22 ❘ August29, 2019 http://www.oldcarsweekly.com
thosepapersincludeda name,andusing
genealogy websites, Tress tracked down
the descendents of his car’s original own-
er and learned about the early years of his
car and its owner.
Representing postwar Chevrolets with
a past was John Mahoney’s 1960 Impala
Sport Coupe. The green-on-green Im-
pala was bought new by a New Yorker
who feared his car would get stolen, and
he thought a green color would thwart
thieves. He also preferred small hubcaps
since full wheel covers would be more at-
tractive to thieves. Interestingly enough,hisImpalawasotherwisedeckedoutwith
plenty of goodies: optional EZI tinted
glass, whitewall tires, padded dash, com-
pass, seat covers, bumper guards, a tool
kit, radio, rear seat speaker, and speed
minder, among other options and acces-
sories.
Mahoney said the original owner,
from whom he purchased the car, also
wanted a V-8 and a manual transmis-
sion, and his Impala packs the top o’ the
mountain combo: the 335-hp Special Su-
per Turbo-Thrust 348-cid V-8 with three
two-barrel carbs, a four-speed manualtransmission a 3.70Positractionreardif-
ferential.
The original owner’s plan worked
and he retained the car until 30 years ago
when Mahoney bought it as a nice origi-
nal car. A shipping mishap many years
later resulted in Mahoney restoring the
car, which he fi nished two years ago. The
quality of that restoration landed Ma-
honey on the fi eld of the AACA Grand
Nationals in Auburn.
Cris Detwiler was also worried that
his new car would get stolen. After he
checked nearly every option box when“Mr. Chevrolet” Pinky
Randall displayed
his 1932 Chevrolet
roadster, which was
restored with many
new-old-stock parts.Packing 427-cid power and dual four-barrels, Dale Faulkner’s 1966 Ford
Fairlane also boasts a lift-off hood to make it easier to access the engine while
in the drag racing pits.John Tress enjoys tracking the history of his
1916 Chevrolet H-2-1/2 Royal Mail Special
Roadster. His example is one of just four
known to still exist.