Tesla powered 1966 Chevrolet Impala review and test drive
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- เผยแพร่เมื่อ 15 ก.ย. 2024
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I think it should be called the AMPALA due to it`s new electro power! Great job.
Ah! Good play on words!!
Dope name tho
if they were to ever name it that would be perfect
i get it.! ..chuckle and a giggle
You win!
Wow - I am speechless...😲 Beautiful rebuild... Swedes are just soo good at this. All the best to you folks. THANKS to Bjørn for showing us this...
Remember, in sweden there still applies the EU streetlegality stuff. And yet still they make it happen. Majortity wouldn't because it's just too hard. But sweden has a catch in it. it's their national laws that allows jhome made cars if you do it by the SFRO book. Sfro is the top organisation that have 20 specialized inspectors and they check your build several times during the build. The results are phenomenal.
before in the EU you could get it a UK license and then transfer it over to make it street legal, but brexit.
@@frankmoras63 That was stopped even before Brexit because people started to buy tanks. It haven't been possible in 7 years now.
im all about all original restorations and seeing them like they were back in the black white days before i was born but mad respect to these sweedes
wow me to nakfan100, I am speechless
Beautiful car. I just had my 81st birthday. The first new car I bought was a navy blue 65 Impala. I still love that I had it. Thanks Bjorn
Wow. That must have been a joy to drive. Thanks for sharing these memories. BR, Per (Denmark)
75 here, remember when the 396 engine came out? Then 427.
Happy 81st Birthday, Mary !!!!! You ROCK !!!!!!!!!!
I remember riding in my Father's 65 red Impala hardtop as a kid in the 60's. He loved that car.
@Techrecycle4u what GM "used to be"...what a shame a woman runs the company now..total POS now, FORD kicking their asses
That's the closest-to-mint-condition Sixties car that I've seen since, well, the Sixties. It's immaculate, and all the body panels line up. This is super rare. Most restored classic cars may have great paint jobs, but typically the hood doesn't sit right, the doors don't exactly close, and so on. Unlike those ones, this car looks like it's only a year old. These guys clearly pay attention to every detail. Excellent work!
Being an older car, it won't handle or steer like a new one, even if it's in perfect condition. In about 1969, my father bought a low-mileage '56 Ford. It was mint, with less than 30,000 miles on it, and it had a T-Bird 312 engine. Sounds great, but as soon as I drove it, it felt like a car from an earlier decade, which it was, of course. Everything was nice and tight, so maybe it was the steering geometry or something, but '68-'69 cars felt much more modern when I drove them, as if the factory engineers had learned quite a bit about steering and suspension in those 10-12 years.
The Volvo Tractor only had an Volvo b21 4cyl 2.1l engine but with an SAAB turbo. Nickname "Volvo Terror". Sadly Mr Rickar Nilsson the owner passed away a couple of years ago. I grew up 20 km from his home on the South of Gotland, Sweden. I loved the Impala such a cool build.
Bjorn was almost speechless. Hope these guys get some sponsors
Lovely cool cars.. With new Solid state, Na sulphur or grafen based batteries these Resto-projects will go even further, fast charger and last longer between charges..
I would raise money for their craftsmanship. Excellent.
@@winefather3095 Just buy a Impala from them. They are a business.
@@poplaurentiu4148 It can be even better yes, but keep in mind that these cars are not daily driven. An Impala in Europe is considered an exotic car and nobody in their right mind would dare use it as a daily. You can't just claim the insurance money and buy another one. So what I'm trying to say is, it doesn't nessessarily need a bigger battery or a faster charger. It's perfect the way it is!
@@lehelzelenka20747kW is more than adequate for most daily driving duties. Remember you charge it at home.
When I was a young boy in the 1960s, my parents had a Chevy Impala station wagon. We live in the Midwestern part of the USA. The car was HUGE! The interior was exactly the same as this Impala's interior. Even the poor man's airconditioning vents! Bjorn, your video brought back a lot of memories.
A good friend has one and he once said you can have a party in the front seat and a party in the back seat and nobody needs to talk to each other... You can also fit at least 6 bodies in the trunk... ;)
They are HUGE cars. The batteries are bigger physically than a 327 or even a 427. They never said the weight of the battery by itself, but a 427 weighs about 300kg. The 327 is about 50kg lighter. The transmissions are about 50-70kg depending on model. So 300 - 370 kg as a gas engine.
