[ecoli]

i was thinkin about restoring a 66-67 impala as a driver , i was wondering on how it handles and how it drives. i know its a big car but is there anything you can do to greatly improve handling. i just dont want it to be like a tractor tailor and have to turn every corner wide. (id like to ask these questions for a 66-72 chevelle and 68-72 nova as well)?

 

[Ryan14]

Buy a good suspension system (shocks, springs, etc) and get good tires. That's all I can really think of. I'm not really keen on car stuff yet.

Also, keep the tires aligned well. You don't want too much camber or SAI. Toe in and toe out doesn't help either when trying to handle the car well.

 

[ToolManJobber]

The '66-'67 Impala is a fairly sharp handling car for it's size. Good weight distribution and balance. It is built for the freeway. Very comfortable and set up right, very fast. There are tons of aftermarket goodies you can obtain. Prices are reasonable also, it was a popular ride in the day. Here are a few links to search through for ideas.

 

[doodweremacar]

best thing for any car to handle better is stiffer springs stablizers and frame, for road use the car isnt it's self that bad, though it is a boat, as a daily driver just put on a good suspension kit good brand tires and if you want that little extra touch camber the wheels (this assuming since a restoration aint cheap, you have the cash to spare) you cant really do that much to such a long frame and you'll have to get a good balance (frame stiffness for drivability) because if you go overboard you're going to kill the tires as for the chevelle and nova, same advice, but it's a shorter frame and you can get that perfect balance easier. (this is if you're going modern look, personally i'd keep it as stock as possible, looser suspension so you can get that ass end out on the corner)

 

[Baron_von_Party]

You won't have to turn it like a truck. But it is a longer wheelbase than modern cars, or the Nova or Chevelle, so it'll turn different, no matter what you do to it, unless you want to shorten it, which would be dumb. They're OK to drive, you'd like it. The long wheelbase makes it handle bumps better than a shorter car, and they turn just fine.