Quote:
Originally Posted by Postsedan
Didn`t you see this Amazing 1967 Impala at MCACN....one of the Best Out There... With an amazing story.
I will allow Mike Ruhl (Owner) to tell his story.
Dan
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It is a really cool original car with an even better story and documentation! First, a little about the car. I purchased it from the original owner in 2015. The Friday after Thanksgiving, it was pushed over to my house from across the street. Yes, the original owner lived across the street from me,
I moved in April of 1989, and shortly after, I was introduced to the original owner, Hank. I was teased with many stories about the car, sitting in his garage since 1974, yes, 1974 but he never showed it to me or anyone else for that matter. Just the kind of guy he was, but he loved to talk about the car.
It was ordered 12/66 from Spradlin Chevrolet in Park Ridge IL where Hank was employed. He was a GM mechanic his whole life. It was built in the Janesville plant, delivered to the dealer at the end of January of 67. From day 1, he kept a gas log and recorded miles on the car, MPG, how much per gallon and so on. He did this till the last time he put fuel in it. That was June of 1972.
When I purchased it, the car had 20 miles added to what he had recorded and that was from starting it up once or twice a year, driving it around the neighborhood then back to the climate controlled garage to sit. It never left the garage after 1974.
Hank passed in 2005 and never got to enjoy the Impala again. He had intentions of one day getting it going again, but that never happened. Sad.
When he ordered it, he obviously did not want the SS package, but he did order the L36 427 under the hood. Backed by a turbo 400, 12 bolt posi with 3:31 gears. Factory a/c P/W and disc brakes to name a few options. Bench seat, column shifted. It has the gauge package. Marina blue with a black vinyl top.
His wife decided to let it go, again in 2015 when I purchased it. Short trip across the street and it was in my climate controlled garage. It's what the car has been use too!!!
The fun began! We dropped the tank, had it flushed, cleaned, new plugs points. Oil in the cylinders, pulled the distributer to prime the engine. It fired right up!! Crazy! Sounded great!! Fuel pump lasted about 20min and we had to replace that. It still retains everything else original! Water pump, exhaust is original except the tail pipes. He wanted to remove the resonators. It even is still running today with the original plug wires!!!
I forgot to mention the miles. It had 16k on it in 2015 and just turned over 18k a few weeks ago when I was giving it a little exercise.
I have every piece of paperwork from when the car was ordered to when it arrived at the dealer. It really gets lots of attention when I bring it out to any local cruise night. I always have to tell everyone, it is all original paint, thats when people show the interest, once they realize it is not restored.
Anyway, I rambled on enough for now. The car has a lot of unique touches that Hank did to the car that I have chose to leave alone and just preserve the car. One being a caprice rear bumper and tail light set up because he wanted to make the sequential!! Enjoy the pics!
Mike