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Stash of 1959 Chevrolet Impalas Emerges From the Barn, Waiting for a Second Chance

Barn finds are cool and all but the problem with classic cars that spend decades in storage is that they tend to become rust buckets. Some aren't worth saving but others are too desirable to be ignored by enthusiasts. The 1959 Chevrolet Impala is one of those cars.
1959 Chevrolet Impala barn find 7 photos
Photo: IowaClassicCars/YouTube
1959 Chevrolet Impala barn find1959 Chevrolet Impala barn find1959 Chevrolet Impala barn find1959 Chevrolet Impala barn find1959 Chevrolet Impala barn find1959 Chevrolet Impala barn find
Introduced in 1958, the Impala was already a popular rig in 1959, with Chevrolet moving more than 400,000 examples that year. A number that's big enough to render the 1959 Impala a very common classic nowadays.

But because many of them have been abandoned in junkyards and barns, pristine 1959 examples are actually not that easy to find. So many enthusiasts end up looking for barn-found examples that are still solid enough to be restored. If you're looking for a 1959 Impala project, the stash you see here might be a good place to start.

Documented by "IowaClassicCars," this mini collection of 1959 Impalas surfaced in Storm Lake, Iowa. They're part of a bigger classic car hoard that will be auctioned off during a yard sale after the guy who's been gathering them for years passed away.

The Impala stash includes no fewer than seven 1959 models, which is something you don't see every day. The collection is made of three two-door hardtops, two four-door hardtops, and two four-door sedans.

Not surprisingly given the long time they spent in barns, the Impalas are in pretty rough shape. But some of them still have engines under their hoods, while others are very complete in terms of trim and body panels.

The gold-painted sedan is one of them. While it has been repainted a long time ago, it's not only complete, but it also comes with solid floor panels. What's more, it still has its original 348-cubic-inch (5.7-liter) W-series V8 engine, which isn't very common nowadays.

There's also a four-door that has been prepped for restoration, most likely a project that the owner never got to finish. There's no engine and some of the interior is missing, but the body is in great shape and pretty much ready for a respray.

But don't let the fact that many of these 1959 Impalas are incomplete. The yard sale will also include a ton of spare parts, including interior trim, seats, taillights, and wheels. I'm pretty sure the barns have enough components to put all seven 1959 Impalas together. Or at least those that are worth restoring.

But this collection extends beyond these full-size rigs. I also spotted a 1970 Impala Convertible, as well as quite a few nice Chevrolets from the 1940s, including sedans and pickup trucks. But the nicest vehicle you'll see here is a 1961 bubble-top with original black paint and a rare front grille guard.

While some of these cars might not get a second chance at life, our host is planning to buy at least a couple of them for parts. So maybe we'll get to see them come back to life in one of those "will it run?" videos. Meanwhile, check out this cool stash of 1959 Impalas in the footage below.

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About the author: Ciprian Florea
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Ask Ciprian about cars and he'll reveal an obsession with classics and an annoyance with modern design cues. Read his articles and you'll understand why his ideal SUV is the 1969 Chevrolet K5 Blazer.
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