The 427 in 66 would have 425hp max. I've driven one and something that big and heavy going that fast gets scary fast. The steering and suspension is not as precise as today and the car I drove had 4 wheel drum brakes, not big disc brakes. So you weren't as confident you could stop.
The frame changed in 1965 and the earlier frame was called the "X" frame and made the door sill lower. With a lot of power from a gas engine they would flex. I'm interested to see how it works with the Tesla motor in it.
Amazing work! Very beautiful.
And yes, go back to see the other Impala.
This is how the term "Land Yacht" for bigger older American cars came about. I can imagine you tried the Armstrong windows as well :)
As a 55 year-old version myself, I can confirm that everything is indeed loose, and rattles and squeaks on occasion.
That Impala is no Plymouth Fury. The Impala is quite dainty in comparison to a 5th gen Fury.
The '66 Impala is relative light compared to the mid '70s version.
My '75 Pontiac LeMans would leave
〰️wakes〰️ in the asphalt!
If I could ...,
I'd let HEAVY '75 Gran Torino be #1
but...
True story; when I was 13yrs old in 1977, Mom had the '75 Le Mans..lame. Dad had the '75 Torino.. Starsky & Hutch-- Dad was COOL!
6yrs later, I got the Le Mans. Dad traded in the Torino for a crappy used '81 Mercury Monarch.
I ended up Muscling the Le Mans. No record breakers, but still fast-tough and get out of my way. Loved it all the way thru the 3rd engine swap.
I'm pretty sure the "yacht" part came from the suspension giving a LOT of body roll, like you would get with turning in a ... yacht :)
Wow. So much respect for the sweedes. These guys are awesome.👍
Swedes.
My bum is on the swedish!
@@aborted4196
Mine is on the cheese.
talk respect read how they kept hitler from invading there country that was amazing they are no pushover to long of a story but check it out
They are simply awesome!!!
That is super cool. The restoration and conversion looks immaculate. I'd love to see them work the drive selector into the column shifter. The brown restomod is gonna be cool too. I like these guys.
Very smart way to tie all 3 series-stacks together...individually fused! Good job guys... from someone who grew up in this era of cars! My first car when I graduated high school was a 1966 Oldsmobile Starfire "Ultra High Compression" 425 cu.in., switch-pitch converter TH400, 3.73:1 limited slip diff. "factory stripper" model (light weight).. it was fun stomping the guys in their gen1 Camaros.
(edit)
After watching the whole video, I had to come back and drool some more. Those guys are real crasftmen... a beautiful OE frame modification, super clean integration.
The Tesla Model S rear drive has the advantage of being a Induction Motor, so there's no chance of over-current demagnetization that a permanent motor would do if run at too high a power level. The only non-thermal limit is going to be the Inverter... and how much "over-designed" Tesla made it for durability.
WONDERFUL WORK GUYS! (hoping they read they comments here!)
This is a fantastic build. I only wish they had found a way to hook the Forward neutral and reverse up to the column shifter. Now THAT would have been cool.
Agree, also if they put a better looking cover over the battery pack it would look more cosmetically appealing.
If i ever get around to building a custom EV im gonna use the column shifter. It would be really cool on a '66 as probably had a two speed power glide, so the "L" position could be used to initiate a one pedal drive mode or something.
It would not be hard to implement, (could easily mount proximity switches on the steering column where the original shifter rod attached underhood), the hard part would be making it feel like the original shifter, since the detent spring and roller were inside the original transmission
I also would make it so the original speedometer still works, easily done with stepper motors (if you can build an EV from scratch little things like that would be childs play)
He's right, the smaller overall diameter wheel/tire combination effectively changes the Tesla motor gearing for greater acceleration and lower top end speed.
plus less rotating mass
And the car weighs about a thousand pounds less than a Tesla...
@@willybones3890 Are you sure? He said it weighs about the same as the Tesla. Also, he quoted 1940 kilos, which corresponds to 4277 pounds.
You're saying a Tesla weighs ~5200 pounds?
@@willybones3890 it hasnt got near the teslas batt capacity thats why !
@@rhett7716 Safety equipment too, no airbags, not the same chassis reinforcements, bumper structures, no air conditioning... Those add up quickly.
How cool is that man. A TESLA in the dress of a Chevy Impala, Love it 😀
@@abraxastulammo9940 yes saw it live, was there
Tesla isn't a universal word for electric cars... very few of the parts on this car are actually Tesla made.
