By Brian Brennan – Photography By NotStock Photography – Illustration By Eric Brockmeyer
The 1958 Chevrolet is often considered a classic model in the realm of American hot rods and customs, praised for its bold design and unique styling. The 1958 Chevy became popular as a custom car due to its distinctive features, including iconic tailfins, sweeping lines, and spacious interiors. That brings us to Ted Stoneburner of Wethersfield, Connecticut, and his 409-powered 1958 Chevy Impala, basking in the shade of American Graffiti.
The movie American Graffiti, released in 1973 and directed by George Lucas, played a pivotal role in reviving interest in hot rods and customs from the 1950s and 1960s, including the 1958 Chevy. Set in 1962, the film showcased the era’s youth culture, the importance of cruising car culture, and rock and roll music. The film featured a variety of classic cars, including the 1958 Chevrolet, which helped cement the model’s place in pop culture.
It doesn’t get much better than turning your high school car into your dream come true. Ted purchased the 1958 Chevy Impala in 1974 for $150. He and his dad were cruising the Rockville, Connecticut, and Vermont area looking for a 1955 Chevy when they came upon this 1958 Chevy. No one was home, so they moved on, but they did not purchase anything that day and ended up back at the 1958 Chevy’s home. They discovered it had been sold two days before, but the new owner only needed the interior. The new owner was happy to part with the remainder of the Impala, minus the interior, to Ted for a budget-conscious $150. It was a running car sans interior with a 283 and Powerglide. Ted’s dad told him he would enjoy the 1958 more than the 1955, as he wouldn’t see himself coming and going within the car crowd. Ted drove the car during high school but sold it to a coworker in 1998 and repurchased it in 2015. Later, it was off to Korek Designs, where Ryan and Steve began to make “dreams come true.”
While at Korek Designs, the 1958 Impala underwent subtle sheetmetal changes while retaining the classic, one-year-only factory design. The lower rocker panel trim was removed, reminiscent of the trim found on 1961-1962 Corvettes. Added to the wheel openings is a sheetmetal lip, giving a nice low bodyline that didn’t exist at the factory. Also added is a third brake light (technically, the acronym CHMSL stands for “center high-mounted stop lamp”) and a filled cowl vent. Additional modifications included removing the door locks, a filled cowl vent, the small trim spears on the top of the fenders and just behind the headlights, and the four small faux vents just behind the quad headlights and above the beltline trim. The backend also underwent a pair of mini-tubs to account for the oversized rubber that would be coming. From here, the body- and paintwork were handled at Korek Designs, where they used a combination of BASF custom mix of Pearl White and Satin Gray.
The interior features a Satin Gray finish on the factory dash, while Advanced Plating re-chromed the center strip. The lower portion is painted flat maroon. Accessories making themselves at home in the detailed dash are Dakota Digital instrumentation, an Ididit steering column crowned with a two-tone American Retro 15-inch steering wheel, and a Vintage Air Heritage Under Dash A/C unit operated through factory-appearing controls. All the required wiring comes through an American Autowire system installed at Korek Designs. The floor-mounted shifter comes from Hurst and has a Bowler Transmissions shift ball with the appropriate five-gear pattern. Other floor appointments include the brake, clutch, and gas pedal, all from Clayton Machine Works by Lokar. Original bench seating is used in the front (with chrome side bows) and rear and is covered in Relicate satin distressed red full-grain leather with white piping and stitching. John Miller of Hide Originals LLC beautifully handled all the stitchwork and used Juliano’s Hot Rod Parts for the lap belts.
The chassis is based on an Art Morrison Enterprises 1959-1964 Sport GT chassis with slight modifications for the mini-tubs to the 3×4-inch mandrel bent frame. It uses the AME Sport IFS with its tubular control arms, Wilwood 2-inch drop ProSpindles, Strange coilover shocks, power, 1-1/8-inch sway bar, and rack-and-pinion steering. In the back, the rear suspension is based around a 9-inch AME housing with a Strange third member, 31-spline axles, and a 3.90 gear. Positioning everything is a triangulated four-bar with a ¾-inch rear sway bar.
At the four corners is a Wilwood brake system based on a Wilwood Compact Tandem Kit centered on a billet master cylinder and a combination proportioning valve, left- or righthand mounting brackets, fluid tubes, and mounting hardware. The rotors are 12.19-inch drilled and slotted and utilize four-piston calipers in both the front and back. Also located at the corners are a full complement of Schott Accelerator brushed and polished finish wheels, measuring 18×8 and 19×11, with Diamond Back Classic Radials that measure 245/40R18 and 305/35R19 Touring Red Line tires.
For all the attention this 1958 Chevy Impala will garner, it only takes one peek under the hood by any hot rodder to “fall in love” with this build–a 1965 Chevy 409 with dual quads. Can you say, “Good Vibrations?” It’s an original 1965 Chevy 409 iron block that has undergone a rebuild featuring a 0.060-overbore, now 420 ci. Auto Machine handled the machine work. Accessories include an Isky camshaft kit, Bob Walla Racing aluminum heads (specializing in 409 parts), topped with Edelbrock black powdercoated W-valve covers, a painted Chevy dual-quad intake, a pair of Black Plasma finish Edelbrock AVS2 600-cfm carbs along with a mechanical fuel pump, and a Show Cars Automotive Inc. custom 409 dual-carb air cleaner setup. Other appointments include the PerTronix distributor fitted with StreetThunder 8.0mm plug wires, Sanderson headers, a 2-1/2-inch exhaust system, and a pair of MagnaFlow mufflers. Goodies include the Billet Specialties Tru-Trac serpentine belt system and a SPAL electric fan working with an aluminum radiator. Nestled up to the vintage 409 is a five-speed Bowler Performance Transmissions TREMEC TKO 600 with a RAM HDX clutch package and a billet flywheel. A two-piece driveshaft rotates the power back to the rear gear.
One must look at the Eric Brockmeyer illustration to see how well the artist’s ideas were brought to life. Riding around in a cool hot rod like this 1958 Chevy Impala is only heightened when you have a “she’s so fine” 409 rumbling under the hood.
Check out this story in our digital edition here.
