2005 and Earlier Chevrolet Impala

night_owl1

I know exactly what you mean about the rust. I don't think this will be too much of an issue for the Impala. The sheetmetal in the cars back then were only painted on one side. One of the solutions for the rusted windshield area was to allow the water to drain out vice attempting to seal the area totally. Sealing the area actually trapped water. The trim around the windshield on the Impala doesn't look like it was meant to hold the water back, does it?

night_owl1

Did you want the xenon lights for added light or for the "blue" light effect? I only ask this because somewhere I saw a product that was a normal light capsule with a little blue paint on it to give it the blue light look.

teo

wyoimp

Water is bad enough, but those those little airborne pieces of pollen and other contaminants that stick themselves together in most inaccessable places is what worries me. The Cottonwoods and other trees around here drop some pretty persistant stuff. Then it rains or snows and glues itself in some tight places. I've used the shop vac and a toothpick to clean the stuff off from around the hood and trunk openings. I'd think you guys that live close to or next to the beach would have to worry about the salt air.
Then again maybe I'm thinking like the Navy Metalsmith I used to be and see "the constant, insidious, incipient corrosive attack" (from an old training film). I'd just be happier if the stuff was drained and sealed properly.

00impala

From Kim at Hutton, I will post some pice when they arrive, She had to order them for me, I hope they are as cool as the Carpeted ones, But I will use the Rubber ones more often, the Carpeted ones I will keep perfect. they were $47. I wish they would come out with some attractive interst rates for the 2001's in the Mid-West. My wife is liking the 2001 and I am making her wait for a better deal on a Dark blue one. Don

bh0001

I installed Heliolight/Lumiko "HID White" (bought them at my local Performance Improvements store). They are very nice and white - make the old "halogen" bulbs look yellow (I remember the first time I put halogen lights into a car and I thought THEY looked white)! The new bulbs have slightly lavender coloured glass but the light is very white. They are DOT/SAE compliant and apparently use a mixture of Xenon and Krypton gasses.

Part numbers are H9006-XPP2 and H9005-XPP2.

I highly recommend these bulbs. Nighttime driving is much better now, plus the brilliantly white lights look cool!
Brad

bbrowne74

I LOVE my dark blue Impala! Good choice of color!

tomaso7

Thanks for your replies. Before I go any further may I humbly suggest reading my message #4265 again re Carnuba wax and silicone. That will answer some of the questions by those above who replied to me.

My comments on Zaino Polish are not that biased because I cannot sell to U.S. residents and any sales to Americans by Sal Zaino himself have no bearing on me whatsoever. Pat the host of this board does not want me selling on this board and I will obey that. However, when people come to my home, call me on the phone and e-mail and tell me they have never seen anything like it before, re their shine, I just want to let people know that there is a difference. Wax melts and dissipates. There is no wax that will do that in Zaino products. Use what you want, even do a test - use your Meguires, Mother's, Zymol and find someone who has Zaino and compare.

FYI, Sal Zaino was a car painter and people kept telling him about swirls and fish eyes and fading paint jobs. So, Sal told them that you have to use 100% cotton only and use a wax/polish that has no abrasives in it. However, they were almost non-existent. Therefore, over 15 years ago, I believe, Sal came up with his own Polish. No abrasives - no Carnuba wax - no Silicone. The rest is history. He and his brother do not sell in stores, only by mail order via e-mail, faxes and phone calls. He doesn't have the budget for all the million dollar advertisements that the other products use. Hope this helps. Thanks for reading and thanks to Pat for letting me give a bit of history.

night_owl1

I re-read your message again and I still have the same question:

"When you say that carnuba is not good for your car, are you referring to the silicone in the wax or the carnuba itself?"

So you can only sell Zaino in Canada? Shucks, and I was hoping for a group purchase deal.

night_owl1

just a big blank area.

night_owl1

I don't live all that close to the beach so salt isn't that much of an issue. Washing the car would remove any salt that accumulated. We really don't have a pollen/tree dropping issue so I didn't even think about that.

I don't like how the trim is causing the window rubber to lift. I'm worried that eventually, it will cause the rubber to tear.

teo

It was just a quick reply. I meant to say that I was interested in the lighting power of the Xenon headlights vs the Blue shade looks.

