Elite Dealer

1958 Chevrolet Impala

Michigan

$169,995

Vehicle Details

Make

Chevrolet

Model

Impala

Year

1958

Body Type

Other

Description

1958 Chevy Impala Coupe: 502 Ram Jet, 4L80E, Vintage Air, $260k Custom Show Build!! 1958 Chevy Impala Coupe: Are you a fan of the 1958 Impala? Of course, who’s not a fan of this amazing 1st year unique body style that started the Impala legacy that still continues 60 years later. Now, have you ever wondered what a ’58 Impala might look like after a 10 year custom restoration totaling over a 1/4 million?!? A build where every part of the vehicle was completely rebuilt, custom made, chromed, powder coated, or designed with an open checkbook. The result of this remarkable build is now available for the first time ever to the public and is truly a one-of-a-kind opportunity to own an exceptional piece of rolling art.

If you believe that life is too short to own anything but the best, you have just met your latest love. The details of this build are very extensive so below are simplifying just this ad by just touching on the highlights. Work began on this vehicle in 2009 with the powder coating of all frame, suspension, body items, and engine parts.

There was rust on the donor car so instead of using any filler, all body panels (except hood and trunk lid) we sourced from a completely rust-free donor car. A four year effort was then required to complete the body, paint, and graphics on the vehicle. 100% of the bolts, nuts, screws, and washers are polished stainless-steel. For the drivetrain, a crate Chevrolet 502 Ram Jet was purchased and paired with a GM 4L80E heavy duty truck transmission.

The block, heads, transmission case and engine were smoothed and painted with PPG Concept paint and clear to match the silver body paint. A front runner Vintage Air Gen II system was installed to heat and cool the interior. A custom Air-Ride Suspension was installed on all four wheels.

The entire cabin and trunk floor are insulated with 3/4 inch aluminum backed insulation and carpeted with top of the line material. The interior is further fitted with GM bucket seats and a custom des

Classic Chevrolet Impala Buyer's Guide

Full guide

Mike Sullivan

Muscle Cars

1958–1985

~5 min read

Updated Apr 2026

Definitive buyer's guide for classic Chevrolet Impala 1958-1985. SS authentication, 409 and 427 V8 verification, frame and body inspection, current market pricing for survivors and concours examples.

This guide covers

✓ 10-point inspection checklist

✓ Common issues & what to avoid

✓ In-person inspection guide

✓ Market pricing by year & condition

✓ 5 FAQs answered

✓ History & fun facts

Read the Full Impala Buyer's Guide

Chevrolet Impala Market Overview

Based on 167 Chevrolet Impala listings currently on ClassicCarsArena.com

167

Listed Now

$45,739

Avg. Asking Price

1958–1996

Year Range

Price Position on Our Site — Above Average

This car: $169,995

Low: $2,995 High: $169,995

Transmission Distribution

Automatic 61%

Manual 23%

Condition Distribution

Excellent 14%

Good 12%

Fair 4%

Poor 1%

Data from ClassicCarsArena.com listings Browse all 167 listings →

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Classic Chevrolet Impala Buyer's Guide

The Chevrolet Impala launched in 1958 as the top-trim Bel Air variant and quickly became the most popular full-size American car of the 1960s and 1970s. Across nearly thirty years of classic-era production (1958-1985), the Impala defined American full-size motoring — from the iconic 1958 launch year, through the legendary 1961-1964 SS bubble-tops, the muscle-era 1965-1970 SS427 and SS396 cars, the personal-luxury 1971-1976 generation, and the downsized 1977-1985 cars. The 1962-1964 SS409 Impalas remain among the most desirable factory drag racing cars ever produced. Whether you're hunting a documented 1963 SS409, a clean 1969 SS427, or a survivor 1977 Impala four-door, knowing what separates a documented original from a Biscayne or Bel Air dressed up with Impala trim is the difference between an honest investment and an expensive lesson.

