In-depth look at 1959 Chevy impala 4 door hardtop
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- เผยแพร่เมื่อ 6 ต.ค. 2024
- In depth tour and brief history of the 1959 Chevy impala. This one is a 4 door hard top. Talk about the differences between the hardtop and just a regular sedan. Enjoy the show like share and sub.
streetmachiner...
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Love the 59 flattop’s
Me too it gives it a whole different look with the flat top
@@What.its.like. I concur
Love the wild Cat Eye tail lights.
Me too, to be completely honest I wasn’t really a fan of the 59 Chevy, but pictures don’t really do the car justice they look so good in person still prefer 1960 Chevy I think the front end is a lot nicer... but the interior of 59 is perfect
I had a '59 4-door hardtop that was the dark green color. Mine had the 348 engine. By the time I got it (from my dad) the motor had some issues, but it was a great car. Wish I still had it. The dark green made the car much prettier than the black color shown here.
Thank you so much for sharing your experience as well as memories with your car =) One day I would love to compare the 348 in the 409 because they look identical in the engine compartment one could put 409 badges all over the 348 and nobody would be none the wiser unless you opened it.. To find specific casting numbers
That roof on the GM 4 door hardtops is referred to as a Flattop.
Yeah I’m going to do episode in the future talking about the different tops gm offered in the late 50s early 60s
Or a pancake roof...
Absolutely love a flat top!
Me too gives the car a totally unique look
In 1964, my first car was a $1000 black 1959 Chevrolet El Camino, I fell in love with the design at 17. It looked really good, but the drive line was a disaster. I used some family influence to get the dealership to take it back after spending big bucks on a new rear end and more. They gave me $1000 credit on a different car. I like the roof line of these flat roof 4 door hardtops, some people call them "glass house" cars. The station wagon and the El Camino had the same roof line design. The fins and the "cat eye" tail lights are so good looking. The sound of the door closing is good and solid. It looks like two or three bodies could easily fit in that trunk and with some overload springs and HD shocks no one would know you are carrying the extra weight. Good traction too!
Yeah they where sweet cars 4 door hard top is sporty I saw a 57 Chevy four door hard top that didn’t even look like a four door no post gives a nice clean look... thank you so much for sharing for story I love reading all the stories =)
Thank you for the collage at about the 1:10 mark. I silently scream for videos to do this to more fully understand how a manufacturer can make many vehicles out of one. The fact that you used the same body style is an added bonus to more fully understand the trim differences! Excellent job!
Thank you for the awesome feedback back I’m hoping this channel will grow into a classic go to channel. It’s sad now cars are appliances. They were machines back then built to last.. saved money by only offering one car with different trim. The other crazy thing is mostly the big three did that there are exceptions but for the most part only offered one car while the independents offered more cars and went broke like for example Nash had the metro, statesman/airflyte a two door convertible a wagon offered a tow truck( I know where there is one hopefully I’ll get to review it that’s a story)
“One key for everything” is a hacked restoration. Cars of this era came with two keys - one for the ignition and the other fro the door locks, trunk, and glove box. The rationale behind this was for valet parking… you could give the attendant the ignition key so he could park the car, but he would not have access to the trunk or glove box contents
I wasn’t sure if that was the case I heard a rumor that Chevy went to one key in the 60s but could be wrong thank you so much for the insight
Correct I own 62 66 and 68 Cadillac and all 3 have a octagon and oval Briggs’s Stratton keys octagon for the door and ignition oval for the trunk /glove.
You are wrong. 59 Chevys have only one key for everything.
Even into the 90s GM retained a 2 key system - and they took criticism for it.
