1962 Impala

[Torrey72]

Last week I had a 63 impala and a 59 Bel-air rotting away in the yard. You know, the typical rusty immobile yard cars. Or as I like to fondly think of them as yard art.
So, last week my wife was looking off into the middle distance as she asked me a question. "If you could have any nice car to replace the 59 and 63. What would it take to make them go away?" Well? Seeing how I have a 69 and 72 Blazer already and I have a 69 Camaro to fulfill whatever mid life crisis's 69 Camaro's need to fulfill. And seeing how the 63 impala was my very first car EVER. (Yes, I am that guy. The one who never seems to gets rid of any car. Or car part.) I thought of the one car I have always loved but never owned. A 1962 Impala. Just as big and tuna boat beautiful as a 63. But with sportier lines. So with a couple smoking Craigslist deals to move my yard art and $9,000 extra. I picked up a rust free California car with a fresh crate 350, TH350, Disk brake converted, Tilt and telescoping steering wheel. Power bucket seat. 1962 Impala. The only thing I plan on doing to it is Lowering it a little. And maybe wheels

[kyull67]

Nice!

[Sillyoldman]

Great story. You have a real keeper.. Yep your wife. Congrats on the car too. Got pics of the yard art?

[463]

very nice. i had a 62 impala first car and yes it was a 4 door but i like it

[Torrey72]

Thanks, I am lucky to have her. She puts up with me.
Saturday was sunny so we drove around town in the Impala. It was fun, the car turns allot of heads. I can't wait till we get the whole two weeks of Sunny summer weather we see here in western Washington. Maybe then we can take it out more often. We might even take it to the coast this late summer for the Rod Run or other shows. Or, just take it out to county line and make out in the back seat

Here are pics of the 59 & 63

[Bishops Trucks]

Nice deal. I'll have to let my wife read this and see if it leads her in the same direction.

[Hottrucks]

I hate you for not telling us about those cars for sale....

[Torrey72]

Originally Posted by Hottrucks

I hate you for not telling us about those cars for sale....

Sorry. I actually didn't find the Alternate Tinkering's thread till after I made the deals. I thought this place was all Chevy truck or nothing. This website is so big I have still to troll around all the areas. Next time I let something go from my sea of junk, I'll let you know.

[NONHOG]

So you got rid of a couple of fixers and got a driver. Smart man!
Keep telling myself to do that. Yet to do it.

[threeonthetree]

Loooking gooood

ill be following this one realllll close!


im diggin that 59 sedan to would be a bad as crusier~!

[Torrey72]

I found a little time to lower the front of the 62. If I had the money for air bags at this time, I would have gone that route. Cutting a coil out of the front just cost me a little time, a bottle of Brake fluid, and new ball joint dust boots.
I started by putting the car up on four jack stands, to get all four corners of the car up in the air. When I pulled the wheels, I discovered that the dust boots on both upper ball joints were destroyed.
I removed the shocks and then supported the lower A arm with a floor jack. Then I removed the sway bar, Pulled the cotter pin and backed off, but not remove the upper ball joint nut. Then detached the brake line for it will not stretch as far as I need it to.

[Torrey72]

I know a trick to loosen ball joints and tie rods with two big hammers. But seeing that the dust boots were tattered already. A pickle fork and a BFH were the easy choice. You do not need a spring compressor to remove springs. Though, If you do not know what you are doing. You can kill yourself or anyone in the vicinity of the flying spring, if done incorrectly. The springs are under thousands of pounds of pressure. To keep them from shooting out when I bust the upper ball joint lose. I place a floor jack under the A arm and jack the car up till the front of the car is supported by the jack. This keeps the spring under pressure and in place when the ball joint is loosened and the nut is removed. Remember to keep the nut on the ball joint. Just back it off a bit. Then you can separate it with the fork. I then move to the front of the car and out of the potential path of the spring if it wants to come out. This is where I carefully remove the nut. Then I lower the floor jack. This relieves the spring pressure under a controlled way till it falls out with no stored energy to hurt anyone.

Check out my 16lbs. BFH

[Torrey72]

After I removed both springs. I used an angle grinder to cut one coil out of each spring. The most I would take out is two coils, if I was looking to go lower. Anything more would require new spindles.(IMHO)
Never use a torch to cut springs. You will change the strength of the spring for the worst.
I also cut off what was remaining of the ball joint dust boots and used tie rod boots for replacements. They are cheep, work well and seal around the bottom of the joint and shaft. No need to remove the joint. Just pop them on.

