Classic Wheels Spotlight: 1964 Chevy Impala SS

In 1986, Wanda Barnes needed a job. Her friend Mike worked at TGS National Warehouse, and she soon focused her efforts on getting employed there. Never relenting and following up three times with owner Ted Spyropoulos to hire her, he finally gave in and gave her a position working in his warehouse.

One day while working there, Mike took her into the warehouse and showed her the old cars Ted had stored back there. A Model T, a 1963 T-Bird, and a white, 1964 Chevy Impala. The cars were a repayment on a loan and had been stored in the warehouse for years.

According to Wanda, the Impala was sitting on bricks, and someone had stolen the tires. The radio was missing, too. She went to Ted and asked what he planned to do with the cars, specifically the Impala. He said, “that piece of crap!” and let it go at that. Wanda took some pictures of it, and periodically would ask him about the car, but he kept dismissing her requests.

If it was not obvious before, Wanda Barnes is persistent.

In 2014, Ted became ill. Wanda would go and visit him at his home during his illness. She asked him once again about the car, and he finally relented and said that she could have the car. Unfortunately, he passed away shortly afterwards. While at work, Ted’s wife called her into the office and gave her the title to the car. She told Wanda that her daughter wanted the Impala, but since her husband had promised Wanda the car, she planned to fulfill that promise.

At first, Wanda had to give the car a thorough cleaning, since it had sat in the warehouse for years, with the windows down. Then she set out to find some wheels for it and a factory radio. Wanda says her friend David did some repairs to get the car running.

Once it was running, Wanda drove the Impala for a couple of years, doing little repairs here and there. Wanda says she does some of the work on the car herself. She added white piping to the seats, which had been reupholstered prior to Ted getting the car. Little by little, the Impala SS was taking shape.

In 2019, Wanda decided that it was time for a complete restoration, which took approximately three years, partly due to COVID-19. Tony, at 87 Drop Down Classics in Chicago got the job. The body was stripped down to bare metal, and the driver’s side quarter panel and the trunk panels were replaced. Instead of going with the factory white color, Wanda opted for a Pearl Gray hue.

After a fresh coat of paint, all of the chrome and stainless body trim, the same ones that were installed at the factory, were put back on. Jermaine, from 87 Down Classics, made the interior trunk panels to match the red color of the seats and installed them. The spare tire is in there, but it sits behind the panel, on a shelf, under the back window.

The engine compartment has been cleaned up and painted matte black, just as it was from day one. Wanda says the original 283 engine has been replaced with a 350 cubic inch small block with 327 heads. Zeddie from Park Forest rebuilt the engine in 2023. An Edelbrock, 4-barrel carburetor sits on top. The points and condenser were updated to electronic ignition. The transmission is the original Turbo-Hydramatic 3-speed automatic, an option for SS models. The differential has been rebuilt by Chicago Driveline. The Impala still has factory drum brakes.

There are a few subtle upgrades you have to look for. The door handles are engraved, and the wheels are Chevy Rally wheels, painted to match the interior, with spinner center caps. Although the original radio was replaced, an aftermarket AM/FM radio has been installed under the glove box. Wanda says she has the factory hubcaps that came with the car.

Wanda, who is the vice president of Classic Impressions Care Club of Chicago, takes her SS to as many shows as she can. She likes talking to people about her Impala. Two years ago, she entered it in The World of Wheels Show at the Donald E. Stephens Convention Center in Rosemont, Ill., where she took 3rd place for Contemporary Hardtop. She has taken her car on a couple of road trips: The Hot Rod Power Tour, from Chicago to Champaign, and a trip to Memphis, Tenn., for the River Walk.

Wanda says she loves the Impala’s smooth ride and the feeling of accomplishment that she brought it back to life. She wants to keep her Impala as close to original as she can. After the car was fully restored, she took it to show to Ted’s wife, who said she was proud of the finished product, and she knew her husband would have been too.