Your mostly right yes cars of the era had 2 keys the hex head key and the other looks like a clover One for the front doors and ignition (hex head) the other was for glove box and trunk and console if optioned (clover head)
59 Chevys have always been some of my favorites. Even the El Caminos that you mentioned used the same chassis and mostly the same sheet metal as the regular cars. They even used the same floor pans underneath the truck bed. From the underside of the car you can see the footwells for the rear seat, as well as where the rear seat would have mounted, and even the trunk floor... it was all the same, they just put the truck bed over the top. The whole "one model" thing was also why they offered the same engines with every trim level... even the special engines that were designed for the Corvettes were available in the regular chevys. The Corvette was the only "stand-alone" model in the 50s... and it was that way for all of the GM divisions as well. Chevy, Pontiac, Olds, Buick and even Cadillac all used the same basic chassis, body panels, seats, etc... the only real differences were trim, dashes, engines and other optional equipment.
Awesome insight and information =)
シボレー・インパラといったらこれ1959年式スポーツセダンが挙がる
Thanks for posting. I have a stuck hood latch on mine right now and can't get in to charge the battery. The car has shaved handles, so I can't get in it at all. The old fella I got it from thought shaved handles would be a thing that would be cool. It's not cool. lol
A beautiful car from a time when a family car truly was a car you could fit your whole family in with room to spare. I initially never liked the way these looked but they have grown on me over the years.
I can't remember for sure but I think I once read something about where drag racers had a hard time with these vehicles because over a certain speed the fins on the back would catch the wind and start to lift the rear end of the car.
These cars aged like fine wine totally agree
Nice survivor '59. I do not like this year but they are starting to grow on me. The flat top is the best looking besides the station wagon. Love the natural enthusiasm. You asked me in another video about what cars I would like to see here. Please add these to you list. I know that all are not possible but... The 1957 Nash Ambassador Custom (last year for Nash), 1961 Rambler Ambassador Custom, 1959 Ford Fairlane 500 Galaxie (no need to search for a retractable or convertible, 4 door are fine), 1957 Olds 98 - the dash looks jewelry like to me. I am not one to expect. I enjoy all makes and styles of the '50s and '60s, especially the chrome laden '50s. I like that you have fun with this. Thanks.
I’ll look for those as well =)
@@What.its.like. Thanks and a '60 T-Bird? I'm just throwing some makes I like out there, not demanding or expecting anything more than what you can do, so please take it that way.
No worries I ask to get ideas lol and if I come across those I’ll do them... =) plus want to do cars people want to see.. the crazy thing about 58 third which the 60 falls into is a unibody car but still weighs like 5,000 lbs it’s crazy the me.
My first car in 1977 was a mint '59 Chevy Impala 2 door Hardtop a gift from my mom I was 17 years old but I wrecked it & I bought 2 more '59 Impala 2 door hardtops in 1979 & 1998. I want another '59 Impala my dream car is the convertible. But I always liked the 4 door flattop '59 Impala that overhang roof was interesting. I used to see those everyday back in the 1960's when I was a kid. I wouldn't mind getting a flat top. '59 is my favorite year Chevy I was born in '59. I'm old & yes the '59 Chevy's were controversial & not everyone liked the style it was loved & hated & Ford outsold Chevy in 1959.
The 58 Impala was still the basic Chevy body with a shortened roof. Ford was the one who introduced '2 car lines' in the low price field late 50's - the Custom had 2" less wheelbase than the Fairlanes. The Edsel was a Ford (Ranger/Pacer) or a Mercury (Corsair/Citation); totally distinct bodies. In the early 50's there was a 'small' Plymouth and of course the upper manufactures often split wheelbases (Mopar) and even bodies (GM). If you look at say, 1953/4, there was a lot of variation @ GM. In 59 of course the big rationalization took place - and everything followed from the Buick front door as the story goes. The Bel Air BTW was sold through 1975 in the US, though not that many in the latter years. Biscayne lasted through 1972. Finally, saw this in another video - those dogleg windshields tended to crack knees, which was something you don't have to worry about in say a Mopar, which never really adopted the style. They were not considered ease of entry/exit: the w/s post was pushed back not the door entry forward. If you had a straight post that entire intrusion would not be there.
Awesome information thank you so much for sharing i got to see an Edsel today at the Cleveland car show love those cars..
1958 Chevrolets were general motors 50 year anniversary. The 58 Chevy was offered in more color combinations that year than any other time. That design was the most unique of all time.
