1965 Chevrolet Impala

THIS smooth driving 1965 Chevrolet Impala is among car enthusiast Snow Merrett’s most prized possessions.

He flew to Eden, New South Wales with his son to collect the car, then drove it home – a journey of 972km.

“That was an interesting trip home, one of the tires blew at Skipton and my wife and grandson had to come and pick us up in the trailer,” Mr Merrett said.

Mr Merrett bought the car in 2011 for around $16,000, but today its worth in the region of $33,000.

A total body rebuild has been done, including the engine.

The Impala had 99,000 miles on the clock when it was sold to Mr Merrett, and the odometer currently sits at 105,000 miles.

“My wife Pat did an excellent job with the car’s interior, restoring it before we did anything else,” Mr Merrett said.

“Keep the vehicle as original as possible was very important to us.

“The Impala has featured in three or four local weddings and proved to be very popular since four people are able to sit in the back and front seats.”

The car is also used in various rally’s and was part of the local fund raising initiative – Put Your Hard Hats Out – in 2016.

“Rebuild older cars cannot be rushed and it took 18 months to restore this one,” Mr Merrett said.

“The car has a very spirited performance for a large car and I love the way the it runs.

“It is a delightful car.”