Keeping his need for unique identity as his main focus, Michael felt that he now needed a proper game plan to achieve his goal. "It was time to figure out who would help me with the build and who would help me make this car "My Car," he explains. "With the car already painted by Gold Age Restoration of Orland, CA that decision was actually pretty easy," notes Mike. "I know there are a lot of good shops out there, but not many that consistently deliver quality and detail better than John Kennedy and the Bowtie Connection crew of Torrance, CA," he concurs. After making arrangements, he dropped of the car and waited for the transformation.
The build began for Michael when the car was dropped off and the body was removed from the frame and taken to Homies Hydraulics for a complete molded frame wrap, and a molded suspension that included a custom y-bar to help keep the suspension lined-up. A two-pump whammy that was built and designed by Big Frank accomplished this vision. The pump featured 3 #6 Emco zig-zag slow downs, 3 chromed Adex Square dumps, pressure gauges and stainless steal tubing. Six 31-series batteries powered the hydraulic system.
While the frame was off the car, the belly of the chassis was stripped and painted to match the Porsche red exterior of the convertible. The frame received a chrome undercarriage, a chrome 4-disc brake setup and a caprice rear sway bar. The original 283 was removed and rebuilt at Bowtie. They also chromed a lot of the original parts and replaced the old Power glide transmission with a 350. To help keep the car running cool, an aluminum Matson radiator was installed. A red top Optima was used to power up the engine, while the newer electronic accessories were used on the car itself. Chrome and paint accented the engine compartment, and details like AC Delco hoses were added inside the engine compartment. A custom touch that was installed under the hood to was a stainless steel gas tank that feeds the engine.
Next JD from Zenith Wheels assembled a custom set of wires to match the car, with the rear spokes powder-coated to match the exterior red paintjob. The body lines of the car were improved via a matching red stayfast top, complete with an additional chrome convertible rack. A huge sound system was added in the car, as well as the NOS Bowman Michael had initially envisioned for the car, which he found on e-bay to bring it all together. Other options that were added to the build included a driver's spotlight, power windows, power seat and a set of cruising skirts that were painted to match.
The interior also received a fresh look as Freddy of Bowtie installed a new Cars Inc interior kit. Master stitchman Freddy focused on making sure that the interior looked as good or better than stock. Chico of Classic Car Audio installed the sound system and Freddy then wrapped the custom panels to match the interior of the car, dressing up the trunk, and ultimately wrapping up the build.
With 169,000 built and with sticker price of $2,954, the Impala convertible was Chevrolet's most expensive 1960 car. Today this build is actually priceless to Mike, as he could not have built it without the love and support of his wife and family. He wished to thank them for putting up with all his trips to the Pomona Swapmeet, his endless hours on e-bay and the countless UPS packages on the porch, as well as for not complaining while he made a big dent in the family bank account. Money well spent indeed, Michael.
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