By D. Brian Smith
Photography: Vicente Diaz
Some American muscle cars you can just stare at into infinity. You don't even need to drive them to fall in lust with them. Such is the case with one ever so lovingly restored, maintained, shown, and driven 1958 Chevy Impala convertible.
8 Ball in the Corner Pocket - 'er Corner of the Classic Industries' Retail Showroom Parking Lot
One fine day in late June, a Classic Industries' colleague spied a black beauty Impala in the retail showroom parking lot. Word spread around the office that there was potentially a king of the road drop top Chevy in the immediate vicinity that needed some serious attention from one of CI's humble photographers (Mr. Vicente Diaz) and of course, yours truly.
It was almost as if the American Muscle Car Gods had opened up the heavens above and dropped a showroom fresh example of superb 1958 Chevrolet Impala convertible craftsmanship right smack dab at the corner of Gothard and Ellis in Surf City, USA, just to show all the gearheads at Classic Industries what a perfect specimen of muscle car beauty looks like in her native habitat.
Having such a tempting iconic vehicle in the parking lot, what the humble photographer and the humble scribe would do next is purely a rhetorical question. Any gearhead who is tasked with the wonderful responsibility of photographing and depicting customer cars for CI's webpages would do exactly what Messrs. Diaz and Smith would do - to whit search the confines of the CI showroom high and low, both outside the doors and inside, for the owner of said black beauty.
“Primo” aka Andre Primous, the proud owner of the drop top Chev', was all-too happy to have Classic Industries do an audacious photo shoot and to also allow the humble scribe to play around with some words that might befit such a wondrous vehicle. After all, several thousands of dollars of Classic Industries' procured components have gone into the renewal of this mighty American boulevard cruiser.
spouse convinced him to sell the Chevy in favor of putting a sizable down payment on a house - another American dream that's not quite as cool as owning an American muscle car, but I digress.
The soon-to-be homeowner/American dreamer sold the Chev' to some bloke in California, who a bit later sold it to Primo for $108,000 in 2021, which was right at the start of the dreaded Covid-19 nightmare. As luck, or providence, or good fortune, or fate would have it the beauteous Impala had finally made it into the right hands. Primo could have used the C-19 fiasco as an excuse to ignore the convertible or to get rid of it in the face of possible worldwide pandemic Armageddon and end of world hyperbole that a bunch of so-called experts were spewing at the time. Or he could be just the sort of original Chevrolet custodian that provides a great home for the scintillating Impala and over the years lavish her with trinkets like an original:
- Nelmor trailmasters
- Continental kit
- Original Wonder Bar radio
- Original cruiser skirts
- NOS litter container
- Power windows
- Power seats
- Power vent
- Compass
- Tissue dispenser
- Autronic eye
This drop top is loaded with pretty much every available option from Chevrolet in 1958. The interior has a rare padded dash that is identified on the cowl tag with EZ-Pad1. From the 1970's, Chevy world famous Ciadella Interiors trim shop of Tempe, Arizona renewed the Impala's upholstery and door panels.
Eight Ball Sports Her Original Powertrain
She is equipped with her original 348-cubic inch tri-power V8 and backed by the factory two-speed automatic cast-iron GM Powerglide transmission. Attesting to the health of the mill and trans, Primo has logged over 30,000 miles on the odometer in two years of ownership with nary an issue to report.
Eight Ball has been featured in a G Perico Aka Movie Star music video called 10 Digits, where Primo drove the vehicle with the top down through the streets of L.A. with G Perico singing, rapping, and hip hopping away (photo below).
G Perico Aka Movie Star Goes Surfing in Eight Ball
Primo's pristine Impala has also been the backdrop for fashion models in some photo shoots and was featured in a Snoop Dogg & Blxst video titled Go to War (screenshot below).
Snoop Dogg, Blxst, and Eight Ball - A Winning Combination Shot in the Center Pocket
Eight Ball has finally made it to the big time by being featured on various Classic Industries' webpages. Some of the components that equip Eight Ball from CI include the chrome cruise skirt emblems, the compass, the hubcaps, the front grill, and the tissue dispenser.
The Meaning of Eight Ball
In the off chance that you haven't figured out what the name Eight Ball means, it's simply because the Impala is black, and it's a 1958 model.
Above: What a juxtaposition - the three-quarter rear view of a timeless beauty with three, no four daily driving, point A to point B vehicles in the background. What a difference 60+ years has made in the American automotive design and engineering landscape. Where's Marty McFly, the Delorean, and Doc Brown when we need them? Classic Industries to the rescue!
Classic Industries Offers a Plethora of Components for the Iconic Chevrolet Impala
When CI's honored customers like Primo aka Andre Primous need Impala parts, there are two great resources for searching and finding those must-have items. A wonderful place to begin is with the Classic Industries website on the 1958-1996 Chevrolet Impala shopping page. You can also greatly enhance the searching/shopping experience by having an Impala/Full Size Chevy Parts and Accessories Catalog mailed to your address. Simply click on the button below and fill out your mailing information.
