# 1961 Impala "Grocery Getter"



## Pete McKay (Dec 20, 2006)

For all of you guys always doing muscle cars, prepare to meet your grandma. 

I've been wanting to do this project for quite a while, take an early 1960's car that is relatively famous for being a muscle car and make a tame granny car out of it. Recently I acquired a very nice Blue Flame AM Code inline 6 from AMT's '51 Chevy 'Bel Air', a perfect engine for this project. Today I got a great base model to build into this project; the Lindberg 1961 Impala SS409. 

As someone who likes to be able to document a car I'm doing, this one gets the same treatment albeit in a fictional state. I even went so far as creating a VIN for this project: 11737L108831. Transmission will be a Warner Gear produced 3 speed, it's code would have been W368 showing that is was produced on June 8, 1961. The VIN indicates this car was produced at the Los Angeles Chevrolet plant sometime in August, 1961. It will have one option, power assisted drum brakes, code 412J, a $43.05 addition to the $2,597 base price of the car. 




























At a time when these cars where highly prized for horsepower and the SS package was the most popular option, this car would have been the spinster of the car lot, kept on the back row in the shadows of the Biscaynes and Bel Air's. Mine will be code 923 Roman Red with code 875 red and white interior. No power steering, no air conditioning. A total of 177,969 Impala's were made in 1961, 14,971 were made in Los Angeles, 1,081 were Roman Red with red interior. How many were 6 cylinder cars? Depending on which reference you want to use either 61 or 68. While the SS409 may be the most prized of the '61 Impala's, the 235 cubic inch inline 6 could be considered the most rare. 

So far I have the engine done, fully wired and plumbed and since this picture was taken I have swapped out the air cleaner and put the 3 speed transmission on it.










Now, you would think converting a car from a big V8 to an inline 6 wouldn't need much work, guess again. Because of the height of the 6 I had to notch the front frame considerably, and rework the carb so that it would fit under the hood. The 6 pictured above is actually in a 1962 Bel Air and you can see how high it sits in the bay. Same with this one, later pictures will show just how little clearance there is between the valve cover and hood. 

More later, paint is drying and I should have a little bit more tomorrow.


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## Dave621955 (Aug 22, 2010)

Interesting concept Pete. Great build on the 6 banger. This will definately be a build to watch.


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## woof359 (Apr 27, 2003)

*tranny*

shouldn't the trans bell houseing be orange too ? man I love those old Impala's. the body was really a work of art. your power plant looks great.


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## Pete McKay (Dec 20, 2006)

That whole tranny was swapped out for the '61 tranny, so it's sort of a gunmetal color now. I went over to a Chevy forum and asked for a little help on some of the documentation for the project and pretty much got flamed hard. Seems I have "the wrong engine in the wrong color for a '61" and he couldn't understand why I was wasting my time on a model that would be so innaccurate. Wow. The really interesting thing is that the pic of the engine in the real car above...that's a '62, and it sure looks orange to me. Now I don't know if that's the original engine but I have to go by what I can find in research. 

I haven't been able to work much on it the last few days but I'm going to try and get some of the interior done this evening after I get home. For the next couple of weeks I'm breaking dirt for my clients and will be out in the field from just after daybreak until nearly sundown. Gotta make that $$$ to support my hobby.


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## Ian Anderson (Jan 24, 2011)

I would have liked to read that response Pete, to here them tell you how it is in there minds, Seems there are EXPERTS everywhere you go these days, after all we are playing model builders here not preparing for the Concours d' Elegance or Barrett-Jackson after all I think it will be just fine they way you planed it my self is all, let them eat cake I say, and let me know if you find any cool arrow head in that field if your not to busy Staring at the GPS, you know there everywhere out there seems like where ever you brake ground you find them, You might leave them where there found as well they say, but still cool to look at. I'm not putting mine back, lol...

Ian


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## Pete McKay (Dec 20, 2006)

I had gotten the engine in the chassis earlier and forgot to post the picture.










Clear here is the oil filter and heater hoses, the fan belt is black painted masking take on aluminum pullys. 










I still need to paint the inner fenders semi gloss black and there's some electronics pieces like the voltage regulator and battery still need to go in. Right now I'm locating the interior to the chassis, and I still need to do some minor details to it. More in a little bit....


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## Pete McKay (Dec 20, 2006)

Interior, just about ready, just a touch up or two left.


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## smoke14 (Aug 16, 2009)

Awesome work there!

Have you found any hubcaps?

Off topic, there's an old black lady school teacher down here in Tucson, she drives a blue '56 Chevy 210 with a floor shift, I noticed her right arm moving while she drove. At the next stoplight, asked her what was up with that. She said she bought it new in early '57, hated the column shift and had her dad convert it for her :dude:


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## Pete McKay (Dec 20, 2006)

Smoke, the hubcaps are in the above series of shots, the wheels, tires and dog dish caps are also from the '51 Chevy. I was going to order some proper early 1960's caps but I figured Ian was right, this ain't no show car and I already have them. I went ahead with the three on a tree here just because it was even more something not often found. At this point I sort of threw making a documented car out the window.