And at the same time, it's still lighter than a Model S!
@@CadgerChristmasLightShow The engine is Tesla, so he's correct.
Nice Impala .. the problem is it's .. electric .. >) .. should be restomoded with small-block V8 ...
U shouldn't 'electriffy' all the classics .. .. think sth like PontiacFiero (little 'DeLorean' with nice futuristic at that time design) ..and not so impressive engine that U can replace without UR heart hurt ....
Nice job, I've seen a story on a shop in Cali years ago that was transforming vintage cars vans or trucks before but they they weren't using Tesla components, It was something they designed from golf carts systems and they figured out to improve the power and amp life so they could drive further and faster. IDK the difference between what their design was and tesla but I guess the concept for classic car transitions was similar and perhaps there is technical likenesses but in any case Tesla is obviously a proven system and this is great. I didn't really remember the 66 Impala design being so impressive. I remember the impala being fitted with a V8 and always were considered powerful cars of the days, and extending into the 70s models when the body design became even bigger and heavier looking but this model really looks great and sporty like a muscle car and being a convertible here, that's very sweet. I just love the steel dash too, You gotta appreciate those simple differences back then before they started using plastics and vinyl materials that often would warp and bulk from the sun in hot months and often would fade with age so this is just terrific. Love the air system too so you can set the suspension to look how you want but raised in the back a little really gives it that muscle car look. Some wide wheels and tires would be very nice but I suppose that's just personal preference and that's ok.
Putting the charging port where the gas filer was is my favorite thing about this car.
In America, the speedometer only went to 120 mph instead of 200 km/hr. I never saw a metric speedometer in those days. Trying to figure out the speeds; 25 mph per 40 km/hr: so 40 km = 25 mph, 80 km = 50 mph, 120 km = 75 mph, 160 km = 100 mph, and 200 km = 125 mph. With the odometer reading just under 50K km, that puts the car in near new condition at just over 30K miles, unless it has been rolled a few times. I notice the old speedometer has been disconnected in favor of the touch screen which seems quite out of the line of sight for me. My mom had a 1966 Chevy Bel-Air 4 door which looks about the same from the front seat. I'm glad I got to see it one last time in this video. We needed bigger trunks back then, and your friends seem to have filled it up with some extras so that wouldn't be so good. There's very little rust on this car; my Mom's car was a total rust bucket inside of 10 years, just a total embarrassment to be in. I've never given a thought to retrofitting old cars for electric ones. My 15 year old car may be too far gone for the retrofit option, but I've gotta get a new muffler next week and thieves are stealing catalytic converters like the plague now and electric cars don't have that.
I love how those guys are clearly classic Cars enthusiasts but still appreciate the new technology!! amazing work! one of a kind project, bring it to the public
price of gas in europe is very high. Wonder what the price of charging the batteries is .
Interesting. Love that '66. One of my earliest memories was as a five year old going to the Chevy dealer with my dad in the fall of 1964 to order a new '65 Bel Air, which was basically the same car as an Impala (both were B-bodies) but with a different trim level and a slightly higher roof line, which my dad preferred because in those days he almost always wore a fedora-type hat. I remember sitting down the with the salesman and going through the ordering process line by line, which was kind of boring for a fidgety five year old but I got to pick the color, or at least my dad let me think I did. There were no option "packages" back then, you picked every option separately, and you could match any of several interior colors to any available exterior color. My dad asked the salesman if someone could get something really odd, like blue interior with a green exterior. The salesman said yes, the factory might call the dealer to confirm it wasn't a mistake, but if the customer really wanted it they would build it that way. I also remember the day about six weeks later when the new '65 arrived at the dealer and we went back to pick it up and drop off our trade (a '54 Bel Air my dad had bought new ten years before). Three years later he traded in the '65 for a new '68 Bel Air. Both had a V-8 and were smooth, whisper quiet, and squeak free. This '66 "e-pala" would have seemed like a spaceship back then.
These guys are serious builders. Props to them 👏👏👏👏👏
Beautiful build!! My Dad bought a brand new red '67 Impala w/327. He loved it a lot. I was only 2 y.o, so i don't remember it, but i do remember his next baby... his pride and joy; a black '71 Olds Cutlass 442 W30. I can actually remember driving to the dealership at night, to look at it parked there. He couldn't pick it up yet, because GM was in the midst of a big Strike, so he had to wait 2 or 3 months to get it.
