My first car was my parent's 1977 bright red Chevy Impala coupe. Dad bought a new '80 Monte Carlo and gave me the Impala as a college graduation gift.
I know that they have a reputation for bad cams, rusty rear frames, weak THM 200's, etc., but I always really liked that '77 coupe. We had a '74 Impala Sport Coupe before and I much preferred the '77 to drive and ride in...quieter and "tauter" and crisp styling. BTW, I also liked the '78 Malibu Classics when they came out, the smaller ones, if you got the Monte Carlo gauge cluster, 50/50 split seat with dual center armrests and the honeycomb wheel covers. After the full-size and mid-size cars were downsized, I never really liked any of the FWD GM cars after that, they just became appliances.
When I got my first job, I traded in the '77 Impala I had been given eight months earlier, on a new '81 Monte Carlo, two-tone light jade over dark jade, 267 V8, positraction, no air...rather unusual combo even then. My dealer located it for me at another dealer in Clearfield, PA. Sticker price was $8,192.00. It was stolen a year and a half later and they never located any of it. I think my folks were sore that I was trading in their college present, but I tried to tell them there was no way I could have afforded the new car without their gift as a trade!
Bill Pressler Kent, OH