Thank you so much for sharing that information =)
The '58 was a one year only design because the 58' look was supposed to be introduced in 57. Circumstances prevented it. That's why the 59 was dramatically different.
For sure, one of my most favorite chevies this, and the Kingswood of all the 1950s chev. lines. To me the'rs an irony. Cadillac as Top Brass. Chevrolet as Private. In many design ways, the (lowly) chev was as brassy, dazzling and extreme as it's commander-in-chief Cadillac. Chev's bat wings and cats eye t/lights. Cadillac's soaring darting tail fins and quad after burner t/lights. Just to name a few features of similar design elements. Overall the General's whole 59 line up is stunning, and I'm a Mopar man. Cheers
That’s the irony of my channel to me I’m ford fan... or was I should say I like them all... but I could never and still understand why someone would buy a bmw Mercedes or Land Rover ranger rover... I’m just a regular guy but even if I won the lottery I wouldn’t buy one of those makes.. and just don’t get it... they cost a fortune to fix even oil changes are costly... sorry that was a bit random just been on my mind...
@@What.its.like. Yeah dude, was just having a giggle with metaphors. As I say, I'm a Mopar man. But a car nut of all cars around the globe. Cheers
Great info. Thanks for posting.
Thank you so much for watching glad you dig that episode =)
Thanks Wit.
My family had a 59 Chevy 4 door.
I think it was not an Impala.
The ElCamino was essentially a pickup truck. Although it looked like the Impala car and was based on it.
Thanks for sending the link. This is my favorite Chevy, really love the convertible. One thing I heard about the fin design was, as the speed increased the air flow would lift the rear making it very unstable at highway speed. It's something I heard don't know if true
I’ve also heard that but I’ve never driven one I hope to drive one sometime soon but definitely gonna hit this again that’s for sure.
There’s something about the 59 Chevy that just looks better then the 57, I think it’s how long, low, and sleek it is and I love the almost cat eye like tail lights and the sideways tail fins.
Go buckeyes 🙌 watching from Ohio Smitty out 👋👋👋
The Bel-Air was not discontinued in 1958. It ran all the way up to nineteen seventy-two.
Thank you for that correction
I need to update this episode where I got a lot of information in the early days that site Notorious for wrong information
Flat top is a nickname for that specific GM roof, Sport Sedan was Chev's name for 4 hdtps. from '56 on up.
Awesome thank you so much for that correction =)
As cool looking as they were, the GM X-frame cars like this 59 Chevy, were notoriously dangerous.
Especially side impact
@@What.its.like. Also the fins could have the same effect as an airplane wing and lift the car off the road. 🥺
General Motors was on the forefront of roof and cabin technology for decades: witness the Turret-Top styling of 1934, encasing the entire roof in steel; or the two door pillar-less "Hard-Top Convertible" for 1949. For 1959, General Motors would take the next step towards letting the outside in, and would introduce its short-lived, now-legendary flattop roof-line across all five of its American car divisions. Some point to designer Bud Sagano's roof treatment on the Pontiac Strato Star concept car for the 1955 General Motors Motorama as a starting point for the flattop, although on the concept car the rear quarter windows wrap around the back as slender C-pillars ride inboard of the shapely rear fenders. Rumor has it that Harley Earl had originally wanted the roof material to be made of stainless steel, but his experience with the 1957-1958 Cadillac Eldorado Brougham put an end to that idea, for cost reasons.
Clare MacKichan, Chevrolet's chief designer in those days, was the one who pushed to have the flattop idea produced for the all-new 1959 models. As it was developed, it was known in-house as either the "Cantilever" roof line or the "Flying Wing"; today, popular culture has settled on the terms "flattop" or "vista" as suitably descriptive.
The goal was to have the roof floating above the car in production and in advertising, every General Motors marque had a different name for what was the same basic concept, none of them particularly snappy: Chevrolet stuck with the name Sport Sedan for its flattops; Pontiac tacked the Vista name on after each model; Oldsmobile called its version Holiday Hardtop; Buick referred to it simply as a four-door hardtop, and Cadillac's versions were designated "four-window" models.
