Dick Rothfuss' 1959 Chevrolet

Photo by Dave Jenkins.

Photo by Dave Jenkins.

Photo by Dave Jenkins.

Dick's wife posing next to "Poopsie." Photo by Dave Jenkins.

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Photo by Dave Jenkins.

Photo by Dave Jenkins.

Photo by Dave Jenkins.

1959 Chevrolet Impala owned by Dick Rothfuss of Ann Arbor, Michigan. Dick's Impala, known as "Poopsie," was restyled late 1959 - early 1960. In 2015 Dick told Kustomrama that he couldn't remember the name of the body men that restyled the car, but all work was done in the Ann Arbor area. Door handles and emblems were shaved, before Jimmy Jones fit it with a pair of his popular bubble skirts. The scallop paint job was applied by Paul Hatton, and the upholstery was done by a local trim shop. The interior was made from sketches made by Dick; "The interior featured a 45 rpm record changer, pirated from a Chrysler. It played thru the radio and 6 speakers. The engine was a mildly chromed 348 ci with 3 deuces. Even tho the trunk & engine compartment weren't finished, we took 3rd at the 1960 Fostoria, Ohio show." In 1961 the car was featured in the September issue of Customs Illustrated.

Dick's Impala was ultimately traded to Herman Lay's son; "Yeah, the potato chip guy, for a cherry 1958 Chevrolet Impala convertible with a factory continental kit. This was after we moved to Atlanta and had another baby. Sad to say, the last time I saw Poopsie, she was locked in a tow-truck impound lot in Atlanta, and they wouldn't let me near it. I never did find out why, but the skirts, chrome wheels & upholstery all appeared to be gone."

Magazine Features

Customs Illustrated September 1961