The full-size offering included not only the famous Bel Air, whose customer base was already solid but also the Impala, a new nameplate first presented to the world in 1956 as a concept. The car was now ready for mass production, so in 1958, it launched as a Bel Air version, being offered only as a hardtop and convertible.
The Impala was the top-of-the-line Bel Air version, sporting everything Chevrolet had to offer for this model year.
It’s the reason the 1958 Impala is a model collectors are drooling after, sometimes being ready to spend a small fortune to get their hands on an example with everything in tip-top shape.
The 1958 hardtop you see in these photos is exactly the opposite. The car exhibits a horrible shape, likely after sitting for a very long time under the clear sky, so its restoration isn’t a project aimed at the faint of heart. eBay seller i*find*u*flip, who has until now managed to save several other Impalas, acknowledges this isn’t a small project, emphasizing that the “car is rough in a lot of ways.”
It’s undoubtedly true, and the photos serve as living proof the car needs everything. It still flexes the hardtop trip, including the back seat moldings (incredibly rare on a 1958 Impala), and this could be its main selling point.
Otherwise, the floors are shot, the frame is rusty, the interior is wreaked, and the engine is no longer in the car. It’s hard to find too many good things about this Impala other than the complete hardtop trim and the fact that the vehicle stays in one piece.
As a big Impala fan, a 1958 model is the best possible thing, regardless of its shape. I don’t expect this project to remain available for too long, as connoisseurs love a first-year Impala and know how much it could cost if restored correctly. I’ve seen 1958 Impalas in tip-top shape and with all-original configurations surpassing $100K, but bringing this example back to such a condition requires an insane amount of work.
Despite the rough shape and the missing parts, the car has already attracted a lot of attention on eBay. It has already received eight bids, but the top $2,500 offer is not enough to unlock the reserve. Anyone who wants to take this Impala home and skip the fight can trigger the BIN option, which is available on the auction’s page for $8,100.
An in-person inspection could help a potential buyer decide if the car is worth a complete restoration, and you can find it parked in Everest, Kansas, waiting for the end of the auction.
