Back when Chevrolet had over 50 percent market share in the early to mid 1960s, cars like this classic 1962 Impala were why. The styling department turned out one smash hit after another. Chevy II, Impala/Bel Air/Biscayne, and Corvette — they got better looking every year.

All the ‘61 full-size cars from General Motors were remarkably handsome. It was perhaps the first time where each division got its designs perfect in the same model year. The classic 1962 Impala would have to be pretty special to trump the ’61.

And Bill Mitchell’s design team nailed it. The grille and tail were revamped. The magnificent sports roof (or bubble-top as it is now known) was relegated to the lower trim lines, giving the less expensive models a specialty look.

The Impala got a more formal roof, one that looked like a steel version of a convertible top.

No, it’s not a 427 Mystery Motor or a Rat, but a Blueprint Engines LS. The builder left the timeless lines alone and even added larger-than-stock chrome Rally wheels to keep the original flavor. (Photo by Scott Parker)

Big Chevy sales jumped from about 1,205,000 in ’61 to an incredible 1,424,000 units. The ’62 was classy and timeless. It was one of the most sought-after big Chevys when new and remains in demand today.

Joe Poss is one of those folks who can’t get enough of the ’62 Chevy. He had a ’58 for a long time, but is in love with the Impala you see here. It was built by Gearhead Garage in Sacramento, California, and Joe bought it at the height of the Covid-19 pandemic.

No Expense Spared

No expense was spared in the build. A Roadster Shop chassis with an independent rear suspension and rack-and-pinion steering is the foundation. It had air suspension when Joe purchased it, but he swapped that out for Ridetech coilovers at all four corners.

Corvette C7 brakes are employed, which makes stopping this monster easy. Aiding in braking and handling are fat Michelin tires — 275/45R18s in the back and 245/45ZR18 up front — and they are mounted on oversized chrome Rally wheels (10.5-inches wide aft, 8.5 fore. Amazingly, they rears fit in the stock wheelwells without any modifications.

The interior was also reimagined. Lexus front seats were added for maximum comfort on the long hauls. They and the rear bench were treated to matching custom hides. Tan German weave carpet covered the floor, and was extended to the trunk area. A one-off console sits between the front buckets and holds the power buttons for all the windows, including the vent glass.

Power locks, Vintage Air climate control, and a high-end stereo are all present and accounted for. Gauges are Auto Lites from Auto Meter, including a 160 mph speedometer and 10,000 rpm tach. We dig the air vents built into the kick panels and center stack. An ididit steering column and smaller-than-stock wheel guide the B-body down the highway on the Impala’s many long journeys.

Making It Move

Power comes from a 580-horsepower 427 LS from Blueprint Engines. The intake has a 105mm throttle body on a stock Chevy intake, and factory heads are used. Keeping things from boiling over is a Be Cool Radiator with dual electric fans. The plant is mated to a 4L65 overdrive transmission.

The body remains completely stock, which is fine by us. Accentuating these timeless lines are all the original factory brightwork and Ford Toreador Red Metallic paint. Poss loves that if you somehow threw 14-inch wheels on the car again, it would look basically stock.

Hey, 1.4 million customers when new couldn’t have been wrong, right? And don’t get the idea Joe’s Impala is some sort of trailer queen. He drives it everywhere, both near and far.

“In September of 2001, we did the Barrett-Jackson road tour in the car,” Poss said. “We started out in Scottsdale, Arizona, and drove to Tacoma, Washington. It was absolutely awesome. The car gave zero problems whatsoever. It did burn a lot of gas … ”

Carrying all that fuel was a Stainless Steel Tanks 22-gallon fuel tank.

“I’ve got a long range with the car,” said Joe, who says the car gets 15-16 mpg. “I made a few minor changes when I bought it — it had Air Ride in the back and I put in coilovers. I changed the transmission controller, I added cruise control. When I bought the car, it even had a rear window defroster.”

So modern is this hot rod that the rearview mirror even has an outside thermometer, a compass, and garage door opener.

The gentleman who built the car actually used it as his daily driver, putting around 8-10,000 miles on it before he died. Joe saw the car on eBay and bought it from the previous owner’s family, and while it is not Joe’s everyday transportation, he has no qualms about piling on the mileage.

We think this classic 1962 Impala is going to see thousands more miles with Joe behind the wheel. It just drives too beautifully for him to stop.