Don’t Call it an Impala! The Muscular and Rare 1967 SS427 Full Size Chevrolet
In the late-’60s muscle car landscape, Camaros and Chevelles ruled the world of Chevy performance fans. Full-size muscle? Not for us, most said. That is why the larger Chevy SS427 created a mere blip on the Chevy sales charts, with just 2,124 examples being sold, compared to nearly 200,000 Camaros and more than 400,000 Chevelles sold that model year.
Joe McMillian, though, always admired the full-bodied two-ton cruisers.
“For years I had always wanted an Impala or Caprice, a ’67 or ’68, preferably a ’67,” he says. “I remember years ago as a young man seeing a ’67 and loving the dash and gauges, and how big they were on the inside. I always thought I would buy one and restore it myself, but what I found was either too far gone or too much money.”
A few years ago, Joe met Glenn Kimble at the Muscle Car and Corvette Nationals show and fell in love with Glenn’s ’67 SS 427. Joe offered to buy the car, but Glenn was not ready to part with the Granada Gold hardtop. When he did decide it was time to sell the ’67, he called Joe and the car was off to Joe’s home in Savannah, Missouri.
This Chevy is a pristine example of an original, restored muscle car. The complete drivetrain is original – engine, transmission, rearend, carburetor, distributor, alternator, and starter. The ’67 427c.i. big block was slightly less powerful than the L72 monsters (425 horsepower) that were available in 1966, but at 385 horsepower and 460 lb-ft of torque, the car was no slouch. Even with a 3.31 Positraction rear axle, as well as stock tires of the era, quarter-mile times were in the high 14-second range.
Glenn found the Chevy in Colorado in 2008 and commissioned Fast Eddie’s Auto Body and Restoration to perform the restoration. That work included taking the body to bare metal and repairing, replacing, or replating every nut and bolt. The original interior featured the factory gauge package and tachometer as well as a tilt column, bucket seats, and AM radio. Additional options include power steering and brakes, front discs, and a Muncie M20 four-speed transmission.
The car rides on Firestone G70x15 redline bias ply tires mounted on factory 15×6-inch Rally wheels. Reproduction stock interior components were supplied by Legendary Auto Interiors. The Chevy scored 980 out of 1000 points the year Jon first saw it at the MCACN show.
Is Joe happy with the Chevy? Absolutely? He especially enjoys driving it. “The way the 427 pulls between gears is such a rush,” he says. “This one is very special.”
Photos by Todd Ryden