2005 and Earlier Chevrolet Impala

emtb

In response to the question about the dashboard, I don't mean I'm placing it actually 'under' the physical dashboard, but down above the black cover that guards the passenger area footwell. Lots of room to electro-tape stuff up there, such as a small can flasher.

BTW, if you don't mind me askin', what model flasher did you get for your wigwags? From Galls or something like that?

impalaboy2001

Just got my car back from the body shop. I had them install a Razzi body Kit for my LS. Here's the link http://members.cox.net/2001impala/razzi_gfx_kit.htm tell me what you guys think

Chris

[Deleted User]

Very nice detail on your sight and sound system installation. More equipment and expense than I find necessary in a car, but excellently and professionally installed. The pictorial instructions will be very helpful to others attempting the same. Excellent friggin' job Chris!
The body kit ain't my style, and I don't like huge decals, especially advertisements. But, the tint, exhaust, and wheels are pretty nice. I see you've chosen the more tasteful 18", instead of the WTF 20's.

impalaboy2001

Thanks

atbear

What's the difference between a shock and a strut, what do our cars have (2002 Impala LS), and what would I need to replace if I got new Eibach Springs? Thanks

atbear

What's the bolt pattern on the 2002 Impala LS? Gonna try to find some 18's Thanks

hvan3

Very nice looking souped up LS! It's probably the best looking LS I've seen so far. You should consider getting billet grille.

I hope Razzi paid you to put those stickers on your car. Otherwise, I would get rid of them.

roderacer

Nice, Chris. Real nice. Body shop did a nice job of finishing the body kit.

Aside from the decals, I think it is a really nice package.

Oh, for anyone interested in some pretty cool, understated wheels, check out www.introwheels.com

I am thinking about the the 18" Vista or Twisted Vista for the LS. They also have the "WTF 20's", garypen! LOL!

Vendor quoted $2100 for a set. At 500 and change per wheel, it is a little steep.

Nice work Chris. Now all you need is some undercar neon!

Steve

dgonzalez13

What wass originally installed (and still there till i get the time to do the switch) is the Whelen UHF2150A. This wigwags the high beams, but was not supposed to be in the Impala as it disconnects them completely from the DRL and normal high beam use.
The correct part is either Whelen 2150B Impala Plug in flasher (headlight wigwag) or a new part called Whelen 13108D DRL (Daytime Running Light) Flasher . I bought the 2150B and it is sitting in a box.

Now that i see they have this new 13108D part, i may just get that since it is the only "Fully Functioning High Beam wigwag" for Impala and does not disconnect the DRL. No one i checked has it in stock yet.

night_owl1

shock absorber: Properly called a damper, this is an oil filled device used to control spring oscillation in the suspension system. At least one shock absorber is found at each wheel.

strut: A single, self contained pivoting suspension unit that integrates a coil spring with a shock absorber. Struts are used on front wheel drive automobiles.

Isn't the web great, you can find anything. Even a dictionary of automotive terms...

b4z

Well I think I solved the problem with the four light rearend of the impala.
I left my trunk open today and I suddenly realized how much better the rearend would look if it had just the two outside tail lights.
They are triangle shaped and if the back up lights were installed in them and the other two lights removed the car would look a lot better.
The area that is red plastic now, could be body color and a crease could be put in the trunk to break up the mass of metal.
I think this is sort of what chevy was trying to accomplish with the Sport. Except they forgot to remove the trunklid tail lights.
What do you guys think?

mediumfry

A strut doesn't have to have the spring integrated, though it usually does. The main difference between a shock and strut is that a shock is linked to the suspension but the suspension is complete without it. A strut is a structural member of the suspension...without it the wheel would go every which way, virtually hanging off a single ball joint in most cases.

Often you'll see Ford Tempos and the like with a rear wheel about 30 degrees off vertical. In this case the top of the strut tower has rusted out and the strut is no longer attached there. The top of the strut tries to lean as far into the trunk as it can, allowing the top of the wheel to be much farther in than the bottom.

This is why strut replacement usually requires re-alignment while shock replacement involves much smaller bolts and is fairly cheap and easy.

