While out at an NSRA event in Tampa, Florida, we caught a look at this 1959 Impala convertible and had to know more. Our spidey senses tingled and directed us toward the owner, Bob Birchmeier, a retiree and resident of Tampa, who wanted to give folks a closer view of his lovely lowrider.

Owner Bob Birchmeier bought the car in 2006. Much of the rebuild was done in California.

Bob was born and raised in Pontiac, Michigan, and thanks to his dad and his brothers, he became interested in Chevys at a young age. “My oldest brother bought a new ’55 Bel Air two-door hardtop, the middle brother bought a 1956 version, and my dad bought a 1957 to complete the set,” said Bob. Being the youngest brother and not old enough to drive, he instead was the “junior” mechanic brought in to help work on the cars when they needed it.

Time passed, and Bob eventually got to working on his own cars. He went from a ’55 Bel Air coupe to a ’63 Corvette convertible, and eventually parlayed his experience into working on race cars in the IROC series. From there, he spent time at GM Motorsports and then Hobart Racing. He also spent time crafting Hollywood cars like K.I.T.T. and the Batmobile. After retiring in the ’80s, Bob and his wife, Sonja, headed south for warmer weather, landing first in North Carolina, and then moving to Florida.

Eventually, Bob got back into the game of restoring cars, and it wasn’t long before he found this 1959 Impala convertible for sale. He purchased the car in 2006, and started work.

The engine is a 348 cubic-inch V8 that was bored and stroked, and runs with a host of aftermarket parts from brands like Edelbrock, MSD, and more.

The car is covered in a black basecoat/clearcoat, complemented by the black canvas top. Powering the Impala is a 348 cubic-inch engine that has been bored and stroked, using a roller cam, Edelbrock aluminum heads, dual-plane intake with four-barrel carburetors, and ceramic-coated headers that feed into a custom stainless steel Pypes exhaust system. The 700R4 transmission is equipped with an electronic console-mounted shifter, and can be controlled from the steering wheel with paddle shifters.

The rearend is a 9-inch with a 3.50:1 gear ratio. Disc brakes provide the stopping power for all four wheels, which are Billet Specialties 20 and 18 inches respectively. When he wants comfort, Bob has it all at his fingertips: Air Ride Technologies air bag suspension, power steering, chrome tilt column, power windows, six-way power bucket seats, Vintage Air air conditioning system, and satellite radio and navigation through his Kenwood touchscreen audio system.

It’s clear Bob has some high-minded ingredients included in the Impala, and the car is definitely better with them. Would you do something similar if you had your own Impala convertible? Let us know in the comments below.