Swingin' '60s; 1962 Chevrolet Impala and 1962
Chevrolet Bel Air by Rob Kinnam (Hot Rod, 11/96)
LONG, LOW & WIDE, AND BIG-BLOCKS FIT NICE, TOO
Face it, there are only so many '69 Camaros to go around, so
sooner or later, a different body style must emerge. One we've
noticed starting to proliferate lately - and would like to see
more of - are the early '60s big cars. You know, Impalas,
Galaxies, Furys, that sort of thing. These cars are in many cases
big, sometimes heavy and sometimes with cosmetics that casual
observers take as strange. But they have character galore,
mammoth engine compartments, can usually be bought cheaply, and,
in most parts of the country (California included), they're
exempt from the nightmare of smog inspection.
In case you aren't sure what kind of cars we're talking about,
the next few pages will offer a glimpse of some of the righteous
body styles waiting to be hot rodded, as Thom Taylor's spotter's
guide helps show what can be done to some of the non-Chevys in
our midst. The two cars shown on this page are Chevys, but keep
reading and look at what we found at the swap meet with "for
sale" signs in the windows.
SEVEN-SECOND, SWINGIN' '60s HARDTOP
In 1962 you could get a two-door Chevy with several different
roof-lines. The most sought after is the bubbletop, so named
because the roof starts at the top of the curved windshield and
leads back to a thin C-pillar (no B-pillar or door post) and
large rear window, looking much like a bubble. Then there is the
hardtop, which doesn't use a door post and has a more
conventional squared-off rear section. The third is the roof line
found on the Bel Air, which is similar to the hardtop but with a
thinner C-pillar and a door post. The two cars shown here are
examples of the latter two.
Scott Hocking's '62 hardtop started life as a back-halved
bracket racer, but it's currently a member of the Seven Second
Club in the Fastest Street Car wars. After a few years of the
bracket wars, Scott and his wife, Cheryl, decided to turn the Imp
into an FSC competitor, so he called Danny Scott to arrange the
chassis work. Danny agreed to do it, but only if the car was kept
as stock-looking as possible. Danny did up the roll cage and a
full tube chassis using a Jerry Bickel four-link kit, Strange
front struts, a 4.56-geared Dana 60 with Mark Williams 41-spline
axles and Koni shocks. With the chassis set for the 7s, Scott
called on Mike Blackstone for a nasty 632-inch motor.
Blackstone did the deed with a
4.600-inch-bore/4.750-inch-stroke combination using a Bryant
crank, steel rods and Venolia pistons, then he dropped on a set
of prepped Dart Big Chief heads, a Dart intake and a pair of Carb
Shop Terminator carbs. The engine cranked out 1247 horsepower at
7200 rpm on Blackstone's dyno - and that's without the Jim
Dunford - tuned, three-stage nitrous system! Backing it up is a
four-speed Lenco with a Ram dual-disc clutch, and hooking it is a
pair of large-by-huge Hoosiers on Weld wheels. So far, it's been
enough to push the 3580-pound barge to 7.86 seconds at 175 mph,
and that's on a still-learning, conservative setup.
What we like about the car is not just its outrageous speed,
but also that Scott kept the outside of the car clean. There
aren't any outlandish graphics; the wing won't support the entire
Von Trapp family; and all the original chrome trim and emblems
are still there, contrasting nicely with the chrome yellow paint
(from Jay's Collision in Fenton, Michigan). Bob Cross did the tin
work before Kimball's Auto Trim stitched the threads, and while
the interior is dominated by the cage, Lenco shift levers and
hardware, there's no mistaking the classic '62 dash, which is
still intact. In the Fastest Street Car arena, Scott's Impala
isn't the quickest or fastest, but it's close, making the perfect
ragged-edge Swingin' '60s machine.
SWINGIN' '62 DRIVER
In contrast to Scott Hocking's '62 Impala, which is more race
car than street car, we present Jerry Sawyer's '62 Chevy Bel Air,
the perfect Swingin' '60s machine. This is what we mean when we
talk about Swingin' '60s: a clean early-'60s car with the right
rake and a driveable but powerful engine under the hood. Jerry's
Bel Air has the door post, thin C-pillar and four taillights (as
opposed to the six taillights on Impalas). From the outside, it
looks as stock as your grandfather's old Chevy, but observant hot
rodders will immediately notice the very slight rake, the
wider-than-stock Chevy Rally wheels and an exhaust note more
authoritative than anything from 1962 short of a full-race 409.
