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Cruising in a 1961 Impala SS convertible

11/26/2014

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As a teenager attending Broad Ripple High School in the late 1950s and early ’60s, Bill Weber and his friends often admired the new cars on the showroom floor at the Chevrolet dealer just a few blocks down from the school on Broad Ripple Avenue.

In the fall of 1960 the ’61 Impalas 


Just a few weeks out of high school, Bill strolled into that dealership and bought a 1961 red Impala convertible with a 348 big block V-8, a four-barrel carburetor and three on the tree.


He and his friends just loved to cruise in that car. He also cruised around town with his future wife, Terry, while enjoying life. They were married in 1963.


In 1964, when Bill was working at Western Electric, he started college classes at Purdue Extension in Indianapolis. Since Terry was expecting their first child, Bill sold the convertible and bought a less expensive car to save money for his growing family.


In about 2009 he saw a car for sale on the Internet and contacted the seller in North Carolina. He didn’t buy the car but found out during the conversation that the man, his brother and son restored classic cars for a hobby. They took their time and did it right. Bill later saw an example of their work at the Ray Skillman-sponsored Mecum Auction at the Indiana State Fairgrounds. He thought their attention to detail was amazing and told them that he would like for them to find and restore a 1961 Impala convertible for him. 


Within two or three months they contacted Bill and told him they had located a 1961 Impala SS convertible in a junk yard in North Carolina. It took the men two years of painstaking work to complete the car; the result was astounding. 

  
The original 348 big block was still in the car and was rebuilt to the original specs. It is equipped with tri-power (three two-barrel carburetors), the original four-speed transmission and rare factory air conditioning. When the car was completed the men wanted more than Bill was willing to pay. A second buyer also passed on the rare cruiser due to the price. The men then consigned the car to a classic car dealer that also failed to get the asking price. They then contacted Bill again, and after a month of negotiations a price was agreed upon. The car was delivered to Bill and Terry in the spring of 2012, when the stunning convertible joined the Webers’ collection of classic cruisers.

 
Bill and Terry also own a 1955 two-door Chevy Bel Air hardtop, a ’57 Chevy Bel Air convertible, a ’58 Impala Convertible, a ’61 Corvette convertible, a ’56 Ford Sunliner convertible and a rare ’57 Corvette with the ultra-rare 579 B 283 fuel-injected V-8. 


The couple began driving and showing their 1961 Impala SS convertible immediately, collecting many awards along the way, including Best of Show at the Rock ‘n’ Roll Car Show. I sure hope that they bring it to our Car Nutz cruise-ins next summer.

  
Until next week, keep on cruising!
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Cruising in a 1919 Locomobile 48 roadster

11/19/2014

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Prior to 1903 all Locomobiles were steam-powered cars. In 1903, Locomobile in Bridgeport, Conn., came out with its first gasoline-powered cars in two- and four-cylinder models.

In 1904 there were four models available, all of which were four cylinders. By 1906, Locomobile offered just two choices, the Model E, which was rated between 15 and 20 horsepower, or the Model H, which was rated between 30 and 35 horsepower.


Locomobiles were highly sought after by America’s elite because of their extremely high quality. They were built of only the finest materials available, which oddly enough led to not many cars being preserved when they got old. All of the fine and expensive metals made them more valuable as scrap than the old cars were worth.


Locomobiles were famous for having the surface of every part coated with paint or some sort of other finish. They were also known for amazing fit and finish, speed and reliability. 


The huge, heavy chassis were most often bodied by Locomobile’s custom body department.
The first Model 48s were built in 1911 and were often bodied as large roadsters or limousines. The Model 48 was built until Locomobile’s demise in 1929 with the Great Depression.


This extremely rare 1919 Model 48 was discovered in Levin’s junk yard in 1948 by Locomobile authority Alexander Stein, who rescued the amazingly intact roadster and restored it. 


When he found it, it had been converted to a tow truck, which turned out to be the reason for its survival! The original 525-cubic-inch, six-cylinder 85 horsepower motor could tow any car, which made it useful.


When Stein discovered the car at Levin’s, which was in New Haven, Conn., it had only 17,000 miles and required nearly no mechanical restoration.


After the body and interior were restored, he took the car on tours around New England until his death in 1976.
At that time another Locomobile enthusiast, Len Dyer, bought the old roadster. The car was driven 2,000 miles from 2010-12. It is still in fantastic condition and valued at almost $200,000. Caution though ... if you own one, parts are not available at AutoZone! 


Until next week, keep on cruising!
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