Struts, on the other hand, provide much more flexibility in the design of front suspensions, especially for front wheel drive cars. Rear struts are a newer idea, and I'm not sure what benefit they provide.

atbear

Thanks, guys..... basically what my question was for was to ask, what do out Impalas have, and would they need to be replaced with the Eibach Springs which have 1.5" of lowering..... thanks again, those definitions helped!

hvan3

The rear end tail lights have grown on me. I think I like it more than ever. Now, if only I can find a way to make the 2 inner lights light up when I apply the brakes. Basically, I want the 4 round rear lights to light up. Any electricians out there?

mediumfry

We discussed this about 18 months ago on this forum. It'd be about impossible to find it though. Here's what I recall.

It's not too tough to tag on another pair of lights to the existing circuits back there. The problem is, the outer ring around the back-up light is not an actual light chamber...it's just a reflector. So, you'd have to build a custom chamber around the existing one, probably cut out some metal in the trunk lid, and mount a light in there. Quite a bit of work...

If you decide to do it, however, it sounds like others would be interested as well. Let us know how it comes out.

coolrunninchev

My wife and I looked at the new LS Sport package at our local Chevy dealer today. I have to say I was not impressed. For $1500 more, you get the Impala logo on the interior doors (tacky), wheels with really ugly lug nuts, a front end / grill area that I was neutral about, and a different rear end that looks pretty good. What you still get is the gray side moldings. Even the Malibu has colored side moldings! Those are the only difference I could detect, and all of this I pointed out to the salesman, who didn't know the difference between the base model and the LS. I wouldn't pay an extra $1500 for the sport package. As a side note to our big day out, my wife liked the yellow Monte Carlo. Looks like a lemon to me.

rsteph

Several months ago, I had a similar issue on my 2000 LS. Play in the steering and an actual clunk on corners. The mechanic at my dealer "talked" his bosses into letting him replace the entire steering column (under warrant) although the GM "fix" for this was to just shoot the column full of grease. No problem since.

impalaboy2001

i'm heading up to pensacola, fl in the morning to enter my impala ls in the whitlee car show that is sponsored by ridin low magazine. i'm hoping that 10 hours of cleaning will win me something. i'm also gonna try out for the audio competition... I'll let you guys know how it all goes.

Chris

http://members.cox.net/2001impala

regulator75

Hey guys and gals. I was wondering, which is the best/safest way to clean the engine? Is there any precautions that I should take? Any advice on this matter would be great!

Thanks.

hvan3

Maybe I'll change out the white light bulb for the reverse light with the red bulb. Then I'll tap the reverse light wiring with the rear light harness. This way when I tap on the brake, ALL four red lights will light up. What ya think? Is it legal NOT to have reverse white light?

hvan3

Good luck on your car contest! I hope it makes it to the front page magazine. We need exposures so that the dealers can expand on the aftermarket accessories.

impalaboy2001

Well I just got back from the car show and I won 1st place for the Impala Class - I guess it was between me and a 96 Impala SS on Hydros. I didnt see any magazine people out there, so I doubt that I'll have my car on a magazine.
Chris

johnclineii

Phooey on the no-mags! But congratulations anywho! Your car looks great!

nosirrahg

I left work Friday afternoon, and within a mile of Interstate driving, the "Low Tire Pressure" message popped up on my 2000 Impala. I started to shrug it off, as I couldn't feel anything odd about the way the car was handling, but since we were thinking about taking a trip the next day, I took the next exit and went to a service station. Sure enough, my right front tire was low (@ 20lbs of pressure). That station's compressor wasn't working, so I drove toward home in search of another station. I found another, and when I was airing the tire up, I noticed a screw in the tread, far toward the inside sidewall of the tire. Drove from there straight to the nearest Firestone, where they were able to patch the tire and send me on my way 30 minutes (and $15) later.

Odds are, if I hadn't have the tire pressure indicator, I wouldn't have noticed the problem until I went to drive the car the next day, when it would have been totally flat; at which point I would have had to remove it, and take it somewhere to get it fixed. So it wasn't a "life saver" in this instance, but it was much more convenient to know about the problem while it was still driveable, and get it fixed with a minimum of wasted time/money.

hvan3 - I may be wrong on this, but I don't think backup lights are mandated by Federal guidelines or anything; just one of those things that car makers have found people expect in a vehicle (like outside mirrors on both doors - in Arkansas anyway, the law only requires you to have ONE rear-facing mirror. My '84 Buick Skyhawk only have a mirror on the driver's door; I haven't noticed any current cars that don't have mirrors on both doors.)

night_owl1

I think they are. At least in Hawaii they are. The lights are so you can see behind you as you reverse and act as a signal to others that you are reversing.

