impala

1994 IMPALA SS

Nothing like seeing a BeaSSt coming at you!

I bought my Impala on December 30, 2000 from a dealership in Santa Clara, California. I traded in my '98 Honda Civic for what I had been longing for since 1992, when I first saw the concept car. In some senses it was a bittersweet day. On one hand I was getting what I considered the greatest fullsize Chevy ever made and on the other I was losing what was probably the most reliable car ever. I struck a deal and immediately drove the car to my cousin's 135 miles away to show him my new (old) car. He knew all about the Impala's, having owned a '95 DCM for a short time. The car didn't miss a beat, but it sure felt weird. All I could think of was how did I end up with my dream car? Is this for real? I mean I would nearly drool and at the same time get goosebumps when I saw an Impala. I would start daydreaming and wondering how cool it would be to at least drive one. I'm getting goosebumps right now remember how I felt. The first time I drove one was when I went to the dealer to check it out. Before then I had never so much as sat in one, let alone turn the key to fire up the 260 ponies under the hood. For some reason, I just knew I had to have an Impala SS. It didn't matter that the car wasn't new or that the possibility of it ending up being a money pit was great. This car needed to be added to my stable of Chevy's I am in the process of growing.

This particular one now has 132,000 miles (bought it with 121,000). It has just about every option, including the power passenger-side seat, and CD player. Even though the car has a ton of miles on it, in the nine months I've owned it I've only replaced the spark plugs and plug wires. It runs strong and idles smooth as can be, burns very little oil and has not pinged once. It's not in "great" condition, a little rough on the edges, but overall it is clean. So far I am very happy that I took the risk and followed my dream. Whether or not this car stays in my stable for the rest of my life or becomes a money pit, I will always say it was (is) the best overall car I've ever driven. Chevy did it right when they sent the rear-wheel drive full-size V8 B-body into the sunset.

Most people don't understand why the Impala's are such great cars. I usually don't have an answer for them. It's hard to explain to a non-car person what these cars represent. I've heard everything from "that's an old man's car" to "it's not your style." They're loss! Most of all, I don't think people can relate to the passion I have for cars and for some reason that bothers them.