World's Fair Auto Show 1959

A photo of Joe Previte's 1958 Chevrolet Impala Convertible custom taken at the World's Fair Auto Show in West-Springfield in October of 1959. He bought the Impala brand new, and according to Ray, "Joe wanted to have one of the first chopped 1958 Chevrolet convertibles around." Joe and two buddies took the car to Juarez, Mexico to have the windshield chopped. After that they continued to California, where he had Barris Kustoms restyle it further. Massachusetts is far away from sunny California, so back East, Joe decided to have a top made for the Impala. He took it to a black upholstery guy in Boston. He gave him drawings and told the upholsterer that he wanted the top to look like a 1958 or 1959 Lincoln convertible top with the rear window. Joe wanted a rear window that went up and down as well, but that never happened. Photo from The Ray Soff Photo Collection.