So this olelongrooffan was out and about at my new local to me human refueling station last week and this old Chevy was spotted. I have decided that due to my demonstrated lack of ability to actually identify the actual year of anything I see while out and about, I am merely going to categorize this as an early 70’s Impala. But I do believe it is a 1971 model year.
Now this old sweety parked in the parking lot of my local Country Mart, and yes there are some real corn fed folks at that place, wasn’t the most pristine example of an Impala this olelongrooffan has seen in recent weeks, this one definitely showed some character.
But this olelongrooffan has this to say about that. There is a certain honesty about this old ride. Surface rust, tattered interior but with newish shoes and all four full size wheel covers. Hell this may just be my nominee for HCOTY for 2015.
If only it was a longroof.
Image Copyright Hooniverse 2015/longrooffan
By LongRoofian
No biography of the LongRoofian would be complete without [edited for length and adherence to subject matter] and your continued enjoyment of these ramblings is certainly welcome.
Ross Ballot 
Kamil Kaluski
The bumpers, grille, decklid vents, taillights and rocker panel trim make it a 71. For 72, Chevy stripped the rocker panel trim from Impalas so Caprices would look more posh and desirable.
Congratulations, you got this one right. It’s nice to see an old, honest car s t ill doing it’s job. They can’t all be Sunday drivers…
Yes, a ’71. The louvers were a ’71 only thing, and are on lots of GM cars. Even Vegas. It must make it hard on restorers, if you have to find a trunk lid for a ’71.
Yes, what is up with the louvers? They looked cool on the Vega, sort of a “does it have a rear engine?” look. Back pressure? How did they shed rain water?
Just drive faster!
“Flo-Through” ventilation system.
“Rust-Thru” drain system.
They switched to flaps hidden in various places, like cars of today.
I’d driven these once or twice, meh. Then a neighbour got a new, downsized 1978 Caprice with 350 4V and F41 suspension, that car was a revelation compared to this generation.
Seen up through the end of the 1980s, this is sort of the ultimate Boston commuter car. Big, bad, dented, low value, no reason to care about its appearance as it shoves Hondas and Toyotas out of the way on the Southeast Expressway.