LS3-powered ’68 Impala Has the Power to Back Up Its Looks
Old-model Impala proved it is all show and all go at the 16th annual Rides, Rods & Relics in Redondo Beach, California.
Well, the 16th annual Rods, Rides & Relics show has come and gone. The invite-only (to display) event, which benefits Miller Children’s & Women’s Hospital is always chock full of vintage GM iron. But in recent years, the event, held on the Redondo Beach Pier in Redondo Beach, California, has seen more than its fair share of restomods, which, of course, is right up our alley. Like this 1968 Chevy Impala, for instance.
Don’t get us wrong, we love vintage muscle. But more often than not, midcentury classic bark is worse than its bite. In the late ’60s, Chevy was on a stylistic roll. Every car they offered, from the lowly Corvair to their nine-passenger station wagons, had sexy, Coke-bottle styling that looked fast standing still. But even with a massive 427 cubic inch V8, your run-of-the-mill Impala SS wouldn’t exactly be considered quick by today’s standards.
The past and present, together at last
We have a good feeling that that isn’t a problem for Prince A. Herzog’s ’68 Impala convertible. Parked on the pier for Rods, Rides & Relics, this all-custom drop-top would be considered a pure land rocket if it time-warped back to the Space Age. Finished in Arrest-Me Red with a modern matching interior, it certainly looks the business. And the contrasting black top and hideaway headlights are just icing on the cake. With big cross-vented discs peeking out from behind the chrome rims, it looks like it has serious stopping power too.
That’s good, because under that massive hood lies an LS3 V8 from a C6 Corvette. It’s funny, the 430-plus horsepower (well, stock) small block looks positively tiny in that massive engine bay. In contrast, the hottest 427 you could get in a ’68 Impala topped out at 425 horses. The LS3 is lighter, more efficient, reliable, and offers a lot more tuning options if your end result is insane horsepower numbers.
To us, Prince’s car is the perfect marriage of past and present. Not only does his Impala look like it can live up to its wild styling, but it’s also probably one hell of a comfortable driver. It’s enough to make us want to find a needy base car and a spare LS and start a new project.
Photos by LS1Tech Editor Derin Richardson
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