Thirty-eight years ago Mark Hollis and his wife acquired a classic car for the ages. A two-door Chevy Super Sport Impala with the famous 427 engine was located and soon graced their garage.
The car has undergone two major restorations over that time. It has upgraded General Motors factory disc brakes up front and a Wilwood disc brake setup for the rear. Three-inch dual exhausts with a cowl induction front hood, similar to the 1970 Chevelle, highlight the exterior.
A good friend and his brother-in-law collaborated to design and build the unique dashboard. All the gauges were new from Auto Meter but needed to be electronically customized to work with the Impala’s electrical system. The car has a 3:73 posi-traction differential that supports 500 foot-pounds of torque and cruises 70 mph at 3,200 RPM. “Lots of smiles per miles,” as Mark likes to say.
A Hurst four-speed shifter was mated to a specialized retooled transmission from Auto Gear out of Syracuse, N.Y. The gearing comes from legendary craftsman Antonio Masiero from the Italian company Euroicambi, which has mastered the four-speed gearbox and is considered one of the best in the world.
The Hollises hail from Whitestown, Ind., and enjoy cruise-ins and some local county car shows. Their proudest moment with the Super Sport was winning a Best in Class at the 2012 Indianapolis World of Wheels.
Until next time, happy cruising!