Many people recall that once Chrysler introduced the longer-lower-wider "Forward Look" on the 1957 models, General Motor's own upcoming 1958 lineup was judged to look dowdy and lumpy by comparison. Instead of limping through to 1960 with a hopelessly outdated look, General Motors took out a clean sheet of paper and sought to out-longer, out-lower and out-wider Chrysler's Forward Look with an all-new body design.
That meant a crash program to get the 1959 models in shape. Buick was first to get its styling out, so the other divisions had to work around the basic package and dimensions that Buick had designed; each division had its own power-trains, wheelbases, but Buick's body shell treatment was the basis for the rest of General Motor's 1959 - 1960 lineup. The five divisions even shared the same glass. The A body had traditionally been used by Chevrolet and Pontiac. The B body was for standard Oldsmobile and Buick, and the C body was reserved for Cadillac, and the top-of-the-line Oldsmobile 98 and Buick Roadmaster models. This hierarchy was abandoned during the crash program to offer the new 1959 models. The lack of time from concept to showroom necessitated all five Divisions to use the same basic body structure. And for the first time ever, all three of them would have two separate and distinct four door hardtop bodies.
In the 1950's and 1960's, skyscrapers built in cities nationwide were generally of the International Style and what better symbolized the postwar prosperity of America like the skyscraper. So General Motors went and applied the International Style to its four-door hardtops to considerable success.
General Motor's flattop sedans were very much in keeping with the International Style that was exploding across the country at that time. The idea with the flattop was to let as much light into the cabin as possible while still offering the protection and security of a steel top. This meant true hardtop construction, thin pillars, and front and rear glass that wrapped around a full 90 degrees; all contributed to an airy-feeling cabin, despite marginally diminished headroom. The pillars were plainly garnished with only a chrome finish. And that roof looks as flat as the roof of any International Style structure you'd care to name. The flattop General Motors hardtops had their heyday in 1959 and in 1960 -- right in the heart of the postwar International Style building boom. The execution was elegant, yet had a dash of jet-age futurism about it. All windows were made of safety-plate glass. Traditional A-pillar angles reversed themselves: instead paralleling the rake of the windshield, the tops of the A-pillars actually jutted forward slightly, so that the Vista-Panoramic windshield wrapped around and would be able to offer 1,711.8 square inches of outward visibility -- more than any competitive four-door car at the time. The wrap-around glass was designed to eliminate blind spots at the traditional A-pillar location. The roof-line was lower, but seats were also mounted lower to compensate.
The wrap-around windshield was used on other full-size body-styles in 1959 and 1960, but they took on greater significance with the rest of the flattop treatment. The forward-jutting A-pillar gave the look and feel of forward motion, a feeling reinforced by the angle of the C-pillar. The rear window wrapped around, with C-pillars even thinner than the A-pillars to improve visibility. A small overhang over the back window was ostensibly there to help keep the heat off the rear passengers, but also had the effect of seeming to fly off the car, such was its velocity. Helped by the long body and tail-fins, the roof-line made the car appear to be moving, even when sitting still.
Chevrolet started out with two models for the 1959 model year: the Bel Air Sport Sedan and the Impala Sport Sedan. "Introducing Chevrolet's glamorous new model, fashion star of the Impala series!" said the divisional brochures. "Note the distinctive design of its roof-line, extending over the wide rear window, adding rear seat headroom. Yet Chevrolet's body, despite its light new look, is actually stronger!" The only marque to offer the wrap-around rear glass with a six-cylinder engine, Chevrolet sold a whopping 182,520 cars between the Bel Air and Impala nameplates in 1959.
Oldsmobile called its new-for-1959 style the "Linear Look," a shape that is, best exemplified by the Holiday SportSedan's unique, fleet roof line and full wrap-around rear window. Exceptional visibility make this smart style note a rousing success from the passenger's point of view."
