To many, the 1962 Chevies with a 409 cubic inch V8 are considered iconic. And those with twin carburetors raise the bar even higher. This 1962 Bel Air 2-door sedan has a 409 twin carb engine and a 4-speed manual transmission. But no one has said whether the car was built this way. Out of long-term storage, this Chevy has had a ton of mechanical work done, leaving the rusty sheet metal to the next owner. Located in Gilroy, California, this sleeper of all sleepers is available here on craigslist for $17,500. Another great tip from T.J.!
The 409 big-block was introduced in 1961, and it put out 360 horsepower with a single 4-barrel carburetor. It inspired a song by the Beach Boys, “409”, which included lyrics like, “she’s so fine, my 409”. A year later, the dual 4-barrel carburetor version was introduced, and it was said to produce one horsepower per cubic inch. These engines, especially in the lighter Chevy Biscaynes and Bel Airs, were menaces at the drag strip. 8,900 409s were thought to have been installed in a 1962 Chevy, with 10% estimated to be the twin version.
Once liberated from storage, the seller went to work on righting this car mechanically. That includes the brakes, fuel tank, carburetors, shock absorbers, exhaust, battery, and probably more. The odometer reads 50,000 miles, but it’s broken, so who knows what the true mileage is. And we assume the Bel Air is driver-quality at this point. But no mention is made as to whether the engine or transmission are numbers matching or even period-correct.
The interior in this Chevy is okay, but far from perfect. When the Bel Air was new, it was finished in black, but that got changed to white some time back. Corrosion is an issue, but the machine has never been wrecked, so hopefully, no hidden damage is afoot. You could drive the vehicle the way it is, more or less, but it’s probably worthy of a complete cosmetic restoration. With more than 400 hp, this car should certainly be a handful in city driving.
What? Another one? Just a second, let me find my tuning harp,,me, me, me, “my 4 speed, dual quad, positraction 409”,,( I never liked that “giddy up” part) and precisely what this person was going for,,,in S.California. Never saw one in Beer City. We were small block central, maybe in a truck, but I never remember seeing a 409 anything. The song aside, the car itself was not really drag race material, too heavy, and took a truck motor to get it down the track. Not to bash the motor, but was short lived as Ford and Chrysler had them beat.
This car was a tire smoking monster, and could indeed get rubber in all 4 gears,,,oops, wait, different song, great find here, and like most cars with song history, will be collectible for ages. Now, how to drive the darn thing? 1st 1-2 power shift will require a stop at Walmart for new underwear. Really, think about it, what today has the power of a Saturn V, and the humbleness of grandpas Chevy? Nice, NICE car.
Too cheap for a real one, it must be a clone….
I have my suspicions but it is rusty so that should factor into the price. Would need to verify in any event.
Unless it’s so rusty it’s about to break in half the price is way off, it’s either a screaming deal or the ad is fake.
Steve R
I was gonna say……..this one’s priced (IMHO mind you) about $40K too low “if” it’s original. But even so, if it’s a transplant like so many cars are it could be a dream come true for someone in the market for a dual-quad 409 4-speed. Do a repaint in the original paint code, re-do the interior with one of the available kits, and you’re set!
I pitty the fool having to buy gas for this! Better have deeeeeep pockets.
Chevy Super Sports were quite popular out in the Chinook Belt. There were lots of 409-powered versions but quite likely they only sported a single 4bbl. One guy in my hometown came back from the army with a ’62 similar to this one, only running 3-2bbls.
There was a guy, showed up with a Canadian Pontiac Parisienne SPORT, that was essentially a Chevy SS in Tin Indian regalia. It had a 409/4speed, and was quite a mover.
Anyways, this might be someone’s dream. It will attract a fair bit of attention when it’s done…