It’s always sad to see a car like this Chevrolet Impala left out to just rust away. This particular car is a Convertible SS with a 4-speed, which just makes seeing it in this condition that much more painful! The seller doesn’t offer any explanation as to why it was left outside in a Chicago, Illinois suburb, but apparently, it was parked there for 20 years. This is going to be a major project to undertake, but it does come with a rake (just take a look below)! Find this one here on eBay in Woodhaven, New York with a current bid of $4,500.
I’m going to guess that the rake will be needed to clean up the trail of rust and debris that will be left as you move it onto a trailer. To be honest, it doesn’t say whether the rake is included or not, but I sure hope it is! You will want to click on the image to get the full view, there’s a lot going on here to take in. Besides the pile of mulch (which clearly came out of the car), the rake, and the strapped shut doors I’m kind of nervous as to just how bad the rust is.
A closer look at the interior shows lots of decaying matter and the way the driver’s seat is sinking into the floor would suggest there’s decaying metal underneath as well, not that that would be much of a surprise. It really is sad that this car was left out to the elements and not rescued sooner. The seat upholstery actually looks to be in good condition, all things considered. And it appears that it’s quite complete.
We only get a small glance at the engine. The seller doesn’t give any information about the engine or its condition. It’s definitely a small block V8 and the carb looks like a two barrel, so this could be the base 283. Perhaps one of you can tell us for sure which engine it is?
These cars can be quite valuable when in top condition, so I can see why bidding is already to $4,500, but this isn’t the kind of project you will want to take on if you aren’t experienced with repairing a rusty convertible. The lack of a roof makes it much more challenging and important that the floors be repaired properly. That being said, this could be a cool car to have once the restoration is finished! So, do you think you would be up for this challenge?
I like how the seller stretches the definition of “barn find” and “stored”.
It was a nice car once.
Steve R
The engine has 327 valve covers with a 283 intake and carb with late model heads (accessory holes)
Parts car, and not too many parts at that.
…did anyone else start crying when they saw this story? I did….
i did!!!
I didn’t but I’ve got a couple more holes in the drywall that are going to need filled…
I didnt cry but I wondered what the hell was wrong with the owner!
Probably parked it up when it was just an “Old Car” 15-25yrs since first registered, I know that my first car would b worth a few thousand nowadays but in 1995 I paid £350 ($600-700 rough exchange rate) so it was probably just in this situation if U get what I mean? I could be wrong but that’d be my guess
I get that a trunk lid could be misaligned badly, but the way the right side quarter panel looks like it’s dropped somewhat, the crooked bumper and the ill fit of the passenger door tells me that there’s not much holding this car together. It’s a parts car at best.
Look closer at the picture, and you can see the skid marks where it was dragged to where it’s sitting. That rear view is sad.
This one is a convertible but not a 409
BB as this has the small block distributor in back.
This car needs floors , interior seats rotted and rusted out as well as dash . The engine,drivetrain and brakes trashed. Frame? Highly likely toast!
Just buy this instead or search internet as this one is toast ..
Swap the wheels or enjoy it as is 👍
https://www.carsforsale.com/vehicle/details/40959938
The seller seems to have taken extreme liberty with some facts. To be a barn find it has to be at least covered by a lean-to, it’s obvious that did not happen. also, since when were there “Anti-Lock Brakes” on any 1964 car? also, I am not sure but did a 1964 SS Impala come with the base engine and two barrel?
You could have any engine in the SS.
Including a six cylinder. Assuming the engine is the original. It should be a 283. The two 327s offered that year ( 250 & 300 HP ) were 4bbl
You could actually order a ’64 Impala SS with a 6 cylinder if you wanted. You could get any engine you wanted in any full size Chevy in those years.
This is a classic example of I’m going to fix it up some day. The owner bought this car likely with good intentions but rather than selling it on down the line he let it sit there. 20 years ago was 1998 and I think by then it was well established which cars out of the 60’s needed saving as potential collector cars. So I have to wonder what the guy is thinking! I’ve got a known collector car that if cared in the most basic ways I could hold onto it and in time have a return on my money or a very cool car. So this seller decided the best way to preserve this car is to leave it outside in the rust belt. He likely had many offers when there was somthing left to save, no the usual happened it was left to rot and rot it did, now it’s a POS to far gone to save, isn’t it amazing how time creaps along and one day you look up and your Chevy has disintegrated. Oh well in the end we’re all going to disintegrate.
I’ll bet he had weekly offers for the car over the entire 20 years!
Ashes to ashes; rust to rust.
Anti-Lock Brakes? Judging from the skid marks where it was dragged, I’d say it has completely locked brakes. Buy-the-way… it doesn’t have power windows or power door locks either.
maybe in his mind 20yrs. ago he saw powerwindows,locks,abs? freakin golden! as our last gov. said.before going off to do 14yrs.
Why leave a car sit that long outside. Now it’s a parts car!! WHY!!! The only thing that looks good is the Hubcaps. probably because they where stored inside!
Yes, only 61’s were restricted to 347 and 409 V8’s. In 62 you could get an SS Impala with everything from a 6 cylinder on up.
I never understood letting a collectible car literally rot away, either. Maybe the owner thought he was gonna “take it with him”.
A true sin anyone would let a car like this sit outside and let Mother Nature take her toll. What a waste.
Sad to see such a nice car left to rot…
It looks like it was originally a 327, judging by the badging on the front fenders (283s didn’t have the flags alongside the ‘V’, while the 409 had its numbers attached above the 327 badge). I wonder if the 327 was swapped out for a 2Bbl 283 or perhaps a later, smog 307/350?
