For the sheetmetal, the Covington crew pulled out all the stops, not leaving a single detail of the bodywork unattended. A slick fuel tank was fabricated with a deep tunnel to sit low on the frame's backbone. It flows into the seat-pan area and is fitted with the precision of a jigsaw puzzle while meshing perfectly with the molded frame. A short, wide rear fender was made and attached to the swingarm to ride close above the 300-Series tire. Two cutouts on the rear top edge of the fender would be used to contain the Eddie Trotta-designed LED lights. The guys decided to mount the front fender low and close, too, by attaching the custom mount to the leading-link axle. This way, even during riding the fender remains in constant proximity to the tire. All of the sheetmetal, as well as the frame and headlight bucket, was treated to a coating of Pagan Gold with off-white and silver graphics applied by John at Luckys' 7. For extra attention and in keeping with the Impala theme, metal trim resembling Chevy fender trim was machined and added to the tank, rear fender, and swingarm.
A custom set of three-piece wheels was machined with an inner 12-spoke design. Separate solid rings and the tri-spoke inserts were made to resemble a classic Impala's hubcaps and affixed to both wheels: a 21-inch unit up front with a wide 18-inch unit holding up the rear. Performance Machine hand and foot controls were attached to PM calipers through hidden brake lines contained within the handlebars and frame. Clean, wide handlebars with integral risers, two PM master cylinders, and Eddie Trotta mirrors were bolted to the top triple-tree.
Not wanting to diminish the quality of this build with any ordinary motor, the Covingtons decided to go with a powerful Patrick Racing (PR) Evo-style motor. PR round billet cylinders filled with J&E pistons highlight the 113-inch mill. Up top, PR heads with Manley valves and JIMS rockers and boxes are fed via JIMS pushrods from the PR cases filled with a PR crank assembly. The air/fuel mixture comes from a 42mm Mikuni carb with a custom-made air cleaner fabricated from an actual '64 Impala speaker grille. Two stepped header pipes culminate in a trick, bolted-on endcap that begs to be ridden hard while barking a melodious, thumping exhaust note. All of the power is transferred to the right-side-drive six-speed tranny through an open primary covered by a ribbed cover, made by Covingtons, with the Impala logo.
After an arduous seven weeks, the Covingtons crew brought themselves and the finished bike to Mencia's Hollywood studio for its unveiling. For fun, Carlos held a mock biker build-off competition between his bike and one that had been built by scavenging some of East L.A.'s finest lawnmower parts. It was a joke-after all, the man is a comedian. His Impala bike won the "competition" hands down. Carlos is really happy with how the bike turned out and how the Chevy theme really sets it off. He and the bike can be seen all over town, just cruising or parked at the local comedy shops.