This is exactly what we need for the preservation of our motoring history. And those big American gas guzzlers are the perfect base for conversions, they were too heavy in the first place and can deal with the weight of the electric components. Besides, they were never made to go fast for long, and the main idea for the baseline versions was that you didn’t even notice the engine, and didn’t look after it.
But electric is disgusting. The rumble of a V8 is what gives it character. Electric conversions shouldn't be allowed for classic cars. It's wrong and absolutely disgraceful.
Btw my 1978 Cadillac Coupe DeVille now has close to 600.000kms on the original engine and transmission, so there's no need to turn it into an electric car. And besides....I wouldn't want anything that doesn't guzzle gas.
@@davemalley1290 one person’s music is another person’s noise. You are entitled to your opinion, but you are not the sole owner of truth. I am a longtime petrolhead myself and have owned a classic car myself for 15 years (1968 Triumph Vitesse Convertible, neither economical nor particularly silent). I think petrol smell and engine noises are an acquired taste that usually go back to boyhood dreams of power and making impressions on the general public, combined with a slight lack of empathy for the general public’s taste, as a statistical average of ALL opinions.
Air pollution, noise pollution and global warming are real. If you want to use a classic car indefinitely, retrofitting it as an EV is like putting central heating, electricity and a loo into a house from the 1800s: simply something that gives real utility and eliminates a congenital fault that the original makers couldn’t avoid, because they didn’t have the technology.
@@thomasalbrecht5914 I own 10 vehicles, all of them are classic cars. None are very quiet and most smell of fuel. I also daily drive a 45 year old car with a V8 engine. Yes, every day. It's all about one's personal fun when driving a classic car, meaning you can't worry about any environmental impact nor what the public thinks. I believe an EV conversion completely ruins a classic car, and it at that point ceases to even be a classic car. EV is fine but I believe you should just buy a EV then.
@@thomasalbrecht5914 btw, the gasoline or diesel engine gives the car most of its character. I'd be crazy to say that I'd want to ditch the V8 to retrofit a battery. I personally believe they should put restrictions in place to prevent such a thing, but as you said, everyone has the right to their opinion.
My experience with the general public is always that they seem to be happy when they see and hear me driving my car...and it's people of all ages too. I'd go so far as to say that most people will think you're crazy to convert it to EV. That is, unless you're one of those environmental protection freaks. Those nerds will cry about anything
Sweet! I would love to have one of these! My grandfather had a yellow Impala, I think it was a 1967, that he put a lot of love into maintaining it. I could only imagine what his reaction would have been to see this! Great job!
This was so much fun to watch, really incredible. Grew up around Chevrolets in the 60s and 70s, it's so cool to see this technology applied to them. Those guys are doing a great job, look forward to seeing their next project! By the way, I just got my very own Tesla Model 3 and your videos helped me make my decision. :)
Hey Bjorn I loved this video. Thank you. I hope to see more videos like this in the future. I think it's important for people who are interested in electric cars to also know about electric cars and electric car conversions. Here in America and in England/the United Kingdom there are a lot of people doing older model conversions to electric. I hope your knowledge of all the working systems grows, I could tell you were a little bit hesitant to speak because of your lack of technical knowledge but you will learn that as you go on. Bjorn..watch this guy as he converts an old 90s military Humvee (hmmwv) to electric, it is quite a process. #jerryrigeverything
My first car was a 1966 Impala Fastback. I love your passion for Impalas. Keep up the great work. Hope this catches on in America.
Amazing engineering, guys! Extremely impressive (I hope Elon and others at Tesla get to see this!) There is a largely untapped market of doing these types of EV conversions of old classic cars all over the world. I'm sure plenty of people who don't like the look of most EVs out there would consider something like this, especially when you push down on the accelerator to demonstrate what INSTANT torque means... (and paying just a few dollars to "fill it up" will be a big plus for those people too).
@@tomcruise7820 Could have been in a junkyard too.
This is exactly the sort of electric conversion I want to do some day. Old land yachts seem like the perfect candidate for an electric swap. The weight of the batteries doesn’t matter in a car like that, the silent drivetrain fits with the luxury feel, and you could scare the hell out of people at traffic lights. Sadly I don’t think Tesla will ever offer a stand-alone drivetrain considering how apple-like their current business model is. I’m sure other companies will step in as electric becomes more popular.