[Torrey72]

After I cut the springs and repainted them with some semi gloss black I had around. I enjoyed a beer as I waited for them to dry.
I used a spring compressor to install my shorter springs. And assembled everything in the opposite direction I removed them.
I modified My brake bleeder with a bigger reservoir. So it could hold a whole bottle of fluid. I hate unhooking it to empty the tinny reservoir when bleeding. I flipped a full bottle of brake fluid upside down on the master cylinder. And held it in place with tape so it stayed put. As I bleed the brakes. The bottle will fill the master cylinder as needed.
I bleed the whole bottle between both wheel cylinders. This flushed my lines as well as left an empty bottle to take off the master cylinder. I removed it without spilling a drop. I got lucky. I usually end up cleaning all the spilt brake fluid with a garden hose.

Now I can enjoy the car without its Grandpa stance it was sporting. Not that there is anything wrong with Grandpa, It’s just not how I roll.

[butternut1972]

Nice car, what part of sunny western Washington do you live? Maybe I'll get to check it in person at show.

[Torrey72]

live in Cowlitz county.
I bet I will see you around Longview this summer. I’ll keep an eye out for your yellow truck.

[Jonboy]

That's a beautiful car, Torrey. I had a '61 in college, and would love to have another. Actually, I had 4 by the time I had to sell them off. They would just follow me home.

[NONHOG]

Nice improvement!

just a thought on the spring removal if your trying the floor jack method just attach a length of chain through the spring for that extra security.

[Torrey72]

Originally Posted by NONHOG

just a thought on the spring removal if your trying the floor jack method just attach a length of chain through the spring for that extra security.

Nice idea using a chain. It always makes me a little nervous when I drop that jack.

[Torrey72]

Originally Posted by Jonboy

That's a beautiful car, Torrey. I had a '61 in college, and would love to have another. Actually, I had 4 by the time I had to sell them off. They would just follow me home.

What people are asking for old cars and what people are willing to pay is starting to get out of hand. All the Car auction TV shows don’t help either. I figure that if I don’t collect the classic cars I want to own for the rest of my life. In say. the next ten years. I will probably not be able to ever afford them. You should check Craiglist now and again for a 61. You never know when a decent one will pop up with a price you just can’t resist.

[Jonboy]

You're probably right. My wife has been helping keep me in check. I've always wanted a '62 bubbletop, but prices were prohibitive when I bought the Impala ('93). I've accumulated a couple of cars lately, and it's raised an eyebrow or two. We bought our house from a couple that raised 4 boys, and she told us they had 7 cars there when all of their boys were still at home. I was politely told not to get any ideas, so I guess I am limited to 5 for me.....

[nicke]

Beautiful 62'. My dad has a 62' SS and I have a 65' SS. I just went through that same process putting a disc brake conversion kit on the front end with dropped spindles. Depending on how it ends up, a may take a little out of the front springs like you did ;-).
Also... whats up with that Camaro? Lets see a few pics!

[Torrey72]

Originally Posted by nicke

Beautiful 62'. My dad has a 62' SS and I have a 65' SS. I just went through that same process putting a disc brake conversion kit on the front end with dropped spindles. Depending on how it ends up, a may take a little out of the front springs like you did ;-).
Also... whats up with that Camaro? Lets see a few pics!

Thanks, the 62 is my new toy. The 69 Camaro has 2" disk drop spindles and 17" wheels vintique rallies. But I'll save that for a new thread

[Zoomin]

Any updates?

Thanks for the tutorial - this will come in handy.

[Torrey72]

It has been a busy Summer. I did find time to lower the rear of the Impala 2" and gut the Dash. I had purchased the car with a gaping hole where the factory radio once was. I like to think someone had a sweet 8 Track shoehorned in there, back in the day.
I ordered up some new unmolested dash fascia. I also found a correct radio on ebay ( and yes the radio works... Lucky! ) I did surgery to the dash so the radio would fit nice . The Oil, Clock, and Gas Gauges probably stopped working sometime during the Cold War and original replacements are either too ugly, too expensive or too impossible to find so I did an upgrade to some semi-correct looking Auto Meter ones. Unbenounced to me, I found out modern gauges are about 1/4" smaller than what came factory. I fixed this problem with bearing shims that I painted silver. I ditched the battery killing clock for a more useful water temp gauge, as well.
The steering wheel is hideous I know. The column is a 68 olds tilt and telescoping wheel, I believe. It will get replaced with something more appealing at some point. When I had the Speedo out. I completely dismantled it and cleaned, painted and lubed it. I also rolled back the odometer to zero so I can log what miles I drive it over my lifetime. After assembly I discovered that the gauges light up blue-ish White. Due to being LED lit. I will have to back light the Speedo to match. I will have to post final assembly picks when I can.