1960 Chevrolet Impala Sport Coupe - Roman Red Bubble Top, 350/TH400, Ford 9" Rear
The Car
This is a 1960 Impala Sport Coupe - the bubble top - finished in Roman Red over a red and white checkerboard-pattern interior. It's a driver-built '60 Impala that's been repowered and updated for modern road use while keeping the silhouette that makes these cars worth owning in the first place. Stock #165140, priced at $49,990. Mileage shows 22,250 (TMU).
The cowl tag reads Style 60-1837 (two-door V8 Impala Sport Coupe), Trim 809 (Black/White), Paint 936 (Ermine White), with accessory code EZW for the tinted windshield. So the car left the factory white with a black-and-white interior. It's now Roman Red with a red-and-white interior - neither the paint nor the trim is original to this body, and we're up front about that. The repaint date is unknown.
What It Has
Under the hood is a 350ci V8 fed by a 600 CFM Holley four-barrel sitting on an Edelbrock Torker 2.0 intake. Behind it is a TH400 three-speed automatic and a Ford 9-inch rear - a common, durable swap that turns these into reliable cruisers. Power steering and power front and rear disc brakes are on board, along with factory-style A/C. An aftermarket oil pressure gauge has been added to the dash.
The interior is the part that catches people. Bench seats trimmed in red vinyl with white cloth checkerboard inserts, red carpet, red door panels - it's a period-correct '50s/'60s diner aesthetic that suits the bubble top better than the original black-and-white scheme did, in our opinion. Seats, carpet, and door panels are all clean. Headliner is tight. Dash is clean.
Functionally: horn works, all gauges work, all lights and indicators work, interior lights work, wipers work. BF Goodrich Silvertown 8.00-14 four-ply wide whites at all four corners. Spare tire is in the trunk. A car cover is included.
What You Should Know
We're going to be straightforward about the cosmetic and functional issues, because we'd rather you know now than be surprised at pickup. The clock does not work and the radio does not work. There's no jack in the trunk - just the spare. Paint has a few flaws worth flagging: a bubble spot on the hood near the driver-side windshield, a crack in the paint behind the rear window, and a blemish in the paint on the rear driver-side quarter near the trunk. The rear passenger window glass is frosted (delaminated). None of these are deal-breakers on a driver-tier car at this price, but they're real and we want them disclosed.
The mileage shows 22,250 but is marked TMU - true mileage unknown - which is normal for a car this age and should be treated as a number on the odometer rather than verified history.
The Bigger Picture
The 1960 model year is the second and final year of the bubble-top Impala body before Chevrolet moved to the more upright '61 roofline, and it's the year a lot of collectors and cruiser-buyers prefer. The "bubble top" Sport Coupe - formally the 1837 body style - has the wraparound rear glass that defines the look. Chevrolet built somewhere around 204,000 Impala Sport Coupes for 1960, so they're not rare, but clean drivable examples have been climbing steadily, and a Sport Coupe with modern brakes, a 350, and a 9-inch rear is a more usable car than a stock 348 setup.
What you're buying with this one is the look and the experience without the maintenance headaches of vintage Chevy small-block-or-W-engine ownership. The 350/TH400/9-inch combination is the most-supported drivetrain in the hobby - parts are everywhere, every shop knows it, and it'll cruise at modern highway speeds without complaint.
How to Buy It
The car is at our shop in Orwigsburg, PA. We'd encourage anyone serious to come see it in person - the paint flaws and the frosted rear window are easier to assess with your own eyes than over photos, and we want buyers who've made peace with what the car is. We'll send additional photos of any specific area on request, can arrange a third-party PPI, and can help coordinate enclosed transport. Call or message RT 61 Classics & Toy Barn to set up a visit or get more info on stock #165140.
