Mysterious 1962 Chevy Impala SS 409 Found in a Parking Lot, Is It a True Lightweight Car?

While not as coveted as the Z11, the drag-spec SS 409 is quite the rare bird because only 18 cars reportedly left the Chevrolet factory. What's more, it seems that notably fewer of these "aluminum lightweights" are currently known to exist. This means that our chances of seeing one in the metal are very, very slim.

So I was quite surprised to see that YouTube's "Sean Roberts" stumbled into an SS 409 while "searching the back roads in Tenessee and Kentucky." He found the Impala resting alongside a couple of modern vehicles in a small parking lot, but is it a true-blue SS 409 racer?

Well, he can't get very close to the car and the footage could have been better, but the livery looks pretty authentic. The hood also includes the iconic "409 C.I." decals as well as a warning about its aluminum construction. On the flip side, the "Aces Wild" name on the doors doesn't seem familiar so we might be looking at a nicely made replica.

But even so, I wouldn't be disappointed with this find. Whoever put this thing together did a fine job and has one cool hot rod to brag about at the local cars and coffee. And if the engine under the hood is indeed a 409-cubic-inch (6.7-liter) V8, this Impala should have a solid punch. Perhaps even enough to give an original SS 409 a run for its money at the drag strip.

The story of the SS 409 began in late 1960 when Chevrolet announced plans to enlarge the W-series, 348-cubic-inch (5.7-liter) V8 to 409 cubic inches. Offered in single and multi-carb induction in the Impala SS for the 1961 model year, the engine quickly found its way on the drag strip.

Don Nicholson won the Stock Eliminator class at the 1961 NHRA Winternationals in a 409-powered Impala SS, adding to the car's 12 stock car wins that year. Unable to squeeze more power from the 409 V8 in 1962, Chevrolet focused on making the Impala lighter.

The company replaced the steel hood, fenders, inner wheel wells, and bumpers with aluminum components, shaving about 120 pounds (54.4 kg) off the heavy two-door coupe. The lighter front end also resulted in more weight transferred to the rear tires under acceleration, making the SS 409 quicker down the quarter-mile.

Chevrolet built a limited number of lightweight Impalas for high-profile drag racers, including Don Nicholson, Dave Strickler, Buddy Martin, Dick Harrell, and John Zintsmaster. In all, about 18 cars were upgraded with aluminum components, which makes it rarer than the 1963 Impala Z11, built in 57 examples.

Check out this mysterious SS 409 in the video below, starting from the 7:00-minute mark. Is this an authentic drag-spec Impala or just a well-made replica? Tell me what you think in the comments.