Cheap Thrills: $3,000 '68 Chevy Impala

Here at Rumblenote, we're known for our miserly ways and our criticism of less than pristine rods priced over $10,000. We admit our fondness for the prices of the late 1980s, back when $3,000 bought one hell of a car. Those days are gone, right?
It's easy to be critical of overpriced cars, but we'd also like to showcase cool rides cheapskates like us can afford. Thus Cheap Thrills, a new feature where we find fun cars going for less than the down payment for a house. Cars like this '68 Impala on Baltimore Craigslist.
The big green Impala has all the marks of the shoestring hotrod. Check how the money goes toward a Holley carb and chrome under the hood instead of a Maaco paint job. Is that a rebuilt engine or just a couple of cans of engine orange? Looks like a rebuild to us.
We like the big Impalas, particularly with a nice set of rallye wheels. We also dig any car painted the color of a fishing lure. Seems an excellent base for a great price. We don't imagine it'll be around long.