I just received an email from a documentary film maker wanting to know how get the use of this Impala coupe I posted a while back. Easier said than done, as this was posted at the Cohort, and if I remember correctly, I was poking back a couple of years looking for old gems to use. And more than likely, the Cohort poster Colin just shot it where he found it. So the odds are not good.
So does anyone else know where to find a similar Impala coupe? Not too far from Chicago? I suppose it doesn’t have to exactly be a ’78, as the ’77 and ’79 were mighty similar, except for the grille. And the one this movie stand in is imitating also didn’t have a vinyl roof. A picture of it is below the jump:
Here’s the original. Let me know in the comments or via email: curbsideclassic(at)gmail.com
I just remembered that one of the shots has the license plate. Minnesota 984URK. Does that help?
Where do you need it? There’s a clean one cruising around my town. A quick FB Marketplace search in my proximity turned up a few 2 doors as well so they’re still out there…
Chicago.
It’s a little rough but: https://www.facebook.com/marketplace/item/978307412666485/?ref=search&referral_code=undefined
Thanks, Sam! This might work. I’ll contact the owner.
I may know if one that looks just like the color photo you posted and color & similar after market wheels in Northern NJ approx 10 mins. outside of NYC. If you would like to get the info message me on my IG page @UnrelentingMindset
Thanks, Eric. I will keep your info and let you know. I’m going to focus on the midwest region initially.
http://www.cardomain.com/makemodel/1978/chevrolet/impala/
I vaguely remember looking at this site several years ago. It used to be malware-prone, but it is running cleanly on my computer now.
Thanks, Paulson. I’ll add that to my list of owners to contact, if I don’t find one nearer to Chicago.
Friend has a ‘78, but it’s tan and in Minneapolis. Not sure how she’d feel about this, but I could ask?
I know that car! Small world.
Thank you. Could you please ask her about it? My cousin lives outside Minneapolis (so I could crash at his), and I bet I could find a street that looks like the actual one here, so she wouldn’t need to drive outside Minneapolis. I anticipate only asking for a morning of an owner’s time. Catch is it has to be a cold morning with snow on the ground… but those are pretty frequent in MN.
Oh I don’t “know” the owner, I just see it around a lot, sorry.
I just tried a couple free on-line license plate lookup services without success. Perhaps the party interested could find the owner via a pay for service. Are you at liberty to say what the film or case Wilson vs. Chicago IL. circa 1977-79 is about?
from their website: Area 2 is a documentary exploring the Chicago Police torture saga through the stories of a broad spectrum of people connected to it, many of whom have never shared their extraordinary perspectives before.
They’ve been working on it for 7 years. This goes back to the 70s and 80s, not recent stuff.
I have suggested he use a paid service. Seems like he should be able to find the registered owner.
I’m gonna guess doing a Google on “Jon Burge” will help find an answer.
I wasn’t aware of this, and I had to stop reading about that monster once I got to “holding children at gunpoint to their temple”.
Back when the Chicago Reader was still relevant 15 years ago or so, they broke the story on him… and that rabbit hole went very very far down.
He can rot in hell. I lived in Chicago for about 5 years, with a 6 month break in between. My Latino boyfriend warns me. Then I lived it with my friend Tiriana, who had the audacity to walk under the CTA tracks with a lit cigarette. She’s African American. Yeah they thru her into the car, as I’m smoking just the same (white dude). The cops were extremely annoyed I refused to leave without explanation or shutting my phone off. Sorry, public street, live streaming.
cjiguy, I’m so sorry to hear that. I hope at least that both of you got out of the situation safely. It’s a very scary one to be involved in.
I’m certain things would have went much further south if I didn’t stand and watch. It wasn’t going anywhere until our Uber driver showed up, and I told him what was going down. The cops backed off real quick once they saw me talking to him, with a phone in hand. This happens at the Fullerton red line, of all places…
That’s helpful to know the license won’t pop up on a free service. I’m pinching pennies, so today I am going to contact the owners of the cars linked to here that are in the Chicago region. If those options don’t work, I’ll do as you suggest. Thanks!
https://peoria.craigslist.org/cto/d/peoria-1978-caprice-classic-landau-coupe/7246624320.html
Thank you!!
$13900CAD at Don Nichols Classic Cars in Edmonton Alberta. I have American Citizenship. I can cross the border with it for return airfare, plates, registration and insurance.
Thanks Robert. That would be cost prohibitive for me but I appreciate the offer!
Hey!
Okay, this car used to frequent the wheel and tire shop where I found it. Unfortunately, it is now bright blue on Forgiatos. BUT, there is one very similar for sale in Tulsa right now on craigslist. I love these aerocoupe B-bodies, and I have seen my fair share of them over the years.
Thanks for sharing my photos, I really appreciate it.
https://minneapolis.craigslist.org/ram/cto/d/tulsa-chevrolet-caprice/7232330577.html
I just hate it when they have to put on a stupid looking steering wheel. Right up there with bigger rims.
At least fuzzy dice can easily be cut off 🙂
Many thanks for your post, Paul! I appreciate everyone’s suggestions, and will follow up on these leads. I am based in Chicago, and my dream is to find the exact year/make/model (’78 brown two-door Impala) in the midwest to film a brief reenactment shot of the car being pulled over on a snowy Chicago street. Finding a car that looks similar would also work. A fallback option, if the only car I find is in another city that is not cost prohibitive to drive to (this is an independent production financed on my credit cards and donations from friends/family, so I’m not able to throw around Marvel movie bucks) and the car is only able to drive short distances, perhaps I could find a block in that city that roughly approximates the look of the actual block in Chicago. Based on the leads everyone has already posted I am optimistic now I’ll find this gem! Thanks to all.
james(at)area2film.com
Here you go:
https://bringatrailer.com/listing/1978-chevrolet-caprice/
It’s perfect!
A 78 full size Chevy with four wheel drums? Someone must have been cheap since it seems to have been an option for what I know.
For sale—but not cheap, and in Denver: https://www.hemmings.com/classifieds/dealer/chevrolet/impala/2445231.html
But, after using it in Chicago, you could likely sell it and get most of your money back, so there’s that……good luck! (Always happy when someone cares about “getting it right” with a movie/TV car……)
THANK YOU, George! I have family in Denver so hypothetically if I find a street that approximates the actual one in Chicago perhaps I could fly out and film in it in Denver, renting the car for a day. Much appreciated
Hello Paul,
I don’t know how to contact you directly. Here is one of the nicest ones I’ve seen–I wish I had a big garage, I would add this to it. It’s may be the best looking 77-79 Caprice I’ve seen for sale on-line. Certainly the best-equipped: just as I would want:
350, NO vinyl roof, NO power locks or windows, just AC.
Your friends could do much worse…
https://bringatrailer.com/listing/1978-chevrolet-caprice/
Thanks, Tom! This is a great lead.