Did you check the plastic trim moulding piece above the doors in your car?

The glue to be used is for Plastic/headliner material contact...do you have any recommendations for this type of application?

My 3M glue I believe is for Plastic/Plastic jobs.

night_owl1

Do you feel the lights run at a higher temp? One of the issue with replacing the bulbs with HID ones is the added current draw causes the harness to overheat. The heat also causes the bulb plug in the harness to crack.

night_owl1

I looked at my moulding and it doesn't look like it is sagging. Offhand, I don't know what would stick the plastic to the cloth really well. I gotta find my 3M catalog.

teo

Thanks for your response. Let me know if 3M makes a good adhesive for that type of job.

drew_

Topic: July 24th: "What is the stupidest thing you've seen someone do while driving?"

discgolfer

Well, I dropped my car off this morning for the dealer to "Look at the car" for having the AMP replaced. The car was their from 7:45 till 3:45pm, when I finally called them back. My service advisor told me that they couldn't find anything wrong with my amp, and that they had been on the phone with Chevy. Chevy said there was no AMP problem. My SA (Service Advisor) said that it didn't look good. I then went into the "I paid extra for a "premium Sound System" which sounded no better than the one in a chevy Metro" schpeal. I then said, "All you have to do is listen to mine, and listen to a new one on your lot, and you will "HEAR" the difference". I also said that I was aware that GM had superseeded the 104 amp with a new 103 one. He again said "I haven't givin up yet, and I will talk to the Service Manager tomorrow, but it does NOT look good". Needless to say, I was very disappointed. I told him I would be there in 10 minutes to get my car. I got a ride to the dealer, and decided I should check with my SA to be sure the paper work had been completed before going to the cashier. (They are always behind on the paper work). Anyway, I found him, and asked if my car was ready, and paper work completed. He motioned for me to enter his booth, where he picked up a piece of paper, and pointed to some writing. I looked at it, and it said "SOP". After seeing that I still had a blank look on my face, he said "SPECIAL ORDERED PART!!"....

He said "I don't want to loose a customer over this, especially if GM had superceeded the part". I'm glad I mentioned that to him. (and thanks for that info, whoever posted it).

My 103 Amp is on order, and should be in next week. YYYYYYAAAAAAHHHHHHHOOOOOOOOOOOOOO !!!

Thanks to all...

hunter39

is customer service, though frankly they should have not even questioned it and given you a reason to fret. I'm happy for you though frisbee, congrats!

2k_impala_ls

seeing that I was the 1st to find out that the part had been superceded and posted all the info on my site. Could you believe after my amp and another co-workers had been replaced, within a week, another friend of mine went to the same dealer and is going to get it on Monday, 3 weeks after he 1st went in. Maybe they are getting scarce at GM's Lansing, MI parts outlet. http://www.luckyjdr.homestead.com/impala.html

print out my info sheet and you will get results.

jps045

How can I tell when my 2001 Impala LS was made & where it was made?..Thanks

b4z

Look on the driver's side door jamb. There will be a white decal that will have the build date on it. Month and year.

bh0001

I don't know if the new bulbs run hotter than the stock bulbs or not. They're still 55(?)watt bulbs (not sure of the exact number, but they're the same as the stock bulbs) so I wouldn't think they run hotter. They're NOT true HID bulbs. HID is a completely different technology (true HID bulbs have no filament). These are just a different mixture of gas in the bulbs. If I remember my chemistry correctly, Xenon and Krypton are both "noble" gasses, and "halogen" lasers/bulbs use various different combinations of noble gasses.

Bottom line, I'm not concerned with the heat level.
Brad

mediumfry

Teo, thanks for the reply on the TV thing. Actually, under full braking the TV doesn't move at all. It's very secure where it's at, though it is only wedged in, not fastened by screws, etc. Only a frontal collision at high speed would shove it through forwards, and only a rear-end hit would knock it back. IMO only a rollover would yank it up. I don't have a camera but will try to borrow one and send you more detailed pics of the TV stand. Another note: when the TV is wedged in, the side-facing speaker fires right into the seat making it useless. The fidelity is poor so it's basically useless anyway, but headphones work very well and also allow me to listen to my new '103' amp on the front speakers at the same time.

