1965 Chevrolet Impala SS 6.0 / 6-Speed Build Thread
 

This 1965 Chevrolet Impala came to us after and restoration was started at a different shop. The car has been in the owner's family since 1970, so we were honored and excited to bring this one back to the road. The recipe calls for a 6.0 LQ9 V8, 6-Speed manual transmission, and updated Ridetech suspension, all while keeping a smoothed-out stock appearance.

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This car had seen years of daily driving and occasional racing use, and was showing signs of deterioration. It arrived in our shop having been media blasted and sprayed with a black epoxy primer. At first glance, we noticed some rust around the window frames, in the deck lid, and that the previous repairs were not complete.

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After a thorough inventory of the supplied parts, the crew began the metalwork.
The first project was to close the stock antenna whole using a steel insert. The piece was made and fitted to the hole, MIG welded, and ground smooth. We're using an HTP MIG 200 welder for this task.

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Love the 65 Impala's. One of my favorite big cars. :popcorn2: :popcorn2:

Ohhhh, man. Can't wait to follow this one. Subscribed!

Love these impalas. Subscribed

Right on!
 

This one should be awesome Kevin!

Thanks guys, this will be a cool car. It's a biggun' allright, but we're on a mission to make it drive a thousand times better than original without losing the look.

Next, the crew began the rust repairs around the rear window frame. These window channels held water and rusted all the way through. The rusty metal was cut out with a thin 3M cutting disc on an air grinder. A new channel was fabricated using a shrinker/stretcher, welded in, and ground smooth. Gray primer prevented further rust.

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Similar repairs were made to the window channel around the windshield in the areas where the metal had rusted thin.

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Next, the rear window filler panel was removed for additional rust repair.

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The rearmost edge of the structure had rusted away.

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A new channel was bent in the Mittler Brothers Box Pan Brake and contoured to the correct shape.

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Then it was welded in place with an HTP Quickspot II resistance spot welder.

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