Bossman's 66 Impala

[BOSSMAN]

I've always had a sweet spot for Impala's and it all started when I was a kid riding around in my dad's 59 and 63 Impala's. I got a call from a good friend of my dad's who said "you gotta come look at this car I just got!" He buys and sells cars all the time since he is a body man. It was a project that a guy had that he never could finish so he picked it up for $5,000. I go to check the car out not thinking anything of it until I see it sitting in his driveway - man I gotta have this car! Original Nebraska car that looked fairly clean, solid floors, only a few rust areas, good chrome, good interior, so my wheels immediately start turning. Time goes on and he needs some funds to buy something else he stumbles upon which was a rare barn find, so up for sale the car goes. Second I caught wind of this I headed over and picked it up for $3500 as a roller (he kept the rebuilt 283 for another project). Here are some pics from the day I picked it up.

[Scott Liggett]

I can't leave a comment on this car without sounding a bit biased.

[BOSSMAN]

I can't leave a comment on this car without sounding a bit biased.

[BOSSMAN]

I get the car home and tear into it immediately. I removed the 283 and powerglide that was in it and return it back to my dad's friend, did an inspection to the car to figure out what repairs needed made, and built up a laundry list of parts. I then did what most do and went to town ordering parts, my main concern was the suspension to make it a complete roller the way I wanted it. I bought a front suspension rebuild kit with Moog parts, CPP 2" drop spindles with a disc brake conversion, drop coil springs all the way around, and got my wheel and tire profile I wanted to make the stance I was after (Bogart Classic Star wheels). I decided to go with UMI Performance for rear lower control arms and an adjustable panhard bar, their stuff is nice and priced reasonably. It has a stock 8.2" rear with 3.36 gears (non posi) so I opted to run a mini spool and girdle cover to try and make it live with the power plants destined for the car - so far so good (cross fingers lol)! This was the first month into the project after that portion was completed.

[67pete300]

Love it. I've been jones-ing for a 65 or 66 big Chevy for quite a while now. Looks great so far. Can't wait to see what pops up under the hood!

[BOSSMAN]

Month 2 and 3 consisted of getting the interior situated, transmission, and building the first power plant for it. I build engines as a second living so I had alot of parts laying around that I wanted to experiment with. I wanted to prove or disprove some theories with what I had. Here are the specs to the first motor that was in the car - Experimental 427 SBC.

4.185 bore X 3.850 stroke (technically a 424ci)
Stock 400 Block
5140 Steel Crank custom lightweighted by myself
5.850 Arrow Billet Rods
BME Custom Dished Pistons with Gas Ports and thin ring package
Pro Topline Iron Raised Runner Heads with smaller valves (reworked by myself)
Jesel Shaft System 1.65/1.55 ratio
Edelbrock High Port Victor manifold ported by myself
Solid Roller cam 258*/268* .675/.630 106*
Crower High Seat Offset lifters
Billet timing set
750 Holley Street HP
Custom HEI
So about $12K later I have a 650+HP Pump Gas Street motor! Most people wouldn't have a clue to what kind of power it made by looking at it. I built the car to be a sleeper of sorts.




Month four basically consisted of getting the other odds and ends done to get ready to fire up, by this time its late spring of 2007. Everything went pretty smooth with this initial four month build. The motor made some insane power and moved this 4000# car with ease, it was a blast to take short drives on but some of the experimental things I was playing with started to give me some issues. I got some excessive blow by so I tried a vacuum pump which helped short term but the longer I ran it the worse it got. I ran the car all through the summer and early fall months just taking "short burst joy rides". I put the car away for the winter and went back to the drawing board for build #2, something less aggressive and something I can cruise around in more easily!

[Teddyzee]

Nice!

[BOSSMAN]

So over the winter months after I get caught up on spending a ton of money on the car I get back to what to do for another more reliable build. In comes the current 406 SBC, here are pics of the build.

