@@ciello___8307 That was their own failure, they barely marketed the car at all and honestly it was pretty expensive for what you get, 48-50k+ after dealer markups could get you something a lot nicer
Enthusiast are a small part of the market. That's why when manufacturers throw us a bone you kinda have to scramble to get em cause they probably won't drop another enthusiast vehicle for a while.
When I was in elementary and middle school, one of my friend’s mom drove him to school in a pitch black Impalas SS, it was one of the greatest things my peewee child brain could imagine. She also would sometimes take him to school in the Crown Victoria, late 90’s / early 2000’s bubbly model like the police cars, painted a metallic gray with pinstriping all around and a loud but throaty exhaust. You could hear the V8 thumping away as it came closer to the school. His whole family was a hot rod family, think American Graffiti type cars and culture. Only person in my area with a house big enough for a garage with 2 lifts and enough room for 8 cars, bonkers.
@@JorgeCanovas I guarantee you your son’s friends are incredibly jealous of them when you drop him off in the camaro. gotta be the coolest kid in the school. I’d know, me and my friends were the kids gawking our my friend’s parent’s cool cars 😂 you’re a fantastic father.
@@mazda_miata_ My son was born in 1991, and when he was age 5, I bought a bright red 1973 Ford Torino 2-door which was all original with 29,400 miles on it. It was kept in a garage and was essentially a new car. It had a 351W / FMX, and I put dual Flowmasters on it, as well as some sway bars, gas shocks and fat wheels with white letter tires. My son grew up in that car. I picked him up from school in it, and we went everywhere in it. All of his friends knew that car and most of them rode in it. He became a competent mechanic and a gear head as a result. On his 27th birthday, I gave the Torino to him. He has it today at the age of 32 and it runs and drives better than ever.
Anyone back then remember that notorious car rolling up. Was it the fastest no. Was it the prettiest. No. But it was iconic and had elegant mean nasty lovable aura about it. It was respected by all and believe. When that tank got to rolling it moves!! Till to this day. Got one in my driveway. And still get compliments and offers to buy it by the ones who knows what the sleep really is about. It represents an era and a childhood of many in those wild 90’s. 😁
All that displacement and only 260hp? Kinda pathetic, especially considering the slushmatic attached to the engine :\ Even for 1994, this is a joke. The E34
@@leviathan5207 It is almost exactly the same as the LT1 from the C4 Corvette, it just has a different intake I believe. Low on power stock but there are an infinite amount of documented LT1 modifications on TH-cam and forums. Right off the top of my head, I bet you could get an Impala SS to 350ish wheel with just cam, headers, cat-back, and a tune. The stock cast iron heads won't like 350+ so throw on some aluminum heads and you're probably at 350-400 for less than 5 grand. Apparently they come with a 4L60E (4LslippyE) so that would need to be addressed though lol. Overall though, the GM L98/LT1 platform is great for the price you can get these cars at. My L98 auto C4 has been good for 4 years of my immature driving and my neighbor's LT1 C4 6 speed has been gremlin free for years as well. All of this aside though, feel free to keep disliking them. Makes them cheaper for the rest of us!
@@alpe6228 They are heavy and they don't have a lot of horsepower, but they do have 330 ft-lb of torque. It's not like it makes up for the weight but it helps out a ton. I've seen an Impala SS with a 350 horse 383 stroker gap me in my C4 Corvette and a terminator mustang with a pulley swap just because it was also making torque in the 400 range.
@@RC_928yeah but what's fun about that? If I want something stupidly and unnecessarily fast I would get a goofy electric car or something. I want a rumbling 7L V8 that barely makes 200hp
For those who don't know. 1994 and 1995 Impala SS have column shifter and digital dash. 1996 was the ONLY year for the floor shifter and analog gauges. LT1 350 V8
Yes. 95 and 96 models were available in Dark Cherry Metallic and Green Gray Metallic as well. Another way to identify a 94 from afar is the mirrors. The mirrors were actually mounted on the door skin, not in the wedge where the pillar meets the door as found on 95 and 96 models. As you stated,96 was also the only year with a full analog gauge cluster.
@tjlovesrachel Divorce. LOL. I could've paid her for her half, which she wanted (cash), but instead sold it and applied money from sale to apply to joint debt. She wasn't happy but it was the responsible thing to do.
My dad has a burgundy 1996 in show room condition. He’s had it my whole life, and it’s probably one of my favorite cars that he has. That car definitely helped shape my love for cars!
My buddy had one and his wife kept complaining about it taking up garage space or some shit. He parked it on the street a couple times. Within a week a city worker sideswiped the car so bad it had to be totaled.
My family had a ‘93 Taurus SHO. Black on black leather with a 5-spd manual. I learned stick on that car. Thinking back, it had a lot of the same rattles, creaks, and clunks that this Impala SS has. Classic Americana.
This Impala SS is a car I lusted for when they were new in my teens, and I still desire one strongly today. They have a great look. And I can attest, they were widely regarded as a classic in their own time in the mid-90’s too.
My parents had a fully loaded (minus the fake wood) Light Adriatic Blue 1994 Caprice Wagon with towing provisions. We still have the original 3 page window sticker. Options included upgraded brakes, self leveling air suspension, strengthened frame, oil cooler and transmission cooler, heavy duty cooling fan, 2.93:1 limited slip rear end, and the LT1. This is one of the last truly good sounding V8 equipped cars, in my opinion. I used to love listening to our car idle as a kid. Nice and smooth, deep, and subtle, until you floor it. I witnessed our completely stock wagon make 282hp / 330 lb-ft to the rubber on the dyno, back when that was necessary for emissions testing. Needless to say, the LT1's power was definitely more than advertised. These are very underrated vehicles in more than one way. Not much else can seat 9 people while towing 7000 pounds behind it. I will always put this above the Vic/Marauder, even if the Caprice/Impala might seem like the faster, better looking "underdog". Young people might not remember this, but there was a time when the streets of New York City were flooded with these in yellow paint AND black and white instead of Fords. This is the only car that police departments have ever bothered to completely renew after the end of their expected life as a police car. I'm still looking for our car. Last seen in Hyannis, Mass in 2005. VIN 1G1BL82P8RR182976
Beautiful car. 4 doors, body on frame, column shifter, rwd, and a v8. Almost perfect. The big knock is the engine's distributor. The bright heads at gm thought, "hey, let's design a distributor that is very susceptible to moisture. Additionally, let's put the water pump on top of it."
