Europeans didn't come up with this first? I saw them on European cars before Asian models. I'm talking about coming from the factory that way vice an aftermarket part.
The clear tailight treatment is an Asian design trend, not European. I Have been to Europe several times and never seen a new Euro car equipped with clear tailight lenses from the factory.
The only vehicles with clear tailights I saw were Lexus RX300 and IS200 in London.
Hey, it might be cool. The new clear taillights I have been seeing for import cars come with clear lenses, but the interior comes in chrome, smoked chrome, carbon fiber, and black. Not to mention, maybe they would come out with a three bulb design.
I would be interested, the problem is that they need at least 15-20 people to order the same gauge setup, to start production, and I'm sure most of the impala owners arent interested. Chris 2001 Silver Impala LS http://members.cox.net/2001impala
you might want to give them a call. because, i have a friend with a grand am, he sent in the guage with $100 deposit, payed $35 more on completion. and only ordered 1.
Tape a coffee can to the tailpipe. Paint it silver.
Teo - Some of those "Kanji" characters make no sense, either. I suggest that people who are considering defacing their cars with stupid, pointless, tasteless, and classless things like Kanji stickers check first with a Japanese friend (or Chinese, as Kanji characters generally have the same meaning) before emblazening your race rocket with the words "gentle chicken" or "love harmony". I should start a mail order sticker company, and sell ones that say "slow car" or "mechanical idiot".
Not planning on trading in the Impala just yet, but I will be in the market for another car in a while, possibly a Lex or something.
I was wondering of the factors that can decrease trade-in value such as window tinting.
I would think that the dealers could hold that over a buyer's head since "everyone doesn't want their windows tinted" type of thing.
I am just looking to get the most $$$ for the trade-in when that time comes. I checked out kbb.com and I could possibly get around 15K if I traded yesterday - today it is probably worth 13K.... DOH!
The little info I scrounged up about these engines seems to indicate the 2 engines have entirely different top ends & pistons & rods. Unless you're gonna tear the L36 down. Its easier to replace it entirely. Go to luminasupercharged.com. He's got a good list going. Thrasher mentions they had to replace the fuel pump (there's inline ones out there so you don't have to drop the tank like they did), engine cradle, fuel lines, CV joints/half shafts, brackets, radiator, & wiring. They modified the wiring but the lumina guy said to replace it. (Maybe easier in his application but unnecessary for ours?) The trannies have parts made of thicker steel I guess. Even though, I heard the input shaft is still weak & could be replaced. Go to 3800performance.com. They sell upgraded trannies & tranny parts. An L67 teardown is pictured on www.thrasher-ep.com/L67_htm/engine_tear.shtm
Wow, this is great! I have been searching and searching for a website strickly for the 2000 year model Impalas and up! I am looking for websites where I can order and view Impala LS accessories. I have a new 2002 Impala Ls and I would like to get a nice looking billet grille with the Impala Logo in it..Has anyone seen this? I have seen the regular billet grills for the Impalas.. But, I thought someone, somewhere had to make ones with the Impala logo on it. Also, I would like to find Impala logo embroiderd floor mats. (medium gray w/ black logo) Finally performance wise... I have seen some pics of Impala Ls's with dual exhaust.. Where can I order this cat back exhaust from? Is there other ones also?? I am also curious to ask anyone that has put the computer chip for the Impala Ls in their car if it helped with HP or if there were no significant changes..
I too would like to know how well the JET Performance chip would work in our cars. I have a 2002 LS. Also, does anyone know if it voids warranty? Does anyone have experience with cold air intake or exhaust that works well on the Impala LS?
What type of dual exhaust do y'all recommend for Impala? What does y'alls research show? I have a 2002 Impala LS and I'm looking to put some dual exhaust in there to get more horsepower. But I don't really want too much more noise ya know since it's a passenger car... Thanks
Are you talking about in general or for the Impala?
Cold air is more dense than hot air. The colder the intake air is, the more oxygen you can get into the cylinder and the more power you get out. On some race cars they install a chill box and ice down the intake.
The source of air for most car engines is within the engine compartment. As you can imagine, the air in there is pretty hot. In the 60's and 70's the answer was to cut a hole in the hood and stick the air cleaner up through it.