BTW, my camera hates this red, which is Testors Italian Red. I'll grab some shots of it on daylight as soon as I get it all together. The batteries died tonight too so I'll have to grab some tomorrow.

Ian, there hasn't been a native American tribe in the area where I plow in more than 450 years, they stayed mostly up in the foothills. My wife is coastal Shoshone from down near Santa Barbara, which is an interesting mix with me being Jewish, remember that scene with Mel Brooks in Blazing Saddles? And I don't have to stare at the GPS much, it talks to me and tells me the grade setting and distance to the next way point... all in the soothing female voice of Jeri Ryan, 7 of 9 from ST:TNG. I went from selling Ford's to driving tour buses to this, and this seems to be the easiest job I've ever had.


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## Pete McKay (Dec 20, 2006)

Late night last night, got all the Bare Metal Foil trim done, painted in the white on the flash, it looks really uneven here but as soon as I hit it with a clear coat it melted right up to the borders nicely. 










I have most of the chrome in place now, body on the chassis and still need a little time finishing the underhood details. I'm not sure if I'll haver the hood down or up in the hinges, probably down, I'll just remove it to show the engine bay. Everything was chromed with the exception of the 'CHEVROLET" on the front of the hood, I had tried to under foil the paint but this time it didn't work because the letters were not tall enough. 

Underfoiling is a process where you apply the Bare Metal Foil under the paint, after it dries you take a polishing kit and carefully polish the paint off the foil, and it looks like the letters are metal. It has worked nearly every time I've done it, it just didn't here because the letters were not tall enough to buff without also buffing through the paint on the hood. Better luck next time.


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## 71 Charger 500 (Jan 27, 2011)

WOW! This thing is coming out great! I bought one of these to build as a short tracker but I may have to reconsider that line of thought. Great looking build! Don't let the rivet and crayon mark counters get you down on the car, it looks super cool! 

Mo


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## Ohlly (Sep 26, 2010)

look awsome.:thumbsup:
I think the pic of the real engine is of a chevy II / nova because of the strut towers.


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## scottnkat (May 11, 2006)

Dude, it looks great. Fantastic job.


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## Pete McKay (Dec 20, 2006)

Ohlly, I think you're right. The pic said it was a '64 Impala but it may have been a Nova of the same vintage. 

Pictures are coming, didn't work today because of impending rain this week. I'll try to shoot it tomorrow.


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## Pete McKay (Dec 20, 2006)

A few parting shots on the completed project.




























If you look close you can see the peace symbol hanging from the rear view mirror. The car has full seat belts, the keys are sitting on the console and a pair of sunglasses are next to them.


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## CJTORINO (Jan 20, 2003)

This is probably the nicest, cleanest '61 Chevrolet model
I have ever seen. the fact that you built it up as a 6 cylinder bubble top 
is pretty neat.


Awesome build.


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## philo426 (Mar 4, 2009)

that 6 banger is not gonnna cut it! Drop this bad boy in..409!







The colors are reversed too!


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## Pete McKay (Dec 20, 2006)

I still have the 409, thinking about putting it in a '57 someday, may just wire it up and sell it on here or something, I dunno. I don't throw too much away.


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## philo426 (Mar 4, 2009)

the red with white cove is really sharp!Good job!


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## Ian Anderson (Jan 24, 2011)

Man that's so clean Pete, "WOW"....Out standing work like always, Not many could even come close to your degree of work skills and there are some good builders out here as well, so that's saying "A LOT"...As well as the kits you choose are In a deferent category and a degree above, does set you apart from most...If you where running for Office I WOULD VOTE FOR YOU,...lol.."Pete For President In 2012"

(You know), you could turn on the washer/Dryer there and it would look like she was driving through the snow and moving along its so real looking,..should give the camera a nice moving effect then,....LOL...
"WHATS EVER IAN".. when I think of all the money I wasted on therapy on my self as well, and I'm still not right, it is shameless,,,...lol

Ian "The Strange"


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## Pete McKay (Dec 20, 2006)

Ian, that's not my build, same kit but different approach. I like the white with the red cove too Philo, very nice. I have a Dodge slant 6 I'm considering a project for now, possibly the LRW kit making it a construction vehicle.


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## Ian Anderson (Jan 24, 2011)

lol,..That's funny Pete,...I didn't even look twice, it was so nice of a build, I THOUGHT IT HAD TO BE YOURS, well this isn't good at all, I had better start paying attention instead of playing around here,..Glad I don't have a reputation to protect,....lol...Lets try this again here, 
...Hay Philo, GREAT JOB DUDE,......lol....Like I said, There's something seriously wrong with me sometimes pete, Lets just hope modern medicine can help that.....lol...

Ian


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## Ian Anderson (Jan 24, 2011)

This guy is go though, You can plainly see that....Better then me thats for sure...Bet he pays more attention then me as well,....lol


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## philo426 (Mar 4, 2009)

Thanks! The '61 Chevy is a great looking car!My Uncle had one just like my model but it had a 283 with a Powerglide.


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## Ohlly (Sep 26, 2010)

just to be diferent I had a 409 in a S10 some years back.


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