Yeah, but it's an easy fix nowadays. You replace the waterpump with an electric one and replace the ignition module with an improved model. I've done two of them only takes me like 2-3 hours.
Wanna be a baller, shot caller, 20 inch blades on the Impala :)) I love these cars. The looks, the sound, and the reliability. It’s funny, I actually talked about liking this car so much with someone that knows my affinity for the E39, and that person simply stated that the proportions and looks are a LITTLE similar to the E39. Whether or not that’s true, I love the looks of this thing.
I lived in a heavy Latino area in LA when these things came out. This was the shit back then. Best color was that like black eggplant that barely looked purple unless the sun hit it.
When i saw the first 1994 Caprice 350; looked undernearh and saw tbe true dual exhausts, and shed a tear......this cat flippef the middle finger at Wash DC
One of my favorite memories is in one of these Impalas. A group of us were working on a project and we needed to hit Home Depot very quickly to hit a time deadline. One of my family friends looked at me, told me get in the car (his '94 Impala SS) and we took off. From the parking lot, he had us going 90 in a 25 zone in just seconds. Full on Dukes of Hazard in an Impala. We hit the interstate and he mashed the pedal (he called this "Merging") and didn't let off the entire 8 miles to the next exit. I was terrified he was gonna get nabbed by the usual cops sitting in this stretch. I asked him what we do. He said as long as his foot is against the floor, he doesn't see cops. We made it to the store, got what we needed and back to our destination in less than 15 minutes. This was 10 miles one way. When we got back, everyone asked why we didn't go to the store. We simply gave them the Home Depot goods and locked the car. I imagine my ghost face and the heat coming off the car was explanation enough. :)
I was driving a 96 one of these at over 120mph when i left hte road backwards and flew threw the air before finally slamming into a tree. I had no seatbelt on. I walked out literally with only a scratch on a very minor, and small scratch on my right arm. This car saved my life in spite of my own stupidity. These are awesome cars.
@@essentialtech388 no more cool cars. but im still super into cars, and have been really into sim racing for 7 years now. i used to have an 06 STI that i bought new, it was a blast. best car i've ever driven. i used ot take it out on the dirt and gravel and everything too. i drove it the way it was supposed to be driven. went through the first transmission first month of ownership. I was doing axle spins , just rowing through the gears, not giving a fuck. free lifetime powertrain warranty through dealer baby!
I used to drive the police version of this. The column-mounted shifter was always a comfortable place to hold onto with your hand, especially during aggressive cornering-and a good idea because the seats were so wide you felt like you were going to end up in the passenger seat! Always loved the rounded pod dash layout and deep set gauge cluster on these!
I had a Caprice with the B4U package and loved it. It had the LT1 and was black with grey leather. I put some 9C1 police wheels on it and tinted the windows. I couldn’t afford the SS and didn’t want to make a clone. It was the best of both worlds it had the speed of the cop car and the luxury of the Impala SS. I miss it.
I drove the Police Caprice 9C1, police, at least LAPD, installed high temperature thermostat instead of the regular one so the engine was running hot in LA traffic, but the power was insane, blood chilling insane. The car was going by itself at 40 mph, I just stepped on the brake time-to-time to slow it down. The ride was absolutely insane, police shocks cornered like on rail, the car cut the distance to the fleeing vehicle at every turn and the transmission oil and brake oil had their own cooling circuit. The feeling when you look in the mirror and the 4-lane freeway traffic in LA keeps 300 yards distance from you. They sold them off around hitting 70K-80K miles because that's when the transmission gave up, and it could not be fixed as it was from the factory, and that was the end for these cars.
The eggshell cars. Basically we're disposable. They were TERRIBLE quality wise. They would blow a head gasket and blow the transmission at 60 or 70k miles. GM junk
@@Jeff-sp7bg The 4L60E transmission was a big mistake, it could not handle the torque of the engine, and dealers didn't know how to fix it right. The 90-s were the low point of GM quality, they did much better after that.
The detailer in me wants to correct that paint SO bad. These are still super cool, if not super fast. It's crazy to me how small the 17" wheels look now.
I agree. People act like you'll shut off going down the highway every other time you drive it. The ones we have lasted 200,000 miles and they're over 30 years old!
I wanted one of those SO badly as a teen when it first dropped in ‘94 … and then the ‘96 with the floor shifter in the dark cherry pearl color. My barber has a black one and it’s clean as can be … we always discuss it - such a unique gem.
That steering wheel, turn signal stock, ac/headlight knobs, and relay sound are very similar to my 2000 Camaro. Love that 90s/00s GM. Thank you Tedward, this was a real treat.
I always loved the Impala. I own a 2014 and sure it isn't the same as these ones, or the classics, but it's always been a comfortable boat that's quiet and quick enough.
It's a dream to take one of these B-body GM's from the 90's (Buick Roadmaster, Chevy Caprice, Impala, Olds Custom Cruiser, even the D-body 1995-1996 Cadillac Fleetwood) and throw an LS3 under the hood. Even fully stock, that's already 430 hp in a car that originally came with 170-260 hp at most...and 400+ lb-ft of torque. Then I saw that GM had released the L8T, which is basically a truck motor, putting out "just" 401 hp but 464 lb-ft, beefed up from factory (forged crank, iron block, etc) to handle a lot of abuse and set to run all day on 87-octane... And now Chevrolet Performance has released the L8P, a higher performance of the L8T, pushing out 523 hp and 543 lb-ft...still a truck motor, but with some goodies from the C8 Vette's LT2 engine. In any case, great engine choices for these big sedans and wagons. Add some good brakes and suspension...would be nice to see them performing well enough to give cars 30 years younger a run for their money! Thanks, Tedward! 😎👍🏻
fantastic car!- over 280k on mine and still going strong!- little piston rattle on cold mornings but warms up/quiets down and is ready to get after it. (totally stock) best of the best in my mind.