In today's cars, the designers attempt to place the air intake where it can get cool air, but they are limited by a lot of factors.
Aftermarket companies some up with creative solutions to reroute the piping to maximize air flow from a cool air source.
The Impala's intake is situated in a pretty good location, behind the driver's side headlight. The problem is that the instake horn is about 1/4 inch away from the air filter. When that area of the filter loads up, the air has to move through this gap to find a unclogged area. Open up the air filter housing and you'll see what I mean.
Areas of improvement for the Impala would be to increase the available surface area of the filter and to route cool air to it. One of the issues with replacing the air intake system on the Impala is the BCM (Body Control Module) is installed in the air cleaner housing. This would have to be relocated. If you are interested in the different aftermarket air intake systems available for the Impala, go to my site (http://www.impalahq.com/), go to the Accessories page and look under Performance. The two different air intake systems available are designed for the Monte Carlo. However the MC and Impala are pretty much the same car so it should fit.
Someone used Shop Vac parts to direct cold air to the existing air box. You can see photos of that on my Photos page. He said he felt an improvement.
What can you expect? The engine will sound louder. One of the design restrictions on the factory air intake is to minimize the sound of the air rushing into the engine. The aftermarket air intake goal is to maximize air flow. The car should respond better and you may see better gas mileage. Restriction in the air intake system robs power.
Anyone who's gotten the Eibach springs.... did you need to replace your struts too...? and did you need/feel the need to replace anything else once you installed your springs? If so, what's the best way to do it? Thanks
Anyone know what the numbers are and where i can order these special police lights?? Has anyone installed these and can i see some pictures? They look pretty cool on the ones ive seen even though they are illegal. Im not planning on pulling anyone over thx Rob
www.galls.com www.whelen.com www.streichers.com all sell the lights you are looking for.
I have the Whelen UH2150B flashers, Whelen Dual Strobe Dashmiser for front windshield and dual halogen for rear deck. Whelen stuff works great from my expierience, though Fed Signal and some of the other brands are wonderful as well.
where i come from, if you are seen with them in use anytime on the street it is considered Impersonating an officer, and that is automatic jailtime. In NYC they just might keep your Impala and add it to the fleet!!
I was watching one of those late night ifamercials and saw this Tornado Air Management systems... Like anyone else, as soon as I see these things I usually just flip to the next channel and move on. But, seeing how it is endorsed by the Hot Rod association... I thought maybe, just maybe, this thing is for real. Have any of you bought this and does it really work? It claims to really improve the mileage per gallon and increase horsepower up to 15 in some cases. Let me know.. I am very curious about this product... I am going to do some more web surfing to see if I can find any other kinds of tests on it. Below is their web-site if you havn't heard of it before.
Someone here installed a Tornado on his Impala and liked it. My brother installed on his 02 truck and said it didn't do anything. Personally, I don't think it works.
1) The demonstration they do using the two soda bottles with the water passing though it is flawed. The reason the water flows faster when the water is swirling is because it allows the AIR trapped in the bottom bottle to escape to the top bottle. If you cut an air hole in the top bottle to allow air to enter and a hole in the bottom bottle to allow air to escape, the water would flow even faster.
2) The demonstration with the air pump and the little propeller in the clear tube is also deceiving. Yes, the Tornado causes the air to swirl, but this does not mean the air is flowing faster. It just shows that the air is becoming turbulent.
3) Intake systems are designed to minimize turbulence. The Tornado system increases it.
4) If this little device increases gas mileage, ALL the auto manufacturers would be using it. Why? They have to meet the CAFE standards. They spent a lot of money to get the EPA to agree to allow changing the engine oil from 5W30 to 5W20 to improve the gas mileage 0.6%. If they could simply drop in something and boost gas mileage AND performance in their entire fleet, you can bet they would do it.
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
Does anyone know where I can get the Sports Appearance License Plate Cover for my 02 impala ls?? This is one thing that looks pretty cool from the new package.
Does anybody know where one could get a "blank" front license plate cover/filler like the one on the Sport Appearance Package, but without any text on it (I can't recall if it says "Impala" or "Chevrolet").