What to Check Before Buying

✓

Obtain build sheet or documented provenance for SS claims — PHS (Pontiac Historic Services) does not cover full-size Chevrolet B-body Impalas. For Impala SS authentication, seek a GM build sheet, dealer order records, or specialist authentication.

✓

Verify cowl tag body code matches Impala trim — Many Biscayne and Bel Air cars have been retrimmed as Impalas. Cowl tag body code is the only reliable verification.

✓

For SS claims, verify SS option code on cowl tag — 1961-1969 SS cars used specific RPO codes. Cross-reference with the VIN and cowl tag.

✓

Read engine stamp code (front pad below head) — Two-letter code identifies specific engine type. Cross-reference with the casting number and engine suffix code.

✓

For SS409/SS427 claims, demand specialist authentication — Re-stamped blocks and cloned cowl tags are well-documented forgeries. $200-$500 specialist inspection mandatory.

✓

Inspect X-frame (1958-1964) at body mounts — X-member rusts at body mount points and front kick-up. Same issues as Tri-Five Bel Air X-frame.

✓

Inspect perimeter frame (1965-1976) at body mounts — Body mount cushions collapse and water pools above. Frame rust here = $1,500-$3,500 minimum repair.

✓

Check trunk pan and rear quarter rust — Lift trunk mat. Standard rust zones across all generations.

✓

Test convertible top mechanism if applicable — Vacuum-actuated (early) or electric (later) top systems commonly fail. $1,500-$3,500 to repair properly.

✓

Compression test all eight cylinders — Should read 145-185 PSI uniformly. Variance >15% = head gasket or worn rings.

Common Issues

Impala rust patterns vary by generation but follow predictable patterns. The 1958-1964 cars (X-frame era) rust at the body mount points and at the kick-up behind the front wheels — same X-frame issues as Tri-Five Bel Airs. The 1965-1970 cars (perimeter frame era) rust at body mount points, rear cross-member, and inside boxed frame sections. Body rust hits the lower rear quarters (especially behind the rear wheels), the rocker panels, the floor pans, the trunk pan, the lower fenders ahead of the doors, and the cowl seam. Convertibles add structural concerns at the rear corners where the top mechanism mounts. The 1958-1964 cars are particularly vulnerable to floor pan rust due to the X-frame design — the floor pans are stamped steel that supports the body without separate frame reinforcement at the cabin floor. Mechanically, the Impala used the full range of Chevrolet engines from the 235 inline-six (early cars) through the 348/409 W-block big-blocks (1958-1965), the 396/402/427/454 big-blocks (1965-1976), and the small-block 283/327/350 V8s. Common issues include broken motor mounts on big-block cars, worn timing chain on tired engines, leaky oil pan and valve cover gaskets, and tired Quadrajet or Holley carburetors. The Powerglide, Turbo 350, and Turbo 400 automatics are essentially indestructible. Electrical issues are universal classic-car concerns. The original wiring harnesses are 50+ years old and prone to chafing. Convertible top motors (vacuum-operated on early cars, electric on later cars) commonly fail and require specialist repair.

What to Look For

SS authentication is the first non-negotiable for any Impala SS claim. The 1961-1969 SS package was the high-trim performance variant and is the most cloned trim level in the Impala market. A GM build sheet or documented order confirmation, where available, confirms original engine code, transmission code, axle ratio, paint, options, and dealer destination for 1958-1969 cars. Without documented provenance, treat all SS claims as base Impala or Biscayne clones — fine if priced as such, but not at SS money. For 1962-1965 SS409 and 1965 SS396 cars, demand specialist authentication. The 409 and 396 big-blocks each have specific casting numbers and stamping codes that verify originality. Re-stamped blocks and cloned cowl tags are well-documented forgeries in the muscle-car market — the market premium for a documented SS409 versus a clone with the same drivetrain is $50,000+ on a 1962 bubble-top. Frame inspection is the second non-negotiable. For 1958-1964 X-frame cars, crawl under and probe the X-member at the body mount points and the front kick-up. For 1965-1976 perimeter-frame cars, probe the perimeter frame at the same body mount points. Body mount bushings collapse over 50+ years and water pools above them, rotting the frame from inside the boxed sections. Replacement is $2,500-$5,500 per side if needed. Body and trim verification: many cars sold today as Impalas are actually base Biscaynes or mid-trim Bel Airs with Impala emblems and trim added. The cowl tag (riveted to the firewall) lists the body style code that identifies the original trim level. Cross-reference against the dashboard VIN and the trim tag. For convertibles, inspect the top mechanism and the rear corners where the top mounts to the body. Top mechanism repair is expensive — $1,500-$3,500 for proper specialist work on the vacuum or electric actuator system.

