Straight from the Showroom: 9k Mile 1970 Chevrolet Impala
Boy, does this car bring back memories. I knew an older couple, Glenn and Gerry (short for Geraldine), back in the 1970’s that had a low-mileage, metallic blue 4-door Impala similar to this one. Even though it wasn’t a Cadillac, it was treated like one. Their Impala was always clean, shiny, and immaculate (many folks who grew up during the Depression took real pride in their cars no matter what make, model, or trim level it was). This 1970 Chevrolet Impala 4-Door Sedan looks like it just came off a Chevy Dealer’s showroom floor. And, in fact, it did. It’s been on display at a Chevy Dealer since 1990. And in the 20 years prior to that, it was obviously pampered and driven very little as only 9,889 original miles are on the odometer. Located in Port Charlotte, Florida, this golden time capsule is for sale here on craigslist for $19,995.
In reviewing the photographs, it really feels like you’ve time traveled back to 1970 and were just handed the keys to this Impala. I can’t find anything on the outside to gripe about. The gold paint glistens as does the chrome. I’m not spotting any dents or rust and the badging, trim, glass, and lenses all look great.
The seller (who is a Dealer) has replaced the Chevy’s original tires with new white wall tires. The original spare and floor jack are still in the clean, large, 18-cubic-foot trunk. I’ve always liked how Chevrolet kept the three taillights theme going in their styling. In 1968, they moved them into the rear bumper and went from a horizontal layout in 1969 to this cool, vertical taillight treatment for 1970.
Photography 101 says to know where your light source is coming from. Unfortunately, the photographer was looking into the bright Florida sun on several of the posted photos. There are several pics of the Impala’s immaculate interior. The brown cloth and vinyl seats do not show wear and the instrument panel, dash, and steering wheel, again, look like new. It’s even equipped with an 8-Track Tape Player (and includes a 72-minute “Chevrolet introduces concert sound stereo” tape cartridge complete with groovy 70’s-era packaging). This Impala has obviously been well treated and has spent a lot of its 53 years in a garage (and showroom) and away from Mother Nature and Old Man Winter.
As expected, the engine bay is as tidy and clean as the rest of this Chevy. Under that Gold Metallic hood rests the standard V8 for 1970: a 350-cubic-inch Turbo-Fire V8 that’s mated to an automatic transmission. The seller only has three words to describe it: “Car Runs Excellent.” I bet it does. I would love to know the story behind this Impala, especially its first 20 years. I realize some will turn up their noses at this Chevy since it’s not an Impala convertible with a 454 under the hood, but to me, this Chevy represents a segment of middle-class America circa 1970. Four-doors and all. Hopefully, the next owner will see that as well and continue the preservation of this super-clean time capsule.
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Comments
Im surprised by the options. It has an 8 track, but base 350 and surprisingly it has a Powerglide, not even a Turbohydramatic 350. But wow, the condition is just unbelievable. Id drive it and enjoy it on nice days in a heartbeat.
Agreed. When’s the last time any of us saw one “in the wild?” Maintain and conserve it but drive it. I’d want something similar this if my garage wasn’t full.
70 Vista Cruiser with the small green sun strip with a 454 in it got 10 miles to the gallon, so dam big, lost brakes going uphill and came back down with the front end being the rear end now,ever drove down hill on a 7 percent grade backwards , don’t
And that’s a black interior (in Florida!) when a matching/slightly lighter gold one was on offer in 1970.
It doesn’t say that this car was originally a FL car, so the black int. may not be out of place. Same for the lack of AC. I’m surprised it has manual brakes.
Like Ron says, a slice of middle-class America circa 1970. A reminder that not all cars of this era were fire-breathing muscle cars. Fun to see. Drive occasionally and enjoy.
I’m not really a 4 dr fan, but I think they look better than the 2dr 70 Impala. Better proportioned in my opinion.
I’m kind of surprised it isn’t a hardtop, because most of these examples were during this time. Still a beauty.
What I find amazing is cars popping up with low mileage from the 70’s,80’s and 90’s. Vehicle’s forgotten about but to be rediscovered by people who find them and to show them. I had a chance a while back to buy a blue Visa cruiser from in a red barn with hay on it. Then I see this wonderful Impala and I also wonder about it’s back story. The next lucky owner will enjoy this Impala for a very long time.🇺🇸🐻
Used to see these everywhere, and it
seemed that the parents of everyone
you knew owned one of them. Sadly
though, as time wore on, the more doors gave up their driveline and other parts to hot rodders building
their projects or muscle car freaks
taking just the engine for their Novas
or Chevelles after the original engine
took a dump and was nothing more
than a pile of junk. And those that
weren’t scrapped were run into the
ground as cheap used cars by the
’80s. I remember when a car in this
condition would sell for $500 or less.
