BBT Fabrications Goes Stealthy, Sexy, and Stylish, on a Reimagined 1959 Impala
There’s no question American automotive design in the late-1950s was heavily influenced by the jet aviation age and burgeoning space race. This was evident in the stabilizer-style rear fins, jet-like taillights, and rocket-shaped accoutrements found on so many of the wild and flamboyant cars to come out of Detroit during that era.
If you’re going to pull one of those designs into the modern era, one sure-fire strategy is to go stealth. That’s the attitude we get from Eugene Bothello’s sneaky ’59 Chevy Impala built by BBT Fabrications. Troy Gudgel and his team have turned up the performance, toned down the chrome, and refined the body of this jet-age wonder to make it feel like a luxury version of a modern B-2 stealth bomber.
Built over a four-year period, the Impala made an initial impact in bare metal in 2024 when it made the Top Five for the Barrett-Jackson Cup award, competing against painted and completed cars. Since then, Troy’s team has invested thousands of additional hours into finishing the Chevy with dark paint, black chrome, and luxurious leather, which resulted in it earning the Barrett-Jackson Cup trophy earlier this year.
The Impala not only looks sleek and stunning, but it also has the modern performance you’d expect from such a refined custom rod. This includes a Roadster Shop Revo chassis with Fox coil-over shocks, 16-inch Little Shop Mfg. disc brakes with six-piston calipers, and one-off Forgeline three-piece 20×9- and 21×11-inch wheels wrapped in Pirelli rubber.
Jet-like power comes from a Chevrolet Peformance LT1 with a BTR Stage 1 cam, Frankenstein intake, Ultimate Headers, and a custom exhaust with Borla headers. The engine looks as stealthy as the car thanks to a custom intake cover, machined valve covers from Greening Auto, and lots of detailing. An 8L90E transmission handles the shifting duties.
Scores of subtle metal mods by the BBT crew include custom floors, extended rocker panels and lower quarters, a custom rear valence panel, custom front chin spoiler, one-off engine bay panels, and custom tucked bumpers. The deep and distinctive blue finish is accented with black chrome on the bumpers, custom grille, and other exterior trim.
The inside is completely reimagined with a fabricated lower dash, full-length console, and a quartet of custom bucket seats upholstered in Cognac-colored Moore and Giles leather by Cato’s Custom Upholstery. There are scores of one-off machined pieces, custom gauges by Dakota Digital, Vintage Air, and a custom wheel topping an Ididit column.
Stealthy, sexy, and stylish, the Bothello Impala is not only a deserving finalist for the Vintage Air Custom Rod of the Year honor, but a masterful example of refining and modernizing an over-the-top late-’50s design.
Congratulations to Eugene Bothello and the crew at BBT Fabrications for being named a Finalist for Goodguys 2026 Vintage Air Custom Rod of the Year Late with this sleek ’59 Chevy Impala!
Photos: Damon Lee, Terry Lysak