I've got a chrome script "Chevrolet" and "V" hood emblem from our former 1959 Bel-Air, which I think would look great attached to a "blank" cover similar to the one on the Sport Appearance Package. I've seen similar blank ones on various Cadillacs and such, but haven't been able to fine one that could be readily modified to fit the Impala.
I too have been searching for one. I have found where to get them. Go to www.auto-parts-direct.com and ask them. It comes unpainted - $28.00. The only reason I haven't bought one yet is because I don't know if it will fit the LS. They said it would, but Nathan said the LS has a different bumper than the Sport. I hope it will fit! If you decide to get it, please let me know if it works!!!
Has anybody tried the SLP or Thrasher Cold Air Box? Wondering how much it helps intake... BTW, I emailed montecarlostore.com about some stuff, and they said they were opening an Impala Store soon....! I can't wait
Has anyone found a pair that actually fits without cutting or modifying. Anyone have pics of rubber non molded flaps on their impala or even molded ones.
Funny you should ask. I was just told that Chevy released new rear flaps that should fit without modification. The part number is on the molded mud flap how-to article on my page www.ImpalaHQ.com.
I'm probably buying an Impala next week. I want the LS, but the square hollow headrests are very uncomfortable for me (I'm short and have neck problems--have to rely on heavily on my headrests and the space in the middle just doesn't cut it).
Dealer tells me my only solution is to by the base model instead of the LS. Isn't there a way of putting different head rests on the LS?
I don't know much about cars--do auto parts places sell replacement headrests that are like those on the base Impala that would fit the LS? How about cushioned headrest covers? Is there such a thing that I could slip over the LS headrests (yeah, I know it'll look goofy, but comfort is a big issue)?
Thanks in advance for any ideas. I'll get the base model if I have to, but love all the standard stuff that comes on the LS (except those headrests;)
Don't let the headrests sour you on the LS as it is a great ride and if comfort is your concern, then either the LS or base should fit the bill just fine.
I drive the '01 LS and I concur that the headrests are a bit strange. I don't lean ,y head back very often but when I do, I can't get it to feel "right".
I am sure that an aftermarket company may produce a cover of some sorts or maybe the dealer could work something out with you with swapping the base headrests with the LS'.
What interior trim are you considering? Leather or cloth?
The dealer led me to believe I couldn't get leather on the base, but on checking the brochure, I think I can. If anything, I can always buy myself a nice leather steering wheel cover:)
Still, custom cloth will probably be ok for me. I actually like the split front bench over the bucket seats. Call me weird, but I like having a ton of space up front for me and my bag, etc. It means fewer spaces where I can drop (and lose) toll quarters, etc. I can still get the power driver's seat as an option.
Do you recall if you can get those little wood (fake?) accents on the base model or was that only on the LS? They look really cool to me.
I'm still debating whether I should test drive something else, like maybe a Buick Century for comparison, but am 95% sure of getting the Impala at this point (just still not sure about base vs LS).
I disliked the headrests on the LS at first, but after a while they grew on me. I can sleep much more comfortably on them than I would have thought(which happens a lot when I have to wait for a couple hours in my car for one reason or another.. job thing). With a lot of adjustment, I got them to feel right while driving, finally. Even friends of mine who have griped about them on getting into the car at first have, after a 6 hr drive, mentioned how nice they are once you get the hang of them. Your Mileage May Vary, I suppose, but I like them now.
I'll go back to the dealer and try them again. Would hate to buy the LS and then find out later how much I hate the headrests though.
I'll ask the dealer what the chances are of purchasing a separate headrest that I can use (and hold onto the donut one for resale down the road). If that's an option, then I can get the LS and not worry. If not, then I'm getting the base with bells and whistles added on.
Funny, I've been getting a lot of e-mail on this subject. The Monte Carlo has solid headrests and the Impala LS has the halo style. I think you can interchange the two, but I have not been able to test this theory. Since you are in the market for a car, you have some leverage. Ask the dealer if he could swap the headrest between a MC and an Impala just to see if it would work. You could say that it would make/break the deal. Maybe they would be willing to swap the headrests and let you keep the MC ones just to sell the car. Or get you the price for MC ones. I have the Wet Okole seat covers for my car and it came with seperate headrest covers. If it really bothered me, I could cut a piece of foam to fit the center and cover it with the headrest cover. The cover itself is pretty springy so there is some support there anyway.
