How many quarts of oil and what kind of oil
How many quarts of oil do i need for a 1978 chevy impala 305/5.0?
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1978 Chevrolet Impala Reviews, Pricing & Specs
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After the major redesign in 1977, the 1978 Impala saw few changes. A new horizontal-bar grilled graced the 1978 models, placing the Chevrolet insignia above rather than on the grille.
The base engine remained a 250-ci I6 rated at 110 horsepower, with an optional 305-ci V8 rated at 145 horsepower and a 350-ci V8 rated at 170 horsepower.
While underwhelming compared to the earlier versions of this car, the 1978 model remains popular today for its sharp lines and reconditioning opportunities.
Published Aug 9, 2022 by CarGurus Editorial Team
User reviews for 1978 Chevrolet Impala
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by Anonymous
Oct 23, 2010
I Bought my 78 Impala for $7,300 new in May 1978, including $55 extra for 350-4bar carb.
It was painted in 1997 without need of any bodyfiller. No rust. Camshaft and timing chain replaced in 1993. R-12 axial 6 a/c still works well. 452K kilometers. Should last me at least 50 years.Oct 23, 2010
by Anonymous
Aug 15, 2010
305 is a dog without A dual plane intake and a good old Quadra-jet! Way better mileage with a 4 barrel. Looks fast sitting still. Cheap to buy. Never had major repair issues even w/ the 305 in it. Add a rear sway bar and it is no longer a boat! Interior finally ... totally redone including remove dash face and re-dye Everything.
Replaced rear axle and sway bar with a 1996 Impala SS unit. direct bolt in. New axle has 3.08 gear, Posi and Disc brakes and the large factory sway bar. I tossed my after market bar in the trash with the old axle. Having an issue with the parking brake cables. Improve braking but lose brake stand capabilities with: 'Pro Bolt' proportioning valve bolts to increase rear disc line pressure. New axle requires 5 X 5 wheel bolt pattern Impala comes with 5 X 4.75. I grabbed steel rims from a Buick road master. these are 8' X 15' rims. When dash was re-dyed, had the speedometer re-scaled to read up to 120 MPH. I had to also due to different re-end ring gear change,swap out both speedo gears in the tranny. Gas mileage is now really bad, can't keep my foot off the Go pedal.Aug 15, 2010
by Richard D
Apr 03, 2010
this was my 2nd demolition derby car i ran. I actually did pretty good, until i got hung up on the burm. I saved the motor and tranny and put it in the next years car i ran, it was a cool car.Apr 03, 2010
User rating:
by Anonymous
Oct 23, 2010
I Bought my 78 Impala for $7,300 new in May 1978, including $55 extra for 350-4bar carb.
It was painted in 1997 without need of any bodyfiller. No rust. Camshaft and timing chain replaced in 1993. R-12 axial 6 a/c still works well. 452K kilometers. Should last me at least 50 years.Oct 23, 2010
by Anonymous
Aug 15, 2010
305 is a dog without A dual plane intake and a good old Quadra-jet! Way better mileage with a 4 barrel. Looks fast sitting still. Cheap to buy. Never had major repair issues even w/ the 305 in it. Add a rear sway bar and it is no longer a boat! Interior finally ... totally redone including remove dash face and re-dye Everything.
Replaced rear axle and sway bar with a 1996 Impala SS unit. direct bolt in. New axle has 3.08 gear, Posi and Disc brakes and the large factory sway bar. I tossed my after market bar in the trash with the old axle. Having an issue with the parking brake cables. Improve braking but lose brake stand capabilities with: 'Pro Bolt' proportioning valve bolts to increase rear disc line pressure. New axle requires 5 X 5 wheel bolt pattern Impala comes with 5 X 4.75. I grabbed steel rims from a Buick road master. these are 8' X 15' rims. When dash was re-dyed, had the speedometer re-scaled to read up to 120 MPH. I had to also due to different re-end ring gear change,swap out both speedo gears in the tranny. Gas mileage is now really bad, can't keep my foot off the Go pedal.Aug 15, 2010
by Richard D
Apr 03, 2010
this was my 2nd demolition derby car i ran. I actually did pretty good, until i got hung up on the burm. I saved the motor and tranny and put it in the next years car i ran, it was a cool car.Apr 03, 2010
by Mike C
Oct 11, 2009
I still regret the day this car was sent to the boneyard. It was a solid runner and never failed to start on even the coldest mornings (except, of course, when the starter itself failed).
Power was enough to get you where you were going in a hurry, but don't push that big boat suspension. The simple V8 was easy to work on with ample room in the engine bay (except around the starter, grrr). Swapped the basic-looking interior out for that of an upper-level Buick of the same body type.
Driven sensibly, the gas mileage was decent for a V8. Just don't drop that right foot too often or a tank can go by quite alarmingly.Oct 11, 2009
by Anonymous
Oct 10, 2009
I love running this car on the open road - but because I wasn't "raised" on this type of car, it is difficult to operate occasionally. I am constantly flodding and/or stalling... Have never had to take it to the shop for anything other than routine maintenance. Gas milage is surprisingly wonderful for such an old car. Also able to peg the speedometer, when the conditions are right.....Oct 10, 2009
by Shannon T
Sep 03, 2008
For in tense and purposes... this car is the best one I've ever owned. It's possible that I just had some type of car ESP with it or whatever, but she never leaves me on the side of the road. She's currently STILL RUNNING with some of the most messed up parts. The radiator has a giant hole in it, but never once has it overheated. The engine has a blown head gasket, but it does still run. She's currently running on 3 cylinders (out of 8). I have lost the entire exhaust system (catalytic converter included), but she has no problems (even though she sounds like a NASCAR, but for now we'll call that a good thing). More than once I have completely run out of gas, but she has always brought me home safely. I bought her for a pittance ($300), but she'll be mine until one of us gets too old to drive anymore (I hope I go first).Sep 03, 2008
by Anonymous
Feb 01, 2007
I bought this 78 impala and its in good condition,and I was realy surprised about the handling,the suspension rides realy smooth&comfy but can at the same time take corners and doesnt bounce around as much as a chevy caprice(as much as I love the capices :) ). I have the 305 engine and its not so bad,the hp is low but the torque is good and altough it doesnt go to 200mph its still exciting to drive.Feb 01, 2007
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