1962 Chevrolet - This Impala Super Sport has been beautifully restored

From the day the 1962 Chevrolet Impala was introduced, its appearance has been unequaled. Today it is considered by classic car lovers everywhere as one of the consummate automobile designs of all time. Add the amenities of the Super Sport package and you have a true legend.

This magnificent 1962 Chevrolet Impala Super Sport is proudly owned by Dick Witherspoon of Horse Cave, Ky. He says his classic has been restored to the way it looked when it was new. "Well, it is with the exception of the Ansen wheels and tires that's on it now. I have the original wheels and SS spinner hubcaps that came on it, as well as the bias-ply tires." Also hanging in his garage is a set of stainless steel fender skirts that are made for the '62 model Chevy.

The owner says he had a car like this one when he was in high school. "I had a '62 Chevy Impala Super Sport when I was 16 and it was my first car," he noted. "When my wife and I married I told her that I wanted to find one to restore. It ended up that I bought a '64 Chevrolet and I restored it and drove it for five or six years until I found this car about 10 years ago." He adds that he took the '64 to Indianapolis to a Super Chevy meet, sold it there and had enough money left to buy the '62 and build a new garage.

During this interview he showed me several photos of the lengthy step-by-step restoration process. "My brother-in-law and I made a rotisserie and working on the car off and on, it probably took about seven or eight years to complete," he acknowledged. "We did a total frame-off restoration, stripped it down to bare metal and took every bolt off of it. About the only problem was some rust around the rear wheels and I fixed that by putting in new quarters."

The all-matching numbers classic has the factory 327 engine and two-speed Powerglide transmission. The rear end is original and so is the Rochester four-barrel carburetor. "The engine has been completely rebuilt and bored .030," Dick said, continuing, "I used hardened valve seats so I could burn unleaded fuel." He says that Johnny Craighead freshened up the transmission with new seals.

The white color and abundance of chrome adds a majestic, alluring appearance to the car. "Mr. J.O. Proffitt of Cave City painted it piece by piece; we took off the fenders, doors, hood, trunk, really everything," he said. "The original color was called 'Ermine White,' and it was a lacquer paint. Now it's covered in a base coat-clear coat that's a Toyota color and it's supposed to be an exact match of the original white."

All window glass is new with added time era re-dating just like it came from the factory. Every piece of weatherstripping and rubber molding has been replaced. Both bumpers have been re-chromed and other chrome trim and emblems either buffed and polished or purchased new as a reproduction. "The rocker panels are aluminum and reproductions," he said. "The trim pieces that run along the sides are also aluminum but they are the originals. They have been re-anodized and the tape in the center has been replaced." He adds that the stainless steel around the windows has been buffed and is the original.

The Ansen wheels are mounted with 205 x 70 x 14-inch radial tires. "Those wheels are from the late 1960s and '70s," the owner said. Power steering, power brakes and air came stock. In the trunk is the original mat and under the lid is the black felt that was installed at the factory. The interior is all blue and appears immaculate. He says he bought a reproduction kit and Ed Gass in Glasgow installed it.

The odometer reading shows 37,809 miles. The car was assembled in Flint, Mich., on March 22, 1962. It sold new for around $3,000. There were 99,311 Impalas sold with the Super Sport package that model year. Dick Witherspoon's resplendent classic is one of the finest Chevys that you will find anywhere.