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In this Discussion
- 37 Terraplane#2 June 2010
- atsig411 June 2010
- fst64_v8pwr September 2010
- hrallan June 2010
- Oldcar_Mechanic June 2010
Help finding my father's old car
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Posted this in the General area but a suggestion was made to move it over here:
All,
Couple of questions here. I am hoping someone can help me understand what this was. First, when my father talk about his old car I don't know what is exaggeration and what is factual.
I am searching to find my father's old car. He talked about it seldom but it was a major part of his life. He met my Mother driving it. I want to get it for them.
I do want to get it right since I don't know all the details of this particular car and I admit I am only a novice in classic cars. Maybe some of the info I know will help someone point me in the right direction.
He always called it his 427 Chevy. Never by model name. Always the 427.
He said if I recall it was a limited addition. very few were made. Not sure if that is correct and he is embellishing
He purchased it after the war in at a dealer California. The story was that he saved his money from the military and spent it all on this car he wanted. It was the first thing he bought after coming home. He said for around $3k
If I can upload right hopefully I can show you the only pictures I have found of his he took of this car.
If any experienced classic car people are out there I was hoping to learn:
Why he only called it his 427? Was this special?
What car model was it?
Is it hard to find.. common?
anything specific that will help me with my search to find this for him.
Thank you gracious public. -
66 Cevrolet Impala.
I don't think that Chevy broke out numbers for each style and engine but I will check when I get back home Tuesday.
Ron -
BOY , coupe with a 427 in good shape gonna cost some bucks , even a rebuildable one won't be what I call cheap . After all these years finding THE CAR without some serial numbers is gonna be tough if not impossable . To save what could be years searching for one that could very well no longer exist , my advice would be to just look for that year and model and settle for that . I have a car like one I had as a kid and delighted to even have one like the original . Wish you luck in your search . ---BUD
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The car is a '66 Chevrolet Impala with a 427 engine and most likely will be extremely hard to find if it even still exists. '66 was the first year for the 427 engine in both the Corvette and the full size Chevrolets. This one does not appear to be an SS version and even if it was, it would be an Impala SS with the 427, not a stand-alone SS427. That option first appeared in '67.
Again, good luck in your search for the car but it will probably be easier to find another one like it. And that wouldn't necessarily be bad thing as any 427 Chevrolet would definitely be a fun car! -
Thank you for your replies. I'm so lost at this point I don't care what the cost is I'm trying to find this model/year/specifics so I can get it at least get close to being right.
I'm sorry for breaking this down like this but I'm ignorant to the specifics. Is this an Impala 66 Fast Back? Standard model impala? Do you think this is an SS model? I really want to get as close to this as I can get.
Thank you all. I appreciate it. I am having a very hard time circulating these few images and my limited info to find this.
I found one more photo to add my last one I can dig out of his collection.
pic4_127661620855900.jpg616 x 308 - 37K -
I was mistaken in my reply that the car did not appear to be an SS version. I could not see the Super Sport emblems in the prior pictures but I do see them in the last picture you posted. SS stands for Super Sport so yes, the car was a '66 Impala SS sport coupe. As far as I can recall, all '66 Impala 2-doors were either the sport coupe almost fastback version or a convertible. The more formal hardtop car was the Caprice. The 396 cars would have had the same engine flags on them and the numbers are not really visible in your pictures but I would have no doubts the car was a 427 making it a very special, very collectible, car.
Again, I wish you the very best in your efforts to find this car or replace it with another. -
According to my books, the Impala Super Sport production totaled 119,300 with 2900 of those being six cylinders. A heavy duty 3 speed, with floor shift was optional on most but required on 396 and 427. A close ratio 4 speed was available, and a Turbo Hydro-Matic was optional. The 2 door hardtops on all Cevrolets were called Sport Coupes.
The car should have front fender nameplates (which you have) and Impala SS bar on the grill, a deck badge and specific tri-bar Super Sport wheel covers. It needs front bucket seats and console and SS identification on the dashboard
The Style number needs to be 16837 to be a SS V-8 and the engine code needs to be IH, ID, IJ, II or IO to be a 427.
If you need other information you can check with the guys at chevytalk.com
A great car for sure and if real and original it will cost you a nice piece of change to obtain. I agree with the others that finding your Dad's car will be just about impossible. You can try starting with the next person after your Dad if you know who that may be, otherwise settle for a car as close to your Dad's as possible. The privacy act no longer allows information like you need to be given out.
I wish you a lot of luck in your search. They are still out there so don't give up.
Ron -
Thank you Old Car Mechanic and hrallan. I am very thankful that there are people out there that don't know me that will still take a moment to comment and help me out. It is very much appreciated.
hrallan,
I will take it as a sign that I am on the right path trying to find my father's old car. My father's name is Allan. I find signs like this to take meaning. Thank you.
I have posted over at chevytalk.com Mr. Mechanic. Thank you for the suggestion. This is complicated for me but I know if I put more work into it I will find my answers. Thank you all for your help. -
There's good people in this hobby and most are willing to help.
Hope you find your car.
Ron -
Good luck hope you find it
