1958 Chevrolet Impala 2 Door Hardtop Newest heartthrob in sight, the Impala Sports coupe. Longer by over nine inches, lower by more than two, the Impala, like every '58 Chevrolet, wears the look of a car just naturally born for the road. Begin at its massive new grille and multiple roadlights, (sic), sweep your glance along its taut, sleek length. This is the newest, that's for sure! From the 1958 Chevrolet sale brochure. For consignment, a 1958 Chevrolet Impala 2 door hardtop showing 95,284 miles, but the true miles are unknown. Owned by our consignor for 10 years and painted two years ago, this coral colored beauty represents a relatively uncommon model year for Classic Auto Mall, just the seventh to pass through our Hallowed Halls. Exterior Looking through the '58 brochure, you'll note a similar flavor threading throughout the Chevrolet line. Times were changing and the shape of cars was too. More narrow body panels adorn each model, including our Impala which presents in Cay Corral paint, a period color that works well here, especially when topped with the white roof that bleeds into the C-pillar for a stylish design choice. Bold stainless side molding would not surprise people in '58, but the rear fender ornamental trim piece, like metal in motion, would definitely start a trend that would continue in the 60's. There's also a robust rocker trim that meets small gravel guards on the fender skirts with more exciting trim on the bump out, rear vents, and hash marks on the front fenders, a holdover from previous years. There's big chrome front and rear along with dual antennae flanking the broad decklid. Imperfections are few and include an area of crazing on the front fender, and a blackening on a body panel as it rolls under. Interior Various shades of coral fill the stylish door panels with trim lined patterns and both are in nice condition with the driver's side missing the reflector. Boldly striped cloth inserts decorate the split bench seats, framed in coral vinyl, mirrored in back where occupants share a central armrest, and all looking good. Up front, the steering wheel is two toned with a full horn ring and leading to a wide, horizontal speedometer over a V-shaped mid dash with an aluminum band that takes in a few oval gauges, the AM radio, and the cursive Impala emblem that would persist for decades. Finally, an oval clock is in the central band that wraps around to an A-pillar set back on the curved glass. Coral carpet below and also coloring the headliner which shows some age while in the trunk, a rubber mat is over some rust on the floor. Drivetrain A bright red 348ci engine is under the hood which has an insulator pad that looks fresh. Meanwhile, the engine is rated at 250 horsepower and is fueled via a 4-barrel carburetor. It's mated to a Powerglide 2-speed automatic transmission sending power to the back where it finds 3.36 gears. We note power brakes on board and a 12 volt system. Undercarriage An even covering of surface rust prevails underneath, some residual oil on the rear differential and pan, and some flaking rust on the inner rocker panels. Power drum brakes are at all four wheels and suspension consists of coil springs in front and a 4 link with coil springs in back. Dual exhaust finds stock style mufflers then follows the shape of the X-frame on their way to the back. Drive-Ability We roll the big Impala out on the test loop where it performs well and idles smoothly and the wrap-around glass at both ends improves visibility as fender ornaments act like gun sights in pointing the front end to where you want to go. Of note, the clock, radio, wipers and passenger side headlights are not working. We also notice the left rear window does not roll down. Beyond these things, all other functions operate as intended. While Classic Auto Mall represents that these functions were working at the time of our test drive, we cannot guarantee these functions will be working at the tim