My mother had a 1990 Lincoln Continental when I was a child and yes, the digital speedo reminds me of this one, although the Continental had a full digital readout for all the gauges.
Nice review Ted, thanks. Btw, those speedo displays that GM used in the 80’s and 90’s were fluorescent diplays. The C4 Corvettes however, used LCD (black numbers with orange backlighting.
Column shifters in American sedans are the coolest thing. My college roommate had an '03 Taurus with a column shifter, and I thought it was neat that you could get a car that new with a column shifter. It's something they should bring back Leave the floor shifters to the imports.
I bought my ‘96 Impala back in high school for my first car. Was torn between getting a Marauder or an SS. I’ve put about 40k miles on the car since then and have had only a handful of minor issues, it’s never left me stranded. These are great cars!
🇬🇧I knew I’d seen this car before (it was in an episode of Chicago PD. It’s because of your channel that I get to know American Cars that I come across in my favourite TV Shows. This car sounds & looks good (for its time anyway) and great to see preserved! I Enjoyed that whine at the top of the Revs too! Thanks Tom!
Used to have a ’95. They’re quick enough and are great for covering distance at a high clip but they don’t handle very well. The interior feels cheap, notwithstanding the leather Lazyboy seats. Almost forgot about the button next to the radio that changed the digital speedometer from MPH to KPH. I took my friend for a ride, switched it to KPH and took off. When I got it up to 150 KPH (about 95 mph, for Americans) she was grabbing the console and door strap and her eyes were big as an Akira character. That was fun.
People are always far too worried about HP numbers these days...with all the insane HP numbers around the last few years, the older vehicles with half the spec'd HP seem to work and perform just as well in the real world....
This is unironically my dream car, I live in the UK and when people ask me what my dream car is it's this. I've never seen one of these on our roads but the thought of pulling up next to all the hideous identikit, Euro-spec crossovers in this mighty, sleek, V8 powered body on frame monster brings me joy I can't even describe.
Needs a firebreathing LS and beefed up and 6L80E behind it Always thought these Impala SS were a knockout. Its look has aged VERY well! A modern classic!
I actually owned one of these (1995 in dark red called cherry) until recently when it was totaled in a rear end, drove for 12 years. Some interesting facts: 1) The plastics turn purple when exposed to UV, I actually ended up having them painted gray, lol! 2) It sounds great and loves to cruise effortlessly, but people expect more acceleration than it gave at full throttle. Its 260hp but 4100lbs so modern minivans can take you. 3) No real stability or traction control, a few times in the wet I accidentally spun it in the rain when it shifted out of 1st in an intersection. 4) The trunk is maaaaassive for a sedan, even with a fullsize spare in the back. 5) You find yourself reverse parking most of the time because its very long. 6) You fuel it from behind the rear license plate, and I don't know if my vent was clogged but in hot weather if not careful you could fill the tank until the click remove the dispenser and have gas come out from the compressed air... happened TWICE to me lol!
Very true about feeling of floating around inside its very airy and wide. Oh also regarding the plastics, so unfortunately the black plastic around the door handle, with age it actually turns soft and gooey, its very strange. I also to this day still love digital speedos as well, IMO its so much easier to read, especially in bright green and I would always hit the cruise control at exactly 69mph...
I have a 96 c4 with a fresh lt1, original engine made it to 220k miles. Have been wanting a roadmaster or impala to complete the mid 90s GM dream garage
13:29 I had to do a double take here and it looks like your driving in my hometown haha always weird seeing a TH-camr drive on roads that I know. Great video as always and sweet car!!
The door "opening angle".... The Caprice that came out in 1991 had doors that swung open much further, so much that when you leaned over to grab the handle, it felt like you were going to fall out. (Keep in mind little old ladies like my mom buying Caprices.) Also, very thick heavy doors, and a VERY wide car, heavy doors swinging open meant you hit the side of every car in every parking space you went in. And these smooth bodied cars didn't have much side molding protection. SO, GM changed the hinge to limit the door open angle. I was surprised when another relative got a RoadMaster, clearly derived from the Caprice, and when I went to open the door, it almost bounced back closed after rebounding from the new door stop angle notch, GM had at that point made the change to the Caprice and all the cars that shared the front door, the Impala, Roadmaster, Fleetwood and Custom Cruiser. I still have the car, and LOVE the wide opening doors in my driveway or garage, makes it easier for a taller man to get in, and of course clean it out, but in parking spaces, if you MUST park beside someone, you do have to hold onto that door! Keep in mind also that when you're settled in the driver seat, you are well inside/ away from the door panel, so much hip room, but probably because of the "body on frame", there's a significant gap between the seat and the door, which makes leaning ALLL the way over to pull the door closed quite a stretch and really does give that "oh sheet I might fall out!" sensation, even to a guy with long arms. Ah, big car issues. I miss them.
Had a 95 SS back in the day. Put about $5k in the motor and exhaust. Nothing could beat that car from 60-160 MPH. Regret selling that car for over 20 years.
My 2011 Crown Victoria Police Interceptor makes 250 horsepower bone stock. With the smart upgrades I've done, it makes 289. Had it dynoed. And no, I didn't pay for the dyno, nor did it blow up upon testing. With a turbo or supercharger, I could make anywhere from 400 to 600hp. Here's the catch this old 4.6 has 300k miles on it and works perfectly without any problems or leaks. People are amazed when they look under my old squad car. Not crapping on GM. I had a 1998 Silverado 350 with 290k miles and it was the same way. Had many other 305 Chevys that lasted this long or longer without any problems. Also had several Dodge 318s that were just as bulletproof. Ford make a good example with the modern 4.6 2v. Too bad other companies didn't do the same.
