer, but wasn't a listed option. F-41 Suspension. This was the first car I drove.
Beauties one and all. ❤❤❤❤
Badass ranflas. Great informative clip. Thanks!
I was born in 1957, and growing up during the 1960s there was a time that it felt like nearly half the cars on the roads were 1961 - 1964 full size Chevrolets, including Impala, Bel Air and Biscayne.
I owned a 65 impala ss rag top and I support this video
A girlfriend’s brother had one of these wicked 427 from a body damaged impala dropped into hi 55 Chevy An extreme motor that ripped apart varied structural parts of that 55 yet was dominant around town
Life was so easy then...
My persona was a '62 Bel Air Sport Coupe 327ci / 325 hp. I loved the '61 roof '62 body combo. CHEVY RULES!!!
My 1st car at age 17 was a 1961 red two door Impala bubble top, just like the one in the beginning of this video. That was in 1969 and cost me $500. I loved it except for not having power steering while running Micky Thompson wide 70 series tires all around, ugh!
It also lessened the need for Pontiac, Oldsmobile and Buick. Move upscale when you have a Chevy, no need to leave the brand.
Chevrolet is not an "upscale" brand to Pontiac, Oldsmobile, and Buick. Chevrolet is at the bottom of the GM family of automobiles.
Don't kid yourself, Pontiac, Olds and Buick all had very strong sales those years as well.. Different tastes, different appetites, different budgets. All General Motors
My first car was my parents hand me down. It was a 62 Impala 4dr sedan. Was white with a black accent stripe on the side, turquoise and black stripe cloth interior. It sported a 327 ci V8 with a quadra-jet 4 bbl carburetor, dual exhausts and a turbo hydromatic transmission. It would pass every thing on the road except an Esso Service Station selling high test gasoline. What a great car it was. My parents upgraded to a 71 Caprice with a 454 under the hood.
Not much of your story rings true. Chevrolet didn't use a Quadrajet in 62 they used the Carter AFB. And if it did have a 327 it was most likely to be the 327 250 hp which was not fast at all. They also never came with a Turbohydromatic transmission until 1965 all automatics in 62 were Powerglides. My 62 Impala 327 with the Powerglide gets 15 mpg on regular gas.
@@nojunkwork5735 Apologies for not knowing a car that we owned from 1962 until 1973. Perhaps we chose to use premium gasoline because the car performed better. Regardless, it was a great car that gave me and my family miles of pleasure. Bless your heart.
@@jasper2207 No need for apologies. I didn't say you were lying. I was saying that your facts were a little messed up. I guess I could have worded it differently. Good things to you and yours. Peace out.
It’s fun how the video states a 4.3 second 0 to 60 mph time with a forward 3/4 image of the car with original wheels and tire size. It’s very easy to imagine a standing start and a speedometer saying 60 in less than 5 seconds but very difficult for me to imagine anything outside the beyond a cloud of tire smoke and a car moving forward under 40 mph.
Truly pieces of Modern Art.
It's just sad that these beautiful old cars are that old and myself😅
My dad's first new car ever, was our 1961 4-door Impala sport sedan, with a 289 V8 and Powerglide automatic transmission. It was the car I drove when I got my drivers license. Good car - terrible transmission; but it got the job done.
❤
Love the 63 SS 409 four speed
I was lucky enough to own a 62 red with white con top i drove fo r most of the 3 years in the army. i regret ever trading it off,
Sixty two red Red Interior white convertible top beautiful car.Don't know whatever happened to it
Great video…had to kill the sound before it killed me.
I remember my Grandpa Grudt 61 impala
HAD A 62 IMPALA. RED IN AND OUT. I PAINTED THE WHOLE UNDERNEATH WHITE RUST-O-LEM. IT LOOKED LIKE CANDY. AND A TIE AND FUZZY DICE FROM THE MIRRIOR. 283. NOT A 409. BUT IT WOULD STILL GO.
'65 for me!
Do you remember old L.A.- when everybody drove a Chevrolet-
Do you remember the boy next door, the clean-cut suntanned
all American male?
cool
Love these videos but there's one big problem with them also. There just wasn't enough of them made . Other than that, it's all good.
Simple " She's real fine my 409 " 😊
Unfortunately, they were also quite unsafe in a major front-end collision, due to it's X-frame design. In a major impact, the part where the X comes together in the middle would buckle upwards, sending the front seat and occupants into the roof. I'm sure Chevy knew this, as they quietly moved to a more conventional perimeter frame for '65
That 63' Z11 package, with the 427ci, was incredible! Those hp & 1/4 mile numbers 😳 are even amazing for today's muscle cars.
Had one!
I would have thought the tires would be spinning half way down the track. Maybe those numbers were not on street tires. Very impressive either way.
@@msparr01 Exactly
The worst mistake all those old drag racers made was to use ball joint spacers to lift the front end for what they thought would give the car more “bite” however the cars turned into parachutes at about 300’ out too much air underneath the car, grumpy Jenkins , frank sanders , butch leal all did this. Getting the front end down was the key. My point?? All those Z11 Impalas were a half second quicker by slamming the front end.