Jerry found the car in a local Auto Trader in pretty much the
condition you see below after Jerry Roeters built it. The car was
actually a 47,000-mile gennie but had taken its share of abuse,
so Roeters performed a body-off restoration, replacing everything
that moved and many things that didn't. The bushings were
replaced with polyurethane, Monroe air shocks were installed to
control the rear ride height, the '62 Chevy rearend was stuffed
with 3.73:1 gears and the aforementioned Rallys wheels - 15x6 and
15x7 front and rear, respectively-were added with DeFender tires.
Roeters and Jim King also straightened the body and shot it with
Code 40 GM White paint for a subtle look, painting the wheels to
match. The interior uses C.A.R.S. blue-cloth seat covers, but
everything else was perfect, including the dash paint, door
panels and headliner. On first glance, all the work adds up to
the impression of a nicely restored stocker, but a closer look
and listen shows the wolf hiding in sheep's clothes.
Pop the hood and you're greeted by the wide valve covers of a
big-block Chevy. Racing Head Service built the 461-inch Rat
motor, which is conservative enough to idle all day in traffic
yet propels this driver to 12.20s in the quarter-mile. A TH400
with a 2,800 stall is the bulletproof trans of choice, making the
drivetrain simple yet highly effective at delivering both fine
cruising manners and respectable quickness. This thing would make
an absolutely bitchin' daily driver!
SWINGIN' IN A NON-CHEVY
Yes, there is life beyond Chevrolet. Take Jack Forrester's '61
Pontiac Ventura, for example. We spotted this black beauty at a
Los Angeles-area cruise scene and immediately fell in love with
its clean lines, nasty grille and bubbletop roof line. This is
one of those cars you don't see that often so when you do, it
stands out. Forrester thankfully left the lines of his Poncho
alone, but he cleaned them up a little by removing a few emblems
(from the hood and decklid) and ensured that the body panels were
arrow-straight.
Believe it or not, Forrester bought this car for $50 in 1974.
It had a wasted engine and needed plenty of work, but he could
see its potential immediately. Over the next decade or so, he
rebuilt it to what you see here, and the car really hasn't
changed all that much since then. The paint is about 10 years old
now but still looks brand new, thanks to its years of garage
storage. But that's not to imply that the Pontiac doesn't get
driven. Forrester cruises it regularly, and the 428 mill under
the hood makes sure it's a healthy cruise.
SCENES FROM THE SWAP MEET
In just one morning of walking the Pomona (California) swap
meet, we found all these Swingin' '60s machines just waiting for
a hot rodder's touch. Any one of these cars would make a way-cool
driver that would really stand out in a crowd of Camaros and
Chevelles. The only limits are your imagination.
RELATED ARTICLE: Swingin' '60s Sketchpad
By Thom Taylor
Behold the flamboyant world of early '60s sculptured flanks
and fins, as witnessed here with our five
"why-hasn't-someone-done-one-of-these-lately" nominees. There are
many more candidates out there in Rustville, USA, but I disgress.
We dearly love '57 Chevys, Mustangs, Camaros and GTOs. But there
are some other really cool, interesting, plentiful and cheap cars
out there just waiting for your personal hot-rodding touch to
bring them into the next century. Unfortunately, they barely rate
so much as a thought when visions of that next project start
sparking in your upper story. So to energize your creative
juices, we've conjured up images of low-down cool, rolling
sculptures with our selected subjects.
1960 BUICK LE SABRE
To make the point as to how quickly things changed in the
'60s, compare our '60 Le Sabre to its one-year-later sibling in
this article. My pencil got worn to the nub just chiseling in all
of the heavy sculpturing displayed on this '60. So to celebrate
it, we tri-toned it. A fabricated aluminum insert that whips up
at the ends replaces the stock grille. The stock blade-bumper is
painted to tie into our ring-around-the-rosy graphic, but the
lower bumper valance has been modified. You can choose to alter
the bumper to achieve this configuration or take a splash of the
bumper in fiberglass, change it and clip it over the original
like the truck guys do with their "bumper masks." With the severe
lowering and 18-in Anteras, we have achieved a most dramatic
makeover, and a sure attention-getter at the next Power Fest!
