Stunning 1963 Chevy Impala Wagon Takes Home SEMA Design Award: Video
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A stunning custom 1963 Chevy Impala wagon caught the attention of General Motors at the recent 2021 SEMA Show, earning it the coveted Chevy SEMA Design Award in the Designer’s Choice category.
This two-door 1963 Impala wagon was built by Brady Ranweiler of Minnestoa-based restorations shop Show Cars Automotive. The car started out life as a run-of-the-mill 1963 Impala wagon four-door before Ranweiler chopped the rear doors, reshaped the body and installed custom front, side and rear window glass from A&M Hot Rod Glass – transforming it into a classically styled sports wagon of sorts.
Underneath that beautifully sculpted bodywork is a one-of-a-kind Art Morrison chassis, while a 509 cubic-inch Chevy Big Block engine (bored out from 409 cubic inches) powers the rear wheels. The interior is just as impressive as the outside, featuring a custom treatment with reupholstered dark red leather bucket seats, chrome trim, a custom steering wheel and a chrome metal shift knob. The gloss black-painted wagon also rides on one-off wheels from EVOD Industries, which are wrapped in sticky Pirelli tires and hide a set of 14-inch Wilwood performance brakes.
Ranweiler’s 1963 Chevy Impala wagon always impresses at custom car shows. It also won the 2020 Ridler Award at the Detroit Autorama last year, which is widely viewed as the highest honor in the custom car scene, and also won the 2020 Battle of the Builder’s competition at last year’s online-only SEMA360 show.
“This two-door, 1963 Impala wagon was built by Show Cars Automotive and took home the Chevy SEMA Design Award in the Designer’s Choice category at the 2021 SEMA Show,” the automaker said of Ranweiler’s unique custom creation. “The car features an original iron-block 409 engine, customization throughout, and was also the winner of the 2020 Ridler Award and the 2020 SEMA Battle of the Builders competition.”
Check out the video embedded below for a complete walkaround of this stunning 1963 Chevy Impala wagon courtesy of Chevy’s own internal blog, The Block.
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Amazing. Let’s go for a ride!
54 years … a 54 year old “humble station wagon” nicely customized stole the show. 54 years from now I doubt you’ll see a Tahoe, Blazer, Explorer, Ram, etc being customized for show. Now, all of you who “hate” the idea of a station wagon and are critical of station wagons … you can’t beat one of the best automotive classes ever designed an sold ever. And GM especially owned the station wagon segment, GM get back to your roots, and do it soon.
Yep, wagons are cool and in the last 47 years, I’ve owned over 50. As for your comment about Tahoes. Blazers, Explorers, etc being customized…check out the truck shows around the country. Thousands are being customized from backyard builds to high-end shops doing them and the market for trucks is the darling of the specialty aftermarket. Many are being built to the tune of hundreds of thousand$. I’ve been customizing Blazers, Trucks, and SUVs since my first in 1978, a 1966 Chevy Carryall. If it has an engine, a body, and rolls, it can be cool’d up. My family has been in the custom biz since 1932 and I’ve seen it all. Right now the industry is growing like crazy with an est revenue at $50B with a back end of another 50. But as for the 63 wagon in the article, it is indeed a high-end custom that really pushes the market into another universe.
I’ll be keeping my ’91 Caprice wagon, until the doors fall off. Put a thousand miles on her this year for utility jobs.
You can’t beat success, easy to get in an out of, better gas mileage than a suburban, and every other car you pass, you got the knowledge you’ve got what they actually want.
I’ve owned 4 of the fat wags with my first in 92. Great cars for whatever and customizing. Since 1975 I’ve owned more than 50 wags. My ’92 Buick that was converted to a sedan delivery was featured in the book “America’s Coolest Station Wagons.” I want to buy a 96 Caprice wag someday.
We had a new 1991 and when it was announced 1996 was end of the line couldn’t find one available. Luckily dealer had a ’95 on lot. This was end of Sept ’95. Seemed ’96s were all spoken for. Great cars. Could do it all.
Agreed, I’ve took quite a few hits over the suv vrs the humble station wagon. The SUV owners don’t want to own the fact that their vehicles (with not too many dern exceptions) offer up plenty of sport, but dern near no utility if you really be critical. The Buick Encore is a prime example, looks nice, offers great value, but can’t pull your kids radio flyer wagon.