Neighbors bond over shared love of '67 Impala
Mike Ruhl is a friendly guy. Like most, after moving to a new neighborhood, he set out to meet the neighbors. What he found, or rather heard about, just a stone's throw away, piqued his curiosity.
The couple across the street told him they owned a 1967 Chevy Impala. Ruhl, a total gearhead, was already intrigued. The story got better - they had ordered it new.
For the next 25 years, the enthusiast continued to hear about the car but never once saw it. Ruhl's neighbor, Hank Newman, was a repair technician for Spradlin Chevrolet in Park Ridge. As a 25-year-old, Hank sat down in the showroom and ordered his ideal Impala.
It was December of 1967. Hank passed on the SS package but made sure the sport coupe was equipped with the big 427-cubic-inch V-8. Comfy options like air conditioning, power windows and cruise control were also selected. As for the Marina Blue paint? Just a year earlier Hank had ordered a 1966 Impala in the attractive hue. What he didn't want, at least originally, was a black vinyl roof. But sure enough, the delivery truck showed up and his newly built car mistakenly had one on it.
“He grew to love the combo and that's why he ordered the '67 this way,” Ruhl said.
Ruhl knows these insider details because he spent more than two decades shooting the breeze with Hank. Most conversations centered around the classic Chevy, hidden away. Hank never drove it but was more than willing to chat about it.
Ruhl learned all about the motoring memories the Impala had made. He heard how Hank kept a detailed logbook, recording every fill-up, gasoline price and fuel mileage. He also heard how Hank drove the Chevy out to California not once, but twice to visit his mother. Another memory shared was Hank's road trip to Iowa for a family wedding.
What Ruhl never learned was why Hank never took it out. That news surfaced after Hank's passing in 2005. His wife, Arlene, explained to Ruhl why the flawless car had sat parked since 1974.
“Hank worried something would happen to his pride and joy,” Ruhl said. “He always had intentions of getting it back on the road after he retired.”
Understandably, Arlene wasn't ready to part with the car then. That didn't stop Ruhl from politely trying. For the next 10 years, occasional hints were dropped. Finally, in 2015, Arlene deemed it time and struck a deal.
The day after Thanksgiving, the unrestored, untouched classic rolled out of the Newmans' garage, across the street and up into Ruhl's garage. The odometer reading? Just 16,600 miles.
“The car was pushed over by my son and Pete, a buddy of mine, and his two sons. I was the fortunate one to be behind the wheel.”
Ruhl, a former GM tech himself, is fascinated by the car's pristine, like-new condition. He also favors the unique powertrain. But above all, it's those neighborly conversations with the car's previous and first owner that mean the most.
“What I love and miss most,” he said, “are those long talks with Hank.”