Drop Top 409 Project: 1961 Chevrolet Impala
Gone for 1961 were the “batwing” tailfins that symbolized the 1959-60 full-size Chevrolets. Styling was more “sensible” as the 1960s unfolded, and Chevy continued to maintain its position at the top of the sales charts over Ford and Plymouth. This 1961 Impala convertible may or may not be a good restoration project because there’s as much rust as there is sheet metal. But it comes with a 409 cubic inch block to sweeten the deal. Located in Des Moines, Iowa, this drop-top is available here on eBay where the latest bid is at an even $15,000.
If you ordered a full-size Chevrolet convertible in 1961, they delivered it in Impala trim. There was no drop-top offered in either of the Bel Air or Biscayne series. More than 64,000 of them were built that year as open-air cars were still all the rage. This Impala left the factory with a 283 V8 and a 2-speed Powerglide automatic and both seem to be still in the car, so it was not unique or extraordinary at the time. It wore Fawn Beige paint, though that has been replaced with grey primer.
Unfortunately, this Chevy must have spent a lot of time outdoors as all the sheet metal seems to have rust in it and a lot of the panels will have to be replaced (beyond patching). Also, the floorboards are non-existent so you’re not going to steer this auto up onto a trailer by sitting behind the wheel (the interior and top are also MIA).
Besides it being a convertible, the seller’s main advertising point is that a 409-truck block from 1965 is being thrown in should the buyer want to turn this car into a Rex White (NASCAR driver) tribute. It’s at a machine shop getting checked out and you’ll have your choice of some of the components that will come with it. But it won’t be complete. The car has no title, VIN tag, or trim tag, though the seller lifted the VIN from under the frame. Whether you use the 409, do you see a future for this Chevy back on the road?
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Comments
Don’t see it even bought much less on the road. Whoever is bidding that high now must want something off that car but I can’t see what it would be.
I don’t understand this post. The latest bid shown on Ebay today is US $10,688.00 with the reserve not being met. To me that’s an insane price for a bucket of bolts!
IMHO this has no value. A 409 can be bought for a lot less than $15K. I wouldn’t spend $100 for this pile of rust.
I remember back in the early ’70’s an older co-worker at the local A&P had a same-era Chevy. It too was so rusted out that one day, he turned right; the frame and engine went right and the body kept going straight.
Off to the scrap-o-rama.
15k? I don’t get it, the car is about to buckle under it’s own weight with all that rust.
When a person purchases a heap of junk like this, they’re basically buying a VIN and a title.
Then, they try to apply the VIN and title towards another vehicle similar or tirelessly try to make something from what they just bought?
In this suitation, you don’t even get a title or VIN, or a car?
I would do what Forrest Gumps Mom said, Run Forrest, Run!
I must be missing something?
Just my oponion!
Save the engine and scrap the rest… that’s too far gone!
That’s one expensive 409 that you’re most likely have to rebuild! That and you get a rust bucket thrown in for free!
Those rusty rear quarter panels probably flap like a bat wing as you cruise down the road.
You’ll have a YABA DABA DOO TIME IN THIS LOL 😂
Hmmm, now where did I put that can of Rust-Oleum and bucket of Bondo?
Not enough steel left in this heap to trigger a metal detector. Pass.
I think the doors are actually keeping it together, get the door open and it will probably just collapse. The body is pretty much just being held together by force of habit.
Fished out of the lake bottom?
Rusted out and bottomless. I thought this only happened to Mopars.
This has to be a joke or a bad dream …
Laughing…………
Laughing…………
Fawn interior, is that a new name for rust?
The car..”has no title” tells me this car..was drug from the woods..made to roll and someone’s going to hit a home run on profits from some unsuspecting fool. Thank you “Barrett jackson”..
The car is a total POS. But you have to the seller credit for an honest ad.
…have to (give) the seller…
Does anyone see power steering and power brake parts on this rust bucket?
My brother had one of these and scrapped it around 1968.
I bought it for $50.with visions of a resurrection.
Took it to a local garage to get an assessment and was told it was too far gone and that there was nothing left to attach any sheet metal to.
It was towed away to a farm North of Montreal and I never saw it again.
I often wonder if I was mislead and the car was restored.
I didn’t know much about cars then, but I did know it had floors ,and seats and could still be driven.
Anyway, I was out fifty bucks and couldn’t thumb my nose at my brother.
When you have no roof, you will have no floor. Old vintage convertible adage.
Yeah. No. Too bad. It was a cool car once upon a time.
Nice steering wheel and deck lid, it’ll clean up nicely with around $100k dumped, I mean invested into it
Seen nicer ones in demo derbys.
The word “crusty” comes to mind when looking at this.
The rust monster eating the car alive, from the bottom up.
Am I missing something with this one? A motor thats at a machine shop to make sure its rebuildable. Along with some other puzzlwe in a box parts lol. Its already at $10,600+. This thing is two rainstorms or one drive along the coast from literally disappearing lol! Maybe throwing in a blonde with a nice rack…. and pinion steering in the box, IDK lol
Wow! All the money for half a car. Make that 1/3, with the top and bottom gone there’s nothing left to work with.
Instead of Bring a Trailer, this one is Bring a Dustpan.
probably easy to get the vin off the frame, a person can see most of it
No title or VIN plate and the bidding is at $15K, is there $14,950 in cash in the trunk? The 409 truck block would entice me to want. I knew two guys that ran Chevrolet semi’s in the mid sixties with 409s in them. They replaced them close to every year, these engines had the guts torn out of them.
A $15,000 bid? For literally a pile of rusted steel? I thought only Mopar fan boys did that?
Wow, I have an unmolested clean clear title ’64 Tempest Safari Custom RUST FREE from California that I bought when I lived there, & can’t get $15,000 for it. Granted it needs paint & interior, but the fenders are still complete as new, as well as the entire bottom of the car, & the 326 engine bay is meticulous! I guess I should have invested in a rust bucket :)
Wow, this makes me feel really bad about the cars I scrapped that weren’t in near this horrible condition! (Years ago)
This seller pops up from time to time. Only sell rust buckets, never seen anything worth buying.
What a pile of garbage
Boy oh boy, I just recently scrapped a 64 convertible that was better than this. I guess 61 is a hot year. These cars looked like this 35 years ago. they would break in half after they came out of the press and I would throw the pieces back atop the next car and they would dissappear. Times have changed for some of us.
Drop this one off a cliff!
Maybe you could get the eBay vehicle protection plan for up to $100,000 .
It says reserve not met. If I was the seller I’d take the top bid and run.