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It’s easy to see how this customized 1962 Impala scored 1000 points at Chevy Classics’ 38^th International Convention

Right out of college, I shopped for a new 1962 Impala at “Grandpa” Mohr Chevrolet in downtown Dallas. The salesman handed me the keys to a 409, 4-speed SS Impala, and said to take it for a drive– no salesman present! Needless to say, I enjoyed the test drive. I wanted that car but simply could not afford the extra several hundred dollars it cost versus the 327, 3-speed Impala I ended up buying. We sold that Impala sometime in the ’70s, and typical story– years later we wished we had kept it.

Even though I built several other cars over the years, it was always in the back of my mind to someday do a ’62 Impala. I bought this ’62 at a swap meet in 2001, and it sat until 2005. It had more body damage and rust than I first thought– lots of repairs to do before the real modifications could begin.

My plan was to make the car look different than original, but still obviously a ’62 Impala. I wanted to make some body modifications that I visualized; refine and clean up unattractive seams, pinch welds and open holes that were inherent in a production vehicle of that time.