Funny that you guys are talking about changing the reflector into a functional light. I have been working on just that. I just posted a new How-To article on it. Let me know if you have any suggestions.

Hvan, the way the trunk panel is designed, if you replace the white reverse bulb with a red one, the only part that will light up is the center. There might be a little bleed though into the outer ring, but not much.

night_owl1

Good going, Chris. Hey, ever thought about relocating the exhaust tips so they exit the two holes in the body kit?

night_owl1

I usually use Gunk engine degreaser. Really works well. As for tips, minimize spraying the electrical system. All the connectors are waterproof, but I still wouldn't want to blast it with the water hose.

impalaboy2001

Got some pics posted on my site of the Whitlee.com pensacola show.

http://members.cox.net/2001impala

Chris

blueheart

I had my iss (intermidate steering shaft) first greased and latter replaced but I still have a looseness in the steering wheel. With engine off if I put one hand at the 9 oclock and the other at 3 oclock I can actually rock the steering wheel, this looseness produces noises. Did they change your iss or did they change the actual steering column inside your car?

my2001

I hit all electrical connections in the engine compartment with WD-40 to waterproof them and to prevent any corrosion. All owners should do this on delivery of their vehicle. That only takes about ten minutes. The silicon base repels water. I use a degreaser called Simple Green for the dirt work. It is bio-degradable and does not harm paint, pets or the driveway. It is not petroleum-based in other words. Simple Green has a nice web site. Check it out.

b4z

Congrats on your car.
What will be your next modification?

I wonder how long it will be before you take the
airdam off on a driveway or curb? Be careful.

impalaboy2001

My next mods will probably be Intrax Lowering Springs, and painting the calipers metallic blue, along with the sway bars and the engine diagonal braces. I would also like to find some reflective tape for the 3800 Series II lettering on the engine cover. I also want to wrap blue viynl around the woodden dash strip. Just a few things to catch viewers eyes for the next car show.

Chris

http://members.cox.net/2001impala

norbnancy

I use Super Clean, a Castrol product. It comes in a 1 qt. spray bottle and in 1 gallon jug. It is bio-degradable and easy to use. Just spray it on and wait 10 - 15 min. and hose it off. I have been using it for more than 10 years. I like it because it leaves no residue ( white film) like Gunk. The engine can be warm but not hot. One important caution--- don't allow spray to get on paint finish, it can spot the paint. I wet down the car with the hood closed, open the hood, and spray the engine with super clean, hose down the engine, close the hood, and wash the exterior of the car. After drying the exterior, I wipe the engine with a Turkish towl. I also use Super Clean on my garden equipment and anything that gets oily/ dirty. If a person uses common sense while hosing down the engine, they will have no problem starting the engine. I clean the engine compartment on all my cars at least once each year. Enjoy the ride

night_owl1

Wait, WD-40 does not have any silicone. It's 75%-95% petroleum products with CO2 as a propellant. It's also flammable so you really shouldn't spray electrical connections with it. They do sell silicone spray and you could use that, but also keep in mind that any spray you use be it oil or silicone will attract dust and dirt.

Simple green causes corrosion on aluminum. It's not something that will happen with one (or two) applications. But if you do use Simple Green, make sure you rinse very well. It may cause discoloration of unfinished aluminum due to accelerated oxidiation.

[Deleted User]

In addition to the precautions mentioned by others, I also wrap aluminum foil around the alternator, distributor, and air intake to avoid inadvertantly spraying water in them.
After cleaning, I take my shop vac, put the hose on the "blow" side, and blow dry the engine, at least enough to get any pools of water out of the nooks and crannies.

mediumfry

Sounds like the rest of the folks here have you taken care of pretty well on the tail lights and engine cleaning. I don't think I'd get a ticket in 20 years for not having backup lights, but I wouldn't do without mine either for visibility reasons. I wouldn't criticize others for doing it...

vcjumper

2004 Impala SS

Maybe GM figured the new GP GTP will be coming out for 2004 and will probably be quite a bit more expensive so they want to have something available at the current GTP pricing.

nosirrahg

If Simple Green can cause problems with aluminum, and we've all got aluminum engine cradles, wouldn't it be wise to avoid using this product on Impalas/Monte Carlos?