Yeah,I don't know what rock you've been under,it's very rare for any classics to show up in salvage yards🙄
@@philortega6516 Are you referring to my comment?
@@tomcruise7820 Heh heh... Elon ain't going bankrupt anytime soon. The financial sector has been predicting Tesla's doom for at least 10 years. It wouldn't be too hard to convert it into a lowrider.
That is so cool. Well done to the guys. I was curious a bit about their background, I assume they are doing these build in their spare time. But it makes you think about the possibilities...
550hp electric motor. That is insane. Im very curious what it could do in a quarter mile.This car is a total sleeper.I would say it's a sin to take a big block V8 out of that Impala but man you got to respect what these guys did.
My Father(RIP) of best friend's at the time had the same car but hardtop, same color, and had the 327 engine too. I loved that car a lot, and wish I could have it to have it converted to EV. These guys did an AMAZING CONVERSION!!!!! I actually love the 1960's and early 70's looks of American cars than any actual/modern car, and making them EV is IMHO better than having them restored with the original ICE motor. And as someone said here, I hope these guys get sponsorships and even a TH-cam channel to show their abilities!!!!!
WOW!!!! GM developed an Electrovair in circa 1966. Those engineers would be so proud of you!! Just brilliant!
Wow. The guy doing the interview seems like someone from the future that has never seen a gas-powered car LOL
Absolutely LOVE the car though
I hope there are many like this to come!
The Old US Cars are perfect to convert to EV. Lots of Space for the Battery and that the frame is separated from the chassis makes it "easier" to convert i think.
Big respect to these guys! You are great!!
I'll keep my winters 427 in my impala... thank you
So cool Björn! Bring us more of these unique EVs!
“I wonder if I have to come back here, when the new car is done…”
YES!!!! You do have to go back there!
Great video, great find, great old car!
Thank you for doing that, Bjorn!
My father once had a brand new 1965 Impala SS with a 283 cid V8 and 2-speed Powerglide automatic. It was a sweet car but not all that quick. An electric conversion to that car would be as sweet as this '66, which is absolutely gorgeous. Great job, gentlemen! May you enjoy that car for a long time.
It appears this conversion didn't radically alter the Impala. It could be converted back to v8 power. I'd like to convert one of my Geo Metros to electric - 50 mile range would be adequate if the cost aren't too great.
The stock Powerglide has a very tall first gear. So leaving from a full stop is naturally hindered.
@@timothykeith1367 I have a 1993 Geo Metro that I'm using a Toyota Prius driven train to convert to Electric learning on the Fly wish I knew what I was doing before I did it but I'm enjoying it
@@tannithk.correa1331 I would like to convert a Metro to an EV. The EV modding hobby is so new. I'd be okay if it only had 50 mile range. I'd never buy a new EV with only 50 mile range, but if I could build one for not too much money I'd like that for the short local trips that I take. Right now, I'm looking at E-bikes, which makes sense for short trips - on my budget. I'm not impressed with gadgets for the sake of technology but I think EVs are fun. I'm not a candidate to spend $50,000 on an EV.
@@timothykeith1367 Me to homemade it's good make your own project, have a used Kia Soul $17,000 with a new battery
Think that's right about the p85 battery pack being the limiting factor .
There was some confusion over the p85 hp at launch , people were told a higher figure but turned out that was only what the motor was capable of .
In regards to the size of the Impala, yes, Americans had big families back then. My Father had five kids. Imagine fitting 7 into that 66 Impala. My Father owned a 1960 and a 1970 Impala. I've owned 1956, 1958, 1962, and 1966 Impalas.
Amazing electric conversion to a classic Chevy. 1st class engineering and the builders should be very proud of their work.
No one likes old American cars like the Swedes. I was in Sweden once on a nice summer day in 1997 and was amazed at all the beautifully restored 60's muscle cars on the road. Unfortunately, they only come out on nice summer days.
I look forward to the day when the Norwegian government realizes this is actually a good thing and allows us to do the same. Electric classic mustang, babeh.
hope they will follow in denmark
In Norway we're barely allowed to build a moped yourself 😢
Hopefully not. Electric shouldn't be anywhere near a classic car
@@davemalley1290 yes it should
@@monzerfaisal3673 no it should not. Ever.