Nightowl, yes a kleenex box. Notably a freak deal. I think Nolan Ryan could fire a kleenex box at me and I'd survive....

The TV in the car actually has a VCR in it...reception isn't worth watching in the car without some sort of external antenna. Even so one can barely pick up a whole sit-com without driving out of station range. Many of the VCR and LCD TV packages available have RF remotes for the VCR which allows operation without line-of-site to the VCR. Many mobile VCRs are also wireless, transmitting to the TV via a station, not a cable. I was thinking about this type of solution because I didn't think the TV would fit. I'm glad the TV did fit, though, because the cheapest 'acceptable' flatpanel TV/VCR solution was going to be about a grand. The 9" TV/VCR combos are about $200-$250 nowadays.

My son absolutely loves the car and the TV setup. After 12 hours driving in a day he is ready to get some exercise and head out for another drive. It actually works out better than our minivan, which those TVs were really built for.

Whenever I ask my (5 year-old) son which car he wants to take anywhere he asks to take the Impala. THAT'S MY BOY!!

That reminds me, has anyone seen any '00 or '01 Impala Hot Wheels?

tomaso7

Question by night_owl1:
When you say that carnuba is not good for your car, are you referring to the silicone in the wax or the carnuba itself?"

Answer by Tomaso7: I am referring to both. Silicone on cars like Vipers, Corvettes and Saturns will make them unpaintable. Silicone smudges because it never reaches a solid state. Silicone also will eat through metal in time. The sun will burn the silicone through the paint.

Carnuba wax attracts dust and deteriorates in the heat. You probably know what a California Brush is. Do you know why it attracts the dust off surfaces? Because the ends of the brush have CARNUBA wax on them. That's what attracts the dust. So, why would anyone want to use Carnuba Wax on their car if it attracts dust? That's why the instructions for the brush say to LIGHTLY brush the car - the manufacturer does not want to smudge your car with the wax. Carnuba wax also changes the color of cars. Also, wax melts.

I appreciate your questions night_owl1. I hope I have answered them. There, I have answered the questions without mentioning Zaino more than once. lol

Regards

Tomaso7

casl

I had the instrument cluster replaced a couple of weeks ago, per the TSB, to fix the problem of the key fobs only working when they want to. I have not seen a big improvement. I am still having the problem of the remote only unlocking the driver's door on the first press of the button and not responding to the second press to unlock the rest of the car. It doesn't happen all the time, but just enough to be annoying. Anyone else still having problems after the repairs have been made?

cabello

Picked up my car yesterday "cant duplicate problem on the remotes" was the response. I said what about the door sticking? "same thing" As I went to open the door with him standing beside me I almost broke the door handle cause it was stuck. He gave me a little packet of silicone. I said what about the amp well we cant do nothing if there is no tsb on it. i have less of a foot to stand on since i have 42000 miles ...........oh well i will try another dealership later.

9899olds

Seems to me the Impala might pass up the Intrigue for nitty gritty little pain-in-butt inconveniences..

The way the vinyl trim and rubber items are tacked on, it appears owners should avoid the commerical car wash and give it a light sponge bath to avoid shredding the exterior..

In 39 months of Intrigue ownership of two cars for a combined total of 73k miles and approx 156 commerical car washes there has been no evidence of any exterior trim failure or any requirement for glue decision..

teo:::::a carport/garage is a must in the Florida climate. Our Delray condo had a carport otherwise I don't buy..Dark cars in the South are pure foolishness..The Flordia sun and humidity are true
killers of any cars finish and parking under trees in your great state brings in the bird factor--dodo..

tomaso7

Hi b4z: the sun can be a killer on a car's finish but as far as I know there is only one polish that has a UV protector in it. The gloss enhancer Z6 [detailer] also has UV included. There is no need to tell you what that is, is there. Regards

roderacer

I, too, notied the trim coming up on the edges. It seems to be pushing the seal around the windshield and rear windo up a bit.

My question to those who have had it replaced: Wouldn't the trim just come up again in a few weeks? Is there a 'better' way of attaching the trim that would warrant a replacement?

I am not too worried about it, but if replacing it using a better way PREVENTS the trim from coming up, then I'll be all for it - if not, you would be going in circles.