Also, ‘94 was the only year of the retro tear drop mirrors and window patch in the c-pillar (where the Impala badge is mounted). This was part of the steel body for the last two years.
I remember this family had one and her dad looked at me one day and out of the blue said you know whats under that hood? thats a v8, and thats no regular chevy like your dads, this is an "SS" - I never forgot that. I remember how it sounded when he left as he revved it in the parking lot. I always wished my old man was more into mopar
I've owned 2 Caprices with the "9C1" police package and LT1 that I used as daily drivers (at different times) through the early 2000s. Definitely lots of fun, versatile, and reliable vehicles. Only thing is that the 4L60 transmissions are somewhat weak. That can be easily corrected with a modified rebuilt unit.
I’m pretty sure those are 4.3 cars. The standard Caprice police package was a 4.3 V8, looked identical to the LT1 but it wasn’t. The only big cars that had the 5.7 LT1 were the Fleetwood, Roadmaster, and Impala SS. If it wasn’t one of those it was a 4.3. I could be wrong but I’m pretty sure that’s correct unless they’re special ordered. Being police package cars though I guess it’s very possible they could’ve been the 5.7.
Always loved the rims these came with. My dad still has a very similar looking aftermarket set (made by THE now defunct PRIME brand) of rims on his '90 Sierra. So 90s. They look so cool.
My parents bought one brand new and we drove it to 250k miles tell the engine blew because of the oil pump failing. No major issues other than its final drive and it was amazing. I still miss it!
I ended up going with a modern black SHO these days, but man for the longest time when i was younger I always thought these and the marauder were so badass.
My grandpa has the same one, luckily, he lets me drive it once in a while. It’s a really nice fun fast car. it turns like a boat, but it has just about all the speed you need, for a car it’s size.
Tip for the elbows - you have to place your hands on the steering wheel's spokes Mercedes style :) the turn signal stock resting position also hints you to do so - then your elbows will reach the armrests, but yes, this car being a new puffy body on an old chassis added little practicality in terms of size)
I hate how cool cars like this aren't made anymore.
Chevy had the SS until recently but noone bought them…
@@ciello___8307 That was their own failure, they barely marketed the car at all and honestly it was pretty expensive for what you get, 48-50k+ after dealer markups could get you something a lot nicer
@@ciello___8307
Because people have become boring and only want fat and boring SUVs nowadays.
Enthusiast are a small part of the market. That's why when manufacturers throw us a bone you kinda have to scramble to get em cause they probably won't drop another enthusiast vehicle for a while.
@@RetroRoberinoWtf do you drive?
When I was in elementary and middle school, one of my friend’s mom drove him to school in a pitch black Impalas SS, it was one of the greatest things my peewee child brain could imagine. She also would sometimes take him to school in the Crown Victoria, late 90’s / early 2000’s bubbly model like the police cars, painted a metallic gray with pinstriping all around and a loud but throaty exhaust. You could hear the V8 thumping away as it came closer to the school. His whole family was a hot rod family, think American Graffiti type cars and culture. Only person in my area with a house big enough for a garage with 2 lifts and enough room for 8 cars, bonkers.
This comment made my day. So wholesome. Hopefully some kid(s) remember me that way other than my own sons.
@@JorgeCanovas I guarantee you your son’s friends are incredibly jealous of them when you drop him off in the camaro. gotta be the coolest kid in the school. I’d know, me and my friends were the kids gawking our my friend’s parent’s cool cars 😂 you’re a fantastic father.
@@mazda_miata_ My son was born in 1991, and when he was age 5, I bought a bright red 1973 Ford Torino 2-door which was all original with 29,400 miles on it. It was kept in a garage and was essentially a new car. It had a 351W / FMX, and I put dual Flowmasters on it, as well as some sway bars, gas shocks and fat wheels with white letter tires. My son grew up in that car. I picked him up from school in it, and we went everywhere in it. All of his friends knew that car and most of them rode in it. He became a competent mechanic and a gear head as a result. On his 27th birthday, I gave the Torino to him. He has it today at the age of 32 and it runs and drives better than ever.
Hey this comment made my night thank you ❤
Anyone back then remember that notorious car rolling up. Was it the fastest no. Was it the prettiest. No. But it was iconic and had elegant mean nasty lovable aura about it. It was respected by all and believe. When that tank got to rolling it moves!! Till to this day. Got one in my driveway. And still get compliments and offers to buy it by the ones who knows what the sleep really is about. It represents an era and a childhood of many in those wild 90’s. 😁
It doesn't get better than a Corvette powered grandpa sedan
All that displacement and only 260hp? Kinda pathetic, especially considering the slushmatic attached to the engine :\
Even for 1994, this is a joke. The E34
@@leviathan5207Back then the Corvette made less hp, GM didn’t want any of their vehicles to have more power than the vette
@@leviathan5207 It is almost exactly the same as the LT1 from the C4 Corvette, it just has a different intake I believe. Low on power stock but there are an infinite amount of documented LT1 modifications on TH-cam and forums. Right off the top of my head, I bet you could get an Impala SS to 350ish wheel with just cam, headers, cat-back, and a tune. The stock cast iron heads won't like 350+ so throw on some aluminum heads and you're probably at 350-400 for less than 5 grand. Apparently they come with a 4L60E (4LslippyE) so that would need to be addressed though lol. Overall though, the GM L98/LT1 platform is great for the price you can get these cars at. My L98 auto C4 has been good for 4 years of my immature driving and my neighbor's LT1 C4 6 speed has been gremlin free for years as well. All of this aside though, feel free to keep disliking them. Makes them cheaper for the rest of us!
The problem with those cars is they are so heavy,thats why they are slow af.They have some potential tho,those engine can take a lot of abuse.
@@alpe6228 They are heavy and they don't have a lot of horsepower, but they do have 330 ft-lb of torque. It's not like it makes up for the weight but it helps out a ton. I've seen an Impala SS with a 350 horse 383 stroker gap me in my C4 Corvette and a terminator mustang with a pulley swap just because it was also making torque in the 400 range.