1961 OLDSMOBILE DYNAMIC '88
It's baaack! We're talking "big chunk" metalflake, not that
wimpy itsy-bitsy flake stuff we've seen of late. Metalflake isn't
about subtlety. It works perfectly framed in the sculptured sides
of our Olds. But there's more to our '88 than flake. Though fins
were persona non grata by 1961, GM still felt them de rigueur as
they wound up on the lower quarters of both the Olds and
Cadillac. We've enhanced this quirky feature in two ways: first,
by carrying it under the doors with fabricated fiberglass
extensions that resemble some of the current aero kits for late
cars; and second, by running some long megs ending at an angle
that resemble the old "Bellflowers" used by customizers in the
'50s. The rear wheel openings have been moved up to mimic the
fronts and help show off those 18-inch three-spokers. European
cast wheels are really hot right now. Billet bites, so don't date
your project before you begin. For taillights, try early '60s
Fords or a '56 Chevy for a cleaner alternative.
1961 BUICK INVICTA
HOT ROD'S Rob Kinnan has been breathing hard over one of these
for quite a while. I've obliged by drawing it with his favorite
five-spokes, but how about in an 18-inch configuration? And how
about the beloved-but-forgotten metalflake, this time trapped in
the top? The chrome bumpers have been retained, with the center
of the front bumper reworked to smooth out that especially fussy
area. And while we are cleaning things up, how about extending
the hood down into the grille area then fabricating an aluminum
grille that runs over the set-back headlights? A bit of
dechroming and lowering make for one beautiful Buford. In the
drivetrain department, the sky is the limit, and your limit will
be extended by considering a less desirable car like this
Invicta. You see, if you can get into one of these on the cheap,
it gives you more cha-cha at the back end to spend on things like
better paint, tires, fuel injection - you name it. Sure, some
original parts are going to be harder to find than for a Camaro,
but we're not restoring the thing. Purchase the most complete car
you can find to keep from spending time and money trying to find
what should have been there to begin with.
1961 CHRYSLER NEWPORT
For some reason, the early '60s Chryslers have been slapped
with an "ugly" rap. It comes from the "gennie" geeks who follow
like sheep; they don't appreciate a few finds, a toilet seat on
the trunk and the occasional canted headlight or two. I think the
Chryslers throughout the '60s were way cool. And though we don't
have the space to prove my case, I can show you this '61 as an
example. Regarding some of the odd trim that befalls the New
Yorkers, I would suggest tearing it off or starting with the
cleaner Newport or "300." You'll have an excellent beginning for
a fun, different project. A simpler grille opening, lowering,
some dechroming and 17- or 18-inch wheels make for a standout
ride. Prices are edging up, so while I can't say this is a really
cheap alternative to the more expensive Fords and Chevys out
there, I think you will be surprised by how reasonably priced
they can be. And if you don't like fins, don't fret; '62s lost
them but kept the cool canted headlights.
1962 FORD HARDTOP
Ford's lineup for 1962 was devoid of the heavy sculpturing
from its GM counterparts, but that doesn't make the cars any less
interesting. The formal roofs used throughout Dearborn's finest
give our Galaxy a T-Bird look. By outlining the body with a
heavy, darker outline, we've slimmed the whole car down and given
it a fresh look without the requisite pocketbook-draining body
modifications. The spear at the back is reminiscent of an El
Camino that Moon Equipment had in the '60s. See, new ideas from
old ones! And though I'm not one for painting chromed bumpers, it
helps in this case to tie together the graphic light and dark
colors. The 18-inch Niche wheels, simple deck spoiler and 4-inch
exhaust peeking out from under the rear all help to lend a very
contemporary look to our '60s chic standout. Also, available this
year were 352s, 390s and even a tri-power 406, or you could opt
for replacing these with a later 302,351 or even a 460. Plus, now
that the new modular motor has found its way into everything,
soon you'll find it available in the boneyards, too.