Cadillac was often the marque to start fashion trends, which then would trickle down into other General Motors divisions, such as tail fins. With tail fins at their literal and figurative peak in 1959, Cadillac received the flattop treatment at the same time as all of the other divisions. There were two flattop versions of Cadillac's four-door hardtop the first was a four-window design and a six-window that was more conventional in design. The Series 62 and the second was in the Sedan De Ville: the "four-window" (the cars we are discussing here) and the "six-window" with a rounded, more conventional C-pillar. The four-window 1959 Series 62 sedan sold 14,138 examples, while a four-window Sedan de Ville sold 12,308.
Full-size Chevrolet models were not listed individually, but between the two Sport Sedan lines (Bel Air and Impala) a total of 169,016 were built and sold. While Pontiac added a line -- the sporting Ventura -- and sold 32,710 Catalina Vistas, 28,700 Ventura Vistas, 14,856 Star Chief Vistas, and 39,037 Bonneville Vistas. Oldsmobile's three-hardtop lineup continued, with 43,761 entry-level Dynamic 88 Holiday hardtops, 33,285 mid-line Super 88 hardtops, and 27,257 98 Holiday Hardtops sold. Oldsmobile dimpled its C-pillar trim for the year, boasting, "This smartly notched rear roof pillar is readily identified as a distinctive Oldsmobile touch on the Holiday SportSedans." Buick built 15,300 Invictas, 35,999 LeSabres, and 14,488 Electra four-door hardtops. For the 1960 model year, Cadillac's four-window sales slid: 9,984 Series 62 four-windows, and 9,225 Sedan DeVille four-window models were sold.
Today, nearly 60 years on from their launch, it's easy to see that these were some of the most forward-thinking hardtop designs of their era and their styling holds up today, despite being very much of its time.
By 1961 General Motors was indeed at the peak of its size and influence. For 1961 General Motors restyled all its senior cars and launched a line compact cars that were slightly more upscale which in turn gave General Motors the busiest new-product year in its history. The 1961 General Motor's full-size cars were all new, and substantially less flamboyant than their wild, tail-finned predecessors. But 1961, would see at least a partial return to normalcy, with a new B body (that had Chevrolet and Pontiac sharing structures with the regular Oldsmobile and Buick). The new C body occupied its traditional spot in the lineup, serving only the top-of-the-line Oldsmobile and Buick models along with Cadillac. And for the first time ever, all three of them would have two separate and distinct four door hardtop bodies. Cadillac’s Fleetwood Sixty Special which featured a third version of a four-door hardtop that was not shared with any other division.
Due to a brief recession in early 1961, automobile output slips to 5.4 million cars produced. For Rambler (in the number 3 spot) and Plymouth (in the number 4 spot) both would slip back to lower production numbers in the coming years. This allowed Pontiac to move up into third place in 1962 and Pontiac would remain there for the rest of the decade.
The jet-age roof-line of the 1961 Electra four door hardtop would disappear after this one year. The customers chose the six window version (which Buick called the Riviera Sedan in 1961) by a nearly two-to-one margin over the four window version, which was simply called the “four door hardtop”?
So much information thank you so much for sharing again
Wasn't the 1958 impala a trim level of the Belair? Then made a stand alone model in 1959. I know they did a similar thing with the Caprice as an Impala trim in 65, making g it its own nameplate in 66.
1957 was that last year bel air was top of the heap
great review
goofy car, like the folding seats
Thank you =) I’m glad you liked review
Have you seen the new Hyundai SantaCruz? It’s essentially a Hyundai Sonata with a pickup truck back end.
Yeah I saw that it looks like a Subaru baha
I would drive this car daily
I can dig it
That’s a flattop! Looks like it came from a hot, humid part of the country. Interior chrome badly corroded, dash pad is warped and burned and those protective clear plastic seat covers have burned themselves into the seats probably ruining the seats. It’s a Powerglide which is a good thing. The 1957-1961 Turboglides were junk! Most transmission shops refused to work on them and would convert them to Powerglide. Clean up that car a bit, pull off those fender skirts and it would look much better!