This is the soul of America, big sedan powered by V8 engine and rear wheel drive.
Nowadays, it’s all just puny 4 cylinder vehicles being made.
and a poorly built automatic transmission
@@terencejohnson3057Those puny 4 cylinders will probably give an old 8 cylinder a run for their money.
@@RC_928yeah but what's fun about that? If I want something stupidly and unnecessarily fast I would get a goofy electric car or something. I want a rumbling 7L V8 that barely makes 200hp
@@RC_928yeah anything with 15k worth of mods will be fast 😂
For those who don't know. 1994 and 1995 Impala SS have column shifter and digital dash. 1996 was the ONLY year for the floor shifter and analog gauges. LT1 350 V8
Love my 96 with 37k on the clock
Yes. 95 and 96 models were available in Dark Cherry Metallic and Green Gray Metallic as well. Another way to identify a 94 from afar is the mirrors. The mirrors were actually mounted on the door skin, not in the wedge where the pillar meets the door as found on 95 and 96 models. As you stated,96 was also the only year with a full analog gauge cluster.
@tjlovesrachel I sold my 96 in Dark Cherry in 2017. It had 43,000 on it. It's worth a lot more already.
@@stoeger40 ohhh man…what made ya sell it
@tjlovesrachel Divorce. LOL. I could've paid her for her half, which she wanted (cash), but instead sold it and applied money from sale to apply to joint debt. She wasn't happy but it was the responsible thing to do.
My dad has a burgundy 1996 in show room condition. He’s had it my whole life, and it’s probably one of my favorite cars that he has. That car definitely helped shape my love for cars!
DCM Dark Cherry Metallic
My buddy had one and his wife kept complaining about it taking up garage space or some shit. He parked it on the street a couple times. Within a week a city worker sideswiped the car so bad it had to be totaled.
My family had a ‘93 Taurus SHO. Black on black leather with a 5-spd manual. I learned stick on that car. Thinking back, it had a lot of the same rattles, creaks, and clunks that this Impala SS has. Classic Americana.
This Impala SS is a car I lusted for when they were new in my teens, and I still desire one strongly today. They have a great look. And I can attest, they were widely regarded as a classic in their own time in the mid-90’s too.
I absolutely love that body. The 90's were the end of an era.
most definitely, my first car was a '94 s10 with the 4.3 v6, wasnt nothing special but I loved everything about that truck...
@@tom4208 that was my first ever brand new car purchase
My parents had a fully loaded (minus the fake wood) Light Adriatic Blue 1994 Caprice Wagon with towing provisions. We still have the original 3 page window sticker. Options included upgraded brakes, self leveling air suspension, strengthened frame, oil cooler and transmission cooler, heavy duty cooling fan, 2.93:1 limited slip rear end, and the LT1. This is one of the last truly good sounding V8 equipped cars, in my opinion. I used to love listening to our car idle as a kid. Nice and smooth, deep, and subtle, until you floor it. I witnessed our completely stock wagon make 282hp / 330 lb-ft to the rubber on the dyno, back when that was necessary for emissions testing. Needless to say, the LT1's power was definitely more than advertised. These are very underrated vehicles in more than one way. Not much else can seat 9 people while towing 7000 pounds behind it. I will always put this above the Vic/Marauder, even if the Caprice/Impala might seem like the faster, better looking "underdog".
Young people might not remember this, but there was a time when the streets of New York City were flooded with these in yellow paint AND black and white instead of Fords. This is the only car that police departments have ever bothered to completely renew after the end of their expected life as a police car.
I'm still looking for our car. Last seen in Hyannis, Mass in 2005. VIN 1G1BL82P8RR182976
Beautiful car. 4 doors, body on frame, column shifter, rwd, and a v8. Almost perfect. The big knock is the engine's distributor. The bright heads at gm thought, "hey, let's design a distributor that is very susceptible to moisture. Additionally, let's put the water pump on top of it."
😂
This is why I prefer the TBI Caprices despite less power.
I know this poor design first hand. The weep hole for the water pump is right above the distributor 🤦🏻♂️
Yeah, but it's an easy fix nowadays. You replace the waterpump with an electric one and replace the ignition module with an improved model. I've done two of them only takes me like 2-3 hours.
no the biggest problem are the laughable airvents in every b body and the problem of muddy antifreeze (dexcool) which causes the heater to die
My dad had a 94 and a 96 of these. Thanks for the trip down memory lane!
Wanna be a baller, shot caller, 20 inch blades on the Impala :))
I love these cars. The looks, the sound, and the reliability. It’s funny, I actually talked about liking this car so much with someone that knows my affinity for the E39, and that person simply stated that the proportions and looks are a LITTLE similar to the E39. Whether or not that’s true, I love the looks of this thing.
No, e38.
It was designed to resemble a lot of 80's sedan models
hittin my remote, sittin in my shit, presidential V12 with that AMG kit ;)
I lived in a heavy Latino area in LA when these things came out. This was the shit back then. Best color was that like black eggplant that barely looked purple unless the sun hit it.
I think this car has a lot integrity. It is what it is so people love that. Style, substance. 👍🏻
The sound of a small block Detroit V8 burbling is my happy place.
👍😁
These are so gangster. I love them more than I can fathom
I so agree about the current trend to have everything controlled by touchscreen. Buttons and knobs just work better for the basics.
Love seeing older cars being driven in the morden day, especially by Ted🔥🔥🔥
When i saw the first 1994 Caprice 350; looked undernearh and saw tbe true dual exhausts, and shed a tear......this cat flippef the middle finger at Wash DC
I bought Tim Allen's 1996 LT5 Impala SS in 2004. Still got it!
Did you get it from his place in Grand Lake?
The Binford SS!
This a collector's car that should go up in value.
