STAUNCHEDSports Coupe

If you know me and my love for black coupes and big-as blowers, you will understand how hard it was for me not to trip over my tongue when I first spotted this at the Cromwell Classic Car and Hot Rod Festival. This thing is Hot Wheels COOL!

Wandering along the rows of cool-as cars with the camera’s came to a complete stand still when I got to this one!

The gloss black paint was honestly gleaming, and that huge blower dawned with black twin FiTech injection units sitting on top and the black shot gun scoop feeding air into this big block unit was just too much to simply grab a photo and carry on!

I’ve always loved the Forth Gen Impala Sport Coupes. The long body with the sleek semi fast-back roof sliding back into that huge boot lid gives them a real aerodynamic arrow look for ripping down them long straight American highways, yet still maintaining their cruiser look with their long wide bodies.

After helping a good friend Gorja work on hers a few years back, I’m honestly still surprised there isn’t one in my shed yet!

The finishing of the Sport Coupes is simply top class. Taking on the Caprice standard that Chevrolet developed for their top-of-the-line models, these two door Impala’s were the junior Cadillac of the Chevy brand and hugely popular with their customers.

With simple facelifts to the fronts and tail lights identifying the models from 1965 through to 1970, they came with the option of ten different engine combinations.

This baby here came with the Big Block 427, so imagine owning this hunny back in 1968 and hitting the highways!

The huge open side space with the pillarless doors and rear side windows adds to the aerodynamic shape as if the roof floats in mid air from the windscreen back. The windscreen drops into the bonnet to conceal the windscreen wipers adding to the whole concept of smooth air flow and modern styling.

This new generation of Impala’s was a full redesign by Chevrolet. The chassis became a full Girder-Guard layout to full-width frame for carrying the new suspension layout giving wider bodies with big guards to fill with wider rims and tyres.

The wings of the fifties and sixties disappearing to be replaced with the raised swage lines along the top the guards as if not wanting to drop the popular wing style fully.

The polished headlight surrounds incasing the twin headlights above the big chrome bumper wrapping the front fenders together while splitting the grill, adding to the class of these gorgeous big rides.

Graham & Francis have only enhanced Chevrolets dream here. The gold finish on the Chevrolet and Impala badges adds to the class. The polished five spoke, deep dish wheels bearing them wide tyres taking the stance to the next level of coolness with the rear dropped to the tarmac.

The slotted brake rotors up front with the red brake calipers taking on the Sport Coupes attitude with the upgrade or rear disc brakes to keep up with that huge blower addition up front.

The engine bay is fully detailed with performance and class in mind here. If it isn’t polished or black anodized, it’s coated in shiny black paint to match the body.

This isn’t just for show either this build. This ride cruises the show scene and gets to shred some rubber whenever possible when Graham’s behind the wheel.

The interior is fully back to factory apart from the addition of some cool sounds. The classy, embossed cloth, stainless and polished trims set the standard right from the word go when you open the huge doors to the cabin area, exuding luxury and class form the sixties era of cool.

This is definitely a ride you do not want to just wander by, it’s way too beautiful for that!

The staunchness yet classy attitude of this Sport Coupe is a credit to Graham and Francis here. Beholding two of my favorite things, big blowers and black coupes! YEAH BABY!