Our local papers were full of them in
the cars under $1,000 section in the want ads. Today, you hardly ever see
them around if at all. If I had a time
machine big enough, I’d go back in
time,.pick up a dozen or so, bring ’em
to 2023 and make out like a bandit!
My Dad bought a new 70 mint green Biscayne 4 door with black interior, and he bought plastic seat cover for it. Best part was a 350 with three on the tree. I was 18 and yes it would chirp tires in 2nd and 3d.
I bought one of these in 1994. I worked in the city and went through a neighborhood that 30 years prior was an upper middle class area. The houses were fairly large and in the driveway of one had appeared a two door coupe in the aquamarine color with a black vinyl top and the cloth aquamarine interior. There was a for sale sign in the windshield. I knocked on the door and a lady probably in her late 70s answered and said the car belonged to her husband who had bought it new from a Chevy dealer that was not more than 5 miles from this place and had closed in the 80s. She said he had passed 3 years before and she was moving. I asked how much and she said the transmission was bad and she would like to have a 150.00 for it. The car showed 58,000 on the speedometer. It had always been garaged the inside was flawless. He had left the plastic covers over the seats. Like the one here it was a 350 2bbl and a power glide. Where the car gets strange is he ordered it with disc brakes, ac, power windows, seat, and locks. He also opted for a standard am fm, a tilt wood wheel. This was one of the nicest original cars I ever bought. The bad Trans turned out to be the cooling line that had somehow escaped it holder and rubbed a pinhole in it. The original muffler was shot as were the tires. The original spare had never left the trunk. I had new tires and a dual exhaust system put on the car. The night I picked it up from the exhaust shop, while on the way home a young girl in a Geo metro ran a stop sign and went right in front of me in a 55mph zone. I missed her by inches but hit the stones and loose gravel crap. I missed the state trooper coming southbound but lost it and laid the car on its right side. The car was toast on the right side except for the door. I cried, I didn’t have it a month. To make matters worse the girl had no insurance and the cop says, “why are you so upset, that was some great driving, you missed everything and everybody including me and you don’t have a scratch on you. It’s just an old Chevrolet “. I couldn’t bare to junk it. I found an nose quarter back in the late 90s. Maybe it will get a second chance. It lies entombed waiting but who knows. It will never be what it was and that still stings.
Great story – I was heartbroken when I got to the end.
I could relate. I bought my mothers aunts 1970’ Olds Delta 88 it had 52,000 pampered miles for $500 in 77’ Only a month I had it. Totaled on a 2 lane highway in the winter. Sorry for your loss I know the feeling.
My grandfather Rudy had an identical car, but his was light green with green interior. He owned that car for 8 years. Had same hubcaps as the gold one. Great car!!
Last of the body style introduced in ’67. For ’71 the Chevy “grows up” for the last time before the ’77 downsizing.
If I could time travel to 1970, this Impala would not be my first choice to buy or rent due to it’s length and lack of options. But right down to the earthtone color, this immaculately preserved Chevy would fit right in that time when Impalas and the newer Caprice ruled the sales chart.Except for Cadillacs, cars were often sold without air conditioning and power windows that come standard on economy cars today. Buyers bought cars by the pound and saved money on options in 1970 whereas later in the decade people tried to save on gas with lighter cars but added creature comforts. I assume the dealer has the provenance to document the low mileage. Pricey but a true gem of a Barn Find!
$19000 seems a bit large for a mundane Caprice, it certainly doesn’t have any collector interest other than age. That said, it is a nice example and should be a cheaper way to get into the collector market, the price of entry is to high for this car.
In 1979 my uncle sold me an identical Impala in blue for $650. I drove it a year and sold it for something better on gas. Even in pristine condition I think 20 grand is too much. Half of that would be a reasonable price for a mundane 4 door
Had one like it and same color back around 1985 or so, but it had the legendary 454…probably the fasted lead sled I ever owned!
That’s in amazing shape. I hope it goes to a good home with a garage so it can live on this clean. Engine bay is flawless for a 53 yr old car. Just screaming for a grandfather to drive.