Harald Sannum's 1959 Chevrolet

When Harald got the Impala in 1963, the interior was in a bad shape, so he had YVI in Trondheim stitch him a custom rolled and pleated Naugahyde upholstery. This photo was published in Amcar No. 3 - 1979. Photo courtesy of Amcar Magazine. Click here to buy this magazine online from Amcar.no.

Harald working on the front end of the Impala. After the car had received the custom upholstery, Harald installed a bored 283 V8 engine in the car before he went over the chassis and front end. This photo was published in Amcar No. 3 - 1979. Photo courtesy of Amcar Magazine. Click here to buy this magazine online from Amcar.no.

The rear end of the Impala as it appeared after Harald and Bjørn Tømmervik had restyled it. This photo was published in Amcar No. 3 - 1979. Photo courtesy of Amcar Magazine. Click here to buy this magazine online from Amcar.no.

The front of the car was mildly restyled by installing a homemade tube grille. This photo was published in Amcar No. 3 - 1979. Photo courtesy of Amcar Magazine. Click here to buy this magazine online from Amcar.no.

A detail shot of the sunken antennas. This photo was published in Amcar No. 3 - 1979. Photo courtesy of Amcar Magazine. Click here to buy this magazine online from Amcar.no.

Harald's Impala at the April 1967 Hot Rod Show in Stockholm, Sweden. Photo by Ryde Brundin, courtesy of Maths Pålsson.

Photo by Ryde Brundin, courtesy of Maths Pålsson.

Photo by Ryde Brundin, courtesy of Maths Pålsson.

Photo by Ryde Brundin, courtesy of Maths Pålsson.

Photo by Ryde Brundin, courtesy of Maths Pålsson.

Photo courtesy of Anders Norman, from Customs of Sweden Facebook Page.

Another photo of Harald's Impala at the Hot Rod Show.

The photo above appeared in the Swedish magazine Power 1-78. The writer of the story thought the car came from Finland. Photo courtesy of Power Magazine.

Another photo from the Stockholm Hot Rod Show.

This photo was published in Amcar No. 3 - 1979. Photo courtesy of Amcar Magazine. Click here to buy this magazine online from Amcar.no.

This photo was published in Amcar No. 3 - 1979. Photo courtesy of Amcar Magazine. Click here to buy this magazine online from Amcar.no.

A photo of the car without fenderskirts. This photo was published in Amcar No. 3 - 1979. Photo courtesy of Amcar Magazine. Click here to buy this magazine online from Amcar.no.

This photo was published in Amcar No. 3 - 1979. Photo courtesy of Amcar Magazine. Click here to buy this magazine online from Amcar.no.

A record-player was mounted under the dash. A photo of the car without fenderskirts. This photo was published in Amcar No. 3 - 1979. Photo courtesy of Amcar Magazine. Click here to buy this magazine online from Amcar.no.

Amcar No. 3 - 1979 featured a four-page article on Harald's Impala. Photo courtesy of Amcar Magazine. Click here to buy this magazine online from Amcar.no.

1959 Chevrolet Impala owned and restyled by Harald Sannum of Trondheim, Norway. Harald bought the Impala in 1963. When he got it, the interior was in a bad shape, so had YVI in Trondheim stitch him a custom upholstery. Harald told the workers at YVI that he wanted a rolled and pleated Naugahyde interior for the car. YVI did a great job with the interior, but it was very expensive, and it took forever to complete. Harald had to pay 2000 NOK for the job, and 1500 NOK for the materials. In 1963 you could by a late 1940s or early 1950s cruiser for half the price. The seats, side and door panels, dash and hat rack were upholstered in rolled and pleated Naugahyde. Originally, Harald wanted to upholster the headliner with rolled and pleated Naygahyde as well, but due to the cost he went with plain white Naugahyde.

After the car had received the custom upholstery, Harald replaced the stock inline-six engine with a Chevrolet 283 V-8 engine. The engine was bored to 301 cubic inches before Harald fit it with a hotter camshaft, hi-comp pistons and a 4-barrel carburetor from a Corvette. Harald decided to keep the original 3-speed manual transmission in the car. Several components in the engine compartment were sent to the chrome shop before Harald painted the front end and chassis on the car.

Tired of repairing dents and scratches made byl "hired" drivers, Harald decided to customize the body of the car in the Autumn of 1965. When Amcar Magazine interviewed Harald about the car in 1979, he told them that his inspiration came from the stacks of Hot Rod Magazines he had in his collection. Another inspiration was also the cars he had seen at Bosse Gamen's Hot Rod Show in Stockholm, Sweden. The restyling found place in Bjørn Tømmervik's garage, and they began the build by shaving all the chrome trim on the car. The holes from the trim were welded shut before they began on the rear end modifications. In the rear, the taillights were frenched and tunneled. The stock bumper was removed and replaced with a rolled pan. Fenderskirts were installed, and two antennas were frenched into the right quarter panel before the car was painted in a light pink color. The front was later modified by replacing the stock grille with a homemade tube grille.

In 1967 Harald's Impala was show at the Hot Rod Show in Stockholm, Sweden, and it became the first Norwegian custom car to be displayed at the Hot Rod Show. Harald came second in the upholstery class, and many Norwegians were sure that it would have won if it had Swedish license plates.

Early in the Winter of 1968 Harald traded the Impala for a 1958 Ford Skyliner with a guy from Oslo. By then the car had been painted in a light copper color. Rumor has it that the Impala was sent to the junkyard after it had crashed into a ptelephone booth. The interior was supposedly installed in another Impala.

In 1979 a four-page article on Harald's Impala was featured in Amcar No. 3 - 1979.

In 2013 rumor had it that Harald's old interior was still present in Asbjørn Øverlie's 1959 Chevrolet Impala. According to Odd Harald Bolgnes, Harald had confirmed in the early 1980s that it was the same interior.

Magazine Features

Power 1-78
Amcar No. 3 - 1979
Amcar September 2006