Faults:

Alternator: I’m on my fifth alternator, the first four were warrantied. The bearings went bad, but they charged fine.

Right Taillight bulb: I replaced the bulb a couple times, then brought it to the dealer. They replaced the bulb. Yeah, OK, that lasted about a mile. Went back three or four times, and they finally replaced the whole taillight assembly.

Oil cooler lines: Replaced twice.

Transmission: It died with about 50,000 miles on the clock. Should have upgraded, but my wife was ready to have our daughter soooo…

Differential: Replaced with about 60,000 miles.

Optispark distributor: Replaced at about 63,000 miles.

Rear caliper pins: Just replaced them last week-end. The lower ones were rusted up good! I broke one and had to order a whole new caliper bracket.

General Comments:

I love the car!

For its size, it is amazingly quick, especially with a few mods. The last time I raced it at the quarter mile dragstrip, it ran 14.63 seconds. Since then, I have installed a Dynomax UltraFlo cat-back, 160 degree thermostat, and a homebuilt look-a-like RAISS cold air intake. Haven't raced it since, as I have conceded it to "cruiser" status.

Faults:

Nothing so far, have only had the car for 3 months.

General Comments:

This car is seriously quick and handles like it's on rails with police suspension.

Handles more like my Nissan Sentra SE-R than a large 3400 pound highway cruiser.

Very strong acceleration, it easily spins the tires at lights with 330 lb./ft. of torque.

World class braking with 12 inch disc brakes all around and ABS.

Looks mean, like The Devil's Parade Float, and rides like Black Magic.

Faults:

1. Power steering hose sprung a leak from rubbing in front of lower engine. Cost a lot to replace, but it won't happen again.

2. Rear of front seat cushions has moved forward, exposing cloth liner behind the leather. I understand this is common on most Impala SS's.

General Comments:

The two minor points above are far outweighed by the performance of the SS. This was the last 4 door muscle car built until Mercury came out with the Marauder in late 2002. And the Impala SS, with a stock 260 HP versus the Marauder's 300+ HP, will still out run a Marauder. There is a reason why the SS is nicknamed "The 4 Door Vette", it is very fast, and can easily be made faster. Replacing the air filter and programming the chip will gain 20-25 HP, add a new exhaust, and you are close to 300 HP. This car is a pleasure to drive, aftermarket parts are easy to find and inexpensive, and the SS is a classic that increases in value each year. Check out the NAISSO and ISSCA web sites, dedicated to the SS lover.