1967 Impala
Going GTO Style!
Ryan Scott of Belle, Missouri, was definitely not the first one in his family to pick up a wrench. He is a third-generation gearhead, and will help continue the legacy if at all possible. His automotive memories begin at age 14 after the final bell, when he would wait at the edge of the sidewalk in front of his school to catch an early glimpse of his grandfather's 1967 Impala. Back then, it wasn't much to look at. It wore muted yellow paint and a black vinyl top, but the sound of it could not be mistaken for anything but muscle. Even though he was being picked up from school to work out at the farm feeding the cattle, he wore a smile when riding in this car.
His father played the lead role in his automotive education. He would purchase cars and work on them, teaching his son all about them as they went along. Their first project was a 1973 Mustang Mach 1. They meant to just freshen it up, swap out the corroded quarter-panels, and enjoy the car. But the freshly smoothed sheetmetal caught a local's eye, and the car was sold before it was finished. Their next attempt at a father-son project was an Olds 442. The same thing happened: midway though the build, a couple guys driving down the road saw it and asked to buy it. Their last try was a 1970 Mustang Mach 1. They got nearly everything done when a union co-worker insisted on buying it.
Through all of these trials, there was one car that remained in the family's name: the Impala. His grandfather passed away, and the car was handed down to Ryan. He had a sentimental attachment to this car, and he knew the build would evoke feelings from his youth. The project started innocently enough. He had been studying the body lines, comparing it to those of a 1969 GTO, and realized the rear dimensions looked pretty close. He bought a '69 GTO spoiler off eBay and fit it to the big Impala's decklid. That was just the first penny in the jar. He realized he would need some professional assistance in the fabrication and painting departments, since his previous projects never made it that far. He enlisted Tim Herron of Herron's Custom Paint in California, Missouri. He came across his website while searching for the best home for his car, and was impressed by the cars Herron had completed. But Herron's DuPont Chroma Premier paint is merely the beginning of Scott's GTO journey.