Anti-lock brakes? Yep, you push the pedal and nothing happens! I once had a dog that reminds me of this car. Its name was Scraps. This sort of car just breaks my heart. What a waste,
It looks like the Chevrolet version of Christine.
Something in this shape just tears your heart up.
Nobody plans on letting a car get to the point of no.return it just happens. An illness, aging parent, career change, unplanned addition to the family, jumps into your life unannounced. In the blink of an eye your priorities change and thse dream gets put on hold. Sometimes over a few beers its tossed around, but you know in your heart of hearts always it will never happen. It hangs around like an old memory, and before you know it, it’s gone.
Replace the badges on front and rear with “DESOTO”…someone will buy it.
Owner died hauled away by a scrapper.or diluted minded flipper.
Good vin.
Came here for this comment. Surprised I had to scroll down 20+ comments to find it. The only way purchasing this pile makes any sense.
One thing we forget is that not everyone who owns one sees that old car sitting outside wasting away out in the weather as a collectible car.
Then why not sell it to someone that does.
Incredibly heartbreaking to see such a once beautiful drop top left to rot. From the look of things there isn’t enough good parts to merit a restoration of any sort. Pick what you can off of it, and let her go
Well all I can say is if you can move it in 1 piece you would be damn lucky, I would let it sit and rot the rest of the way or have somebody with a dump truck and a loader get it out of the way.
This is the perfect example of what I see every day here is SE Missouri, farmer or even land owner will buy a car or truck run it till it dies and then drag it out in the back forty and let it set. On Missouri Highway 8 between Potosi and Steelville there are a half dozen farms that have old cars and trucks sitting on the back edge of the property. Over the last 30 years, I have stopped and talked to land owners about buying one or two of the old beast, and I usually get the same answer, well I don’t really want to sell them right now. I have gone to a couple of auctions years later and there they sit drug up out of the field and for sell. I did buy a 58 Chevy 1/2 ton pickup at 1 of them for $500.00 about 15 years ago, it was a good parts truck and that’s was about it. I my personal opinion, this car wouldn’t be worth doing anything other than hauling to a scrap yard!!!!!
What a WASTE! I’m trying to convince my “future” Brother-In-Law, “J”, to sell his ’85 Grand National before it winds up like this Chevy. Like “J”, this guy could be a hoarder. (He also has a ’75 Bug and Chevy S-10 rotting away in the backyard.) SMH.
Hey Steve in Charlotte…….I’ve been trying to buy your brother-n-laws twin……
But it’s numbers matching!
Are we still talking about this relic? It should be reclaimed by Mother Earth by now.
In the late Seventies, I bought a 64 Impala for $125. Lots of rot, but the frame was cherry and the drivetrain in good shape. 283, powerglide, power windows, tilt wheel. I had the bodywork done, Installed a new JC Whitney convertible top myself, along with new carpets. Repainted it myself. Light yellow.Looked good and it was fun to drive in Summer. Came across a 66 Chevelle for sale on someones lawn that hat chevy wire wheel covers. Stopped and asked the seller if he would sell just the wheel covers. Got 4 for $40! (different times for sure). I remember I also ordered a new muffler and tailpipe from whitneys and the mailman left the tailpipe draped over my mailbox. Perfect fit. I could only buy straight enamel paint from NAPA then and the car suffered the effect of acid rain. If you looked close, all the pigment was gone in the paint and there were white spots all over the horizontal finish. Sold it for $800. Good times.
All the other comments have covered the bases. All I can say is, WHY!
your forgetting that 20 years ago, the car wasn’t worth much regardless the condition. maybe it would have cost more to get it running than it was worth.time crept up on the owner.
20 years ago was 1998 and yes it was a very desirable car then.
20 years may sound like a long time, but it isn’t.
Who knows what happened to this man. Life gets in the way of the best laid plans.
the factory tach likely means it was born with a 4 speed , back in the day this was quite a ride!
Must be nice to have money to throw away! I love the 64 Impala SS convertibles, I had one when I got married 45 years ago. I think that’s about when this one was parked in the pasture. They should let it Rest In Peace.
I will NEVER, EVER understand why this year model is so popular, esp when compared to the year before and after. Not to mention how it pales in comparison to same year Olds, Buick, and Pontiac. Perhaps the most uninspired design that Chevrolet offered in the 60’s. May it be allowed to return to the earth. One less to have to look at.
Damn….finally someone noticed the factory tach like mine had…….
Maybe there more enlightened people than you think. Obviously there are more who find it more appealing than your choices. Lowriders loved the 1964 Impala and maybe, just maybe, they made it more popular.
We sent a hard top ’64 SS to scrap yrd when I was a teen in 1976. 283 powerglide. It was rusty but nothing like this.
I don’t know, but I think this sale is being treated a little rough on the seller. Does no one note that there is a very fine rake included in the deal? Perfect for clearing the crap from the interior. Hopefully, you won’t poke a hole through floor !
The driver seat already went through a hole in the floor!
Starting out with Southern USA tin is difficult these days. The SS is what it is, and if the price is right it is worthy of a rebuild given the numbers matching fact that it is an SS with real SS seats and the matching interior.
For the right price this car is a great deal for the right rebuilder that has been around the block at least once.
I could rebuild this car in less than a month if I had a shop and the cash for parts n’ engine. Guaranteed the Powerglide works still as they never die.
Bob