1958 Chevy Impala

1958 CHEVY IMPALA HAS BOLD NEW STYLING
How do you follow up a winning 1-2-3 punch like the Tri-Five Chevys? By taking styling in a whole new direction, just like the 1955 did in its day. First off, the Impala name was totally new, being placed on top of the Bel Air lineup, until now the premium trim level. The ’58 had a decidedly squarer look to it, and it was longer, lower and wider. Like before, all models, body styles and trim levels shared the same sheetmetal from the A-pillar forward. The Impala was offered only on top of a Bel Air coupes and convertibles, and they were actually different than the lesser models of the same body styles. Impalas were given a shorter greenhouse with a longer rear deck, and a longer wheelbase than lesser models, even though the overall lengths remained the same.

A NEW CHASSIS FOR THE 1958 CHEVY IMPALA
With the new body came an entirely new frame. Gone was the old-style perimeter frame of the Tri-Five Chevys. In its place was an elaborate, and heavy “Safety Girder X-Frame”, claimed to increase torsional strength, but done to accommodate a lower cabin floor, and a lower body overall. Coil springs were used to suspend all four corners, taking the place of the older-style rear leaf springs. Ride quality and handling were greatly improved over the earlier Tri-Fives.

1958 CHEVY IMPALA STYLING CUES
The Impala was the first Chevy to have quad headlights, a trend that spread quickly industry-wide, and didn’t subside again until about 1968. Instead of tall vertical fins like the 1957, the ’58 had deeply sculpted read quarters that gave way to graceful little winglets that ended at the new triple-round tail lights, a cool new Impala styling cue. Less models got only 2 tail lights, and wagons only one. The 1959 Chevy Impala was decked out in highly detailed chrome trim, all very ‘Jet Age’ in appearance.

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1958 Chevy Impala INTERTIORS

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1958 Chevy Impala ENGINES

1958 CHEVY IMPALA ENGINE OPTIONS
The standard engine was the 235 ‘Stove-Bolt Six’, but for only $107 more, you could get a V8! 283 small blocks (called Turbo Fire V8s) which ranged from 2-barrel engines making 185hp to the 290hp “Fuelie” version (with Rochester mechanical fuel injection), a rare and very valuable option today. But the top line engine was the W-series 348 Turbo Thrust V8, easily recognizable by it’s oddly-shaped valve covers (they’re not square, they look like the letter “E” laying on its side). Built on a heavy duty truck block it came in 3 flavors: 250hp, 280hp and 315hp.

ABOVE & BELOW: The top-rated engine in the 1958 Chevy Impala was the 348 Tri-Power V8. With three 2-barrel carburetors, Chevy’s first big block produced 315 horsepower, a stellar number in 1958. These early W-series Mark I Big Blocks are easy to spot: they have those oddly-shaped valve covers, sort of like a flattened letter “M”, and they have an interesting history and mechanical treatise. Check out our page on the Chevy Big Block V8 engine.

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1958 Chevrolet Impala SPECIFICATIONS

1958 CHEVY IMPALA PRODUCTION NUMBERS
1958 was a recession year in the US economy (where have we heard that before, right?). But Chevy still managed to sell 125,480 Impala Sport Coupes and another 55,989 Impala Convertibles. They made up just 15% of the total 1958 Chevrolet production for that year, alongside all the other models, body styles and trim levels. Overall it was a good year for Chevy. They regained their spot as the Number One Car Producer, ahead of Ford.