61 Impala bubble top

[427TJ]

Back in 1980 a school buddy (SF Bay Area, we were 18 then) had an uncle who ran a huge wrecking yard in Richmond. We'd go through that place all the time and check out all the cars. Got lots of parts from that place too and it was better than Disneyland for a day's fun. Came across a dirty but cherry '61 bubble-top one day: blue/blue bench, 348 3x2, manual with white-ball floor shifter, air cleaner and wheel covers in trunk, straight as the day it was built, black CA plates. I fell in love with it instantly and all it needed was a serious day's cleaning and it would look new. $1200. I thought that a set of Cragars and T/A radials was all it needed! My buddy convinced me that it was not the car to have and that I would rather have a Camaro or Chevelle ("cooler" cars in 1980). Passed on the '61 but never forgot it. Duh.