1965 and 1967 Impala Rebuilds

[fouadhafeez]

Assalam o Alekum Sir

Wow, N1J1M...looking good Masha Allah.

[fouadhafeez]

SIr ge i am looking forward to get my Fiat 600 car repainted..ANd by the looks of our chevys their paintjo is fantabulous..Can you guide me to paint workshop?? also the paint is clear-coat one?

Yes, sir...both paint jobs are clear overbase ones.

I got my paint job from Shahzad Autos in F-11. They went and painted it in a paint booth which is somewhere in G-12, or somewhere.

[fouadhafeez]

Mashalah ! Nice rides . . . . . .
are you from isd ? I think I've seen This black beauty in isd standing at a work shop where lots of other classic cars and jeeps were waiting for there turn to be rebuilt
if its the same car then its eye catching beauty on road

Yes, sir. This car was being built in Islamabad. It "belongs" to Pindi, though. And thanks for the kind words of appreciation.

[fouadhafeez]

ak se bhr bhr kr ak beauty or ab challanger anay ko he.MashAllah your all cars got some serious road precense

Thanks for the encouraging words, brother.

Challenger tau nahin aayi...but that's alright. Woh kiya kehte hain...tu nahin aur sahi...aur nahin, AUR sahi!

[fouadhafeez]

Bit of an Update (without photos, again! Bhool gaya tha...)

Ok...so the deed is done.

The '67 has undergone a heart transplant, and now has a 300 bhp 1UZ-FE VVTi throbbing away at its core I managed to make it to Islamabad in time for the first start, and by God is it looking beautiful...and sounding even better!

The 350 small block is going to get some TLC (replacing of the oil sump and tranny gaskets) and after a steam wash and some attention to the engine detailing, it's going to go straight into a crate for (indefinite) storage. Hopefully, it'll stay good for the time when I (or my son for that matter), decide to restore the car to stock.

Now...onto the 1UZ

This is an absolutely brilliant powerplant, and after having used it in the '65 Impala, my mind really didn't wander any further beyond it, as a choice. If there is ANY other engine that offers THIS much bang for the buck, I'm certainly unaware of it. 300 horses, 300+ pound-feet of torque, an absolutely brilliant 5 speed auto transmission, and a blood-curdling exhaust note, ALL at a very decent price...make this a very decent engine indeed.

Due to the (much) lighter weight of the engine, the nose of the car seems to have risen by a bit, as well...which makes the stance even better. Very much a case of where the car seems to be 'accelerating" even when at dead halt. Of course, the engine will be getting some more detailing bits, so as to make the innards of the engine bay nice and smexy. All of this, in the next couple of days to come, Insha Allah.

I find myself wondering...which will be the quicker car? With identical sizes, body weight, wheelbase, engines and transmissions, I suppose it'll boil down to the diffs and wheels. The '65 has Crown tubes front and rear (with all round disc brakes), while the '67 uses original diffs (and disc brakes up front). I have no idea how much of a difference tyre size will make. The '65 wears 16 inch wheels with 225/55/16 tyres, while the '67 wears 20 inch rims with meaty 295/40/20 rubber. It'll be interesting, getting the both of them in a straight line drag contest, for sure!

More updates, and pictures to follow!

[RN100]

Good job sir. Glad to see that Pakistanis like our American Cars. I have noticed that some Pakistanis with means, live more Americanized than us Americans of Pakistani background living in America. In my 23+ years in America, I have not seen any American of Pakistani or Indian heritage restoring and driving a classic American car as you have, maybe because we in America end up working 10-12 hours a day, and when we come home we still have to clean up the house, do the dishes, cook our own food, even the ones who are Medical Doctors and Engineers, professionals, cook their own food and live very humble lives, just like most other Americans do. Congratulations on a job well done. Only in Pakistan can you live better than an American and enjoy what America has made and done for humanity, computers, cars, airplanes, etc. , without having to work like an American, living in America.

[fouadhafeez]

Good job sir. Glad to see that Pakistanis like our American Cars. I have noticed that some Pakistanis with means, live more Americanized than us Americans of Pakistani background living in America. In my 23+ years in America, I have not seen any American of Pakistani or Indian heritage restoring and driving a classic American car as you have, maybe because we in America end up working 10-12 hours a day, and when we come home we still have to clean up the house, do the dishes, cook our own food, even the ones who are Medical Doctors and Engineers, professionals, cook their own food and live very humble lives, just like most other Americans do. Congratulations on a job well done. Only in Pakistan can you live better than an American and enjoy what America has made and done for humanity, computers, cars, airplanes, etc. , without having to work like an American, living in America.

It's very nice of you to leave a comment, although, if you permit me to say your comment does reek of condescension. Perhaps it could have been better worded, to sound complimentary without sounding critical, if indeed that was your intent. In its current shape, I really don't know whether to thank you for your appreciation, or take umbrage at your somewhat holier-than-thou insinuations, to be honest.

"You can live better than an American, and enjoy what America has made for the world, without having to work like an American, living in America" is judgmental and harsh, since you have absolutely no idea of how I work, or where I work, or what my rather frugal lifestyle is beyond this passion of mine. For that matter, you have no idea of how a very large majority of people in Pakistan who have a passion for such cars, work, or live, or exist. You're just generalising things.