Price Guide

1958 Impala (the launch year) is increasingly desirable. Driver-quality cars run $35,000-$65,000 today. Convertibles add $10,000-$18,000 to equivalent hardtop pricing. The 1958 Impala was Chevrolet's top trim level that year, not an SS — the Super Sport (SS) designation was introduced for 1961, making the 1961 Impala SS the first SS-badged Chevrolet. Documented original-paint 1958 Impala cars: $70,000-$130,000+. 1959-1960 "bat-wing" Impalas (with the dramatic horizontal fins) are increasingly collected. Driver-quality cars run $28,000-$55,000. The 1959 model is more desirable than 1960. Convertibles command 25-35% premium over equivalent hardtops. 1961-1964 SS Impalas (the bubble-top era) are the muscle-car icons. Driver-quality cars run $32,000-$65,000. SS409 cars: documented driver-quality $70,000-$140,000, concours-grade $160,000-$320,000+. The 1962 SS409 "bubble-top" is the holy grail of this era — $220,000-$450,000+ for documented numbers-matching cars. 1965-1969 SS Impalas: driver-quality cars run $35,000-$75,000. SS396: $55,000-$110,000 documented. SS427: $70,000-$160,000 documented. The 1969 SS427 was the final year of the SS package on the Impala — strong appreciation potential. 1971-1976 personal-luxury Impalas: driver-quality cars run $18,000-$38,000. The 1971-1972 Custom Coupes are the most desirable era. Convertibles (1971-1975 only): $28,000-$55,000 for driver-quality cars. 1977-1985 downsized Impalas: $12,000-$28,000 for driver-quality cars. The 1985 final-year Impalas are the bargain entry into nameplate ownership. The 1994-1996 Impala SS (modern era) is a separate market — not classic-era. Project Impalas start around $15,000-$30,000 across most generations. Stripped roller candidates: $5,000-$15,000.

Did You Know?

The Impala name was suggested by GM stylist Clare MacKichan and chosen for its association with speed and grace — the African impala is a small antelope known for its leaping agility. The Impala emblem has remained essentially unchanged across all production generations, with the leaping antelope figure appearing on every Impala from 1958 through modern production. The 1962 Chevrolet Impala SS409 was Chevrolet's serious attempt at NHRA Super Stock dominance. The 409 cubic inch "W-block" big-block produced 380 hp (single four-barrel) or 409 hp (dual four-barrel), and the SS409 became the song subject of the Beach Boys' 1962 hit "409." Documented original SS409 dual-four-barrel cars now command $160,000-$450,000+ at auction, making them among the most valuable production Chevrolets of the early 1960s. The 1959 Impala's distinctive "bat-wing" rear fins are the largest tail fins ever produced on any American car. The fins extend nearly five feet wide at their broadest point and were Chevrolet's response to the contemporary Cadillac and Chrysler tail fin extravagances. The 1960 model significantly reduced the fin proportions, and by 1961 the Impala had moved to a more restrained styling language.

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Elite Dealer

$169,995

1958 Chevrolet Impala

Michigan

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Original Factory Colors

Official paint codes for the Chevrolet Impala (1958).

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