As the seller puts it, “this Impala ain’t no trailer queen”, and that’s because it’s a ready to go driver! The original owner and their daughter drove this car regularly until 1991. It was then parked and forgotten until 2015, when the second owner purchased it. They had it for about year, but couldn’t get it running so they listed it for sale. On February 28th, 2016, exactly 50 years to the day after the original owner purchased it, the seller bought it! They’ve done all the work to get it back on the road, but the time has come to find a new home for it, so it’s being offered a Barn Finds Auction. It can be viewed in Hillsboro, Wisconsin and any questions can be left in the comments.
Old Red, as the seller calls it, was a little rough when they bought it. The engine was in need of a full rebuild, the suspension was worn out, the interior needed work, the paint was sad and there was some rust in the lower sections of the car. As you can see from the photo above of the original owner’s daughter with the car in 2015, it might have needed work but looked like a great place to start.
The original 283 V8 and Powerglide transmission were both given full rebuilds. While those were out, the front suspension was treated to all new bushings, shocks, ball joints, 2″ drop spindles, and disc brakes. To freshen and give the engine a bit more grunt, it was bored .040, an Edelbrock Performer cam went in, rebuilt 305 heads with hardened seats were installed and a 500 cfm carburetor was mounted up. They also added power steering and brakes to ensure it was easy to drive. Between the engine and suspension upgrades, this should be a fun machine to drive!
With the mechanicals fully sorted, the seller set their attention to making it look good. The rust, which was limited to the lower front fenders and rear quarters, was cut out and new metal was welded in. The paint was repaired in those areas and the rest of the car was meticulously polished to bring back the car’s luster. The paint is not perfect, but it shines well and is ready for shows but most importantly, the road!
Getting the interior looking good required installing all-new carpets, headliner, and dash pad. The seats came out of a 2002 Buick and are said to be in excellent condition. They currently wear covers to protect them from their grandchildren. The seller also had modern shoulder belts installed in the rear seat so they could haul their grandkids around in it. The seats actually look good with the saddle blanket covers installed.
A new windshield and all new weather stripping went in, as well as new door and window seals. The seller notes that the rest of the glass and chrome trim is original and in good shape. New wheels and tires round out the look.
A lot of hard work went into making this a nice driver and in our opinion, it turned out great! It has the right look, will be comfortable to cruise in, is well documented, and will be a great conversation starter. So, if you’ve been on the hunt for a classic that you can jump in and drive, this Impala might be the find for you!
- Location: Hillsboro, WI
- Mileage: 64,000
- Title: Clean
Bid On This Auction
TimM bid $6,700.00 2020-06-22 18:54:16
mdom07 bid $6,600.00 2020-06-22 18:00:18- TimM bid $6,500.00 2020-06-18 16:23:24
larker47 bid $6,100.00 2020-06-18 13:06:58
AUTOMANRUSS bid $6,000.00 2020-06-18 12:13:24- larker47 bid $4,100.00 2020-06-18 11:08:40
- mdom07 bid $3,900.00 2020-06-17 18:40:34
Easyrider_572002 bid $3,500.00 2020-06-17 14:36:07
Sthurlow bid $1,100.00 2020-06-17 13:25:29
Mayordave44 bid $1,000.00 2020-06-17 12:13:50
That’s an honest car!
First thing I would do is source a proper front bench and the second thing I’d do is drive this thing with a big smile on my face. What a cool car man.
sure wish I could bid on this one. I’ve been looking for a decent, practical car… This one is a bit more than that but, I’d take it in a heartbeat. One thing I don’t care for is no underside pics. It has been here for a week, now, and still not sold. GLWTS.
Still not sold. I can’t believe this.
Aside from the upgrades, this is where it’s at. Glad they retained the original Powerglide, even if there are naysayers about 2 speed autos.
I like it it’s pretty stock on the outside and the interior but all the right upgrades under the hood!!
Needs paint and a little body! Same color! Then would be a great car!
We thought about that many times. If it was a SS, yes. Being just a 283 2bbl, we decided to buff and polish and drive. 54 years of dents and scratches.
