Sergio Martinez has an admiration for 1959 Chevy Impalas that started when he was just a kid. At the age of 13, his friend’s older cousin pulled up in a 1959 sport sedan. It was like love at first sight seeing that stylish car. A few years later when in high school, his friend showed him his dad’s 1959 four-door sedan. They went for a short cruise and that’s when it all began. He was just taken by every aspect of the ride, from the front end to the wings and cat eyes. It was the ideal oldie car and came second to none.
Since then, it was the beginning of a dream. Bedroom posters, LRM clippings and pictures of 1959s have covered the walls. After years of searching and wishing to own a 1959, Sergio realized that a 1959 was out of his price range. For the moment that dream would not come true. So he bought a Trading Time magazine and found his first oldie car, a 1957 four-door sedan in March of 2010. Upon bringing it home, it immediately underwent a total restoration. In November 2011 he came across a deal on a 1939 Chevy Master DeLuxe he couldn’t refuse. Having realized that if he had waited and saved enough funds, he could have bought a 1959. Although it was too late for that, the 1939 was restored in 2012.
Just before the completion of the 1939, a longtime friend was selling his 1959. For Sergio, the moment he had been waiting for was finally here. Sergio got ahold of his neighborhood friend Cesar Perez from 20 years ago. After that car had been advertised on Lay it Low for a while and nearly sold, it was a done deal. Sergio finally had his dream car. The 1959 was finally home in Mar of 2012 and he started the frame-off restoration process that summer. The car was then restored to original condition after tossing different ideas around.
1959 Chevrolet Impala
Vehicle Nickname
Desti-9
Owner
Sergio Martinez
City/State
Chicago, IL
Engine
348 big-block painted Chevy orange
Body/Paint
Sergio and a friend of his did the bodywork and painted it highland green to keep the original look on the 1959
Suspension
EZ-AirRide airbag setup with two polished aluminum compressors and a single black seven-gallon tank
Interior
An original green interior kit from Cars1 was installed
Sound
The all-Sony sound system consist of a Bluetooth Sony Deck with USB Port, three 6×9-inch and two 6-inch mids, a single 12-inch subwoofer, and a single amplifier
Wheels/Tires
Player Wheels with a TruClassic look and 1959 caps on 5.20 Premium Sports
The post Chicago Man Fulfills his Dream of Owning a 1959 Chevy Impala appeared first on Lowrider.