One of my favorite memories is in one of these Impalas. A group of us were working on a project and we needed to hit Home Depot very quickly to hit a time deadline. One of my family friends looked at me, told me get in the car (his '94 Impala SS) and we took off. From the parking lot, he had us going 90 in a 25 zone in just seconds. Full on Dukes of Hazard in an Impala. We hit the interstate and he mashed the pedal (he called this "Merging") and didn't let off the entire 8 miles to the next exit. I was terrified he was gonna get nabbed by the usual cops sitting in this stretch. I asked him what we do. He said as long as his foot is against the floor, he doesn't see cops. We made it to the store, got what we needed and back to our destination in less than 15 minutes. This was 10 miles one way. When we got back, everyone asked why we didn't go to the store. We simply gave them the Home Depot goods and locked the car. I imagine my ghost face and the heat coming off the car was explanation enough. :)
Can you write a story about martians next?
They Could Not have Caught You Without A Helicopter 🚁 😂 or If You Stop 😂 Believe Me It's why they have cameras to get your plate number 😅 🎉
I was driving a 96 one of these at over 120mph when i left hte road backwards and flew threw the air before finally slamming into a tree. I had no seatbelt on. I walked out literally with only a scratch on a very minor, and small scratch on my right arm. This car saved my life in spite of my own stupidity. These are awesome cars.
So you killed an Impala SS? 😑
@@iluvcamaros1912 one of us had to go, and it wasn't gonna be me
@@BurtSampsonhell yeah, good it was the car. Glad you’re alive! Are you still into cars/have a fun car? if you dont mind sharing.
Sounds like a skill issue that you couldn't handle the car at only 120 it should of been the car that survived if I'm being honest
@@essentialtech388 no more cool cars. but im still super into cars, and have been really into sim racing for 7 years now. i used to have an 06 STI that i bought new, it was a blast. best car i've ever driven. i used ot take it out on the dirt and gravel and everything too. i drove it the way it was supposed to be driven. went through the first transmission first month of ownership. I was doing axle spins , just rowing through the gears, not giving a fuck. free lifetime powertrain warranty through dealer baby!
That 2.5 - 3K startup go is just pure music to the ears and gives me goosebumps
Tedward is like a calm Doug DeMuro. Tedward is a global treasure.
I used to drive the police version of this. The column-mounted shifter was always a comfortable place to hold onto with your hand, especially during aggressive cornering-and a good idea because the seats were so wide you felt like you were going to end up in the passenger seat! Always loved the rounded pod dash layout and deep set gauge cluster on these!
‘‘Twas one of my dream cars in high school. It kinda still is today 😋
I had a Caprice with the B4U package and loved it. It had the LT1 and was black with grey leather. I put some 9C1 police wheels on it and tinted the windows. I couldn’t afford the SS and didn’t want to make a clone. It was the best of both worlds it had the speed of the cop car and the luxury of the Impala SS. I miss it.
Wow nice car. Seeing a simple interior now is refreshing. Thanks for the video.
I drove the Police Caprice 9C1, police, at least LAPD, installed high temperature thermostat instead of the regular one so the engine was running hot in LA traffic, but the power was insane, blood chilling insane. The car was going by itself at 40 mph, I just stepped on the brake time-to-time to slow it down. The ride was absolutely insane, police shocks cornered like on rail, the car cut the distance to the fleeing vehicle at every turn and the transmission oil and brake oil had their own cooling circuit. The feeling when you look in the mirror and the 4-lane freeway traffic in LA keeps 300 yards distance from you. They sold them off around hitting 70K-80K miles because that's when the transmission gave up, and it could not be fixed as it was from the factory, and that was the end for these cars.
The eggshell cars. Basically we're disposable. They were TERRIBLE quality wise. They would blow a head gasket and blow the transmission at 60 or 70k miles. GM junk
@@Jeff-sp7bg The 4L60E transmission was a big mistake, it could not handle the torque of the engine, and dealers didn't know how to fix it right. The 90-s were the low point of GM quality, they did much better after that.
@@NorceCodine yes you're right. Those early 2000s Chevys were built right. 👍
14 year old me wanted one of these so bad… then a Marauder 😂. Ended up with a black Grand Marquis Handling Package as my first car
The detailer in me wants to correct that paint SO bad. These are still super cool, if not super fast. It's crazy to me how small the 17" wheels look now.
LT1 is such an underappreciated engine. The Optispark fears are so overblown.
I agree. People act like you'll shut off going down the highway every other time you drive it. The ones we have lasted 200,000 miles and they're over 30 years old!
I wanted one of those SO badly as a teen when it first dropped in ‘94 … and then the ‘96 with the floor shifter in the dark cherry pearl color. My barber has a black one and it’s clean as can be … we always discuss it - such a unique gem.
That steering wheel, turn signal stock, ac/headlight knobs, and relay sound are very similar to my 2000 Camaro. Love that 90s/00s GM. Thank you Tedward, this was a real treat.
Probably 1 of 3 automatic cars I would ever consider/want to own.
I always loved the Impala. I own a 2014 and sure it isn't the same as these ones, or the classics, but it's always been a comfortable boat that's quiet and quick enough.
It's a dream to take one of these B-body GM's from the 90's (Buick Roadmaster, Chevy Caprice, Impala, Olds Custom Cruiser, even the D-body 1995-1996 Cadillac Fleetwood) and throw an LS3 under the hood. Even fully stock, that's already 430 hp in a car that originally came with 170-260 hp at most...and 400+ lb-ft of torque. Then I saw that GM had released the L8T, which is basically a truck motor, putting out "just" 401 hp but 464 lb-ft, beefed up from factory (forged crank, iron block, etc) to handle a lot of abuse and set to run all day on 87-octane...
And now Chevrolet Performance has released the L8P, a higher performance of the L8T, pushing out 523 hp and 543 lb-ft...still a truck motor, but with some goodies from the C8 Vette's LT2 engine.
In any case, great engine choices for these big sedans and wagons. Add some good brakes and suspension...would be nice to see them performing well enough to give cars 30 years younger a run for their money!
