Essay/Term paper: The 1966 impala vs. 1996 impala ss

Essay, term paper, research paper:  Book Reports

The 1966 Impala vs. 1996 Impala SS


It is hard to believe how the Impala has changed over the last thirty
years. It went from a step up from an average car to what it is now, a full
size luxury car with all of the options. Chevrolet built the Impala in
1966 with very little standard options. It came with a bench seat, AM Radio,
lap safety belts, 283 cubic inch V-8, and manual transmission. They did not
construct the car with any form of emission system. The federal government did
not require car companies to equip the car with emissions systems until 1968.
The emission systems helped to reduce pollution emitted from the car. During
the mid-sixties, engines started to get bigger and more powerful. One option
for the Impala was the Super Sport model, more widely known as the SS. This
option gave the car a 396 cu. in. engine, four speed manual transmission,
heavier duty suspension and all of the SS insignias. If you were buying any
car in 1966 you could order it with each individual option that you wanted.
They built the Impala SS in 1996 with many standard options. It came
with bucket seats, a console, automatic transmission, shifter on the floor,
leather seats, seventeen inch aluminum rims, all season radials, and the LT1
engine(commonly in the Corvette). This car was built with all kinds of safety
equipment, emission systems, and a computer to control the entire car. The
emission system on the car is approved for 1998 emission standards. The safety
equipment on the Impala SS is lap/shoulder seat belts, dual air bags, and
crumple zones. The computers on today's new cars control the engine, the fuel
injection, the emission systems, the air bags, the transmission, the cooling
system, the instrument gauges and all of the warning lights. On the 1996 Impala
SS, the options came in packages. If you just wanted air conditioning with the
car, you would have to buy the package with air conditioning included. The car
companies devised putting options into packages so they could produce many
identical cars and still can sell them with some guarantee.
The 1966 Impala was designed very differently than the 1996 Impala SS.
In 1966, the Impala was built with a steel frame and metal body panels. This
design made the car very strong and durable that is one main reason you see many
old cars still in running today. Cars were also built with chrome. You do not
see that on many new cars. The 1966 Impala, I think they built it with style,
class and sophistication. In 1966, you could go to your local new car dealer and
pick up an Impala for around 2800 dollars. The car companies did not think
about aerodynamics and did not worry about the fuel economy of the cars. The
1966 Impala got about ten miles to the gallon on the highway. At the time they
built the 1966 Impala fuel cost was not high it was about 39 cents a gallon.
In 1996, the Impala SS was built with a frame and body panels. The body
panels are made from steel, plastic, or fiberglass. Cars are being designed to
be more aerodynamic, weigh less, look more appealing and not to rust. I think,
General Motors did a very good job with bringing back the Impala SS, it lives up
to its name. It has a sophisticated look and a lot of power. If you wanted to
buy a new Impala SS, you would have to pay approximately 22,000 dollars. It is
a very big difference from what an Impala cost thirty years ago. The Impala SS
gets about 23 miles per gallon on the highway. The fuel cost has really gone up
from thirty years ago. It is now anywhere from $1.10 to $1.40.
Over the past thirty years the Impala has changed in many ways. It
started as a new model for the Bel-Air version of the Chevy. Now the Impala is
a sophisticated, fast, luxury car that has appeal to everyone. The 1996 Impala
SS is the last year Chevy will be selling the car.