Text and Artwork by Tavis Highlander – Instagram @tavishighlander
tavishighlander.com
Vehicle build by Big Oak Garage
Hokes Bluff, Alabama
If you just quickly glance at this project, all you’ll see is a slick, low-slung, bubbletop Impala. There’s a lot more here though, and the guys at Big Oak Garage have put in some major hours to make it subtly more aggressive than stock.
Side profiles are really important when creating the illusion of flow and motion with a car. While a stock Impala has many lines from the side that sweep upward, this version now has all parallel or converging feature lines. This is thanks to a reverse wedge cut that runs from front to back. There’s material added to the rear and none added to the front, which creates an appearance of forward motion. The roof is also built from scratch and tapers downward at the windshield. That windshield also doesn’t run up the A-pillars as far as it used to.
All of those big sheetmetal mods are a solid basis for some trick little details. Most of the trim is CNC cut and made to fit perfectly around the modified glass. Custom wheels were designed by me and then cut by Schott. These mimic the original hubcap styling but don’t simply copy it outright. Underhood you’ll see an all-aluminum 509 with custom valve covers and air cleaners.
These drawings are all being presented in grayscale since the final color is a secret for now. Soon enough the car will be unveiled and the beautiful Axalta paint will be on display. Backing up the shiny paint and slick look is a Roadster Shop chassis. The owner, Dan Duffy, will definitely be turning heads as well as carving corners in this wild build.