Thanks, Tedward! 😎👍🏻
Watching this in a 98 camaro love how similar it is
fantastic car!- over 280k on mine and still going strong!- little piston rattle on cold mornings but warms up/quiets down and is ready to get after it. (totally stock) best of the best in my mind.
Waking up (+ 12 hours) to your videos is the best way to start my day.
My dad got an 96 in 2022 and dude great car
My mother had a 1990 Lincoln Continental when I was a child and yes, the digital speedo reminds me of this one, although the Continental had a full digital readout for all the gauges.
Nice review Ted, thanks. Btw, those speedo displays that GM used in the 80’s and 90’s were fluorescent diplays. The C4 Corvettes however, used LCD (black numbers with orange backlighting.
Column shifters in American sedans are the coolest thing. My college roommate had an '03 Taurus with a column shifter, and I thought it was neat that you could get a car that new with a column shifter. It's something they should bring back Leave the floor shifters to the imports.
Column shifters were nice because it allowed front bench seats. My 2000 Buick Lesabre has a column shifter and 3 row seating at the front
To the imports? lol ok boomer. You realize that many “import” cars are made in North America, right?
The newest small sedan like Ford Taurus to offer it was the 2006 - 2010 Buick Lacrosse as an option.
My grandparents had one of these for several years. It was the black cherry color. I remember getting to drive it sometimes. 🙂
I bought my ‘96 Impala back in high school for my first car. Was torn between getting a Marauder or an SS. I’ve put about 40k miles on the car since then and have had only a handful of minor issues, it’s never left me stranded. These are great cars!
A 90's GM v8 and not a bunch of complex electronics to go wrong. Definitely a solid choice!
Aw 1996 got rid of column shift. Good/Bad thing depending on your preference.
🇬🇧I knew I’d seen this car before (it was in an episode of Chicago PD. It’s because of your channel that I get to know American Cars that I come across in my favourite TV Shows. This car sounds & looks good (for its time anyway) and great to see preserved! I Enjoyed that whine at the top of the Revs too! Thanks Tom!
Used to have a ’95. They’re quick enough and are great for covering distance at a high clip but they don’t handle very well. The interior feels cheap, notwithstanding the leather Lazyboy seats. Almost forgot about the button next to the radio that changed the digital speedometer from MPH to KPH. I took my friend for a ride, switched it to KPH and took off. When I got it up to 150 KPH (about 95 mph, for Americans) she was grabbing the console and door strap and her eyes were big as an Akira character. That was fun.
They handle well for a car of its size. The performance rubber, 9C1 cop suspension, and quicker steering box do pay dividends.
I disagree with the handling. For a 4,000 lb car, it handles extremely well
You gotta get out more, boys.
*sigh* my mom used a 94 impala in a destruction derby back in 2012. It wasnt an ss but it was still a cool car, i miss it
In 1994 a vehicle making 260 HP in anything smaller then a full-size pickup was nothing to mock.... most of the pickups didn't even have that then.
My dad's 1994 Chevy 1500 had a 350 TBI engine in it that made 210 HP. It pulled a boat all the time.
People are always far too worried about HP numbers these days...with all the insane HP numbers around the last few years, the older vehicles with half the spec'd HP seem to work and perform just as well in the real world....
Definitely a classic I love those B Body Impalas
This is unironically my dream car, I live in the UK and when people ask me what my dream car is it's this. I've never seen one of these on our roads but the thought of pulling up next to all the hideous identikit, Euro-spec crossovers in this mighty, sleek, V8 powered body on frame monster brings me joy I can't even describe.
Thanks For The Great Video... I Loved This Car 😊😊😊.
I like gauges and buttons too.
The 1996 had the floor shifter and Analog Dash
Needs a firebreathing LS and beefed up and 6L80E behind it
Always thought these Impala SS were a knockout.
Its look has aged VERY well!
A modern classic!
I actually owned one of these (1995 in dark red called cherry) until recently when it was totaled in a rear end, drove for 12 years. Some interesting facts: 1) The plastics turn purple when exposed to UV, I actually ended up having them painted gray, lol! 2) It sounds great and loves to cruise effortlessly, but people expect more acceleration than it gave at full throttle. Its 260hp but 4100lbs so modern minivans can take you. 3) No real stability or traction control, a few times in the wet I accidentally spun it in the rain when it shifted out of 1st in an intersection. 4) The trunk is maaaaassive for a sedan, even with a fullsize spare in the back. 5) You find yourself reverse parking most of the time because its very long. 6) You fuel it from behind the rear license plate, and I don't know if my vent was clogged but in hot weather if not careful you could fill the tank until the click remove the dispenser and have gas come out from the compressed air... happened TWICE to me lol!
Very true about feeling of floating around inside its very airy and wide. Oh also regarding the plastics, so unfortunately the black plastic around the door handle, with age it actually turns soft and gooey, its very strange. I also to this day still love digital speedos as well, IMO its so much easier to read, especially in bright green and I would always hit the cruise control at exactly 69mph...
I have a 96 c4 with a fresh lt1, original engine made it to 220k miles. Have been wanting a roadmaster or impala to complete the mid 90s GM dream garage
I have a 1990 with the anemic L98. This video reminded me that I need to get the 4-door version of the C4!
@@MrJMS814 its an auto lt1 car, only manuals got lt4
I was a kid around 6 or 7 when these were new, and loved how sinister they looked compared to the grandpa looking Caprice.
Wherever this guy lives I love how many trees and nature there is
clean ass car bro the exterior is so nice
13:29 I had to do a double take here and it looks like your driving in my hometown haha always weird seeing a TH-camr drive on roads that I know. Great video as always and sweet car!!
The door "opening angle"....
The Caprice that came out in 1991 had doors that swung open much further, so much that when you leaned over to grab the handle, it felt like you were going to fall out.
(Keep in mind little old ladies like my mom buying Caprices.)
Also, very thick heavy doors, and a VERY wide car, heavy doors swinging open meant you hit the side of every car in every parking space you went in. And these smooth bodied cars didn't have much side molding protection.