Thanks!
RR

night_owl1

Ah, now I understand what you were talking about.



I'd love to repeat the test that the NSX'ers did, but I don't have an extra hood lying around and just thinking about not waxing my car for 30 days gives me the shivers.

night_owl1

I didn't know about the no-filament thing. I guess that explains why the Phillips HID upgrade kit for a Corvette is $700...

jerseyimpala

I have the HID like lights installed on my '01 impala. They ran around $75/pair for low beam replacement bulbs. Don't have the number off hand but I purchased them from the local chop shop. These bulbs are filament based, like halogens, the true HID bulbs found on Lexus' and Caddy's and such are Xenon gas that is charged to create a true white light, which is why they are $1,000 and up. I wouldn't reccomend replacing the High beams since your high beam lights are the ones that remain on for the daytime running lamps. I haven't noticed any extra heat coming from the bulbs and the extra vision is excellent. Although it has made the fog lamps even more obsolete then before. Has anyone seen/purchased replace HID bulbs for the fog lamps.

jeffreyw1

There has not been a hot wheels car made for the '00 / '01 Impala, but there was a Matchbox '00 Impala policecar and firecar made last year. I collect hot wheels cars and would love to see a Hot Wheels car made for the Impala LS. That would be cool. May all have a great afternoon.

teo

Check out the 1/18 scale 'Tennesee Highway patrol' and 'Chicago Taxi Cab' renditions of the 2000 Impala made by Maisto. The best and more detailed replicas currently available on the Impala:

(Impala Trooper)

http://www.policecarmodels.com/1.18.sale.html

(Impala Cab)

http://www.diecastmuscle.com/ma36617.htm

I will be ordering both models. They retail at $22.50 each but I am hoping that BJ's Wholesale club will carry them as they typically sell these amazing Maisto 1/18 scale cars for just $9.99!!!

I also have both Matchbox Impala police models (One of them is very detailed with opening trunk from the "Emergency Series" wearing the NYPD colors). I also have the 'Road Champs' 2000 Impala police cruiser from the Ft. Collins, CO Police dept.

I have not been able to locate a Civilian Impala LS on any of these diecast retailers (Or any scale for that matter). I hope they decide to release one complete with the rear spoiler.

The 2000 Montecarlo SS in 1/18 Scale is availble, however.

I collect as a hobby die cast cars. I have original 1960's and 1970's Matchbox cars in mint condition with their original boxes. Most of my collection is made up of 1/18 scale and 1/24 scale models.

Night_owl: you may want to add these links to the 'Toys' section on your webpage.

hvan3

Did you ever get your muffler tips installed? If so, can you send us a picture of it?

As for the amp replacement, what dealer did you take it to? What is the service rep's name?

Thanks

00impala

I have the Impala Trooper 1/18 car, I have had it for about 3 months now, I plan to disassemble the thing and take the 5 spoke rims from a UT Models 1995 Impala SS, First I have to strip the paint an fill in about 12 holes left from the police equipment, then paint it Galaxy Silver and make a Spoiler and draw on some fog lights and a sunroof, I bought mine at Toys R Us, you may want to check there, they are $23.99 and you can avoid the hefty shipping charge. I have not seen the TaxiCab at TRU. Don

teo

I saw the 1/18 Police version Impala also at Toys & US and came very close to buy it. I figure that I would wait a few more months (Around Xmas time) to see if BJ's Wholesale Club will carry both the State Trooper and Taxi cab replicas. They sell the 1/18 Maistos for $9.99 which is a steal. The same cars in hobby speciality stores or places such as 'The Sharper Image' charge $35 to $45 for the same exact Maisto cars...what a rip-off!!!

teo

The other day I saw a new Impala base with a Canvas type roof on it....YUCK!

