1996 Chevrolet Impala SS

Description

The best cars to own are those that have been cherished by previous owners, and this 1996 Chevrolet Impala SS definitely qualifies. Treated to some rather impressive performance mods, it has nevertheless led a life where it was cherished and not merely a transportation appliance.

The simple black paint is perhaps the best of the three Impala SS colors, being at once subtle and striking, keeping the car's sinister vibe and giving it some distinction. That's factory paint on the bodywork, lovingly buffed and waxed over the past two decades, and it shines up rather well. It's not perfect, of course, but there's no mistaking one of these cars approaching and now that it's 20 years later, we have to admit that the look still works well. Even the bumpers are remarkably free of stress cracks and the blacked-out trim doesn't have that chalky look that cars that are stored outside often get. There's no denying that this car was one of GM's major home-runs of the '90s, and it's really a shame that they disappeared when they did, because we'll never see full-sized performance like this again. Tinted glass certainly helps with the sleek, low profile look and adds to the brute-force vibe for which these cars were famous.

The Impala SS got exclusive bucket seats wrapped in gray leather, making them unique among their full-sized GM siblings. Obviously the interior has been as well-maintained as the bodywork, and aside from some light comfort marks on the driver's seat, looks quite good. There's some light soiling on the carpets, which you'd expect after 20 years, but a set of embroidered Impala SS floor mats help in a big way. From the inside, anyway, this sucker's quite stock and honestly, there's not much that can be improved. Power windows and locks, A/C, cruise control, and a great-sounding AM/FM/CD stereo were all part of the package. And a big part of the Impala's appeal is its size, so there's acres of room in the back seat for even your biggest friends, plus a gigantic trunk for all their gear.

Under the hood you can clearly see where a lot of money went. The 350 cubic inch LT1 was formidable in stock form, but this one received a Dominator CNC head and cam package, a custom valve job, a billt hydraulic roller camshaft, and a set of roller rockers up top. The hardware is all new, too, including chromoly pushrods, rocker studs, and a heavy duty valve spring kit that can handle future upgrades. The 4-speed automatic overdrive transmission has been upgraded with a Yank 3200 RPM stall torque converter and 3.73 gears on a Tru-Track limited slip give it great punch at any speed. The underside is incredibly clean, with factory overspray still visible on the floors, and set of long-tube headers and a custom Flowmaster exhaust system makes it sound awesome. The stock wheels are still some of the best-looking hoops ever installed on a production car, and they carry factory-sized 255/40/17 performance radials.

This is an extremely impressive car, and one that will surely be a hot collectable in the not-so-distant future. With tasteful mods and expert care, it's one to own for the ages. Call today!