SO, GM changed the hinge to limit the door open angle. I was surprised when another relative got a RoadMaster, clearly derived from the Caprice, and when I went to open the door, it almost bounced back closed after rebounding from the new door stop angle notch, GM had at that point made the change to the Caprice and all the cars that shared the front door, the Impala, Roadmaster, Fleetwood and Custom Cruiser.
I still have the car, and LOVE the wide opening doors in my driveway or garage, makes it easier for a taller man to get in, and of course clean it out, but in parking spaces, if you MUST park beside someone, you do have to hold onto that door!
Keep in mind also that when you're settled in the driver seat, you are well inside/ away from the door panel, so much hip room, but probably because of the "body on frame", there's a significant gap between the seat and the door, which makes leaning ALLL the way over to pull the door closed quite a stretch and really does give that "oh sheet I might fall out!" sensation, even to a guy with long arms.
Ah, big car issues. I miss them.
OH my my the interior looks FENOMINAL!!!!!!!!!!!!!😍😍😍😍😍
phenomenal
I'm not far from you; have a '94 Roadmaster former police cruiser; straight piped at the moment.... it's a blast -- 250k miles!
I had one, and I found the seat to be very comfortable.
90s Cops loved the Caprice with the LT1, I believe they even restore some after GM stopped production
Had a 95 SS back in the day. Put about $5k in the motor and exhaust. Nothing could beat that car from 60-160 MPH. Regret selling that car for over 20 years.
My 2011 Crown Victoria Police Interceptor makes 250 horsepower bone stock. With the smart upgrades I've done, it makes 289. Had it dynoed. And no, I didn't pay for the dyno, nor did it blow up upon testing. With a turbo or supercharger, I could make anywhere from 400 to 600hp. Here's the catch this old 4.6 has 300k miles on it and works perfectly without any problems or leaks. People are amazed when they look under my old squad car. Not crapping on GM. I had a 1998 Silverado 350 with 290k miles and it was the same way. Had many other 305 Chevys that lasted this long or longer without any problems. Also had several Dodge 318s that were just as bulletproof. Ford make a good example with the modern 4.6 2v. Too bad other companies didn't do the same.
Spot on Tedward, the 96 got the floor shifter and analog gauges exclusively.
Also, ‘94 was the only year of the retro tear drop mirrors and window patch in the c-pillar (where the Impala badge is mounted). This was part of the steel body for the last two years.
Awesome, love your old car reviews
I remember this family had one and her dad looked at me one day and out of the blue said you know whats under that hood? thats a v8, and thats no regular chevy like your dads, this is an "SS" - I never forgot that. I remember how it sounded when he left as he revved it in the parking lot. I always wished my old man was more into mopar
As the saying goes, this car has aged like a fine wine! What a beast of a car.
Had 5 of these 95/96 and here i am watching the video
I decided NOT to watch it,ima buy one if I do
I've owned 2 Caprices with the "9C1" police package and LT1 that I used as daily drivers (at different times) through the early 2000s. Definitely lots of fun, versatile, and reliable vehicles. Only thing is that the 4L60 transmissions are somewhat weak. That can be easily corrected with a modified rebuilt unit.
I’m pretty sure those are 4.3 cars. The standard Caprice police package was a 4.3 V8, looked identical to the LT1 but it wasn’t. The only big cars that had the 5.7 LT1 were the Fleetwood, Roadmaster, and Impala SS. If it wasn’t one of those it was a 4.3. I could be wrong but I’m pretty sure that’s correct unless they’re special ordered. Being police package cars though I guess it’s very possible they could’ve been the 5.7.
@@GMbowtie350 ive never heard of a 94 95 96 9c1 without the 5.7… so no idea where u got that from with the 4.3. afaik these were in 9c6s (taxi)
Always loved these!
Dad owned a manual one. Bought it brand new
This commentary was amazing with some great points.
This car is a certified classic amongst all car enthusiasts.
Always loved the rims these came with. My dad still has a very similar looking aftermarket set (made by THE now defunct PRIME brand) of rims on his '90 Sierra. So 90s. They look so cool.
I've drove a few of the 9C1s and they were performers much faster than the crown Vic police interceptor
I have a hard time remembering what a stock Crown Vic feels like because my friends all supercharged them lol
best car reviewer in the world!!! you always pay attention to the details and i love it!
Thank you!!🙏
Soft touch materials, no manufacture saving, just struggled to produce best as it can. Glorious exterior and interior.
A true 'boat'! Iconic 90s car. And his description is spot on, it floated on the road.
My parents bought one brand new and we drove it to 250k miles tell the engine blew because of the oil pump failing. No major issues other than its final drive and it was amazing. I still miss it!
My buddy has a 96 which he bought new. Only year with the analog gauges and console shifter. Last I heard it had 27000 kms on it
I found one of those in person months ago and they are rare. Nevertheless, this car is the sleeper version of the Caprice and are great cars.
I ended up going with a modern black SHO these days, but man for the longest time when i was younger I always thought these and the marauder were so badass.
Era of a real automobiles 🏆 !
What a lovely car I always found Impalas SS very cool.
I love these, if you can't tell already. ;)
Haha wonderful screen name!
@@TedwardDrives thanks man!
The engine alone is why I LOVE the GM B-Body cars from 1994-1996. The full size sedan with the heart of a CORVETTE!
I had one of these, drove it daily for 17 years, best car I've ever had...
My parents have a 96 with slp headers. Sounds quite good
My grandpa has the same one, luckily, he lets me drive it once in a while. It’s a really nice fun fast car. it turns like a boat, but it has just about all the speed you need, for a car it’s size.
I have the Buick Version in both 1994 and 1995 Models and the 95 Cadillac Version as well. The Caddy only had 16,000K on it
Tip for the elbows - you have to place your hands on the steering wheel's spokes Mercedes style :) the turn signal stock resting position also hints you to do so - then your elbows will reach the armrests, but yes, this car being a new puffy body on an old chassis added little practicality in terms of size)
I took one on a test drive a long time ago. Was not happy (but also not surprised) the salesman went along.