After an abbreviated start in 1961, the Chevy Impala SS sold like hotcakes in 1962 thanks to a shift in focus. Style was chosen over muscle in the second year (although you could still put a beast under the hood), and sales went from 453 copies to 99,311 units! This ’62 Impala has a tricked-out 409 cubic inch V8 under the hood and the rest of the car needs completion. We don’t know if the motor is original to the car although the fender insignia does say “409”. Located in Cypress, California, this Bow-Tie is available here on eBay where you’ll have to do better than $16,900 to break through the reserve.
Chevrolet was celebrating its 50th anniversary in 1962, so what better way was there to celebrate than to have a Bonafide hit on your hands? In this case, the new Super Sport. Besides badging inside and out, the SS came with bucket seats, making it a bit more special than the regular Impala. While a lowly inline-6 was standard equipment, you could option your way up to one of two 409 V8s – 380 hp with a single 4-barrel carburetor or 409 hp with a twin set-up like in the seller’s car. 8,909 of the 409s were installed that year, but they weren’t all in Impalas and there is no data that I can find breaking out how many were built with one versus two carburetors.
Regarding this Chevy, the seller doesn’t indicate if the 409 is numbers matching or if there was even a 409 in the Impala to start. And did it have the SS option originally or did that come later? But we’re given a lot of details regarding the transformation of his great big block engine. All the work has just been done and the motor has zero miles on it. Power steering was added (a good idea with all that weight on the front wheels) and aftermarket wheels and tires are on all four corners.
The body has been primed for painting and we think much of the chrome is lurking nearby. We’re told this might be the most rust-free Impala you’ll find from 1962. Some of the interior pieces are there and in boxes, while the buyer will have to take care of the rest. The seller has gotten on in years and is unable to finish what must have been a labor of love. Will you be the one to carry that dream forward?
Does it have posi-traction? If so, this is it, the car from the massive hit,,,FOUR O NINE! Located in California is no coincidence. The song came out in 1962 by the Beach Boys, and skyrocketed to the top of the charts. The song, according to “Songfacts” referred to a ’62 Bel Air Sport coupe, so equipped, supposedly capable of 12s @ 115mph and top speed unclear and 0-60 in 4 seconds. Top speed unclear, as the speedo only went up to 120. Even though they had little idea about the car, the song was written in 5 minutes with 3 simple chords, and was one of their biggest hits. It also fueled a ton of sales for GM, that not sure the Beach Boys got anything for, but “409” became the catch phrase for every ’62 Chevy that came down the pike,,,even though, its days, by ’62 were numbered. To be honest, we almost never saw one, all small blocks, as mentioned before, with the songs popularity, we, as kids, made it our business to see. Nothing. I swear, those wheels could make a Yugo look nice. Iconic car here, anything with a song involved, will last the ages, and I suspect folks in the future will wonder what the heck a “4 speed, dual quad, posi-traction 409” was all about. Well, here you go.
409s Are Cool. Always Wanted One.
Came close to owning a 62 many moons ago. Was maybe 69, anyway looked great and was white, red interior, bucket seats and 327 oh yeah 4 gear. I was young and just started working with cars a couple of years before. So I drove it and something didn’t sound right under the hood and although never drove a Chevy like that power was down and that weird sound. Long story short didn’t buy it and the guy that did was looking for a replacement engine. I was good with that as it would have strapped me and I needed car to get to work. These old cars were used up, original engines, transmissions ah nobody cared. Myself today if their put back close to what they were originally that’s a big plus. Numbers not that important, they did what they were built for, pleasure in one form or another.
My first car waa a 62 Bel-Air 2dr. with a 292 Straight 6 out of a taxi or truck. Bought for $300 of my own money, in 71 or 72. 3 on the tree, I knew Dad would approve cause he was a straight 6 guy. Smoked like hell, but I worked at a discount gas station where I had clean bulk oil sold for 25 cents a quart. Sold it to a guy for $300 who said he had a 409 to drop in it. Bought a 65 Catalina convertible with a 389 and T-Hydramatic for $350. Loved the Poncho, twisted the pinion shaft off doing hole shot burnouts. Then csme 1974 and gas rationing. Sold the Big Cat for $500 and bought a 74 Corolla 1200. Sure miss the Poncho.
Love those stories
Dang….nice trailer there…..
That was cool Howard- thank you
Howard if it was mine I, actually wouldn’t want Posi-Traction unless I was running a late model rear and. The 1955 vintage design center section was designed for a 265 V-8. Maybe they thought it could grow to 283. The rear end pinion gear is the problem. 409’s were known for shearing the teeth off the pinion gear. Without Posi-Traction they just went up in smoke. If they hooked up they sheared the teeth off the rear end pinion gear. I have a friend who can verify this.
