LONG-TERM LOVE AFFAIR
54 SEPTEMBER 2019
Engine-turned trim panel and ornate control knobs show the level of
attention to detail Chevy stylists devoted to the interior. The original
Delco AM radio retains its spot in the dash, while a modern stereo head
unit hides behind the Pioneer cassette tape false front.
Seat upholstery, carpets, and the headliner were replaced during the restoration, but the re-
mainder of the interior is original. Rocket-inspired 1963 taillamp design reflects the time period’s
heightened interest in all things space-related.a 1968 GTO rearranged the Opel’s diminu-
tive front end bodywork. To protect the
Impala from the ravages of Pennsylvania’s
winter weather, and to protect his delicate
student wallet from the ravages of the
Impala’s 9 mpg, Pagliocca put it back into
storage as soon as the Opel was fixed.
The power of his protective instinct
for his beloved car was very effectively
harnessed by his bride-to-be when it came
time to make nuptial plans. A car enthusi-
ast in her own right (she still owns the 1977
Z28 she bought new!), fiancé Louise read-
ily agreed to ride with her new husband in
his SS409 from the wedding ceremony to
the reception hall. Yet in keeping with tradi-
tion, she wanted to get to the ceremony in
a limousine.
Pagliocca says, “I didn’t want the ex-
pense of a limo for my future bride Louise’s
very short ride to the church, but with
the ladies being so much smarter than us
guys, her reasoning was, who is going to
keep an eye on the Impala while we are in
the church? I couldn’t argue with that logic,
so she got her limousine. And by the way,
the female limo driver, who we asked to
watch the Impala, wanted to trade her new
limo for my car, but of course I declined
the offer.”
The loving care Pagliocca lavished on
his SS409 over the years was paid back
both in terms of sheer fun and faithful ser-
vice. “It has served me and the family well
over the years, and, believe it or not, it has
never, ever left me stranded in 50 years.
So much for the myth of the poorly made
American car.”
Though its reliability has been impec-
cable, the car did deteriorate slightly in
places from some 122,000 miles of use and
the sheer passage of time. Several years
ago, with the full support of Louise, who
has always been supportive of his automo-
tive obsession (which Pagliocca tells us
he considers both a blessing and a curse),
he did a comprehensive body-off restora-
tion that returned his Impala to virtually
new condition. He tapped the talents of
Larry and Anthony at ABA Auto Collision
for body and paint work, and relied on
Nick Giordano and his skilled technicians
at Unique Performance in Medford, New
York, to take care of the car’s mechanical
needs, including disassembly of the engine
for a comprehensive rebuild that was stock
except for a slightly hotter cam. Promar
Precision Engines in Patterson, New Jersey,
did all of the machine and balancing work
for the engine. Nessenger Chevrolet parts
guru Bob Jett and ace upholstery man Don
Zadericki were also extremely helpful, with
the latter in charge of installing the car’s
new seat upholstery, carpet, and headliner.
The rest of the interior remains original.
Pagliocca no longer races his potent
Impala but still enjoys driving it very much.He is also a regular at area cruises and
shows, where the car has earned many
First Place and Best in Show trophies.
When buying the car half a century ago,
he was motivated by the thoughts and
urges of a 17-year-old boy, and could not
have possibly predicted how much the car
would mean to him as they grew up and
grew older together. Every time he slips
into that oh-so-familiar seat, looks at all
the beautiful details in the instrumentation
and trim that surrounds him, inhales the
distinctive odor that is so characteristic of
vintage cars, and turns the key to fill his
ears with the soft roar of his so-fine 409,
it brings back a flood of wonderful memo-
ries. Today, half a century after it first
grabbed ahold of his heart, Pagliocca loves
his magnificent SS409 every bit as much
as he did on that magical day in 1969 when
the two first came together.“He occasionally blasted his 409 down the track”