Several decades ago, the technical definition of “muscle car” referred to any American intermediate performance coupe with a large engine compared to its larger contemporaries, often with a unique name to distinguish it from other models. However, as times have changed, the definition has expanded to include pony cars and larger coupes like the ’69 Chevy Impala. In a video by Big Muscle’s Mike Musto, he explores the broader scope of muscle cars and explains why it remains his preferred type of car.
Mike, along with the Impala’s owner Rob, describes American muscle cars as tough, with bold, clean, and simple styling that no other car possesses. Despite their appreciation for modern supercars, they believe that muscle cars still exude a certain “toughness” that newer cars lack.
Rob’s Impala is a story in itself. Searching for a full-sized Chevy coupe from the Golden Age of muscle cars, he encountered difficulty finding an example that wasn’t rotted out, wrecked, or turned into a lowrider. He wanted something clean, solid, and simple, and he ultimately chose this blue ’69 coupe.
Since the car originally had a small block and was a mild, mid-level Impala, it was the ideal canvas for Rob to build his perfect muscle car. He added SS badging, painted the body side molding to match the car’s hue, and painted the factory Chevy Rallys black. He also dropped in a killer Chevrolet Performance BBC, routed the exhaust to exit just before the rear tires, and removed the high-beam headlights to create dual snorkel air inlets, similar to a homemade ram air induction system. The massive engine is paired with a manually shifted 4-speed gearbox.
As times and tastes have changed over the last few decades, it’s heartening to see these cars still on the road. Hopefully, younger generations will appreciate them soon enough!
