Tupac's 1961 Chevy Impala Restored, Turned It Into True Lowrider

The car starred in the artist's 1996 music video "To Live & Die In LA."

1961 Chevy Impala from Tupac music video gets restored.

03:24

Anthony Alaniz

By: Anthony Alaniz

Jan 10, 2022 at 5:13pm ET

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A 1961 Chevrolet Impala featured heavily in Tupac's "To Live & Die In LA" has a new life with a new owner who turned the yellow convertible into a true lowrider. A new Barcroft Cars YouTube video highlights the restored car and all the changes the owner made to the classic.

Lloyd found the car for sale two years ago, and he had to have it, but he ran into issues shortly after getting it dropped off. On the Impala's first cruise, the engine seized, and the transmission died. That's a terrible one-two punch. Lloyd would eventually replace the powertrain, upgrading it from an anemic 238-cubic-inch V8 to a 350-CI unit. He paired it with a 350 Turbo transmission, but that was just the beginning of the modifications he would make.

The Impala in Tupac's music video isn't a true lowrider. That was achieved with a bit of Movie Magic – sandbags. However, Lloyd rectified that by installing a hydraulic suspension to make it a real lowrider. The entire setup lives in the trunk, allowing the beastly two-door to bounce in the air with ease.

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But the most striking detail about the car is its presence. It wears a bright yellow exterior shade with a yellow convertible top. Gold exterior accents and purple lighting are a small homage to the hometown basketball team – the LA Lakers. The car even has gold, 13-inch custom Dayton wheels that have the logo in yellow lettering instead of the company's traditional red.

Inside, the Chevy has a custom console, a gold-dipped steering wheel, purple cabin and trunk lighting, and other gold accents that keep the LA Lakers theme alive. Lloyd didn't want an average car, and he achieved that with this rad Impala, which has such an iconic celebrity like Tupac tied to it. However, Lloyd's story should be a reminder to drive a new car before buying it, unless you really, really want it.

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