MARCH 24, 2014 (APRIL 2014): ’58 CHEVY IMPALA CONVERTIBLE: A VERY UNIQUE BOWTIE CLASSIC

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The 1958 Impala was a first in many ways.

 

This was the first year the name “Impala” was applied to a bowtie and the cars were a big departure from the legendary ’55-57 era at Chevrolet.

 

There was a lukewarm response at the time because of the attachment to the tri-five era and the Forward Look at Chrysler really pushed GM hard in ’57 so the 1958 Chevys weren’t afforded the good press in the fifties.

 

History was proven wrong because the ’58 Impalas are now a high-water mark at most auctions.

 

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Ivan and Patsy Kachanoski are the proud owners of this incredible 1958 Impala convertible but the car’s popularity worked against them as Patsy explained, “We like auctions but we’ve never done a high-end bid and this car was in the deep end of the pool. We found her at Barrett-Jackson”.

 

This car really appealed to Patsy because it brought back memories, “My first car was an Olds and this car was the same color. This is a really rare paint code for the Impala”. Car deals have often been based on the color so this Impala’s paint code was a big deal for the Kochanoskis.

 

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The problem with the spike in value on these Impalas is it puts them in the stratosphere for buyers and this rare version was no exception, “This car was really well-presented and there was a lot of interest in it, one fellow kept jumping up to bid so we were never sure about it until the end”.

 

They did get the Impala convertible and it was exactly what they wanted, “This car was done by a guy who only does ’58 Chevys. He’s the number one restorer in the world for these cars and everything is correct.This is a numbers-matching tri-power car and his attitude is that if you don’t have a tri-power, you don’t have an Impala but he builds them correct right down to the original radiator tag”.

 

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There was one departure from stock in this classic as Patty admitted, “She was running a little hot but it was kept looking totally correct-looking because the cooling fan was added without any new bolt holes. The battery even looks period correct and it came with a factory-installed continental kit”.

 

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This ’58 Impala convertible gets regular exercise during the summer season because the Kachanoskis like to work the car into their daily return,” We like to take it for 50-mile round trips into town and we’re not afraid to take it for a 5 ½ mile drive. These cars are made to drive so we like to get out in it”.

 

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The Korchanoskis are students of the car as Patsy explained, “We love to got to car shows because we learn so much about these cars when we talk to people”.

 

That likely isn’t a problem because this Impala was at a fairly large car show and it was like a beacon for people all day. The key to this popularity is one basic fact-this is an extremely rare Chevy with a very unique list of factory options.

 

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Regardless of the notoriety that comes with a high-end car the Kachanoskis see the real value of this ’58 Impala in one sentence.

 

“There’s no question this is our dream car”.

 

Jerry Sutherland

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