Dunk on 4Runners With American Flair in This Lifted 1961 Chevrolet Impala 4×4
It’s actually a classic Chevy K-series pickup truck underneath.
Body-on-frame construction makes it surprisingly easy to give some old cars a slew of truck-like capabilities. Sure, swapping a frame isn't usually as straightforward as turning a few bolts, but as long as there's a will—and donor bodies and chassis of similar lengths—there's a way. So proves the 1961 Chevrolet Impala off-roader we discovered for sale on eBay, which is probably the wildest Impala to be found outside Africa.
This third-generation Impala body sits on the frame of a 1977 Chevrolet half-ton truck, according to the seller. Therefore, it's likely a short-bed K-series underneath given the four-wheel drive (C-series of this era were rear-drive) and a body almost perfectly matched to the wheelbase. Underneath its hood is a 6.6-liter, big-block V8, which produced an emissions-choked 185 horsepower when new, and probably drinks more gas than its owner does sweet tea. Being so detuned, however, has allegedly allowed this Impala to run reliably, with the seller claiming to have used it as a go-anywhere daily driver since its completion in 1996.
Being a hodgepodge of Malaise-era GM parts doesn't mean it's unlivable, either. The power steering still works, and its well-preserved interior houses a more modern Pioneer sound system so you can really critique the production quality of Lynyrd Skynyrd's discography. Though its paint has faded to a shade of Fool's Gold, its body is otherwise said to be in good shape, which is why the seller asks a not-inconsiderable $12,500 for the vehicle. It's a fair request considering the prices of K-series from this era and, if anything, this lifted Impala is still probably a bargain when it comes to smiles-per-gallon—if not for you, then for onlookers.
"Always a hit at cars show or wherever you go," says the seller. "Kids can't get enough of this thing."
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h/t: Barn Finds