I was given one of these as a H.S. graduation present. It was a ’70 had a 326 V-8 and a good smooth ride, excellent A/C. The only mod that i made was HD shock & springs as well as a sway bar which improved the handling greatly! I kept it until I graduated with an MBA, 6 years later. Had to sell it due to higher gas prices. Luckily, I kept it very clean and rust free (Md., D.., Va. area). From last I heard my “old Gal-Tuna Boat” is still running rust free! I missed that old gal especially the bench seats which were easy to slide in & out! They don’t make cars like this anymore!
327
I would have thought only the caprice would get 3 red tailites in ’66, like in ’67.
JoeNYWF64, I have a 67 Caprice and my taillights are rectangular!!
there was no caprice in 66 it didnt come out till 67 impala top model in 66
Yes, there was….we bought one new, with the 396 c.i. 4 door…..and the tail lights were rectangular…..in 65 they were round.
The 65 Impala had three round tail lights, and the Biscayne had two round tail lights…..google is your friend. Please verify what you’re about to post, otherwise, it appears that you are just shooting from the hip.
The Caprice was actually available in 1965, it was a 4 door hard top.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Chevrolet_Caprice
Moosie….correct, but that’s not the dispute…..it’s about the shape of the tail lights…..1965 had round tail lights….1966 had rectangular tail lights. You are, however, incorrect if you’re implying the 1965 Caprice came only in a four door…..they also came in 2 door versions.
I never mentioned/querstioned the SHAPE of the tailites above, but rather whether ALL THREE were RED or not, depending on year, & whether an impala or caprice.
To be consistent, only Caprice
should have had 3 red tailites ’65-70, & impala should have had 2 of the 3 red, but that was not always the case.
As for a 2 door ’65 caprice? Nope. …
http://www.flickr.com/photos/81055481@N00/3640683366/in/photostream/
&
http://www.cargurus.com/Cars/Discussion-d607_ds529408
BTW, i only ever seen ONE ’65 caprice in the flesh, tho i saw tons of ’65 impalas, belairs & biscaynes..
@JoeNYWF64, A very good friend of mine had a 1965 Caprice 4 door hardtop it was an extremely nice car, the interior was much more plush looking and feeling then the ’65 Impalas ETC. other then the Caprice badges and the much nicer interior the car could pass for an Impala & @ robert semrad, with 6 rear lights, 4 red and 2 white all were round !
The following was copied and pasted from the wikipedia write up, I was not implying anything, nor was my dispute about the shape of the tail lights
“Introduced in mid-1965 as a luxury trim package for the Impala four-door hardtop, Chevrolet offered a full line of Caprice models for the 1966 and subsequent model years.”
Moosie…slow down and read what I wrote…..”Moosie….correct, but that’s not the dispute…..it’s about the shape of the tail lights…..1965 had round tail lights….1966 had rectangular tail lights.”
However, the 66 Impalas, including the Caprice, had rectangular tail lights.
THE 1965 IMPALAS HAD ROUND TAIL LIGHTS. Lose your glasses?
SIT DOWN ! Take your own advice and read what I wrote, the hell with tail lights, 2 doors, 4 doors, the ’65 & ’66 B bodies were some of the best looking Chevy’s . No I havent lost my glasses. You ought to try a reading comprehension class.
Did these cars ever come with 4-wheel disc brakes? I know Corvettes and a few Camaros came with 4-wheel disc brakes from the factory. I am referencing the 4-wheel disc brake center caps which, I feel, are better looking than the ribbed derby center caps that came with most Rally wheels. Good looking car that I would drive until it drops. Wasn’t it a 1966 Chevy Impala 4dr. that was driven in Dirty Mary, Crazy Larry?
Why is this auction taking so long?????
I was the high bidder at $6700 now it’s listed for $14,999!! That’s a big difference!! You would think that the owner would see that his car isn’t as valuable as he thinks due to the bids at the auction!!!!
I am interested in buying the car … but is it still for sale (the ad says make offer) ??
Oliver