Where there’s a will, there’s a way – and that’s definitely the case when it comes to the custom car hobby. Despite living in Bermuda, where big V8-powered American classics fail to meet local regulations, enthusiasts Eugene Bothello and Patty Merritt continue to indulge their passion by traveling stateside. One of their latest projects is this 1959 Chevy Impala, which is powered by the LT1 V8 and sports an array of attractive custom touches.
Bothello was originally drawn to the 1959 Impala with a desire to do something a bit off the beaten path.
“I wanted to do something a little bit different than what you see out there, more of a hot rod, but with a ’59 Impala,” Bothello says.
After an extensive online search, Bothello eventually contacted BBT Fabrications in Illinois to build his dream Impala. Sean Smith Designs provided a series of renderings outlining some of the body modifications. Unfortunately, BBT Fabrications proprietor Troy Gudgel determined that the original vehicle sent for the build wasn’t up to snuff, but luckily, a similar 1959 was located and the build got under way.
Highlights include hand-built front and rear bumpers that look similar to the factory units, but are slimmer. The trim was pared down as well.
“We remade a lot of trim and just did things [GM] would do if they had an unlimited budget when they went to manufacture the car,” Gudgel said.
Now, the car presents in bare metal as a means of showing off the custom work, but the two-door will eventually get a repaint in Twilight Blue with black chrome sometime in the future.
Further highlights include a custom interior crafted from aluminum panels and leather upholstery, with Vintage Air climate control and Dakota Digital gauges. The LT1 engine connects to a Chevrolet Performance SuperMatic 8L90-E eight-speed automatic transmission.
Bothello and Merritt also own an LT1-powered 1952 Pontiac Chieftain, which, like this Chevy Impala, remains stateside. Now, it looks like the enthusiasts have another option to play with.
Source: The Block
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