I’ve told stories before about a 1979 Chevrolet Caprice coupe that I owned when I was a teenager, but I rarely, if ever, speak about the 1978 Chevrolet Impala coupe that came before it. There’s a reason for that: the Caprice was $150, needed only an intake manifold and carburetor for the 305, and ran decently. The Impala was traded for a non-running 1979 Cutlass I had, was equipped with GM’s 250ci six cylinder, required about 1/4th of a soda can worth of gasoline down the carb before it would even think about starting when it was cold, and once it was running, loved to choke itself out at the most inopportune times. I probably shouldn’t mention the night my mother shifted the car from drive to park while doing about forty miles an hour with me in the passenger seat…but it’s not like she reads my stuff anyways. The Impala was a beater, but when you’re fourteen and figuring things out, you’re satisfied with what you have and I liked the car, from it’s no-option interior to the “glasshouse” rear window treatment that Chevy used on the 1977-1979 B-body coupes. The Impala was the first car I was busted doing a burnout with, so there’s fond memories. I usually don’t want to re-visit a car I’ve owned before, but there is a permanent exception for a glasshouse Caprice/Impala.

And if you want an indication of what I would make one look like, look no further than this 1978 Impala I found on Craigslist. Sure, the car is older than I am by a few years, but I highly, highly doubt that they were this clean on the showroom floor. This is the kind of clean you normally see at restoration shows. The dog-dish and body-color steel wheel look just radiates cool, and as long as you’re a fan of the color red, this car will check every box you’ve got. And yes, that even goes for under the hood, too. I’ll let the ad speak: “Under the giant hood you’ll find a ZZ383 crate motor, with 383 cubic inches and 425 horsepower on tap. It fits like it was born there, although everyone will know when they see it that this is no stocker. It’s got a high-rise intake, a big Holley carburetor, and just about everything you see is brand new. Long-tube headers feed a custom dual exhaust system that’s quiet enough to maintain the illusion but barks just the way you’d want it to on the roll. Better yet, it’s been painted black to help it disappear. It’s backed by a built TH350 3-speed automatic feeding 4.10 gears with Moser 30-spline axles, so there’s no denying what this car’s mission might be.” Sounds delicious, doesn’t it?

eBay Link: 1978 Chevrolet Impala