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Welcome to Down On The Street , where we admire old vehicles found parked on the streets of the Island That Rust Forgot: Alameda, California. Today's car is our fourth Chevy Impala; we've seen a '65 sedan , a '65 Super Sport , and a beautifully wretched '70 prior to today. I'm always reminded of the car driven by Bud (Harry Dean Stanton) in Repo Man when I see a full-size Chevy from this era. The original Alex Cox screenplay (yes, I live by the Repo Code to the extent that I have a copy) was very specific about the make, model, and year of every single vehicle in the movie, and Bud's car was supposed to be a '70. Even with the bent front bumper, this car is way nicer than my 1:25 scale Beater '70 Impala model , but it's got the right number of doors. Actually, it's possible that this car is really a Caprice, since there are no identifying emblems (the Bel Air and Biscayne models didn't come in two-door versions for '70). The interior looks...
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Given how ubiquitous this generation of Impala used to be, you'd think they'd be easier to find on the street these days; in fact, the 1965 full-sized Chevrolet still holds the all-time American sales record for a single car model. But they're hard to find, and thus it's been months since our last DOTS Impala . Unlike that one, however, this Impala is in very nice shape (as was the '65 Super Sport we saw even more months back). This car lives on a quiet side street in Alameda's wealthy East End, which means it's less likely to be nailed by drunks in '85 J2000s or stolen by hoodlums jacked up on goofballs than a car elsewhere on the island. Here's proof that this car has lived in the East Bay for most of its life: a Charlie Finley-era "Swingin' A's" decal on the front bumper, dating back to the late 60s or early 70s. What incredibly toxic substances were used in those old stickers to make them last so long? Does the original 283 still...
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This car might not actually be an Impala , since any emblems have long since departed. It could be a Caprice, or maybe a Biscayne or Bel Air. No matter; "Impala" is the generic term for early-70s big Chevy cars, and that's what I'm calling it here (I'm pretty sure the low-end big Chevrolets in '70 didn't have the wheel lip moldings we see on three of this car's four wheel openings, so it's probably not a Biscayne). So, while you obsessive GM B-body experts debate this car's identity, the rest of us can enjoy its exquisite beatertude. This car has hit some stuff, folks, and it's been hit in return. Harry Dean Stanton's character drove a '70 Impala 4-door in "Repo Man," which gives this car an extra helping of hipster cred. Or not. Anyway, it's interesting that the original screenplay was very specific that Bud must drive a '70 Impala. So when the shit comes down, the owner of this car can be heading north at 110 per. The owner of this car also has a Joad Family style early-60s pickup truck...
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