Vehicle Sighting - 1975 Chevy Impala Custom

[Astro14]

The only V8 available for that generation ('71 - '76) was the 350. The 250 inline-6 was offered at least in '71, and I think right through. The 3-on-the-tree manual was definitely available for '71, but I'm not sure how much after that. Likely only in the Biscayne.

Perhaps in Canada. Also available in the US was the 400 small block and the 454.

My parents purchased an Impala, new, in 1976.

Some consideration was given to engine selection. Dad wanted bigger than the base 350, felt the 454 was going to be too thirsty, and settled on the 400.

 

[Kira]

Beautiful color.

edit: I just noticed the front/rear whitewall mismatch.....horrid!

 

[PontiacHO]

The only V8 available for that generation ('71 - '76) was the 350. The 250 inline-6 was offered at least in '71, and I think right through. The 3-on-the-tree manual was definitely available for '71, but I'm not sure how much after that. Likely only in the Biscayne.

Nope. 305 also in 76.

 

[joekingcorvette]

Very nice looking and would look better with the steel wheels with center caps and trim rings or some crager SS wheels.

 

[Number_35]

Nope. 305 also in 76.

Thanks, good information. I knew the 305 was available for the downsized '77, didn't realize it was offered in the '76.

 

[Number_35]

Perhaps in Canada. Also available in the US was the 400 small block and the 454.

My parents purchased an Impala, new, in 1976.

Some consideration was given to engine selection. Dad wanted bigger than the base 350, felt the 454 was going to be too thirsty, and settled on the 400.

My statement about the 350 being the only V8 available was not well-thought-out. I was thinking of the previous generation, which offered various smaller options - the 283 through 1967, the 307 in '68 only, and the 327 through 1969. (All of these had larger options available.) For 1970, the smallest V8 was the 350. I wasn't even considering the larger engines.

Wikipedia confirms that the 454 was offered, but lists both the 400 and a 402. I presume the 400 was the SBC engine, not the big block, and I think the 402 was a variation on the big block 396. It gets confusing.

 

[Number_35]

That was before my time. A behemoth!

The mandated bumpers added a fair bit of length.

 

[Number_35]

The Impala of this generation never received the rectangular sealed beam headlights. The Caprice did, but only for the final 1976 year.

This just so happens to be a 1976 Impala Custom Coupe.

Thanks, I thought the rectangular headlights were standard for all of the full-size Chevys for '76.

 

[Number_35]

The full-sized GM cars of that generation (1971–1976) were very rust-prone. Survivors are rare. Nice find.

My landlord of 1980/81 had a '76 in absolutely mint condition.

I saw it about 10 years later - it looked terrible, destroyed by rust.

 

[Cruzer4326]

For whatever reason, seems fewer 70’s full size GM cars survived, as opposed to Ford. Not terribly unusual to see similar year LTD’s cruising around, but rarely see a Chevy.

Thanks for sharing!

Demolition Derbies. Those were highly sought after by the Derby crowd.

 

[Astro14]

My statement about the 350 being the only V8 available was not well-thought-out. I was thinking of the previous generation, which offered various smaller options - the 283 through 1967, the 307 in '68 only, and the 327 through 1969. (All of these had larger options available.) For 1970, the smallest V8 was the 350. I wasn't even considering the larger engines.

Wikipedia confirms that the 454 was offered, but lists both the 400 and a 402. I presume the 400 was the SBC engine, not the big block, and I think the 402 was a variation on the big block 396. It gets confusing.

The 402 was a bored 396. (Big block)

The 400 was a bored and stroked 350 (small block)

Despite many who complained about the 400 being unreliable*, it lasted over 200,000 miles in that car without any work on the Dino oil of the day. It was a good engine.

It put up with two teenage boys (myself and my brother) learning to drive, including one teenage boy who had a penchant for pushing machinery to its limits. That poor Impala was driven very hard on many occasions.

*it had two bolt main bearing caps, so you couldn’t build it for a ton of power without upgrading those. It also had adjoining cylinder bores, which required different heads for decent coolant flow.

 

[Snagglefoot]

Another factoid on the 400 small block is that it had “Siamesed” cylinders such that there were no water jackets in the area of adjacent cylinders, better explained in this old posting I found when I googled it.

 

[Number_35]

The 402 was a bored 396. (Big block)

The 400 was a bored and stroked 350 (small block)

Despite many who complained about the 400 being unreliable*, it lasted over 200,000 miles in that car without any work on the Dino oil of the day. It was a good engine.

It put up with two teenage boys (myself and my brother) learning to drive, including one teenage boy who had a penchant for pushing machinery to its limits. That poor Impala was driven very hard on many occasions.

*it had two bolt main bearing caps, so you couldn’t build it for a ton of power without upgrading those. It also had adjoining cylinder bores, which required different heads for decent coolant flow.

Enthusiasts liked to bore a 350 (or 327) block 30 thou over (0.030") to take the bore out to 4.030", and swap in the crank from a 400 to increase the stroke from 3.25" (327) or 3.48" (350) to 3.75".


The resultant 383 CID small-block was commonly referred to as the "stroker". Not to be confused with Chrysler's factory 383!

 

[Snagglefoot]

Enthusiasts liked to bore a 350 (or 327) block 30 thou over (0.030") to take the bore out to 4.030", and swap in the crank from a 400 to increase the stroke from 3.25" (327) or 3.48" (350) to 3.75".


The resultant 383 CID small-block was commonly referred to as the "stroker". Not to be confused with Chrysler's factory 383!

And companies like SCAT Crankshafts have eliminated the need for searching wrecking yards for 400 ci crankshafts.

 

[Chris142]

Wikipedia confirms that the 454 was offered, but lists both the 400 and a 402. I presume the 400 was the SBC engine, not the big block, and I think the 402 was a variation on the big block 396. It gets confusing.

In the early 70's if you ordered a 400 with a 2 bbl carb you got the small block. If you ordered the 4 bbl you got the new 402 big block.

In 69 you could order a 396 with a 2 bbl. But no 400 small block as it didn't come out till 70.

 

[ARCOgraphite]

Ugly but it looks like the bumpers would actually work.

Prices of mid 60's popular iron has gone crazy,
now people are looking at mid 70s'.

During and after '66 car interiors got horribly cheapened on many models.
Some of that was safety regs - then the bean counters jumped in.

Pretty boring cars.

 

[Number_35]

Ugly but it looks like the bumpers would actually work.

Prices of mid 60's popular iron has gone crazy
no people are looking at mid 70s'.

During and after '66 car interiors got horribly cheapened on many models.
Some of that was safety regs - then the bean counters jumped in.

Pretty boring cars.

For whatever reason, when I was around 20 I was absolutely smitten with certain full-size Chevys - '68, '69, '71, and '72.

 

[Snagglefoot]

I saw my first 1971 parked in front of the drugstore in my small town. I couldn’t believe how cool the lines were on the hood and he top of the fenders. I seem to remember it was a light brown. Beautiful full size car!

 

[Tdbo]

I owned a 1974 in that exact same body style.
It was tan with a tan vinyl top, and had a black cloth houndstooth interior.
It had a 400 in it, and could pass anything but a gas station.
It was a nice riding car, I will give it that.
That car was a full time job. If I wasn't replacing the alternator in it ("Lifetime Warranty), I was at K-Mart having the "Lifetime" muffler replaced, because backpressure would blow the back end out of the muffler.
Got rid of it with 38K on the odometer.

 

[Kira]

Had you gotten it new?
Neighbor had some huge Pontiac wagon of that era with a red "400" in the left grille.
Different division but likely the same motor. Thee family said it was a pig.