348 V8 Tri-Power: 1960 Chevrolet Impala
The 1959-60 era of the full-size Chevies is often thought of as the “bat wing” cars. They were over-styled compared to the 1958s and those built from 1961 forward. But they were also big sellers and made GM plenty of money. This beautiful red example of the 1960 Impala Sport Coupe is either a remarkable original or it has been restored along the way – no reference is made either way except for the transmission. But its claim to fame may be the 335 hp, 348 cubic inch V8 that has triple 2-barrel carburetors. Located in Wimberley, Texas, this Bow-Tie beauty is available here on eBay where the reserve is unmet at $25,800.
Some consider the 348 Tri-Powers to be the successors to the troublesome 283 “Fuelies” and more of them are thought to have been built. The total production of the 348 engine for 1960 is estimated to be about 50,000 copies of which more than a handful had the triple set-up. In routine use, only the center carb was in operation. But when the driver tromped on the gas, the front and rear carbs would spring into action. We’re told this ’60 Impala runs and drives well and has been treated to an upgrade of the automatic tranny, from a 2-speed Powerglide to a 3-speed TH-350.
If the odometer is to be believed, this automobile has only seen 45,000 miles in its 63 years on Planet Earth. Except for a scratch on the inside of the passenger side rock panel, the body and red paint on this Chevy look flawless. The interior is quite tidy and has been complimented by the addition of vintage air conditioning. No mention is made of any recent mechanical repairs, but the Coker vintage tires have maybe 2,000 miles on them. This car should attract a lot of attention wherever you take it. I’ve never been a fan of side skirts, but this Chevy seems to wear them well.
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Comments
About as nice as it gets. The 348 was a big hit when introduced in ’58 and the great sounds they make with your foot on the pedal just can’t be beat. The small air cleaners don’t do much for air flow but they look good.
Looks like it’s had a major upgrade to the brakes. This car would not have had a dual diagonal master cylinder with a proportioning valve block, nor would it have had an alternator….
First thing i noticed was the master cylinder and booster. Maybe not in the theme of originality but for safeties sake a good upgrade and if lucky he swapped in a set of disc’s at least in front.
Can’t (well shouldn’t) go any faster than you can stop! 1st upgrade to every car I own(ed) last 25yrs. To hell with 4 drums and 2 tons w/300 or more hp. 4 drums are great for trailer queens and parades. Safety 1st.
Logged on this morning and just too many beautiful Impalas to choose from. From the beige four door to this it’s just sensory overload. Lol.
I have to disagree about the 59-60 Impalas being “overstyled” compared to the ’58. I think the 59-60 ones are much cleaner and sleeker. But I do agree that the fender skirts look ok here. The upgrades should be a good selling point.
call 206-595-5845 interested
In this day and age, fuzzy pictures are not good… Looks nice but not a fan of those wide white walls. Would have to change that to a normal white wall possibly with a nice set of wire wheels.
Until the ’61 Chevy Super Sport came out, ALL Chevy cars that came with whitewall tires were the wide whitewall. The ’61 Super Sport came out with the “narrow” whitewall. They were about 2″ wide with a black area close to the wheel.
Man this car is BEAUTIFUL! Now that’s ALL AMERICAN! If everything checks out and it runs, handles and presents itself like the pictures – it’s definitely a keeper! The 348 with the 3-carb setup is FANTASTIC. If the price doesn’t get too ridiculous, I’d pay at least 30k for it which is “ probably” where the reserve is at. Definitely worth it! After all you can barely buy a decent car for that. I wish I could get this one! I almost don’t like any of the new cars anymore. Good luck. Nice article too.
Looks like a keeper with the old school look and upgraded tranny, brakes and A/C. If you live in Texas gotta have A/C!
This is a nice car – basically a mild resto-mod; brakes, a/c, alternator, tranny, etc., as mentioned, and all of which make it a little more pleasant to drive. But that interior is far from stock and, although it seems to be well-done and may even be leather, it does not compare well to the way cool stock interior, IMHO. Very nice car and decently priced.
Meh, the 348 was designed for trucks basically, the 409 also. And all the old timers told me if you had that ran it will, if not it never will. Hit n miss on them from what many have said. Even my pops said just that.
A friend had one like this…same color (sorta lipstick red) which was gorgeous. The interior was a red/white checkered houndstooth material that looked OK. The original 348 w/trips died or was stolen after a couple years. It was then replaced by a circa ’63 new 409/425 dual quad. It was a seriously fast street racer (which sometimes even claimed to be a 348). A pretty scary car in its day.
I got to drive it a few times, most notably to the senior prom in ’64 with a very cute gal. A little later I owned a ’60 white convertible 348/4speed. It was not in the same class as the big 409, but still a nice car.
This car looks like a great cruiser/keeper. I agree that the skirts are sorta OK on the car but I’d still keep ’em in the garage most of the time. Good luck to the buyer.
Ended at $32411 reserve not met…