Lowriders: Star Attraction at "Chevy Impala Heritage Tour"

FOR RELEASE: June 12, 2001

"Chevy Impala Heritage Tour" Cruises Across America's Western Region Showcasing Customized Lowriders That Pay Homage To Two Generations Of The Impala Legacy

THOUSAND OAKS, Calif. - It is impossible to miss them easin' down the highway with their wild modifications, outrageous designs, detailed personalization and ability to "slam". These vehicular works of art - aka "lowriders" - will be the star attraction of the "Chevy Impala Heritage Tour" that will cruise through Arizona, California, Colorado and Washington this year.

Two generations of the Impala legacy will be brought to life on the tour: a 1964 model, considered by enthusiasts to be the "finest cruising vehicle of all-time," and a 2001 model, which embodies the glory of today's technology and performance while maintaining the spirit of yesterday's "dream car."

The "Chevy Impala Heritage Tour" features the two customized lowriders and an Impala heritage wall on display at key Hispanic and popular community events.

The tour allows the public an opportunity to view the vehicles up close and receive a free memento - a washable tattoo (designed by a tattoo artist) or a custom poster of the vehicles in front of an artsy graffiti background. The first appearance of the "Chevy Impala Heritage Tour" will be June 16-17 at the "GM Pier Excitement" event at the Santa Monica Pier, and the tour will wrap up at an Hispanic concert at the Mandalay Bay Resort in Las Vegas on November 24.

"The 'Chevy Impala Heritage Tour' illustrates GM's dedication to Latino heritage and celebrates the historical beauty of the lowrider vehicle and culture," said Bill Beasley, regional divisional marketing manager for Chevrolet in the Western Region. "We look forward to sharing our customized twin Impalas with the community at more than a dozen events in the West this year."

The 1964 Impala lowrider has a front-engine, rear-wheel drive configuration with a 119.5" wheelbase, 62.0" front track, 61.5" rear track and has a curb weight of 3,678 lbs. The engine build stayed true to the original, a 350 cubic-inch small-block Chevrolet V8, along with the Muncie M21 four-speed manual transmission.

The body of the 1964 has chrome headlight eyebrows, side and rear tinted glass with an Impala logo, and a multi-colored "Chevy Impala Heritage Tour" mural on the hood. Black in color, the paint required a PPG two-stage base coat topped with a clear black exterior paint, then was color sanded and polished to its show quality finish. A remarkable exterior touch is the original '64 Impala SS body side moldings and the original, but restored, '64 SS trim.

The Goodyear Regatta P185/75R14 tires are complemented by Dayton Wheel Products 110-spoke, 14 x 7 reverse chrome knock-off wire wheels and triple diamond knock-off wheel centers.

A look inside reveals the original and restored black vinyl bucket seats with engine-turned aluminum inserts, an OEM sport wood steering wheel and Hurst Competition Plus shifter. A console-mounted digital four-switch Air-Ride control panel was added.

Suspension on both the 1964 and 2001 models is similar including Air-Ride Technologies Ride-Pro four-way digital air suspension control system and black-max compressor, 150 PSI switch and 3-gallon storage tank.

The customized 2001 Impala lowrider features a front-engine, front-wheel drive configuration with a 110.5" wheelbase, 62.0" front track, 61.3" rear track and has a curb weight of 3,577 lbs. From there, the build deviated from the stock 2001 Impala, and more cosmetic differences become apparent.

An L67 Supercharged Series II 3800 90-degree V6 engine (from a Pontiac Grand Prix GTP) was dropped in, affording the vehicle 240 horsepower and 280 ft. lbs. of torque.

On the inside, the trim color underwent a complete change from gray to ebony, including custom-trimmed leather with wood-grain appliques, as well as the swap to a Monte Carlo LS gage cluster and steering wheel.

Like the 1964 model, the 2001 has a black exterior. To create the look, the factory black exterior paint was topped with three additional coats of urethane clear, then color sanded and polished to a show quality finish. The hood features an identical "Chevy Impala Heritage Tour" mural and side and rear glass tinting with an Impala logo.

An artistic touch can be seen on the moldings. Body side moldings from a 1964 Impala SS were customized (and trimmed down) to fit the 2001's contours and door openings. Also, the body side moldings are painted and have fascia rub strips. Chrome-plated headlight bezels and grille assembly stand out, as does the Wheel To Wheel fabricated "Impala SS" rear spoiler assembly. A Wheel To Wheel fabricated 3" diameter stainless-steel exhaust is visible along with the stainless steel tubular headers, Corsa 2 3/4" round polished exhaust tips, and the Pontiac Grand Prix supercharged 3800 aluminized steel mufflers. On the back end, the taillight panel is blacked out and fitted with '64 Impala-style taillight trim.

A slight twist from its twin is seen on the 2001's wheels - Dayton Wheel Products 140 spoke 18 x 8 chrome knock-off wire wheels with Wheel To Wheel fabricated brackets and OEM calipers front and rear. The tires are Goodyear Eagle F1 GS D2 P245/40ZR19.

The brakes on the 2001 are cross-drilled 13 x 12.6-inch steel vented front rotors (12 x 0.43 inch rear) with aluminum hats. Conversely, the 1964 has an OEM four-wheel drum brake system.

"Chevrolet fans and lowrider lovers alike can appreciate the attention to detail that went into the making of these Impalas," said Beasley. "Not only does the exterior show a lot of unique cosmetic touches, but when one explores the interior, suspension and beyond, the flavor of the lowrider legacy shines through."

The Chevrolet Impala was first introduced at the 1956 Motorama Auto Show and was instantly dubbed the "dream car." Two years later, the first Impala rolled off the assembly line, and by 1965 it was setting a world pace in sales at over one million units a year. Over the years, the Impala underwent a series of redesign work, and saw the addition of Computer Command Control in 1981. In the late '80s, the Impala name was discontinued and replaced by Caprice. The Impala SS debuted in 1994 and was produced until 1996.

With the dawn of the millennium, the Impala name was brought back for an all-new midsize sedan with a long list of features, including standard ABS (for the Impala LS), available driver-side side-impact air bag, RoomFirst Design, the Total Performance System, and a comprehensive safety package. The 2001 Impala follows the same time-tested formula as its namesake predecessors. Impala brings the joy of driving back with performance, safety, fuel-efficiency, agility and comfort, and is designed, engineered and built to be carefree. There are two standard 2001 model choices offered: Impala Sedan and Impala LS. New for 2001 is the addition of OnStar and three exterior color options, Light Sandrift Metallic, White and Medium Bronzemist Metallic.