A lot of early Tesla Model s's are pretty squeaky and rattly and noisy also and theybafe only 8 years old. This car is 55 years old.
I was wondering why it was so noisy in the cabin and then I realized it was a convertible.
Beautiful restoration, and conversion.
Hopefully they kept that 327 V8 they're quite valuable. Interestingly though old-fashioned pushrod v8s are actually mechanically very quiet. If the valve train is properly adjusted it's unlikely you would hear the engine running with the hood closed. Obviously under throttle you would hear it at least the exhaust. But mechanically those old engines are pretty quiet.
I like the fact that they didn't mess around with the interior very much they kept it mostly stock looking. Honestly I think older cars like this just look better than the new stuff.
Maybe someday powertrain efficiency will be so easy to achieve that we can go back to cars that had style and looked a bit boxy because we won't care about the efficiency so much.
Beautiful car!
We had a 65 Chevy Impala that i got to drive some 6 years after it was new. The car was actually very tight with a 283, 2 speed power glide transmission. It was a land yacht but was very comfortable to drive and you could actually sleep in the front or rear quite comfortably. The steering was very loose and there was zero feel. Cars today have a very tight road feel and wear you out with an upright driving position with no variation. I could only imagine it with 500+ horsepower. That convertible being in pretty stock condition brings back the memories.
Bjorn, Great movie and reportage! Love your expression and reactions during "floooring". Amazing guys and impressive skills - real professors! These projects are among the very best and of course the future for vintage car enthusiasts and petrol heads like myself! Love the origialn and amazed by the new trends and opportuities to tune an improve. Way to go!!
Same weight as with a 327?? This old Chevy owner says you guys ROCK! I would have referenced the weight using the 396/427/454/502 big block series.
It looks like the brake lines coming from the master cylinder have a copper color. If they're copper, SWITCH to steel, as copper fatigues and will rupture
No need for a column shifter, although you could have used it to toggle electrical switches to change Forward, Neutral, Reverse
The '64 and '65 Impalas have the nicest body style. The '66 is a little bigger, and the lines aren't quite as clean
Now we’re talking!
I had a 1966 Impala white with red interior automatic when I was in the Air Force stationed in South Carolina. Let me tell you that off frame Tesla conversion those guys have going on is awesome. I would love to have a Chevelle done like that.
Amazing. I wonder the cost of that build. Excellent job guys!
In the days of this car a gas station was a service station and the attendant filled your tank, in didn’t really matter to the owner where the tank filled. The problem is if you go a careless attendant who didn’t tighten the cap properly you would spit out a gallon of gas leaving the station. Those hub caps were also slangily referred to as poverty caps because the buyer didn’t want to pay extra for full wheel covers. That’s a neat conversion, congratulations. 👍😉
Wow, the stance and look is perfect. Love the doggies!
Love this build. I wish it were here in the states. Maybe you two can come to the states and build some restore some impala's over here too. Or maybe sell the plans/specs that were used to build it?? I would think about doing this to my 1996 Impala SS too. Eventually the ICE will be gone, so it would be good to hang on to my baby's body and chassis and still be able to drive it, even if it has to get an electric motor or two instead of the 350ci. Thanks for posting this, it was nice to see a new way to keep the older cars around.
I don't think ICE cars will go away,they will be like a horse and buggy,used very little
Great work, this is the first conversion that I can remember seeing where the vehicles practicality was maintained (trunk/boot space for groceries). ;-)
I suspect that this is the final hotrod upgrade for these old cars: electrification. That battery just perfectly fit under that massive hood, replacing that massive V8. You don't get so much room under the hood of anything other than old American cars like that. And that rear motor replaces the diff, probably making the front/rear weight distribution much more even than the original car. In the process, you also upgrade to independent rear suspension rather than a live axle, and regenerative disk brakes from the rear. The electric motor is probably 3 times the power of the original V8, and quieter and smoother at the same time. American cars aren't as massive as this nowadays, so it makes these beasts perfect testbeds for electrification. I don't see why so many traditionalists put up resistance to electrification, it's making everything much better!
A win for Chevy folks~ The first tesla driven ex-internal combustion vehicle conversion was a chevy! WE DID IT BOYS! to the heap with your ford
My dad would almost die of shame because they ruined the originality... well, he thinks all the Impalas after 1960 doesn't look like Impalas because they don't have the "wings". My dad had a 4d light green 1960 Impala. I guess that could very well be the only one in Finland... damn it would be cool to some day have THAT car... he bought it of the US in 1989. If I remember right, he told me how people showed him thumbs up when they drove past him on the highway.
