[dg2394ss]

So I may be moving to germany next year fort business purposes and im taking my impala with me. My concern is that the impala ss being A sport luxury sedan will now be residing in the land of best full sized luxury sports sedans today. I want my impala to be close to par as far luxury. Not too worried about performance since i got a 383 in it already. I'll keep up a v12 beamer any day. However my impala is years behind when it comes to the luxury of a benz our a bmw.So im taking suggestions as far as how to make impala more luxurious . I got a little over a year to work on it before I leave so let me have it. I was thinking about switching to an analog cluster buy a digital cluster will be more useful since they are metric.

 

[jayoldschool]

You know you can get a Canadian metric cluster, right?

 

[maesstro]

Put some cadillac emblems on it?

Seriously, a 15 year old chevrolet will not compete with a new mercedes or bmw on the luxury scale. You can start working on your interior now though, and make some huge steps towards closing the gap. No pics, but I have most of my interior wrapped in vinyl (looks leather, but holds up to the sun alot better) and it makes a big difference when compared to the oem plastic. There's just too much cheap plastic in our cars compared to the new ones, which have newer, classier plastic. I would also look into swapping center consoles and maybe a double DIN headunit to update the ride.

 

[dg2394ss]

Put some cadillac emblems on it?

Seriously, a 15 year old chevrolet will not compete with a new mercedes or bmw on the luxury scale. You can start working on your interior now though, and make some huge steps towards closing the gap. No pics, but I have most of my interior wrapped in vinyl (looks leather, but holds up to the sun alot better) and it makes a big difference when compared to the oem plastic. There's just too much cheap plastic in our cars compared to the new ones, which have newer, classier plastic. I would also look into swapping center consoles and maybe a double DIN headunit to update the ride.

no doubt bro, I know I cant get it to the same level as a benz but im happy just getting it to a respectable level. Lets face it an impala interior is pretty plain even for standards 15 years ago, but still to its credit neat and clean. Center console is a good idea, I have a z28 console I might pop in wich has a cd compartment that can be a good housing for a double din. My seats will be reupholstered this december. Im thinking same gray leather with charcoal suede down the middle.

 

[maesstro]

You could also smooth out some of the interior pieces and paint them or make them look metal, rather than textured black or gray plastic.

 

[SIMPSON]

look at "Low Bag N"'s ride...the interior will make you drool...literally

edit...heres pics

 

[Fred Kiehl]

I was at a gun shop recently, and they can cover the plastic or metal with a film that has a design. It works on anything. They even have camouflage like you see on hunters guns. It would be an interesting look on the interior. Like anything else, it can get expensive when used in excess. They even put pink with flowers on entire guns for the ladies. There are a multitude of designs and colors available.

 

[Freedog]

Having lived overseas for a total of 7 years, I can tell you that your first priority will be making sure your ride is as reliable as possible. Getting parts sent over can be a chore to say the least. There wont be any "I'll just go to Autozone and pick up a _____". I'm assuming the SS will be your second vehicle? Big cars can be hard to manage in certain situations and I'm sure I don't have to tell you that gas prices are brutal.

Having said (typed) all that, I would just leave the interior alone myself. There are a faction of Europeans that love American cars not because they compete with the Europeans but because they are patently American, big, bad, and in your face. What gearing are you running?

 

[dg2394ss]

Having lived overseas for a total of 7 years, I can tell you that your first priority will be making sure your ride is as reliable as possible. Getting parts sent over can be a chore to say the least. There wont be any "I'll just go to Autozone and pick up a _____". I'm assuming the SS will be your second vehicle? Big cars can be hard to manage in certain situations and I'm sure I don't have to tell you that gas prices are brutal.

Having said (typed) all that, I would just leave the interior alone myself. There are a faction of Europeans that love American cars not because they compete with the Europeans but because they are patently American, big, bad, and in your face. What gearing are you running?

Im running the stock 3:08 gear. as far as reliable goes i have pretty much replaced evey thing that usually goes out eventually. Even things it didnt need to be replaced and maintenance has been up to date.

 

[Sinister]

Having lived overseas for a total of 7 years, I can tell you that your first priority will be making sure your ride is as reliable as possible. Getting parts sent over can be a chore to say the least. There wont be any "I'll just go to Autozone and pick up a _____". I'm assuming the SS will be your second vehicle? Big cars can be hard to manage in certain situations and I'm sure I don't have to tell you that gas prices are brutal.