00impala

I called the Dealership that I bought my car from new today, Turns out that my Salesman used to be in the Service Department a few years ago before moving to Sales, Now he is back to the Service Department, In effect, My Salesman is now my Service Writer! Maybe he will have a different perspective on the Impala LS that "he" Sold me, I am taking it in there on Monday to have the Brakes/Rotors Checked, I asked at the other dealer that fixed my AMP and they said Rotors are "Wear and Tear" items and the best they can do is turn them ( my geuss is they will charge me too!) So we will see if the Selling dealership steps up to bat on these rotors, I have 19,400 Miles and a big Wobble in the Steering Wheel when braking (Only does it at 55 MPH) At 50 or 60 MPH it is fine. I am also going to mention the Seat Track on the Drivers seat, how it seems to rock a bit on acceleration and Braking. All in all this car has been Fantastic, The only time it was at the dealership was for the Rear Wheel Liners,AMP Replacment and 6 or 7 oil Changes in close to 2 years!

teo

Insist on having the rotors replaced for new ones UNDER WARRANTY. Don't let them turn them as this will reduce their useful life..

00impala

I think I will also post pics of the 1/18 Impala Transformation on my other webpage. I start off 2 weeks Vacation with a 1/2 day tommorow! woooo hooo! 16 Days OFF!!! I was also promised the 2001 Silver Impala Framed picture on the wall when they all come down in a few weeks! I have a HUGE 2000 Impala Sign (Black LS) And this one is a Silver one.

teo

To place a chromed Impala symbol in the center console like the 94-96 Impala SS used to have.

Night_owl...what do you think?

b4z

Sometimes overtightened lugnuts will cause warped rotors. I always have my oil changes done at the dealership, just in case they mess up. I will know who to blame.

teo

And make sure they torque the nuts to 100 pounds, using preferably a manual torque wrench.

Be in top of them like a Hawk when they are ready to tight the wheel nuts..

00impala

I own a Craftman Clicker Type Torque Wrench, And I check them often , I will also Remove the Center Caps before I let it go into their hands, I have it down to a Science, I use a Dull Butter knife and place a piece of cloth in the slot, I gently pry outward enough to get the knife to slip in towards the lug nuts then immediatly outward again and the center cap comes away enough to get a finger on it and remove it, I once saw a mechanic stick a screwdriver into a centercap directly opposite of the slot (Duh) (one would think to use the darn slot) and pry one off, Not on my car Luckily!

00impala

I may have them check out my front end just in case, and put off the Seat Track for a bit, I do not want to bombard them and I want the most pertenant things checked out,Brake rotors and Front End, My LS has never had the Front end even looked at. When I drive over some washboard pavemant I feel small vibrations translated thru the Steering wheel, Really minor, But I know the difference when they Replaced the Shaft in my Wifes Z24. That had a TSB and they didn't even ask, they just did it!

hunter39

You may take some credit but lets be reasonable, we have already seen a couple of instances where bringing in that information has made no difference to the service dept. I really think it has more to do with the service manager wanting to keep your business and how concerned he is with your happiness. As far as I know, I was the first one to get my amp replaced under warranty. I didn't have to do anything but complain and my service manager jumped at the chance to keep me happy. The leg work was not that hard since we only had to find out if the 2k1 had a different amp, when we found it did and it sounded better it was easy from there. As far as the 104 being superceded by the 103, some here have found that is not necessarily true, the 104 is still showing up in parts inventories. I hope everyone gets their due when it comes to this amp because it was a boondoggle from the giddy up, but folks be aware, it has more to do with the dealerships desire to make you happy than it does having the part number superceded.

jesse078

I was wondering if anyone could post the measurements for placement of the door side "Impala" emblems

mediumfry

I see nobody responded to your "more problems than the intrigue" statement. With a name like 9899olds I would expect a statement like that, but I gotta say I'd rather have the 'nitty gritty' problems with my '01 LS than the problems with the Intrigues.

My Impala has not been flawless, but the serious problems don't seem to be epidemics and I haven't had the serious ones. I may end up with a new cradle but the sheer awe of such a neat idea almost justifies not getting it exactly right the first time. Kinda like the variable ratio steering box that most everyone got replaced on their Intrigues.

Well, I guess when you love your car as much as I do mine, it's easy to let the little problems slide.

Oh, and I just can't hold my fingers. Silicones don't burn through paint. They protect as well as anything, regardless of what color folks think they turn, and they're getting better all the time. My cars have and will continue to enjoy long, beautiful lives with silicone protectants on them.

regulator75

I have had my 01 LS, in for squeeky breaks and they still squeek! I have put almost 5000 Km on the car... It is so annoying!

Arrggg