My head often returns to the rockin’ 58 Chevy Impala and entrance of those notorious triple round tail lights. A few years following, owners soon discovered that the equally classic 59 Cadillac bullet tail lights fit so nicely in the same holes back there! Still rocks today!
My Pop was a Chevy Lover. He had a a couple of 1948 models, a blue 1951 and 1954. All were two door models. He upgraded to a beige and gold tudor 1956 car. That was easily one of my most favorites. Subsequent came a godawful grey 60 Bel Air with ugly fins and 4 big doors. Completed with black wall tires and those dumb half hubcaps that forever fell off. He regained my admiration a couple years after with a red 1962 Impala coupe. Another one of my favorites.
Unfortunately, my Dear Old Dad never regained his coolness in my book as he migrated back into a series of ugly 4-door Chevrolets. Yes, they were Impalas, but, no, they were not cool. For whatever reason, he purchased all of these new off the lot, and swapped each one for the next one. Lucky for me, the two he had while I was in High School and able to drive were 4 door Imps, with 283s, and those same half hubcaps. I made him mad when I took them off and painted the rims black. He made me put them back on. Nicely, they came off so easily! I tore up the tranny in one of them performing nutral rams up and down the strip. The only rubber I ever got involved some sand on the road!!! I have often wondered what a cool dude I might have turned into if Dad had held onto any of the early Chevs! I am reminded every time I see one at a car show!
In my early married days, I latched onto a 1965 Chevrolet Impala Station Wagon. It was a red/purple color, 327 automatic, with a 4 barrel carb, dual glass packs, oversize tires, mag wheels, and air shocks ( all to beef up the back end – for looks and for hauling stuff ). With the rear seat down, it had an 8 foot bed, which was great for camping in, and for carrying just about anything. I loved that car, but after I put a stick into my 66 Chevelle, my wife had to start driving the wagon. A short lady, she never could see out the back very well ( think of that long bed and then the tailgate – and the raised back nd ), and one day backed out of a parking spot and right over the hood of a car passing behind her. It got replaced shortly after by Vega Wagon ( shudder! ). Yes, it was a Chevy. Yes, it was a perfect car for her. But, like my father before me, I wound up with a dud!
