Spectre Equipped 1968 Chevy Impala Custom Sleeper Built By Blevins Auto

Hidden under the long unassuming hood of this full-size Chevrolet is a Blue Print Engines built 383 cubic inch Chevrolet small block stroker motor rated at 439 horsepower and 398 lb-ft of torque

A 1968 Chevy Impala Custom Coupe built as a daily driver and hot rod sleeper is the latest project to roll out of the Tampa, Florida metropolitan area based shop of Blevins’ Auto

A 1968 Chevy Impala Custom Coupe is the latest project to roll out of the Tampa, Florida metropolitan area based shop of Blevins’ Auto. At first glance the Blevins’ Auto built 1968 Impala Custom Coupe looks quite similar to how it would have rolled off the assembly line. The Impala Custom Coupe package was an upscale luxury trim on par with the Chevy Caprice and made the Impala more of a junior Cadillac than a sport coupe muscle car. These days the majority of fourth-generation Impala Super Sport models with the sleek extended roofline have been snatched up by collectors leaving this 1968 Impala Custom Coupe to fly under the radar.

With that in mind, Blevins’ Auto took a low profile approach to building this 1968 Chevy Impala Custom Coupe. At this point in time, the exterior of the car remains nearly identical to showroom stock. The black paint, black top, and black interior also lend to its stealthy appearance. An Impala expert might be able to spot some of the upgrades made to this Impala Custom Coupe. However, it’s not until diving under the hood or viewing the car from underneath that most muscle car enthusiasts would realize that this car is carrying a concealed weapon.

Hidden under the long unassuming hood of this full-size Chevrolet is a balanced and blueprinted 383 cubic inch Chevrolet small block stroker motor. The engine came directly from Blue Print Engines, who specializes in building crate motors one at a time. Blue Print Engines also takes the time to run their engines, and provide an engine dyno sheet with horsepower and torque ratings. The high-revving 383 small block Chevy stroker motor installed in the 1968 Chevrolet Impala Custom Coupe was rated at 439.8 horsepower and 398.1 lb-ft of torque at 5,800 RPM from Blue Print Engines. The stroker motor is mated to a rebuilt Turbo-Hydramatic TH400 automatic transmission with a 1,800 RPM stall speed torque converter.

The Blue Print Engines built 383 stroker exhales spent gasses through long-tube Hedman Hedders mated to stainless steel Borla Exhaust with electric cut outs & dual Borla ProXS mufflers

Sitting atop a nearly 440 horsepower Blue Print Engines built 383 cubic inch Chevy Small Block stroker engine is a Spectre Performance muscle car air intake system, part number 728

Sitting atop that nearly 440 horsepower Chevy Small Block engine is a Spectre Performance muscle car air intake system 728. This Spectre Performance muscle car intake uses a sealed low-profile 14” x 3” air cleaner assembly with dual air inlets set 180 degrees apart. Included with Spectre Performance 728, are two 41” long pieces of flexible 4” diameter ducting which acts as cold air intake tubes. The included air duct mounting brackets can be mounted on any flat surface, with the radiator core support serving as a popular mounting location. Air filtration and engine protection is provided by the included Spectre High Performance Racing air filter HPR8699.

The Blue Print Engines built 383 stroker exhales spent gasses through a set of long-tube Hedman Hedders mated to a 2-1/2” stainless steel Borla Exhaust and dual Borla ProXS mufflers. The exhaust pipes dump below the rear axle to help maintain the modest sleeper appearance of this 1968 Chevy Impala Custom Coupe. When the need should arise, the Impala’s Borla exhaust can be uncorked with the push of a button. 3” electric cut outs have been installed underneath the Impala allowing its driver to unleash this beast upon unsuspecting drivers not guessing it will pose a challenge at the stop light.

The Blevins’ Auto built 1968 Chevy Impala Custom Coupe was built as a daily driver and to preserve the big-body car’s plush ride, all the suspension components were removed and refreshed. The suspension was sandblasted and treated to a coat of fresh paint. All the wear and tear items were replaced including the shocks and bushings. Energy Suspension black polyurethane bushings were used in place of the original rubber units. A Right Stuff 4-wheel disc brake conversion improves braking performance and makes sure this full-sized hot rod sleeper can come to a stop before the next red light. The interior of the car was left mostly unchanged, except for the addition of Dakota Digital VHX Instruments. These new VHX gauges fit directly inside the Impala’s instrument bezel adding features and accuracy not found in the original units. Plus the VHX Instruments retain the gauge needles and backlit faces for a stylish combination of new technology and classic looks.

Dakota Digital VHX Instruments retain the gauge needles and backlit faces for a stylish combination of new technology, added features, increased accuracy and classic looks

This 1968 Chevy Impala Custom Coupe was built as a daily driver and to preserve the big-body car’s plush ride all the suspension components were refreshed and 4-wheel disc brakes installed

Blevins’ Auto is a family owned business based out of the suburban city of Brooksville, Florida located in the Tampa, Florida metropolitan area. Blevins’ Auto began as Blevin’s Upholstery some 15 years back by the family patriarch, Lee Blevins. Around six years ago, Lee, along with his son Chance Blevins, ventured into the auto restoration and customization industry. This switch in the business model opened new doors for the Blevins clan as they soon found themselves building top notch vehicles for high-profile customers.

Since 1983 Spectre Performance has designed and offered unique, innovative, parts and components to fuel your car or truck obsession. Whether your fixation happens to be a classic car or a modern pickup truck, Spectre will help fuel your passion for performance.

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