While Tommy Dixon has owned his 1965 Chevy Impala Super Sport for just five years, his relationship with the classic car goes back more than 22 years. Like so many collectible car stories, it started with one of his buddies buying it from the original owner, a 70-year-old gentleman in Chicago.

According to Tommy, the ’65 SS was a solid car when his buddy purchased it, but he proceeded to do a frame-off restoration. They took the body off and started on the frame, media blasting and adding a fresh paint job in black. A year later, his buddy decided to move, and he didn’t have the room to take the car with him. Tommy watched as the car passed hands to another buddy, and the build continued.

Since the frame was already done, Tommy helped the new owner begin work on the drivetrain. The original 283-cubic-inch small block was replaced with a 496-cubic-inch big block. The transmission was also replaced with a beefed-up TH 400, built by Capizzi Automotive in Michigan. After the mechanical work was done, the car was painted Passion Blue, the color came from adding a silver tint to the factory Marina Blue. That was 22 years ago.

Over the years, Tommy’s buddy got married, had kids, and didn’t have time to drive the Impala SS for a long time. The only time the car hit the streets was when Tommy took it out himself. Tommy has built many cars for people over the years, and he found a 1966 El Camino to focus on.

As it turned out, the Impala SS was just too much power for the owner, and he came to the conclusion that it really should belong to Tommy. Another turn of fortune was when Tommy’s buddy suggested they trade the El Camino for the Impala SS. Today, his buddy is working on the El Camino with his kids.

In order for Tommy to make his new acquisition truly his own, he decided to do some upgrades. First, the engine got reworked to 512 cubic inches, 10.5:1 compression ratio, a hydraulic roller cam with 620 lift, Edelbrock aluminum heads, and full CNC porting for maximum horsepower. The intake is also from Edelbrock, with a 900 CFM Holley carburetor.

An MSD ignition system supplies the spark, while ceramic-coated Hooker Headers and 3-inch pipes flow out through MagnaFlow mufflers to help the engine breathe. To keep it cool, Tommy went with a Harrison radiator for a 409 Impala. The differential is a 12-bolt Posi unit with a 3.42:1 gear ratio, replacing the 4.11:1 setup. The engine puts out 623 horsepower.

The suspension was changed out to a QA1 coil-over setup. The wheels are GM Corvette Rally rims, 8-inch wide rears, and 5-inch wide up front, with B.F. Goodrich radial tires, all around. The car still has manual steering and brakes, disc brakes in front and drums in the rear.

The Impala’s interior is all original, down to the functioning cigarette lighter. The console and shifter are what the factory put in. The only thing different in the dash is the aftermarket AM/FM radio that looks just like the original AM radio.

Tommy loves bigger cars and the body style, especially Impalas. He loves to go to car shows and he just finished a leg of the Power Tour 2025 that took him to Indianapolis. Even with all that power under the hood, Tommy said his Impala averaged about 15 MPG on that tour.

As every car enthusiast knows, the project is never done. Tommy is contemplating fuel injection and a transmission with overdrive. He said that he kept most of the old parts if he ever decided to go back to a stock setup.

If you have a car you would like to see featured in Classic Wheels, contact Rudy Host, Jr. at Classic.Wheels.Rudy@gmail.com.