That Impala is one beautiful car. And the fact it puts out zero emissions makes it even more beautiful. You can just drive around with good conscience.
You drive it with a bad conscience because you know you ruined a beautiful classic by turning it into a crappy EV. Who cares about emissions from a classic car? They practically don't matter at all.
@@davemalley1290 this EV thing seems like the new "I'm different than everyone else" fad. I'm hoping the net zero syn fuel thing gets traction because if everything goes EV, even classics in say scrap em all. If my passion gets cut out with ice, then everyone should have to drive the mundane junk too. I want to tinker and tune hear smell and feel something that's breathing. EV is too sterile
Back in the day when you could order affectionately "odd" color combinations such as Artesian Turquoise interior and Lemonwood yellow exterior.... weird combination makes it all the more desirable. I am a car guy and embrace all forms that propel us forward. And have a soft spot for those Impala's. A side note, the High Beam headlights are the inboard lights the driving lights are the outboard... for what that is worth. Interview guy, it was tough to take the naiveté about cars. Only kind intensions here... I liked the video.
Imagine staying at red light and a Porsche or Lambo or a sport car approach you, ready for a race and you floor it, leaving the other sport driver's car speechless!
The ultimate sleeper!
yes the ultimate sleeper so quiet will not wake up a baby meanwhile a Challenger RT is waking up the whole town
Beautiful work. In case anybody missed it, when they guy says "many amperes" that means a lot of power. Power is volts x amps. The pack voltage only changes a little, maybe 15% from full to empty.
tesla needs to sell the technology to allow for more of these rebuilds to happen !
Very well engineered. The restoration of the Impala alone is perfection. From an American to Sweden you are definitely at the highest level and when we consider the electric conversion married with a perfectly restored 60s sled this is one special car. The cigarette lighters and ashtrays in every seat would really blow most foreigners mind. Americans took their smoking seriously in the 60s and 70s.
Amazing conversion, it looks so clean x
Super video, loving seeing these conversion videos, same as Electric Classic Cars and EV West etc. This is the way forward, save the old classics for the future.
Bjorn you should check out Leif Tuvfessons Volvo p1800 electric car. That build is crazy beutiful.
You're right about Tesla's battery being their power bottleneck. The 18650 and 2170 cells have poor internal conductivity (thermal conductivity is limiting). Luckily the 4680's won't have this problem.
As for this car, the battery taking up all the front crash zone is scary, but no scarier than a 550hp convertible '66 Impala in general. To make it more livable, a usable trunk without the air tank's fittings and charger fans facing inward would be nice, plus a quiet compressor.
This is a fantastic re-invention of a classic! I grew up with cars like this in the US. The Swedish appreciation for these cars, combined with their forward thinking on sustainability, is embodied in the car these two men have built. A+ work from these gentlemen.
This is body on frame. New body mounts, A-arm bushings, sway bar bushings and links, ball joints and tie rod ends, and modern springs can go a long ways to tightening up the feel of the suspension. These cars came in police car version with a stiffer suspension and an extra frame cross member. Lastly, this is a convertible with no roof metal and no center pillar. Even with a heavier frame, all of the strength is in one plane (the floor) and so they had a fair amount of body flex. The sedan version with a metal roof and center pillar between the front and rear doors was much stiffer.
Amazing! My kind of classic resto-mod. Incredible skills by the builders! Thank you for sharing
The build is very nice, modern digital power while preserving that analog driving experience of recirculating ball steering, sadly many people will never know what it used to feel like to cruise in a classic American muscle car. Your expressions of the cars impressions testify to this and the only part of the experience that is missing is the added sensation of speed that comes from a big block chevy 427 screaming at 7,000 rpm. Safety is the only real concern in a car like this, from a time when seat belts were optional equipment. Keep rolling.....
Oh, I would so love to have something like this! I hope they do more!!!!! Great Job Guys! So odd Impala no noise.
Great job !
Fantastic seeing a very good conversion and keeping the car looking original, except for the wheels
that actually don't look out of place on this car.
Looking forward to seeing more from these guys !!
(from Texas,USA)
These guys are so humble…and brilliant!
