1964 Chevrolet Impala - Super Chevy Magazine

Since the beginning of the hot rod industry, it's been all about "calling cards,"-a seemingly irrelevant concept at first, we know. Well, don't think of that as a literal term, but rather more as a metaphor. When a shop starts up, one of the first things on the agenda is to build a wicked-awesome vehicle to get its name out there. Whether it's a recognizable shop truck, show car, race car, or push car, those vehicles attempt to burn an everlasting memory into our skulls, and therefore become the shop's "calling card." Harmon's Chevrolet Restoration Parts is no different . . . or are they?

1964 Impala Driver Side Quarter Panel View

When we said they wanted a junker, we meant it. Check out this Impala; it looks as if someone painted it rust and black camouflage!

When we said they wanted a junker, we meant it. Check out this Impala; it looks as if some

For those of you not familiar with Harmon's, they supply and manufacture restoration parts for just about any classic Chevy you can think of. Throughout their 32 years of business, projects have come and gone, but to keep things fresh and new, they decided it was time to cook up a new calling card. This one, however, would be a little different from its predecessors. Although the plan was to take it to events and advertise the business, there was also a hidden agenda. Harmon's wanted to build the car completely in-house and from the catalog, for two reasons. The number one reason was to show that Harmon's has all the necessary parts to build a classic Chevy. Secondly, Harmon's wanted the chance to let their employees turn wrenches and become familiar with not only the Harmon's catalog of parts, but the restoration field, as well. We guess you could say it's a real "hands-on learning experience."

Once the wheels were set into motion, the next order of business was to decide which type of car to buy. Somewhere along the totem pole, it was decided the car of choice would be a '64 Impala two-door hardtop. When it came to finding a car, Harmon's took a completely different approach from the rest of us. Typically, when we go out looking for a car, we want it to be in the best condition at the best price. As for Harmon's, they pretty much want the most beat-up and decrepit car at the best price! Why? Simple-the more work they have to do, the more the employees can learn; Harmon's catalog parts can be used, and the more it reinforces the fact that they truly do supply all the necessary parts to get a wide variety of Chevys up and rolling. To give you an idea of what the project is all about, Harmon's let us snoop around a bit. What we found will absolutely astonish you. Seriously, we're not kidding. Check it out.

You know how when you look at some interiors, it looks as if a rat carved a maze out of the vinyl with its teeth? What would you call this? The good news is the original bench four-speed car was given a new interior.
You know how when you look at some interiors, it looks as if a rat carved a maze out of th
The crew ravaged the car like a pack of hungry piranhas after a huge chunk of meat, down to the bone. If you looked around the edges of the fenders, you would see nothing but rust. As it turns out, the entire car was pretty much the same way.
The crew ravaged the car like a pack of hungry piranhas after a huge chunk of meat, down t
Harmon's blasted the frame and coated it with POR 15. They then installed new suspension components, brake and fuel lines, front disc brakes, rear drums, and 2-inch drop spindles with 2-inch drop springs. And yes, all that and much, much more came straight from the pages of the catalog. In fact, it's the same stuff you would get if you ordered it today.
Harmon's blasted the frame and coated it with POR 15. They then installed new suspension c

Coveralls are so rad! The thing that makes the Harmon's project so unique is the fact that the employees built it from the ground up. Employees threw on the time-tested coveralls before and after work each day, and headed to the shop.
Coveralls are so rad! The thing that makes the Harmon's project so unique is the fact that
This heap of metal and discard was unearthed when the body was lifted off the frame.
Holy rusted metal, Batman! Check out this piece of floorboard the crew pulled out. And there was more where that came from.
Holy rusted metal, Batman! Check out this piece of floorboard the crew pulled out. And the

Instead of messing with the rusted sheetmetal, Harmon's built the '64 hardtop with new floorboards. The crew also added new front fenders, inner fenders, a hood, a grille, side moldings, trim, emblems, lamps and lenses, weather-stripping, bumpers and brackets, and glass.
Instead of messing with the rusted sheetmetal, Harmon's built the '64 hardtop with new flo
Remember that Neil Young song "Helpless"? Can you think of a better word to describe the Impala's 327/300hp engine backed by a four-speed tranny?
Remember that Neil Young song "Helpless"? Can you think of a better word to describe the I
It's like that TV show, The Swan. The revamped and worked-over 327 doesn't even look like it did in the beginning. Maybe that's because the engine was completely torn apart and decked out with block-hugger headers, an Edelbrock intake, an Edelbrock carb, an HEI ignition, and polished valve covers.
It's like that TV show, The Swan. The revamped and worked-over 327 doesn't even look like

The car was painted PPG Candy Red and put back together very carefully.
Tada! And magically, a '64 Impala appears. Talk about fixing an absolute train wreck! The Impala doesn't show a single sign of the way it used to be. The best part is that Harmon's lets their employees, who worked so diligently, drive the hardtop now that it's finished! What a way to boost company morale.
Tada! And magically, a '64 Impala appears. Talk about fixing an absolute train wreck! The