No, that’s not an El Camino. It’s a shorty Impala drag car. Photo taken from eBay.com.

When most people see a shorty drag car like the one pictured above, their first question is, “why would someone do that?” There will always be one of those old-school drag race guys in the crowd who knows why, though. See, back before drag racing became a high-tech million dollar endeavor, dominated by huge race teams with space-age technology, there were grass-roots drag racers who might not have had the most cutting edge equipment, but what many of them did possess was a welder and some gumption.

While the high dollar builds were using the lightest materials to save weight and launch down the track, home-built drag racers found another way to shed pounds. Such is the case with this 1963 Impala shorty drag car. As you can see in the pictures, this shortened racer was once a full size Impala that has been sectioned into an undersized 1/8th mile drag car.

If you’re wondering how someone would accomplish such a thing, there are clues that have been revealed by the current owner’s body work. Previously a four-door Impala, the fabricator cut the car in half and joined it back together, minus a door and roof. If you look at the peak of the roof panel, you can see the seam where the car was welded together, and you can follow that seam down the door. The fabricator will have undoubtedly sectioned the frame and had a custom driveshaft made as well.

This Impala happens to be for sale on ebay.com, and the seller claims to have bought the car from the original builder, who would drag race it in the 1/8th mile. Apparently, the seller drove it around for a week or so before removing the motor and trans to begin the body work. He now has it listed for $1,400, or best offer, because he doesn’t have the time to finish it. 

So, if you were considering purchasing a Smart Car, or Mini Cooper, take a look at this Impala first. It might not be as practical, but it sure would be more fun.