Go to http://www.impalahq.com and click on the My Car button. You can see what the seat covers look like. The company may be willing to sell you just the headrest covers or you could get the whole set.
Checked out the site--those covers look great! If the headrest cover is springy, that could definitely work, if need be.
I ended up buying the LS and not exchanging headrests. After playing with the "halo" and seating position a bit, I found that putting the headrest at 2 notches up seemed to feel similar to the solid headrest. If it ends up becoming a problem, I'll look into getting a cover and maybe doing the foam thing you suggested.
Seeing those Wet Okole seat covers reminds me that my DD and I tend to go home from the town pool in our wet suits. That's something that will DEFINITELY have to change from now on.
Well I ordered the plate from Hutton and it isnt made for the 2002 LS. I rigged up something to hold it on but it isnt meant to fit the LS. The holes dont line up in the bumper, but it looks good on the car.
Comments
http://www.jottodesk.com/usa/CCIpics.shtml
The only vehicles with clear tailights I saw were Lexus RX300 and IS200 in London.
The Impala doesn't need this hint of bad taste.
http://www.speedhut.com/
Chris
2001 Silver Impala LS
http://members.cox.net/2001impala
Teo - Some of those "Kanji" characters make no sense, either. I suggest that people who are considering defacing their cars with stupid, pointless, tasteless, and classless things like Kanji stickers check first with a Japanese friend (or Chinese, as Kanji characters generally have the same meaning) before emblazening your race rocket with the words "gentle chicken" or "love harmony".
I should start a mail order sticker company, and sell ones that say "slow car" or "mechanical idiot".
as well as the regular and hd tranny
I was wondering of the factors that can decrease trade-in value such as window tinting.
I would think that the dealers could hold that over a buyer's head since "everyone doesn't want their windows tinted" type of thing.
I am just looking to get the most $$$ for the trade-in when that time comes. I checked out kbb.com and I could possibly get around 15K if I traded yesterday - today it is probably worth 13K.... DOH!
RR
An L67 teardown is pictured on www.thrasher-ep.com/L67_htm/engine_tear.shtm
They are a bit on the expensive side for some of the items, but they have damn fine looking embroidered logo floor mats.
They also have a few different grilles, but not one with the Impala logo.
Brad
Does anyone have experience with cold air intake or exhaust that works well on the Impala LS?
Drew
Cold air is more dense than hot air. The colder the intake air is, the more oxygen you can get into the cylinder and the more power you get out. On some race cars they install a chill box and ice down the intake.
The source of air for most car engines is within the engine compartment. As you can imagine, the air in there is pretty hot. In the 60's and 70's the answer was to cut a hole in the hood and stick the air cleaner up through it.
In today's cars, the designers attempt to place the air intake where it can get cool air, but they are limited by a lot of factors.
Aftermarket companies some up with creative solutions to reroute the piping to maximize air flow from a cool air source.
The Impala's intake is situated in a pretty good location, behind the driver's side headlight. The problem is that the instake horn is about 1/4 inch away from the air filter. When that area of the filter loads up, the air has to move through this gap to find a unclogged area. Open up the air filter housing and you'll see what I mean.
Areas of improvement for the Impala would be to increase the available surface area of the filter and to route cool air to it. One of the issues with replacing the air intake system on the Impala is the BCM (Body Control Module) is installed in the air cleaner housing. This would have to be relocated. If you are interested in the different aftermarket air intake systems available for the Impala, go to my site (http://www.impalahq.com/), go to the Accessories page and look under Performance. The two different air intake systems available are designed for the Monte Carlo. However the MC and Impala are pretty much the same car so it should fit.
Someone used Shop Vac parts to direct cold air to the existing air box. You can see photos of that on my Photos page. He said he felt an improvement.
What can you expect? The engine will sound louder. One of the design restrictions on the factory air intake is to minimize the sound of the air rushing into the engine. The aftermarket air intake goal is to maximize air flow. The car should respond better and you may see better gas mileage. Restriction in the air intake system robs power.
www.whelen.com
www.streichers.com all sell the lights you are looking for.
