Bermuda Beauty: This LT1-equipped 1959 Impala
has Roots on the Island

Bermuda is known for many things: pink sandy beaches, shorts, triangles. However, the automotive scene on the island is lacking. Still, that didn’t stop performance enthusiasts and island natives Eugene Bothello and Patty Merritt from showcasing a stunning 1959 Chevrolet Impala during this year’s Goodguys Summit Racing Nationals in Columbus, Ohio.

The car was built by BBT Fabrications in Mahomet, Illinois, and was sporting a bare-metal look at the show for a true classic hot rod vibe. However, the vehicle is powered by a modern Chevrolet Performance LT1 crate engine.* All those elements and more made the Impala a perfect fit for Goodguys’ Street Machine of the Year competition.

“I was always interested in the ‘59 because of its rarity,” Bothello explained. “It was a single-year production car. I wanted to do something a little bit different than what you see out there, more of a hot rod, but with a ‘59 Impala.”

Two and a half years ago, Bothello found BBT proprietor Troy Gudgel online after an extensive search for a shop that could bring his vision to life. The car will eventually be painted in a shade called Twilight Blue with black chrome. It will be stored at the home of the couple’s son who lives on the east coast of the United States.

In addition, Bothello and Merritt – who live in Hamilton, Bermuda – own an LT1-powered 1952 Pontiac Chieftain restomod they keep in Boston.

“We just like old cars,” Bothello said. “We can’t take them home, so we leave them out here.”

The small island of Bermuda has size restrictions on width, length, engine size and power-to-weight ratio, meaning many vehicles in the country are smaller European models. Plus, the British influence means they are right-hand drive. A massive American vehicle like a ’59 Impala wouldn’t come close to complying with all the regulations, so the couple comes Stateside to enjoy their vehicles.

Despite the fact there is not a significant automotive culture on the island, both Bothello and Merritt are longtime enthusiasts who are versed in the hobby, a fact that led them to the LT1.
 
“Of course, the LS is so popular, but I think the LT1 is a bit more of a modern engine, so we decided to go that route,” Bothello said.

The Chevrolet Performance LT1 engine first appeared in the 2014 Corvette and ushered in the fifth generation of the famed Chevrolet Small-Block. The LT1 crate engine is based on LS architecture, but features a unique design and modern capabilities like direct injection and continuously variable valve timing to improve efficiency and power.

“It’s got great power, great reliability,” Bothello said of the LT1. “That’s what we’re looking for in this vehicle. We’re not looking to build a super powerful, 1000-horsepower car. That’s not what this vehicle is about.”

Bothello works as a distributor of motorcycles, scooters and tires, and is also involved with a bicycle company. Merritt meanwhile is a project manager for residential construction projects.

“This is a bit of a creative outlet for us,” Merritt said. “It’s been great. It’s been a really nice collaboration with Troy. We get together and talk about every detail on the car. It’s been really a fun, fun time.”

Bothello originally had a car shipped from Texas to BBT Fabrications. But builder Troy Gudgel ultimately determined it was too rough for the project and found a similar 1959 model. Sean Smith Designs first did some renderings of the car with subtle body modifications and a lot of trim alterations.

Gudgel and his team then went to work, taking painstaking steps to improve the trim and fitment throughout the body.

“I feel like the ‘59 Impala is one of GM’s best-looking cars to start from,” Gudgel said. “We just kind of went through and touched on some of the details and cleaned things up. We hand-built the front and rear bumpers. They look like the factory bumpers, but they’re slimmer. Same thing with all the trim. We remade a lot of trim and just did things [GM] would do if they had an unlimited budget when they went to manufacture the car.”

Gudgel likes to occasionally show cars in bare metal simply to work out any issues that may arise before the project is finished, especially in a big car like an Impala. In essence, the car is a rough draft before the paint and finishing touches are added. Plus, featuring a car in its bare-metal state allows the BBT team to showcase its metalwork.

In addition to the impressive metal artistry, the LT1 crate engine is also a focal point of the build.

Gudgel has been involved with many LS-powered projects and in recent years began building more vehicles featuring supercharged LT4* and LT5* engines from Chevrolet Performance.

For the Impala though, he went a slightly different route while still utilizing the LT platform.

“The supercharged engines were great, but for a cruiser we didn’t need all that
extra power,” he said. “We had done an LT1 in a Chevelle and I was blown away impressed with the performance of the engine compared to an LS3. It was a great-performing engine.
 
“We feel like the cost – for the money, the performance you get out of the motor… you just put the crate engine in and have just as much power as if you took an LS3 and put a cam in it and polished the heads.”

The engine is mated to a Chevrolet Performance SuperMatic 8L90-E eight-speed automatic transmission. Gudgel thought it would be a good fit after having also utilized the transmission in an LT5 build where he was impressed with the quick shifts.

The Impala sits on a Roadster Shop REVO chassis with all modern suspension components and engine mounts that allowed the LT1 to drop seamlessly into the car’s large engine bay. However, Gudgel’s team did do extensive work in the compartment to hide all wiring and create an ultra-clean look.

The Impala rides on one-off Forgeline Motorsports wheels measuring 20 inches in the front and 21 inches in the rear. They are paired with Pirelli tires sized at 265/40 up front and 315/35 out back. Little MFG 16-inch six-piston brakes bring the big car to a stop.

All of BBT Fabrications’ work is done in-house, which extends to the custom interior of the Impala. All of the panels were built out of aluminum and wrapped in leather. The interior also features a variety of modern accouterments including a Vintage Air air-conditioning system and Dakota Digital gauges. BBT’s parts line Intek Auto was responsible for a variety of knobs, switches, mirrors and door handles in the Impala as well.

Gudgel, an Illinois native who calls himself a “diehard Chevy guy,” is part of an eight-member team at BBT Fabrications. Since 2007, the crew has turned out multiple stunning builds and is currently working on an LT1-powered 1965 Chevelle, a ’66 Chevelle with an LT4, and an LS3-equipped ’67 C10.

As for the 1959 Impala, the vehicle has a personality all its own.

“As we worked into the build, we started letting the car tell us what it wanted,” Gudgel said.

Just like the island of Bermuda, today its character shines.

Be sure to keep watching The BLOCK for more on Chevrolet Performance builds from Goodguys Columbus and other automotive events nationwide.

*Because of their effect on a vehicle’s emissions performance, these engines are intended exclusively for use in competition vehicles. These engines are designed and intended for use in vehicles operated exclusively for competition: in racing or organized competition on courses separate from public roads, streets or highways. Installation or use of these engines on a vehicle operated on public roads, streets or highways is likely to violate U.S., Canadian, and state and provincial laws and regulations related to motor vehicle emissions.