Optispark is definately a poor design & will probably need replaced sometime in it’s life.
All '95-'96 cars had console shift. Also they had analog guages with a tach. And they were available in two colors other than black (black cherry & green-grey). '94 cars were all black & had digital speedo w/o tach.
$9800 is reasonable. Make sure it is a 5.7L and not a 4.3L V8. They look identical to the untrained eye. All Impy SS’ came with a 5.7L, but alot of these cars have been hammered. I think the engine size is cast into the block on the lower portion near the motor mounts.
These are fun cars to drive & easy to make fast. Even if they are 4000 lbs.
A T56 six speed is a bolt in mod, too.
EDIT: I Was pretty certain '95 & '96 had floor shifters, but the referenced article http://impala.homeip.net/faq/faq.cgi?interior%2Fconsole.html above says only '96 has a console. I know it was not an option, because I test drove one in '96 that had a floor shifter, was a grey - green car and there really was no options available, as they only came one way other than the color.
Blazin si - what are you doing with the CL? How many miles? Color? Leather or cloth?