And just to reassure you, Sir...not everything "American" is to my taste. The engine WAS American, and now IS Japanese, and I have to say it's far superior to its contemporary American powerplants.

Thank you for stopping by.

[sheikh_wah]

Your love to these vehicles and efforts for their restoration (in so many different dimension) is really impressive. May u (and ur son) b able to enjoy these beauties upto full extent. Wish u all the best.

[madhouse12]

just read this thread from first post to last. amazing work. saw the flamed impala at the F9 auto show as well. let me see if i can find its pics...

[fouadhafeez]

Your love to these vehicles and efforts for their restoration (in so many different dimension) is really impressive. May u (and ur son) b able to enjoy these beauties upto full extent. Wish u all the best.

Thank you. I'm obliged for your kind words and good wishes.

just read this thread from first post to last. amazing work. saw the flamed impala at the F9 auto show as well. let me see if i can find its pics...

Thanks for the appreciation, brother. Unfortunately, I wasn't able to take any pictures of the Impala at that show, myself. It'd be really nice of you to post some here.

[RN100]

Thank you Mr. Fouad Hafeez for a well worded reply. I had no intentions of any hurt. I appologize for any inconvenience. It is really a remarkable job that you have done on both the vehicles and I was really glad to see someone take such a huge project and do so well. May Allah Subhana-Wa'Ta'la bless you, in all your endeavours. I see some local American people here in US take some classic car projects and turn them ghetto style, with 22 inch wheels and lots of bling, I live in Detroit Metro area, and see alot of classics, some in very good condition. My favorite is Mustang 64, my brother just got an Impala 1970, he will start work on it this Summer, Insha-Allah. Needs some upholstery work and rims, got the same small block 350 Chevy Engine as yours.

[fouadhafeez]

@rn100

Best of luck with the project, Sir. The '70 Impala was the last of the 4th Gen Impalas ('65-'70), and is a strikingly beautiful machine. Of course, your choice regarding the '64 Mustang is absolutely spot on, too.

[madhouse12]

my hard drive crashed but i think i have pics uploaded on my facebook.... OR i can do a proper photoshoot of both your cars

[fouadhafeez]

that sounds terrific. Of course, we'll have to do them one at a time, since the '67 is ready, and the '65 is being readied.

[hamza_xeg]

glad to know about the upgrades
keep up (H)

[madhouse12]

anytime you want we can get it done provided you pay my fee ofcourse... which is a ride in both cars

[Ravager]

It's very nice of you to leave a comment, although, if you permit me to say your comment does reek of condescension. Perhaps it could have been better worded, to sound complimentary without sounding critical, if indeed that was your intent. In its current shape, I really don't know whether to thank you for your appreciation, or take umbrage at your somewhat holier-than-thou insinuations, to be honest.

"You can live better than an American, and enjoy what America has made for the world, without having to work like an American, living in America" is judgmental and harsh, since you have absolutely no idea of how I work, or where I work, or what my rather frugal lifestyle is beyond this passion of mine. For that matter, you have no idea of how a very large majority of people in Pakistan who have a passion for such cars, work, or live, or exist. You're just generalising things.

And just to reassure you, Sir...not everything "American" is to my taste. The engine WAS American, and now IS Japanese, and I have to say it's far superior to its contemporary American powerplants.

Thank you for stopping by.

I think what he wanted to say was that americans dont have time to do such things.. they work like donkeys for 12 hours then come home and wife doesnt cook or do the dishes
Further he wanted to say that we are enjoying american inventions without having to work like an *** as americans do..

Bad choice of words indeed but no harm intended im sure

Sent from my GT-I9300 using Tapatalk 2

[fouadhafeez]

Update (Again, Without Pictures)

The 1UZ-FE VVTi at the heart of the '67 Impala lives!

We've undertaken the transplant, finally. And I have to say that the engine looks absolutely beautiful, sitting in the bay. It has a lovely 'fullness' which adds to the car's butch good looks. Seems to add a bit more 'muscle' to it. Of course, this may be just my imagination, being the owner and all.

The engine bay is going to be a focal point in the rest of the mods. I have a strong urge for it to be something with a bit of a 'wow' factor. To this end, fiberglass mouldings, so as to keep it nice and tidy looking are going to be the way to go. In some parts, we'll definitely be using some underlay and heat-resistant bits and pieces, to make it a real eye-popper, Insha Allah. Of course, this is going to be done in a way so as to not detract from performance, at all. The engine is an absolute stinker, and - I'm actually surprised when I say this - is probably a good sight better than the similar engine in the '65, which came from a nose-cut LS400 imported into Pakistan.

Allah khair karey...the car seems to have the potential to be VERY quick, indeed. And I'm talking seriously quick stuff here. Once the shafts and exhaust have been put into place, properly...it'd certainly be worth a try to clock its speed on a GPS. Something that I am SO going to do.

More pictures, today, Insha Allah. Of the Bel Air, too.

Cheers.

Fouad.

[fouadhafeez]

[U]Told You...It's Beautiful

[/U]

[hassanazeem]

Oh Thats sexy...