The 1958 Chevy Impala has gained a huge fan club over recent years after a long stint in the shadow of its older Tri-Five siblings.
The ’58 Impala was a one-year wonder in terms of style and had a radical new look back in 1956.
Jim Sutherland
It was a tweener car that bridged the style gap between the famous 1957 Chevy and the wild 1959 Chevy. The ’58 Chevy had horizontal tailfins, unlike the massive vertical fins on the back end of a 1957. The 1958 Chevy’s new style laid the foundation for the radical horizontal tailfins on the 1959 Chevys, nicknamed “bat wings” by the ’59 Chevy’s many fans.
Jerry Germain is the proud owner of a 1958 Chevy Impala that he built to travel on long road adventures. He was always a big fan of the ’58 Chevy and liked it more than its Tri-Five Chevy predecessors-even though Jerry was a big fan of the famous Bowtie trio.
The obvious question: was Jerry influenced by the ’58 Chevy Impala used in ‘American Graffiti’? It’s a question Jerry gets asked by older car guys who know the movie, but Jerry told MyStarCollectorCar he always liked the 1958 Impala’s design, even though he was well aware of the movie car.
Jerry’s Impala had plenty of power under the hood right out of the factory because it came equipped with Chevy’s famous 348 V-8, but Jerry wanted more power and efficiency, so he swapped out the 348 for a crate 350 ZZ6 that churns out over 400 horsepower.
Jerry also changed out the Chevy’s stock transmission for a 200 4R four-speed automatic overdrive tranny that can handle the crate engine’s big horsepower boost and has “less computer”, in his words. Jerry added that he kept the Impala’s factory rear end, and it has no problem handling the sizable power boost from the new powertrain.
The net result is a car that delivers excellent gas mileage and performance, despite the ’58 Impala’s size and weight, according to Jerry.
He also addressed the Impala’s handling and braking ability by rebuilding the front end and adding disc brakes on all four wheels. The ’58 Impala resto mod was built to handle the road on long trips and has passed with flying colors.
The car has undergone an extensive exterior makeover, including a color swap with the roof getting the lower body colors and the lower body getting the roof colors. It was a smart decision because now the two-tone colors really pop on Jerry’s ’58 Impala.
The Impala has a digital instrument cluster that gives accurate readings and was built specifically for 1958 Impala models. The vintage Chevy also has a modern Bluetooth radio system that Jerry hooked up to his car’s front and rear speakers because they still provide plenty of sound.
Jerry wanted a dependable retro ride when he bought his beautiful 1958 Chevy Impala, so he improved it for long road adventures and achieved his goal. Now Jerry can really enjoy the drive every time he climbs behind the wheel.
Jim Sutherland
BY: Jim Sutherland
Jim Sutherland is a veteran automotive writer whose work has been published by many major print and online publications. The list includes Calgary Herald, The Truth About Cars, Red Deer Advocate, RPM Magazine, Edmonton Journal, Montreal Gazette, Windsor Star, Vancouver Province, and Post Media Wheels Section.
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