I have the Whelen UH2150B flashers, Whelen Dual Strobe Dashmiser for front windshield and dual halogen for rear deck. Whelen stuff works great from my expierience, though Fed Signal and some of the other brands are wonderful as well.
http://www.tornadoair.com
http://www.dirtroad.com/tornado
http://www.legend.org/performance/mods/intake-2
http://members.aol.com/agspeed/hintake
http://www.zr2.com/frequently_asked_questions/modifications/air_filters/air_filters
1) The demonstration they do using the two soda bottles with the water passing though it is flawed. The reason the water flows faster when the water is swirling is because it allows the AIR trapped in the bottom bottle to escape to the top bottle. If you cut an air hole in the top bottle to allow air to enter and a hole in the bottom bottle to allow air to escape, the water would flow even faster.
2) The demonstration with the air pump and the little propeller in the clear tube is also deceiving. Yes, the Tornado causes the air to swirl, but this does not mean the air is flowing faster. It just shows that the air is becoming turbulent.
3) Intake systems are designed to minimize turbulence. The Tornado system increases it.
4) If this little device increases gas mileage, ALL the auto manufacturers would be using it. Why? They have to meet the CAFE standards. They spent a lot of money to get the EPA to agree to allow changing the engine oil from 5W30 to 5W20 to improve the gas mileage 0.6%. If they could simply drop in something and boost gas mileage AND performance in their entire fleet, you can bet they would do it.
Thx Rob
I've got a chrome script "Chevrolet" and "V" hood emblem from our former 1959 Bel-Air, which I think would look great attached to a "blank" cover similar to the one on the Sport Appearance Package. I've seen similar blank ones on various Cadillacs and such, but haven't been able to fine one that could be readily modified to fit the Impala.
Drew
THX Rob
Dealer tells me my only solution is to by the base model instead of the LS. Isn't there a way of putting different head rests on the LS?
I don't know much about cars--do auto parts places sell replacement headrests that are like those on the base Impala that would fit the LS? How about cushioned headrest covers? Is there such a thing that I could slip over the LS headrests (yeah, I know it'll look goofy, but comfort is a big issue)?
Thanks in advance for any ideas. I'll get the base model if I have to, but love all the standard stuff that comes on the LS (except those headrests;)
Don't let the headrests sour you on the LS as it is a great ride and if comfort is your concern, then either the LS or base should fit the bill just fine.
I drive the '01 LS and I concur that the headrests are a bit strange. I don't lean ,y head back very often but when I do, I can't get it to feel "right".
I am sure that an aftermarket company may produce a cover of some sorts or maybe the dealer could work something out with you with swapping the base headrests with the LS'.
What interior trim are you considering? Leather or cloth?
Good luck.
RR
Still, custom cloth will probably be ok for me. I actually like the split front bench over the bucket seats. Call me weird, but I like having a ton of space up front for me and my bag, etc. It means fewer spaces where I can drop (and lose) toll quarters, etc. I can still get the power driver's seat as an option.
Do you recall if you can get those little wood (fake?) accents on the base model or was that only on the LS? They look really cool to me.
I'm still debating whether I should test drive something else, like maybe a Buick Century for comparison, but am 95% sure of getting the Impala at this point (just still not sure about base vs LS).
-Nicole
I'll ask the dealer what the chances are of purchasing a separate headrest that I can use (and hold onto the donut one for resale down the road). If that's an option, then I can get the LS and not worry. If not, then I'm getting the base with bells and whistles added on.
Go to http://www.impalahq.com and click on the My Car button. You can see what the seat covers look like. The company may be willing to sell you just the headrest covers or you could get the whole set.
I ended up buying the LS and not exchanging headrests. After playing with the "halo" and seating position a bit, I found that putting the headrest at 2 notches up seemed to feel similar to the solid headrest. If it ends up becoming a problem, I'll look into getting a cover and maybe doing the foam thing you suggested.
Seeing those Wet Okole seat covers reminds me that my DD and I tend to go home from the town pool in our wet suits. That's something that will DEFINITELY have to change from now on.
Hope this is helpful
Rob