Having said (typed) all that, I would just leave the interior alone myself. There are a faction of Europeans that love American cars not because they compete with the Europeans but because they are patently American, big, bad, and in your face. What gearing are you running?

QFT.

I took an 89 Trans Am with me to Germany and the majority of locals went gaga for it. Had an old man that could barely stand tell me he loved my car and if it were for sale. A Greek bar owner wanted to trade me flat out for his brand new car. They aren't dumb though, cause he backed out once he knew it only had the 305 engine, lol.

Parts are not easy to find and are expensive, close to $200 bucks for just one cheap tire. I had to order intake gaskets and a radiator online and have them shipped.

Gas? You think we pay a lot here? Just wait.

Running flat out on the autobahn listening to the roar of a SBC was a wonderful experience though.

 

[dg2394ss]

QFT.

I took an 89 Trans Am with me to Germany and the majority of locals went gaga for it. Had an old man that could barely stand tell me he loved my car and if it were for sale. A Greek bar owner wanted to trade me flat out for his brand new car. They aren't dumb though, cause he backed out once he knew it only had the 305 engine, lol.

Parts are not easy to find and are expensive, close to $200 bucks for just one cheap tire. I had to order intake gaskets and a radiator online and have them shipped.

Gas? You think we pay a lot here? Just wait.

Running flat out on the autobahn listening to the roar of a SBC was a wonderful experience though.

Isn't the 89 trans am the same body as the knight rider trans am? Maybe that's why they were going crazy for it. They love knight rider in germany.

 

[Sinister]

Close, but mine was bright red with polished Weld Wheels. The dude with the 69 Camaro, and even the 78 Malibu got looks and thumbs up everywhere they went. Germans love American cars. They see Beemer and Benz everywhere they look.

 

[dg2394ss]

yea I guess bmw and benz are a dime a dozen out there and impalas are probably as rare as a maybach is here. I just want to show people that we know a little something about luxury to.even if the features are after market and gm had nothing to do with it lol.

 

[dg2394ss]

yea I guess bmw and benz are a dime a dozen out there and impalas are probably as rare as a maybach is here. I just want to show people that we know a little something about luxury to.even if the features are after market and gm had nothing to do with it lol.

The after market luxury features that i plan on adding that is

 

[tlynch]

You know you can get a Canadian metric cluster, right?

Why? The digital clusters switch to metric with the press of a switch.

 

[maesstro]

Don't forget about the ride quality- I'm sure they've got us beat there, too. Make sure you're suspension is up to grade and body bushings would probably go a long ways towards helping close the gap. Responsive, not harsh, if you're trying to make the ride similar.

 

[BYB_CUZ]

I think without changing the design of our dash, and adding more buttons/features our interior is plain Jane.

 

[maesstro]

^^^Yep. But that's ok with me. If I wanted luxury, I'd go buy a beemer or something of the like. I'm happy with a fully framed, loud American throwback, of sorts. Of course, I'm not saying I would dislike driving something a little more modern or refined on a daily basis, but have no plans to ditch the SS.

 

[96 Black]

A. Having lived overseas for a total of 7 years, I can tell you that your first priority will be making sure your ride is as reliable as possible. .......

B...... Big cars can be hard to manage in certain situations and I'm sure I don't have to tell you that gas prices are brutal.

C.......leave the interior alone myself.

D.......There are a faction of Europeans that love American cars not because they compete with the Europeans but because they are patently American, big, bad, and in your face. .......

A. Yep Freedog, you pegged it. B. You said a mouthful there. Impossible alleys they claim are two-way roads, and like $5 per gallon on a good day. C. Yah, garish styling and that "large litre 8" engine noise are what they want. D. My daughter's German husband and visiting friends reminded me of kids on a roller coaster ride when they took the Fleetwood out on the town one day. They looked the way I would with a rental Maybach.

Cliffs: dg23-, just take the rig the way it sits. They'll still hate your classless & uncouth American guts but love your car.

 

[pcordes1979]

One thing I have not seen mentioned yet, is if you plan on registering the car over there you will most likely have to bring it to EU vehicle specifications(unless they have an age limit but I have heard of people importing even classic 30+ year old vehicles needing "upgrades") mostly includes lighting regulations but also some safety and emissions regulations. Also if you are going to register it in Germany you will have to make sure its in top mechanical shape to be TUV certified. I remember I believe it was Heinz Schenk who had a nicely built Impala SS that he was able to get TUV certified. I did a quick search on the subject and found this link http://www.howtogermany.com/pages/import-car.html not definitive but should provide some insight in the matter. - Peter