I had a good 400 block laying in the corner, a #511 4 bolt main. I decided to do some more trick stuff to this one just more on a conventional platform. I started by polishing up the lifter valley to help oil drain back and opened up some return passages.


Then off to a friends machine shop where we bored it .030 (4.155 bore) and zero decked it. I used a 4340 3.750 crank and had the rods journals turned down to a small journal. I used some Lunati 6.00" H-Beam rods along with some Wiseco Pro-Tru Forged flat top pistons. I got everything all balanced up, nothing real trick here just a good reliable piece. I got the shortblock all put together and clearanced how I wanted.




The cam was one I had laying around new in the package, I liked the specs so I figured hey let's try this one out in a heavy car. It is a Comp Cam #12-909-9 which is a 260*/267* .672/.630 104* (lift with 1.6/1.5 ratio rockers). Next are the aluminum heads that are some older Pro Toplines (given to me in a trade) that are 235cc runners with 64cc chambers and have 2.08 / 1.60 valves. I did very minimal work to these heads which was doing a better valve job, a little bowl work, and polishing up the chambers since I was going to push the limit of some pump gas. I plan to fully port the heads down the road but I plan to optimize what I have before I do it so I truly know what the gains are worth.





I ran some H-11 Tool Steel springs and lightweight titanium retainers. Most people think running a shaft system is crazy but once you own something like this you never want anything else - expensive but well worth the costs IMO.



Last the motor was topped off with an out of box (again to be ported later) Edelbrock Super Victor intake and a 1050 RS Demon carb. I opted for this carb to play with different venturi sizes and boosters. To date I found that the biggest sleeves and annular boosters have worked best for me which makes it a 950AD by Barry Grant specs. The carb was reworked after a long time of tinkering to make it just so.

[Scott Liggett]

You Impala owners are a nutty bunch. Must be from a love of fat cars.

[TheSilverBuick]

Cool build story and great pictures.

[Impalarod]

very very nice....fat cars rule

[Scott Liggett]

fat cars rule

That should be on a T shirt.

[BOSSMAN]

So in the early summer the following year I pulled the Experimental 427 SBC and put in the conventional 406 SBC.

After tweeking on the new combo and getting comfortable with everything over a couple of years (since I was so time limited) I decided to finally take it to the track and see where I was at.

http://youtu.be/QrwPtAiwvu0

The car is really quite due to smaller 2.5" exhaust and 3 chamber Flowmaster mufflers, again to keep it sort of sleeper like. This video was taken in October of 2010, car ran best of 7.58 ET 91.93 MPH 1.68 60' on its first outting! Keep in mind this car now weighs 3900# (aluminum heads and lighter motor) with me in it, it still has 3.36 gears, and I run a 28" tall Mickey Thompson ET Street (9" wide). I drive the car to work on the weekends when its nice out and it cruises down the road like a caddy LOL! It always seems to get some attention when ever I cruise it around.

Fast forward to May 2011, I put on a little event at our local race track in which I raced in a 7.50 Index class (1/8th mile track). Thanks to Kyle of 1320 Video, who came out and filmed the event. I ended up getting Runner Up at the event this day so I was pretty pleased with this car as you can imagine. This event also had a Heads Up Fastest Street Class. Side note I did some cylinder head work on the Silver and Black Camaro in the video.

http://youtu.be/g0-hRTiAKH0

First round I raced a Green Chevelle (a customer of mine)
Second Round I raced a Brown Camaro
Third Round I got a Bye Run (Losers bought back in)
Final Round I got the Green Chevelle again and lost by a hair!

The Car has ran best of 7.42 @ 92 MPH at its only second time being at the track. Unfortunately at this ET I'm required to put a roll cage in it which I'm not wanting to do just yet (if at all). Here are some more pics from the track.

[BOSSMAN]

That should be on a T shirt.

I'd buy one and wear it with pride! Its sooo much harder to make a heavy car fast!

[Impalarod]

mee too