Excellent choice! '66 was an amazing year for the Impala. Similar but a more modern version of the '65. Better looking than the '64 & '67.
Cool, but I'd miss the V8 sound. I've got a 66 big block Chevy Bel Air and I know which one I'd rather have. But interesting to see this for sure, better than any other electric car I've seen without a doubt.
I know it's dumb
Awesome build. 👍The 2 guys that built this should be very proud. This is the eventual future of ICE "classic" cars. Great way to bring a 66 Impala into the future. The original V8 was never this powerful and got about 15 mpg on a good day. And now Bjorn knows a little more about a Chevy Impala. I'm sure there is one in the Nordic area with an original V8 since big American cars are popular there. He should do a comparison.
Wow, what a fantastic episode. The two builders should be congratulated on a super job. Very talented and very humble. All the best to them and you.
Four (4) way emergency flashers were required by federal law on all automobiles built for sale in the US starting with the 1966 model year. In 1966 Ford placed the switch in the glove box. This is where Mustangs and other Ford cars had the switch.
67. For my 66 Caprice it came as an option.
Fun video!! Nice example of a 1966 Impala Convertible. Is there a video of the building of their car? I think we will be seeing more cars like this in the coming years. Thanks!! Cheers!! 🤓
Check out "Jan Karlander" on youtube I think they have 3 videos about the car
th-cam.com/video/SG0WaFQPN34/w-d-xo.html
What an awesome project and a great way to preserve old classics. In Denmark you are not allowed to do these kind og modifications sadly. Or you can but you need to get a very expensive brand new type approval before you can drive it on public road.
Have You never watched Supernatural Bjørn? 😄
I'll just never warm up to the new technology. I love the old school, simple, V8 engines, but I have to admit, this is a pretty cool build. Very interesting to see such a thing.✌
Amazing job converting this classic car to an electric car. The look both inside and out is incredible. 😎 👍
GM said they would not make electric cars because people would not buy them. Tesla came alone and made electric cars and people bought them. Now GM and every other car maker is making electric cars.
That is impressive, beautifully done
I'm blown away. Amazing workmanship; everything is so clean and well thought out. My brother's 1st car was a 64 Impala convertible. I learned how to wrench on that car.
Anyway- electrics = INSTANT POWER at the rear wheel and no more tranny :)
This is amazing! I'm sure they were so excited to see it run after all the work, they somewhat let down the interior down by just screwing on the control panel. Maybe in the future they can better integrate that like they did with the "modern retro radio". Awesome job overall!
I am using the same controller on a ‘67 Chevy Corvair conversion & put it where the radio used to be. Looks factory.
Beautiful car and amazing convertion.⚡🐐
The future of hot rodding…awesome build. Love the retro look with the steelies. Hopefully as technology advances the battery packs will look more aesthetically nicer. That’s the only thing I’d like to see improved on this build. Great job!
Nice Impala .. the problem is it's .. electric .. >) .. should be restomoded with small-block V8 ...
U shouldn't 'electriffy' all the classics .. .. think sth like PontiacFiero (little 'DeLorean' with nice futuristic at that time design) ..and not so impressive engine that U can replace without UR heart hurt ....
I can see it becoming a big trend for the future. Converting some of these beautiful classic cars to electric. A whole new industry. For that reason, I think I'll hang on to my '67 Plymouth Fury. : ) Kudos to the two of you for doing an amazing job on the Impala.
One of the most tasteful custom restorations I’ve seen in a long time.
People are so clever. Here are Guys putting a Tesla motor into a V8 and Rich Rebuilds is putting a V8 motor into a Tesla!
This was the coolest video ever! That cool old Impala with electric power made it real awesome!
My mom had the 1966 "Impala Caprice 396" hardtop the same colour. Her's was big block Turbo 400 automatic. Big Blocks were the heaviest.
This is the best gas to electric conversion I've seen on a classic car
Is there such a thing as a 'best' conversion when it's a classic car paying the unfortunate price?
Nicely done! I drove a '65 Impala 327 when it was new, it had very good power for the time. You've made it significantly better! I wish you had connected the original gearshift lever to the control box, and maybe used a microcontroller to drive the original fuel gauge. But wow, nice job!
I love it, a beautiful blend of old and new. You guys did great...
Singer/entertainer Neil Young converted his 59 Lincoln into an electric vehicle, he calls it the LINKVOLT....That was done many years ago!