[Deleted User]

You'll have to pry my Simple Green from my cold, dead fingers.

nosirrahg

Which might be the case when they find you in what's left of your Impala after the engine suddenly drops out of the car one day, after your engine cradle disintegrates!! ;-.)

Oh yeah, one other thing; DON'T CLEAN YOUR DASH WITH HYDROCHLORIC ACID!!!! The magnesium brace under the dash will also disintegrate if you do so, but it won't be a slow, gradual process!!

[Deleted User]

You'll have to pry my Hydrochloric Acid from my cold, dead fingers!

night_owl1

I don't think it's really an issue about Simple Green eating the cradle so badly that it causes structural damage. Just don't soak alumnium parts in Simple Green overnight to clean it. I knew about the Simple Green/alumnium issue from work. If you go to the Simple Green website, they downplay the relationship between their product and alumnium. However they do warn that when cleaning alumnium, the contact time should be limited to a maximum of 10 minutes, that the surfaces need to be rinsed very well, and unfinished alumnium should be coated with a protectant afterwards.

Gary, no one would have to pry the acid from your fingers. They would just have to wait until the Simple Green dissolved them.

b4z

Great news about the SS. 240hp is not enough though. I understand there is a 280 hp version out there. Let's hope that will be the engine.

bigdaddycoats

I live in an area where there are a lot of GM employees. If you look around you can see many pre-build models on the roads. Currently there are a couple of H2's. Anyway, last fall I saw an Impala with manufacture plates in a driveway. I stopped and talked to the gentleman. He worked for GM and the car was a prototype. It had a 5.3 V8. The rest of the car was normal except for dual exhaust and bigger tires. It looked pretty cool and Lutz was scheduled to look at it the next week. Too bad that GM has opted to go with the supercharged V6. Impala SS should have a V8.
Hopefully GM will keep the price inline. They should drop the 3.4 V6 and the base model, make the LS the base model with the 3.8 for the same price as the current base, and make the SS start at the price of the current LS?? Sounds like a winninng formula to me. Oh, and they should give the Monte Carlo SS the upgraded engine.

[Deleted User]

I wonder if the SC V6 is only a stop gap until a V8 Impala LS is released. I thought Lutz was seriously talking about adapting the Commodore SS to LHD.

johnclineii

The name of the game does NOT include adding more content for the same money. To the contrary, GM and Ford are both looking at decontenting many of their cars (such as making ABS optional, omitting seat back pockets, etc.)

I wouldn't expect more features at a lower price. Ain't gonna happen. Nohow, noway.

b4z

One of the reason people buy American cars, is the content. Japanese cars have a very low price, but by the time you add a few options and deal with the bundled options, you are way above a domestic's MSRP.
I think Lutz will pull these options and not reduce the base price. People will go for a fully loaded Asian car if it costs the same as a fully loaded domestic.
By the way, the Impala Sport has a MSRP of over 28K!!

[Deleted User]

The Commodore SS would cost about $29K in USD, only $1K difference from the LS Sport. Amazing.

I want to thank the dear departed Teo for turning me on to Holden cars. It's hard to believe they are a GM company. They are exactly what GM USA needs to become in order to compete, and be taken seriously.

rsteph

No Simple Green....No Hydrochloric Acid.....Jeeeez. Next thing you know, they'll be telling me I shouldn't use my trusty Brillo Pad to take the wax off. Apparently there's just no fun left in the world................

nosirrahg

I think it's okay to use peanut butter to remove wax (especially on the black trim), but in these politically-correct days, it is recommended that instead of wiping off the peanut butter, you instead press birdseed into the PB, and allow natural wildlife to benefit from this. However, EPA studies are not complete at to the effect of injesting car wax residue on small birds and mammals, so you may want to wait until the results are in.