Love the "Batwing and Cat-eye" '59 & the '60 "Gull-wings" as well. Question, how tall are you? Was wondering because I was interested on your take about getting in and out of the front seats, with that massive wraparound windshield. Most people knocked their knees on the dog legged A pillar.
I’m 6’2 this video was done awhile ago I’m starting changing all the thumbnails I like the old ad depictions of the cars I’ll do another one in the future show interior like we do them now with me sitting in there. I never had an issue getting in or out of that car top three hardest ones that I’ve been in so far 56 thunderbird 1973 jag xke and the 328 Ferrari
I never hit my knee off of the dog leg that helps me get into the car without that type it be impossible to get in the jag the door sill on that car was ally like a 55 Mercedes gull wing plus interior space is small. The interior was big on the impala.
I think I’m going to show getting into the cars because that is huge to know weather or not the car is for someone. Classic car review channels that feature stuff like this one does don’t exist and I can’t be the only one into these cars that wants to drive them and keep them going instead of being locked up in museums =)
@@What.its.like. Dude! Love the work. As a guy who's 6'5" and 290, I always wonder about the entry and exits of these classic cars. I know they have a ton of room on the inside, it's just a matter of being able to get in and out of it! I did sit in a '55 Thunderbird.... Once! Probably never gonna happen again!
Love the in depth review you do and the up close and detailed look at the dashboards, how they work and their overall designs. Just things most people never get to see, and things those who have those cars, never show.
If you ever make it to Jersey for a review, let me know. Would love to tag along if possible.
Yeah I’d love that there is a guy with a massive collection on Long Island but that’s 13 hours from her I want go so bad money has been tight
Do you ever go to Hershey in the fall time maybe we could meet up then if you want I love that car show and I plan on going out there for a couple days hopefully if everything goes great I went to Carlisle it wasn’t what I expected it to be but I also reviewed the Tucker that trip it was a guy that reached out to me one of the cabinet made it so I built a cabinet and drove out there with a long busy day.
I should say that going into every episode so that you know about the size of a person that I am 6’2 around 240lbs 34 waist because that makes a huge difference how the car fits you and it’s what nobody else shows I mean even the big channels don’t show that.
I wanted to make an impressive automotive channel for anybody that’s looking to buy a classic or a vintage car I try to be as detailed as I can possibly be because I think of it as what information would I like to know if I wanna buy a car like this I need to start saying if it’s a 6V car or 12 V car there was some confusing electrical systems use some people use positive grounds and I think the reason I didn’t start doing that is because it’s a rabbit hole.. I tried to give as much information as I possibly can without going down to many rabbit holes.
It was worst then a Corvair. The X frame made Tbone Collusion extremely dangerous.
The hard top was as bad as a roll over in a convertible.
The frame was a narrow left over from the 50's frames with lots of overhang.
I’ve seen some really wicked crash test with those.. I wonder what the thought process was
Lots of young people might not know how to use a crank operating window. 🤭 Same thing for a manual transmission.
Just like to show how things work =)
Edsel were there own division.
Yeah I can’t wait to share that story here I’m a huge Edsel fan
The Bel Air line discontinued in 1974 not 1958
Yes thank you for that correction
Chevy used the same body across the line wheather it was a bel air or a impala.....just more chrome depending the option....pontiac had 2 completely different model lines for full size line bonneville and starchief was the "long wheel" base or the catalina line which was the "short wheel" base model......chevy used the same body to save money unlike other gm lines who had diff bodys for diff model lines.....chevy was the poor mans car at this time so chevy saved a penny any where they could they seen no reason to make diff bodies for diff lines when they could just doll up what they had with more chrome.....also those knee knocker windshield posts are a pain in the a** to get in and out of without bashing you knee on em all the time.....
Awesome thank you so much for sharing that information =)
Nice parts car.
They sold that one fast like within a week or two and got what they were asking it was sweet car had that patina look
He rear looks like a cat
I dislike the 1959 Chevy. The fins exposed the driver to actually lifting the car off the road. Death trap. The 1960 wasn’t much better.
Añetete la erea lopi .
1960 epoka de chegrolet socio