1961 Impala 2 Door Sedan - Let's Get Started...

tcb-1

tcb-1

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Supporting Member 1
Well, it's been a while! Around September of last year, my family moved into a new (older) home. Some of you know when moving, any project you were previously working on, is finished for a while. The Impala took the back seat to painting, plumbing, electrical, etc, etc....

I have a friend who also has a 2 door sedan Impala. He's been on my rear about getting back to work on mine, but I just couldn't find the time. The garage was a shambles, some of my tools were still in temporary storages, and I was beat from home restorations.

Until a week ago.

I am at a point I can start the car project again. The garage is semi-organized and clean. First order of business is adding the new trim pieces I located back on. The passenger side front fender has a dent that needs to get massaged out, so the front clip is getting ready to be removed. The car is original paint, so I'd like to save as much as possible, so trying to find a body/paint expert knowledgeable in restoring/paint matching in the Kansas City is paramount! Finally, I will get the trunk splatter painted. If anyone can point me in the direction of a good coating, please make a suggestion!

I've really missed this place. Feel free to stop by and kick my butt if you don't get any updates soon!

As she sits now. Depressing :(

 
LMBRJQ 60

LMBRJQ 60

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Supporting Member 4
Doug,
How can you find looking at that depressing?? She is a thing of Beauty:hug

All i do if i get in the mode of i cant find the time or even the i cant be bothered mood is i make a point that if i walk into the shed i must do something on it even if it is clean up the threads on a bolt and put in in a box etc
I i was to walk in and see your shed my next move would be find a place for the leaf blower and whipper snipper to live away from the car
One step at a time

Take everything i say with a pinch of salt if you like, you have a beautiful car she needs your help:poke

Steve
 
tcb-1

tcb-1

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Supporting Member 1
Trunk lid trim and lighting going back on; the original dealership badge cleaned and polished as well. Read a good post on here last night about where all of the rubber spacers went on the eyebrow trim. Glad I catalogued everything when I removed it! The trunk to rear fender wrap around trim may need considerable amounts of patience though. Grrrr!
 
tcb-1

tcb-1

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Yep Tom, that's me! I picked up a year/option correct 283 from Phil back in September, but haven't done a thing to it. While I was there, however, I got to witness all of his 348-409 treasures and yes, a W is in the future plans. I really need to get the darn car rolling under it's own power (all 6 cylinders, lol)! I have all new suspension and a power disc brake kit setup in the trunk. I have a few body related things to sort out as well. Pulling the front clip soon to do an engine compartment spruce up. Trying to find a reputable body/resto person in the area that can massage that passenger fender out and paint match it (original paint car). Phil said it would add character though, haha!! Gotta love Phil :) Found the rims design I'm going to use as well. Gotta get those on order soon.

Still a lot to do on her, but I'm still impressed with how rust free she is. That MidMo air must be some good stuff!

If you're ever over this way at a show, get with me! Be nice to see ya.
 
tcb-1

tcb-1

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Supporting Member 1
It's been a while. Too long....

Well, I've finally got motivated and carved out time everyday to work on my Impala again. Moved to a different residence 2 weeks after buying the car, 3 years ago. Then the new "old" house needed electrical work, then it needed plumbing, and so on and so on. Then my boys got into sports... well, you know the rest. I had no time to work on it.

But now I do, so I'll get some shots up as I go. I have the passenger fender out getting a dent taken out of it and paint matched. I just installed the driver's side trim with a mixture of restored original pieces and reproduction. Let me say it now, I hate the reproduction trim. No where near the same thickness and the profile isn't correct on the rear trunk wrap around eyebrow. No-where-near! Found a set of darn near NOS hubcaps to put on it while it sits in the garage waiting on a heart transplant. Interior is out and the floors are beyond solid. The only rust this car has is the dastardly spot under the front fender eyebrow, but it's pretty light and only on one fender. Otherwise, the car is solid! It's one of the things that attracted me so much to this car; that and it still sporting it's original Magic Mirror tuxedo black paint.

Items I'm hitting this week are restoring the badges, pulling the steering column, installing the passenger side trim, and finding original rear trunk wrap around trim. If anyone has a really good original set, please pm me! Or if you could take a pic of the end profile of an original, that would help too.IMG_5408.JPG
 
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tcb-1

tcb-1

Well Known Member
Supporting Member 1
Well, had a few minutes to pop the wheel off and loosen the column bolts. I guess back in the day when your 3 speed column shift mechanism pissed you off, you simply went to the salvage yard and got another. However, I wish the original owner would have been a bit more picky about the color . Since I plan on tearing this column down anyway for paint, it gives me time to get my turn signals to work. (They haven’t since I bought it). Yes, the red oxide on the floors is original, from the firewall to the package tray. Solid!!72985EA8-993F-4A2E-8DDE-58C49EF4CCFF.jpeg
 
Tom Kochtanek

Tom Kochtanek

Well Known Member
Supporting Member 13
Doug:

Good to hear from you again! Glad to learn you've resettled and are back to your hobby project :).

So you're still in KC, right? My oldest is in Leawood KS now and I get out there from time to time. Where are you located?

Cheers!
TomK in Columbia, MO
 
tcb-1

tcb-1

Well Known Member
Supporting Member 1
Don, this column shifts like butter. I still have the original column the original owner wrapped up and put in the trunk. I'd like to get it out and investigate why he took it out in the first place!

You know how fickle those old 3 speed column shifters were. I could imagine the owner was like, "Well, I'll just go get another one at the salvage yard". I remember my dads 66 C10 column getting locked many times. I attribute those experiences with him getting it unlocked to my large library of cuss words!!
 
tcb-1

tcb-1

Well Known Member
Supporting Member 1
Tom! Old buddy! Still here in Shawnee. When you get over here, give me a shout. We can talk cars, you know, that serious stuff!!
 
O

oleblu72

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Supporting Member 5
blkblk63ss said:
Neutral gate hard to move? Shoot some penetrant into column by lever and work netral gate back and forth it will free up. No need to tear apart.
Click to expand...


Way back when Dad use to drive our 58 Belair the shifter had a habit of locking up now & then and it was my job to jump out pop the hood and pop the trans back into neutral. I remember a few times when us country Bumpkins would hit the big city shopping and the ole trans would lock at a traffic light down town I'd have to run out and pop the hood and get her in neutral and jump back in the car and she would usually lock up on us at least once on one of our big city visits . We never got much flack from people it was a easier and more peaceful time back them people weren't in so much of a hurry.

Mark
 
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