Don is apparently driving around in my fathers old car

[Kavinsky]

This photo showed up when I was looking him up randomly, it was attached to a Guardian UK news story about his settlement over Nash Bridges

 

 

the car is my fathers old car from back in the day, a 1961 Chevy Impala convertible, which he owned with either a 283 or a 327 under the hood along with the rare turboglide option transmision

 

 

which made the thing drive like a modern electric car, think a tesla, with no shifting

 

kind of surreal no? I see him driving around in a 71 Cuda as a kid, which gets me into mopars, then I learn of vice that gets me into ferrari's, and now he's driving around in my dad's old ride which he holds in high regard next to the fiat 124 spider.

Edited November 2, 2014 by Kavinsky

[CharlieGlide]

It looks like DJ is wearing a Season 3 outfit there.  Clearly, I'm not over-thinking that pic too much, haha.

[James]

Great photo. 

How do you know if it's your Dad's old car though? There has to be a dozen '61 Impala Convertibles that colour.

[Stinger390X]

1960 was a banner year for rare autos as there was quite a recession in 1959 and cars were not selling. The 1961 model year for the big four was not great either so that makes that car quite rare, especially because it's a convertible which makes it even rarer!

 

The "Turbo Glide" or just "Glide" transmission was a two speed and I had one on my Chevelle race car years ago. Your comment about shifting is wrong as when mine shifted it would literally throw you back in the seat! The three speed Glide was used on domestic luxury cars  of the larger size and yes they did shift smoothly but you could actually feel the gears shifting.

 

The Tesla is a purely electric car and has no transmission and the electric motors that drive them just go faster and faster as you accelerate. They are very fast as I had one next to me on the highway a while ago and he showed me who the boss was............

 

That Chev convertible in the picture would be quite a treasure to own these days. I would guess it had a 283 because I believe the 327 didn't come out till '64 but I may be wrong on that assumption?

Edited November 3, 2014 by Stinger390X

[Christian]

Very cool story Kavinsky and a great car!

BTW: Stinger390X wrote "...for rare autos..." I didn't know you guys in the states also use the word "auto" which means "car" in german. Of course i know it is the short form for automobile, but i never heard native english speakers use it as well as us krauts. Very interesting!

[Kavinsky]

Sorry I mean in general james, he's driving around in a 61' impala convertible, the car got sold to that man in Penn who used it to drive on the highway for a long distance trek between work and home back in the day and given what kind of traveling my father did back then I dont know what happened to it beyond that.

 

and sorry to mislead you, as I had been sitting on the image since the website went down, so I was anxious just to put it to paper so to speak

 

and the color was black with a red interior, and white top but its just kinda funny to see don drving around in one, and I think its a 61 as the design got changed for 62, its a little hard to tell from the photo but it is in the ballpark, honestly what got me was thinking it was the same model car is that window there, as it matches the sunstar model of it I bought of it for his 81st birhday

 

http://www.ebay.com/itm/NEW-Sun-Star-Classic-Models-1961-Chevrolet-Impala-SS-409-1-18-Scale-NIB-NOS-/161437032006?pt=Diecast_Vehicles&hash=item2596659e46

 

 

so I mean in general, but its just like what are the chances? plus it has been 50 years, so who knows maybe it is the old girl, just restomodded in a much more modern dark silver grey color.

 

 

well stinger well my dad always said that was probably the smoothest transmision he's ever had in a car, and he couldnt tell me what the engine was, so maybe he had the 283 then? and I know he wasnt the kind of guy who liked slam shifting

 

he did say the thing about it throwing you in the back of the seat I think, key word though but its just one of those things where its lost to the sands of time.

 

and thankfully I dont think the low rider community really touches the 61's, only the 63's and 64's, the really flat ones. Hmm actually he ordered the thing so I wonder if his name would be on the build sheet somewhere.

 

well I guess if one of you goes through either pottsville or redding Pen, and sees a black and red 1961 Impala convertible, give me a heads up.

 

but its just kinda surreal that don is driving around in one or one very close to it.

Edited November 3, 2014 by Kavinsky

[CameraDaytona]

Guys - I think the car in the picture with Don Johnson in it is a '62 - not a '61.  Look at the trim right below Don's arm - it is high on the door, not lower like the '61 - and the upholstery in the back seat is not like the '61.

[Kavinsky]

its kind of hard to tell, but it does look flatter, the 61's had kind of the last of the fins on them, with an arching angle on the bottom....... well atleast he's driving in something close my dads old car then lol

 

and its still abit surreal though, I mean you can forgive my enthusiasm though on the matter

Edited November 4, 2014 by Kavinsky