I Never Knew There Was A 427 W Motor. I Had The 427 Mark IV In My '68 Corvette. Something I Learned Today.
Ford Also Had Their 427.
💕
General Motors could not make these cars today despite the fact that people would be standing in line to buy them. Designers would “modernize” them with plastics, fake wood trim, aluminum and bucket seats while engineers would forfeit horsepower for economy and “ugh” maybe even electric power. These cars were produced during the best of times and have left those of my age with fond memories and experiences.
I remember neighbors who had a '63 SS and then '64 SS, I believe. Maybe 327 engines. Interiors looked quite dazzling, for it's time. Thanks for snapshot memories.
I still have the’62 Impala I learned to drive in 47 years ago. It has been in the family for 57 years. Very smooth ride and very reliable as we take good care of the mechanicals.
These were THE REAL CARS!
'63 Impala was my 1st car. Wish I still had it.
You were very lucky.
I had one and I unfortunately had to let it go in 2019.😪 It was my first car also.
@@czechmate6916 That's sad, but sometimes people need the money or space, or both.
@@bobhill3941 Yes unfortunately I needed both that’s what happens when life gets in the way. Hope you have a wonderful day.
@@czechmate6916 Very true, I will, I hope you do too.
Figure 8 frame wasn't the best protection, two piece drive shaft could be a challenge when one wanted to get serious w/the horse power. Full frame in 65 up was big improvement.
Learned to drive in a 14 year old 62 Impala station wagon. 283 with 2 speed powerglide automatic. Over 4000 lbs, it took forever to get to 60mph. It floated down the road like an aircraft carrier. It also ran and ran. Drove it to college for 4 years. It would haul a lot of stuff. Lot of really good memories in that car 😊😊 Wish I still had it.
Your videos bring back good memories. I am wild about the bubble top!
Simple, beautiful, reliable, and stronger than 100 acres of garlic 💪🏽
Impalas are making another come back again even the 90s impalas are starting to go up in value
To me, cash "value" DOES NEVER apply as much as "FEELING VALUE"! I LOVED SO MANY OLDER CARS FOR THIS!
These really looked more upmarket than the sticker would indicate. It's good to see the '61 - '64 getting some love! Great episode!
I thought the highest engine on the Impalas before 1964 was the 409 but I didn't even know a 427 was even available then!!!! Absolutely crazy!!! 0-60 in 4.3 seconds and 10.8 seconds at 120mph quarter mile!!!!! Absolutely insane!!!!
You had to be a real car nut those years just to even know what was available.. The factory didn't exactly make huge headlines about these cars availability. The Z11 option with the 427 you mention, the 1962 Pontiac 2 + 2 with the 421 tri power.. under rated horsepower, and insane compression ratios.. I wish I had a time machine.
My first car was a 61 Impala 2 door sport coupe with a 283 engine. It was white with a red and white interior. It was the greatest looking car. I used to cruise up and down the boulevard and always turn heads! I wish I still had it!
I remember we moved to California in 1963 and my mom’s friend bought a new 1963 Chevy impala. My brother and I would ride in the back and marvel at the music speaker in the center of the rear seat. That was my introduction to music which continues to this day.
I can't pick a favorite yr. I like them all 😎
Chevy first fullsize car to dominate NASCAR in 1960-63 Impala & Pontiac Ventura aswell
I remember my mom's sister Elsie had a 1962 SS red with white interior 283 four barrel and powerglide. My oldest sister had a '61 Bel Air tudor sedan with the six cylinder and two speed powerglide. I really liked the 61-64's but when Chevy came out with the '65's and the all new styling I thought they looked great and still do.
I agree, the '65 Impala was "peak Impala" in my opinion - they also sold more Impalas in "65 than any other year and I can see why.
I’ve never seen anything close to the loyalty of Impala owners. They LOVE them.
This is true, I've had my SS for close to 10 years and have no intentions of getting rid of it.
That was GM's plan - get people to trade in every 2-3 years and after awhile, move up to Olds, Buick and Cadillac. That's also why they changed styling so much - you would be ashamed to be seen in an old model.
Buddys mom talked about getting picked up on this car by his dad way back
My uncle had a 64 two door 327 it was a really comfortable car and rode like a magic carpet.
It had that Jet Smooth Ride. ✈
They just dont make cars like that anymore. That era of automobile had character unlike what we drive in today. And don't even get me started on this new electric stuff. Cheers😊
America had the best , Australia had some slightly shrunk versions.
And the UK , what can one say. Fish bowl on wheels with an engine as an afterthought. " we built a motorcar , let's get a motor from a lawn mower "
Yes I remember those days. Now we don’t have much of a choice in selecting options on a new vehicle the dealer does it before we even see the vehicle. 😡🤬
I made my living as an automotive tech. Well remember these beauties gracing the roads. They were really well constructed. A pleasure to both drive and service.
@ 5:56 That is not a 427, the valve cover is from the 409 or its its smaller brother.
The 427 Mystery Motor did indeed use those valve covers. It is a completely engine from the 66 and later 427.
Thank you for another awesome video! Here's one for the algorithm! :^)