Here is the story on the car:
My dad had always liked Impalas. Throughout the 70's he had a variety of them. By the late 70's his younger brother had also developed an affinity for big cars. One day while my dad was returning from work in Brainerd MN, he spotted a 69 SS convertible along the side of the road. Unfortunately there was no room in the garage for this one and he had another kid on the way. After a quick once over he headed home to tell his brother about it. The next day they headed back up to Brainerd with a car trailer and finalized a deal on the Impala for $500. Over the course of the next year my uncle began the processing of rebuilding the 427. Unfortunately with an impending divorce and 2 kids on the way, he got behind on his bills and the bank took the Chevy as collateral.
However, before the bank sped off with the SS in tow, my uncle cunningly removed all the SS emblems and my dad jotted down the VIN for the rare chance of a hopeful reunion down the road.
In 2005 my dad would be celebrating his 50th birthday. We began planning the celebration nearly a full year prior to the big 5 0. While conversing with my siblings (we all worked together) we thought it would be a fitting birthday present if we could find the old Chevy. Having known that my dad always kept the VIN in his billfold, i cunningly seeked it out one night and jotted it down for my own use. The piece of paper had grown from just a VIN number to a sheet with jottings about current ownership and location of storage. Dad had been tracking the Impala all along! We contacted the current owner and after telling him the story on the Impala, he noted that he wasn't interested in selling but the story was too good not to see through. With that we purchased the SS (which hadn't changed at all since 1980) for $3,600.
On April 17, 2005 we had a surprise birthday party for my dad. He was blown away by not having the slightest hint that there was to be a party. Well, the surprises weren't over. Towards the end of the day we brought the Impala in on a car trailer with a giant bow tie on the roof. His jaw nearly hit the floor. After a brief explanation to the crowd that family was more important than cars he finally figured out that it was the kids that had bought him the car and not his wife. He now had the golden ticket to owning his dream car.
After a 5.5 year restoration the Impala made its long awaited return. During the restoration we found 2/3's of the build sheet behind the drivers seat back. All along the original motor and tranny never had left the SS. It sure was fun reapplying the SS emblems after nearly 25 years off the car. Restored back to factory stock the Impala features:
Garnet Red paint
Parchment interior
#'s matching 427/390hp block and original 400 turbo-hydromatic transmission
After my uncle passed this spring we received a box of photos he had. In it were the pics of when they went to pick it up in the late 70's. My dad had never seen those before and was very happy that his brother had taken them. My uncle had been disabled after being struck in the head with a piece of granite at work in the mid 80's. Upon getting his first ever ride in the Impala he proclaimed with his arms outstretched and the top down, "This is the greatest day of my life!!"
A few mysteries remain on the cars history. During restoration we noted a bumper sticker that said, "I ♥ Cherry Point, NC". Also, on the windshield was a parking pass for the military base from 1972-1973. Tracking the car backwards from our ownership we get hung up in the mid 70's. So, at one point this car spent some time in North Carolina. It would be fantastic if we could make headway with the base, but getting info out of them is like trying to find D.B. Cooper. So, if anyone on here knows of a person who was stationed at Cherry Point in 72 or 73 we would love to hear from you!
After nearly a 25 year in hibernation, the old SS sees the light of day.
Wally's surprise 50th unveiling
