The early '60s marked the beginning of the end for what many consider the glory days of rodding and customizing. The arrival of the GTO, and subsequent rise of the musclecar, often bears blame for this decline, but the truth is that traditional rods and customs were falling out of vogue well before 1964. Many speed freaks had already turned their backs on Deuce coupes and roadsters, wrenching instead on jacked-up '55 Chevys and the like. Street customs, meanwhile, were being supplanted by sporty, well-optioned new Detroit offerings.
It was during this timeframe that the line between rods and customs seemed to blur a little. A lot of early roadsters and coupes began taking cues from customs as their owners transformed them into wild show rods with crazy body mods and impractical, chrome-laden drivetrains. At the same time, many late-model mild customs were losing their fender skirts and flipper caps to take on a tougher competition-flavor with blackwall tires, chrome reverse wheels, and black tuck 'n' roll.
Jim and Deana Butler's '62 Impala SS is representative of this transition period. It's got custom touches, but it's not a tail-dragger. It's got hot rod flavor but was built more for comfort than speed. You can't really call it a musclecar. It's just a clean, simple cruiser that straddles the line between rod and custom.
For Jim, capturing that look was only part of the goal. He'd wanted a '62 Impala ever since his high school years in the mid-'60s. Deana was more partial to '61s but let Jim have his way when he scored the Super Sport for $900 in 1985. In the years following the car served as daily transportation, yard art, and tow rig for the quarter-midget raced by the Butlers' son, Travis. Young Travis even learned to drive in the Impala, a fact that provides one of many family stories revolving around the Chevy.
"Travis was pulled over one day because he looked too young to drive," says Deana. "So what does Jim do? He hops out of the car and takes a picture of Travis' first traffic stop! Talk about a redneck! Travis was mortified."
Needless to say, the car became part of the clan and recently got a well-deserved renovation. Stance and road manners are much improved now thanks to the installation of dropped springs, sway bars, Fatman tubular control arms, and Classic Performance Products disc brakes. Billet Specialties Legacy wheels-with bullet-shaped center caps by Matt Salmi-lend a look that's classic without being totally retro. The 283/Powerglide combo is rebuilt but remains un-detailed, partially because Deana still drives the car daily.
To help get "the look" we alluded to earlier, Jim and Deana had Ray Hess (Dynamic Images, Santa Rosa, CA) remove all the car's emblems and trim before spraying the PPG Bright White base and Light Chrome Yellow scallops. A billet grille and modified '61 Chevy taillight lenses provide additional aesthetic enhancements. Gray leather covers stock seating inside, with updates coming in the form of an ididit column, Billet Specialties wheel, and Auto Meter gauges.
Blending various styles-rod and custom, traditional and contemporary-in one car is often a recipe for failure. That's not the case here. The Butlers' Impala impressively mixes custom-style scallops, hot rod wheels, and a resto-mod interior in a manner that may evoke memories of the '60s, but really represents what may be the true golden era of rodding and customizing-the present.
Jim & Deana Butler
Livermore, California
'62 Chevrolet Impala SS
Drivetrain: The original 283 V-8 was ready for another few decades of service after Norm's Machine Shop (Petaluma, CA) rebuilt it. A mild cam, Z/28 intake, 650-cfm Holley carb, and Corvette exhaust manifolds lend a little more pep. Johnny Franklin crafted the custom dual exhaust using Magnaflow mufflers, while Schuck's Transmission (Dublin, CA) rebuilt the aluminum-case Powerglide tranny, which came out of a Nova.
Chassis: Jim and Deana took advantage of the many aftermarket parts available for early-'60s Chevys, including dropped springs and disc brakes from Classic Performance Products (CPP), Fatman Fabrications tubular control arms, Doetsch Tech shocks, and a Saginaw 605 power steering box. The rearend is stock, but gets support from a Quickor sway bar (there's a Speedway Engineering bar up front). The driveshaft is from Inland Empire Driveline Service.
Wheels & Tires: The bright new Billet Specialties Legacy wheels (15x7 and 15x8) take on a more classic look with custom-built bullet center caps by Matt Salmi at Rod & Custom Innovations (Livermore, CA). The Goodyear tires measure 205/60R15 and 235/70R15.
Body & Paint: Ray Hess at Dynamic Images (Santa Rosa, CA) gets credit for massaging the Impala's long flanks, filling dozens of trim holes, and squirting the PPG Light Chrome Yellow scallops over a PPG Bright White base. The bright finish is contrasted by a subdued silver powdercoat on the billet grille and stock headlight and taillight bezels. The taillight lenses are modified '61 Chevy items, and the side "peep" mirror is from RB's Obsolete.
Interior: Super Sports had pretty swanky cabins to begin with, so the Butlers just had Wells Custom Upholstery (San Lorenzo, CA) cover the stock seats with medium gray leather. A Custom Autosound SecretAudio unit and Kenwood speakers provide tunes, while Auto Meter gauges augment the stock instruments. A Billet Specialties wheel atop an ididit column keeps the white Chevy inside the yellow lines.