I have several gear sets on the pallet rack ready for when my friends get carried away and need them. I was fortunate to break the motor mounts in my 62 Impala (327 PG) around 1975 before I knew about the rear end gear problem. I did wipe out a carrier bearing in a 63 Chevy 327/350 HP, but I learned from that one before I hurt stuff.
I’ve heard stories from people who were there about the Grumpy Jinkins/Dave Strickler team showing up for a race weekend with the aluminum 427 63 Impala with four or five rear end gear sets for the weekend.
I am amazed how many 62 hardtops that are still with us. I can’t say anything as I have one squirreled away that I bought when I was 17 for 65.00. A 327 when I bought with a cracked block. 500.00 at the local junkyard netted a 340 hp 409 with radiator and shroud from a 63 SS convertible. Those engines were ok but it was a gas hog and not really fast. I swapped it out and sold it for stupid money to a dreamer in the late 80s and put a 396 4 speed in it, which it still has today. I think red interiors were 90% of these cars, mine is. Iconic now, once just an old boat anchor, as many called them decades back. I am not a big fan, I do have one still, and it is neat to look at. I see more of these now than when I was young. Most 409s that rolled into the wrecking yard in the 80s were in wagons, four doors, and regular unit. I did junk a 64 SS hardtop with a 409 with a 3 speed. This will be a neat unit when finished but not one I would want to drive, but thats me.
The 409/409 Horse is a fast one, friend of mine had one in a Biscayne in the 70’s, never got beat at the stoplight races, beat a goat with a tri-power by a half fender in a quarter mile.
Who knows what lies under all that red oxide primer,they even painted under the trunk lid and even the corvette behind it
Dont want to overev a 409 a few people around here scattered there engines back in the day when they were the talk of the town
As an older fella myself I sympathize with the seller having to give up on his project. I imagine he has done most of if not all of the work thus far himself. It’s tough that he won’t be able to finish. It looks like most of the pieces needed to complete the car are there so that is a positive. Of course to do it justice it needs a quality paint job which means all the trim and such that is now installed has to be removed. Then you’ll be able to spend lots of time and effort on getting that primer ready to paint. This might be the perfect project for a good body man. I hope it works out well for both the seller and buyer.
Unless there were a lot of photos of the car in bare metal and all the body work, I’d strip it back to bare metal…
Even if this isn’t an original 409 car, the presentation looks pretty good so far and when finished I can see this as a $40K car. And the listing says it is a posi-traction car.
If you haven’t owned and driven a car with a “W” motor, you haven’t lived.
Vin highschool had a 1958 Impala 348 it was a w engine we made up a song she’s real great my 348
That’s for sure I had a special order SS 409 use to turn in the low 12s at 118 and the top speed was over 150 after 3 years of having it I had to sell it to many tickets, sure wish I had kept it though. Walt
I would have to see that one in person.
$16k for this is not bad. Prices are going nuts and I am not avfan of red anyway. Strip it and go with maroon…I prefer the look ofvthev61, but with a 409, I’d get over it right quick….
I thought all 62 SS’s had the grab handle right above the glovebox. I know the 62 that I had when I was in high school had one but it is long gone, got screwed out of it by my oldest brothers. I was mad for a long time over that one.
I traded a 1959 348 Impala for a 62 SS 409-409 just after I graduated from hs in 1965. I gave $425 difference, and then went to work on it before even driving it home. BTW, It had the handle above the glove box that friends held on to for dear life. It was punched 30 over, had double Isky valve springs, solid lifters, dual point distributor, BW T10 close ratio 4speed, 456 posi punkin, and the head work alone was $400. What a ride! Never got beat with it. It got 5 mpg around town. Was going to college and stupidly pulled the 409 and put in a 283, then sold the big block.
we must be close in age in 1964 in highschool I had a 1958 impala ht black on black 348 factory 3 speed loved that car
Looks like she is at the perfect point of restoration to finish it off however the buyer dreamed their 72 409 to be. The heavy lifting is done. I congratulate whoever moves this into their stable and fulfills their dream!
62, not 72… dang little phone keyboards!
my impression is the seller is a flake… be careful. refused to show the car — and i live 30 mins away….
I’ve restored two bel airs and four original 62 cars in my past The late Tom Dietz purchased two of them in the late seventies. These were wonderful cars to grow up around, but young men are into electronics, not cars for the most part.
When our generation disappears, these cars in my estimation will become the modern day model T. Just my thought, hope I’m wrong!
Sorry, but old guys have been saying the same thing since I was a kid and that was decades ago. People say no one appreciates pre-war cars but for some reason they are still selling for big bucks at the auctions. The iconic classics aren’t going anyway Larry.