Hello SW Forum, Glad I found your site. We have a 1982 Chev Impala SW. My kids have driven this car to high school. My son wears a straw hat when he drives it! Unfortunately, the engine needs to be replaced. My husband and I are deciding what to do with it. What would you do? Fix, sell or scrap?
Tireman, Nice to meet you. We've had it since 2004. The interior is not in great condition: front seat torn and dashboard cracked. Otherwise, my husband has maintained the mechanics pretty well. I think it would be of value to someone, afterall there aren't many like it around. I hate to see it go to scrap.
to the group SCRAP? That's a four letter word around here! Hope you take some time to look us over and see that station wagons can be fun for the whole family. If you don't choose to restore yours just fix it up and make it a mild custom. Chevy engines are reasonably cheap and easy to work on. Glad you found us.
Model T, I want to see this car go to a good place, even if it's not with us. We have enjoyed family fun in this car. My daughter was in the band in high school and gave 3 sousaphone players a ride in it. She even wrote one of her college essays about this car. How do you fix the bad dashboard?
HI! You need to start checking older car parts magazines and maybe some hotrod type magazines from the grocery stores. There are complete dash replacement panels. Probably expensive. There are also dash covers. I had one on my older corvette just to protect it from the Florida sun. And you and you family can recover the old dash with vinyl or something else to match or contrast. Some go as far as grafting all or part of newer dashes on. There's always a way to save a worn out car. Even a decent used engine can be found at a "U-Pull-It salvage yard.
Model T, You sound like my husband! He will find a way to keep an old car running. I just wish he'd fix the interior!
pollybt!! Great advice given by Model T, here. As for seat repairs and anything fabric related, try SMS Auto Fabrics. Their website is very easy and all you need to do is send them your make, model and year along with a photo of your fabric and they will send you small samples of what they have for your particular car (if they do indeed have what you need) along with their price info. When I was restoring the cargo area (the "way back") of my 1975 Chevrolet Caprice wagon, they sent me samples of what they had for my wagon's carpeting and seat materials; they were all perfect matches. They also have interior door panels. Regardless of the condition of your wagon, I'm sure I speak for many here when I say, we wouldn't mind seeing a photo or two of your wagon. Good luck and keep at us with questions (and updates)! Matt
to the forum, Polly. If the body is in decent condition,..zero to hardly any rust, I'd consider a replacement engine. Chevy V-8's can be gotten cheaply...or even a new crate engine from GM. The interior can be worked on while the car is being used. From how you described it's use over the years, it sounds like your family has warm feelings for the old gal. Just do an overall evaluation, and estimate what it would take to make it road worthy within a budget. Just a thought, of course If you feel it's too much of an undertaking, then sell it to a worthy owner who'll do the right thing. I wouldn't scrap it. Jack
Welcome aboard! What to do with it? Depends on how much sentimental value you have. Almost anything is fixable with time and money. It's got to be pretty bad before folks around here consider scrapping a wagon.
Having trouble uploading my photos. :confused: Went to "edit station wagon" and selected "add image" "browse" to add 5 photos, but still can't see them. Any help?
Polly, thanks for the birthday wishes. I am older, but no wiser. I feel the love for this station wagon. That alone is reason to give a lot of thought before selling or scrapping it. Most of us are just regular working men and women. We do a little at a time on our vehicles as time and money determine. You can learn a lot and actually have fun restoring or just fixing up your wagon. Get the kids involved, even if they no longer live at home. It'll get them home to visit and perhaps one of them will keep it in the family after you no longer need it. Wander thru the other members pages and see what some have done and are looking forward to doing. Check out fannie's project and you will see that not all station wagons begin as mint vehicles. There are members driving and dreaming about vehicles with little or no interior and in need of engine and other parts. It's a hobby but also a way to have and enjoy something a little different then everyone else on your street.
Polly, and the Cat speaketh the truth 'bout most of us being regular folks. If I could make one suggestion to you that might get you started in the rite direction it would be to search out a good body shop in Atlanta that's been in that business for 30-40 years and go visit them. Not to ask them if they wanna fix your '82 Chebby but to ask them if they'd be so kind as to look in their Hollenders interchange Manual and see what years Chebby Impala dashes will interchange with your '82. I believe your Impala dash interchange starts in 1980 and I'm not sure how far up it goes, but I don't have a Hollenders new or old at my disposal. That publication has been around longer then most of us, andafter 50 years in the hobby I just happen to know about it. They ARE the Bible of all interchange manuals. Armed with that information you'll have a head start on what will work for you. And their are vinyl paints around that work very well to change the color of any dash you find to what you want it to be. If your headliner is shot you might also ask them who it the Atlanta area does headliners. The body shop more then likely does not, they Outsource that job. Wagons-Ho, Jer
