Cascade Green 1960 Chevrolet Impala Convertible

As a child, Clyde Schuster used to walk past a garage where the owner used to have an Impala in the showroom and he vowed that one day when he was all grown up, he would own a car just like it. It took many years but finally, he had one., a 1960 Chevrolet Impala Convertible. This is just one of the many dream cars that he has but this one is extra special as it is the fulfilment of a childhood dream.

Clyde found the car in a store on a farm in Nelspruit. It was advertised on social media. When he saw the ad, he asked his son to negotiate with the seller. He arranged a car trailer and left the following morning at 4 am for Nelspruit with the trailer in tow. Then, he made contact with the seller, loaded the car and returned to Durban via Joburg as he did not want to travel any narrow roads which could lead to an accident. He slept over at a hotel, completing the trip the following day.

The plan for the car was to restore it to as close to the original as possible. The car was in a sorry state and Clydes wife was shocked when he arrived home with such a sad sight loaded onto a trailer. There was doubt as to whether the car would even ever run again but, eventually, he proved them all wrong.

The rear quarter panels and rocker panels (sills) were rusted and patched so badly that it was decided to replace them all. Some of the removable parts were sandblasted and one was stretched so badly that a replacement had to be found. Floor panels as well as lower rear quarter panels were imported. The body of the car was straight and the rusted panels were removed and replaced.

It is difficult to say how long the bodywork took in total as various work was undertaken at the same time, but the entire build took 20 months. Clyde, his friend Johan and his son Francois did the majority of the work in a carport next to his house.

When it came to colour choice, Clyde decided to stick to keeping the car original and chose Cascade Green, which was the colour General Motors used for that particular year. To get to this point, he researched the car at length and discovered a colour chart for General Motors for 1960. It was very rare to find a car painted in this colour as it was the beginning of the metallic era and people were not accustomed to it.

The paintwork was applied by Francois and himself in a McGyver spray booth which consisted of a number of gazebos wrapped with plastic and a domestic fan for extraction. The paint job came out very well and after some polishing, shined like a mirror.

Also, the car still has the original unmodified X-frame chassis from 1960. No modifications were carried out. Both the front and rear suspensions are also 100% original. The car had to remain as close to standard as possible and for this reason, the suspension stayed as they were designed by the engineers at General Motors. The rear axle and differential also remain unchanged.

The standard drum brakes on all 4 wheels had new wheel cylinders and brake shoes fitted. The master cylinder was re-conditioned by Natal Re Sleeving CC. There were many parts and trimmings missing as well as the upholstery which was in need of replacement and these were all sourced and imported via Thundersport in Pinetown.

The motor is a 283 small block V8 Chevy which came with the car. The gearbox is a standard Saginaw 3-speed that was used by Chevrolet at the time. It does not synchromesh in 1st and the car needs to come to a complete stop before you can engage 1st or reverse gear.

The motor was removed and taken to Miclin Motor Engineering in Pinetown, who did the machining and sub-assembled it. Clyde then took it home for the final assembly. Also, the motor is stock standard with pistons being .030 oversize and the bearings are both .010. The motor should produce about 195 horses in its stock format.

The exhaust still needs to be replaced but it still works and does not leak however, Clyde will take it to Power Flow within the next month to get it replaced.

Clyde learned the hard way after spending hours on the old carb that it would just be better to throw out the old manifold and carb and replace it with an Aluminum one and a 600 CFM Holley Carb. Clyde is amazed at how well a 60-year-old motor can still perform after all these years.

The original seats were still in good condition however, they needed to be recovered. Clyde decided to source something original from the USA. Once Thundersport received the parts, they were sent to Anesh at New Germany Auto Trimmers to be fitted. The seats are more comfortable than the seats available in any modern car.

Furthermore, the steering is a standard manual with a large-diameter steering wheel that hosts a chrome horn ring and paint dividers to give it a two-tone finish. The gauges were all removed, cleaned and serviced with some of the lenses being replaced. They all worked perfectly, even the analogue electric clock was still ticking.

For the wheels, Clyde decided to keep it old school. The car is fitted with standard pressed steel rims and stainless steel hub caps the same as those it came out of the factory with. Not all the wheels were in great condition however, luckily he had built up a collection of wheels and hubcaps over the years. For the tyres, there was only one that would match that shape rim and this was a set of 205/70/R14 white wall Coker tyres which were also supplied by Thundersport.

We all know it is all about the details so Clyde sent the grille and other bright aluminium to Chrome It, who are based in Pietermartizburg for refurbishing. The side glass was all present and in a useable state and was thus re-used however, a new windscreen had to be imported. Then, the front and rear bumpers were chromed by Supreme Bumpers in Joburg. The wiring-up of the taillight to American specifications is not common in this country and to find an auto electrician that understands the way it works is a task all on its own and this is what distinguishes American cars from the rest.

Clyde said I am very happy with the car as she is and the build has come out much better than expected. It is actually 110% of what I anticipated it to be. There are still some small things which need some attention as this is an ongoing labour of love. From the date that the car landed in my yard to the first trip around the block was 14 months and then it was another six months to complete the assembly, wiring, upholstery, instrumentation and final finishes.

Clyde would like to thank the guys at Thundersport, Anesh from New Germany Auto Trimmers and Francois and Johan for all their assistance.

Names of companies you used for parts and work done on the car: