I’m going to be honest here, I’m having a hard time believing that this 1965 Chevelle is an original 9k-mile car. Not because it looks like something that clearly has 109k miles, but because the seller claims that it’s all original right down to the pristine paint. It’s unreal how clean it looks in the seller’s photos. If it really is an unrestored survivor, it has to be one of the nicest Chevelle survivors left! You can take a look at it yourself here on eBay where it’s bid to $35k with a BIN of $40k and it’s located in Louisville, Kentucky.
The seller’s lack of information should just about automatically put the car’s originality in question. Don’t get me wrong, not every eBay listing needs to be a book, but if you are going to claim your classic is a super low mileage survivor, you really should present some of the car’s history. A look at the interior seems to help their claims though. It definitely looks like an original low-mileage interior. It isn’t void of wear like a recently-restored car might, but it also doesn’t present as a high-mileage car would.
Under the hood, you’ll find the 194 cui inline-6 engine, which could explain why the car might be low mileage. The Hi-Thrift six is a great little engine, but it’s not known for being powerful. With 120 horsepower and 177 foot-pounds of torque, it would likely be the engine your grandparents would want in their Sunday driver. If I had to guess why the car didn’t see much use, it would be that it was purchased by an older individual and used to run occasional errands.
That is of course assuming that the mileage is correct. The lack of documentation (at least as it’s currently presented) means you really can’t prove it, so putting much value into it is tough. I’m also a little concerned about what I’m seeing with the up-close shot of the paint around the fender lip. From a distance, it looks incredibly nice, but this panel sure looks like it has been resprayed. It could very well be that just this one panel was repainted and the rest is original, it wouldn’t be the first time we’ve seen a car that received some touchup paint after grandma or grandpa didn’t quite make the turn into the garage. Hopefully, the seller knows some of the car’s history and can provide documentation to back it up!
I really want to believe that this car is an original survivor. Every single unrestored car left needs to be preserved so our automotive history can live on. But as they say, if something is too good to be true, it probably isn’t. Hopefully, I’m wrong and this car really is as the seller claims! I’d highly recommend a closer inspection before bidding, as that would be the easiest way to resolve any doubts. So what do you think? Do any of you remember looking at a brand new 1965 Chevelle at the dealership and did it look this nice?
That spare is a repop. They didn’t have traction/treadwear ratings in 1965.
It’s a great job in and out, but those pedals are worn and the overspray of primer is seen on the hood hinges and inner fenders….in person much of it’s redo would be evident.
I love the stripdown aspect that nobody ever cared about being so nice though….
Agreed, a very nice resto. Why promote it as a 9K original? The story itself doesn’t pan out. An elderly person who bought it post retirement in 1965 is pretty dusty these days, and subsequent buyers (or an ungrateful grandson in the 70s) would not have treated it this nice. I suppose they think some eye watering story would prompt a bigger price. Some people have no soul (and they best fear for that soul if they continue down the wrong path in life)
A ” RARE SURVIVOR ” in such immaculate condition !! There aren’t many left this nice . This 1965 Chevelle was most likely stored a very long time and saw limited roaduse . With only 9,000 original miles , somebody will snap it up ! Keep in mind though , that it is only worth ” what someone is willing to pay for it !”
Real nice car but it you enlarge pictures you can see by Drivers side fender painted over rust. Looks like chrome on bottom of car was painted over unless I’m wrong. To me it looks like respray as thick as paint looks.just doesn’t look like it should bring that high of a price..although nice buyer beware,nice Sunday driver. Only my eyes looking at it.
4000 would be more realistic.
I agree with Gene, you can’t hide that rust painted over and would be highly evident in person if we’re seeing it in their picture. Just another seller who wants to take advantage of someone willing to pay more than some thing is truly worth.
The engine wasn’t recently rebuilt? It looks showroom new.
Already at 36K bid on ebay. I actually had a 1965 300 Deluxe 2 door with a 283 engine and poweglide transmission in the 1970’s. My dad bought it brand new in 1964.
Remember, however that a high bid price isn’t necessarily indicative of value. it might just mean that some speculator is willing to pay 36k for it and sell it higher to another sucker.
No I saw this car for Sale On Market Place the Ower was the grand son, and he was selling for 15,000 Asking Price. he Had the entire history pretty convincing, Now this is who bought it from him I can Only believe. and Made a Nice Profit already.
If it isn’t an original car, it’s one of the world’s most expensive high-dollar restorations, because there is no way this car would ever bring the kind of money this kind of attention to detail costs. If somebody has replaced the original tires, I’d call that a GOOD thing.
bbw?
Why is there slight Chevrolet orange paint spatter on the top of the alternator and the top mounting bolt and washer? Hmmm. 40k too much imo.Nice car though for about half the price imo glwts.
Having worked as a mechanic in 65 at a Chevy Dealership, Can definitely say the heater hose and radiator hose clamps are all original, which would indicate an unmolested low miliage car, however the right rear wheel well opening screams repaint residue on the inside lip, and the engine wiring exhibits Rattle Can paint overspray, as does the top of the firewall appear to have white overspray! A bidder would be well advised to have a hands on inspection prior to shelling out 35K+ for a Base Chevelle, which would not bring Half that amount at Mecum or Barrett Jackson, BBW!
bbw?
I agree with Gene, you can’t hide that rust painted over and would be highly evident in person if we’re seeing it in their picture. Just another seller who wants to take advantage of someone willing to pay more than some thing is truly worth.
That alternator bracket should be matte black .
Don’t believe it’s original paint..it’s a grandpa car..I’m a grandpa and I’d love it.not for 40k tho
It’s really Plain and Simple. Without mileage documentation/ records – this car is probably around a 25k tops. Totally awesome car though! I love it. Any reasonably smart person would NOT part with 35-40k without some sort of proof. Good luck anyway! Nice article.
Wow nice looking 300. I am also having a hard time believing the low mileage. $40,000 is very high for a straight 6 .. plain Jane . I love the interior color but.. I am a V8 guy. If I had the bucks that straight 6 would be on display with the trans. Some changes to the front end and frame for a 383 stroker with 500 HP and 4 or 6 speed auto. 12 bolt rear with 3:73 posi. And leave everything else alone. Even the wheels. Nice dual exhaust with turn downs at the bumper. Oh.. update the brake system to stop it! This would be a fun ride. Good luck to the next owner. 🐻🇺🇸
And you’d completely destroy the vale of the car along with the allure
I agree. If you want a Chevelle with a V8 then GO BUY A CHEVELLE WITH A V8.
The lower rocker trim panels should be aluminum and looks like they’ve been painted over.
That’s what I was thinking!
Yes lots of rust painted over. The passenger door not hanging correctly same with Trunk lid gaps are way off
There is a reason for the rocker shot… It looks to be resprayed to me. overall nice car not 40k nice in my opinion.. low 30k at best
All I can see is that 6 cylinder swapped out for a 327 V-8. Screams to have a power plant worthy of its vintage with dual exhausts. It being a no a/c car. Be a looker.
And you’d destroy the value of the car and the allure
Shouldn’t the rocker panel trim be bright stainless steel?
Did anyone notice the pic of the cars title in the ad? It may be in KY. now but it was a local car from here in the Dayton area and during that era, in one of the most affluent (Wright Bros mansion is just a stones throw away).
The dealer, Ray Bryant Chevrolet was just 2 miles from the residence of the original owner (by the name Ermie probably a female) and in 1980 it was inherited by another female (showing as living at the same address) with 8100 miles on it.
My guess is that it was a classic case of the little old lady who bought it new bare bones, kept it in the garage, only drove it locally and finally passed it on to a daughter. Any refreshing performed may have occurred after it finally left the family.
Condition is not always indicitive of actual mileage…..in the mid 80’s I purchased a 2 door/6 cyl/dog dished 67 Biscayne with 19k original miles. The left rear quarter was heavily waved from the repeated blows at the hands of the the elderly woman original owner who couldn’t get the hang of backing out of her garage.
8100 miles was from the previous title.
I’ve see bad “shine a turd” jobs before. And this is one of the worse. More fake than and airbrushed supermodels picture. Can you imagine how nasty it would be to wake up next to when you sober up? HhhhaaAa
There’s a reason it’s white. White hides the nasty body work. We always loved using gloss black. It’s shows off our perfect work.
Flat black spray paint will hide even more horrors underneath – even the cheap stuff from home depot.
This car would be much better off with the 250 strait 6. The poor little overworked 194 would want to move into an early stripper Nova with a stick shift.
When i see a car styled like this, i sure long to go back to the ’60s to buy some of these simple attractive cars new with unique bodywork, almost year to year. What a choice back then – not only in body styles, but in colors!
The “colorless” carpet does not even have a heel pad for the driver.
It’s less than generic, tho it seems to fit good, but i would change it, so i’m not reminded each time i get inside that it’s really 2023.
The way I read the title, it had 8100 miles when the first owner got it. Dealer car? Sales demonstrator? I don’t see a current miles when the last title was issued, nor a place to put it.
Ermie could have been male or female. Maybe the m should have been a n? Who knows. Fact was it was passed down as an inheritance, we know that from the title. Maybe Earmie got sick after he bought it, and never drove again, passed it down to daughter or granddaughter, who drove it sparingly because it was given to them, again, nobody knows. I would say though, if the pics don’t lie, it’s probably 98% original. The tires have obviously been replaced with reproduction ones, that is to be expected. It has probably had a little touch up paint along the way, but nothing major like a quarter replacement.
The value is whatever someone is willing to pay for it. I would pay $10g for it, maybe a little more. But that mileage would go up, because I’d drive it on weekends.
31 bidders. I find it very hard to believe that any of them actually checked it out in person. If the comments here are accurate, somebody is going to be really bruised up when this one’s over!
There is no 6-cylinder version of any 60’s muscle/pony car for which I would pay $35k+ no matter how low mileage and clean it is.
That’s why you will NEVER own one
What a great time capsule. Nothing needed but a new home.
Love all of the comments…from people that are so knowledgeable…and have no interest in the car, at all. Glass is always half-empty here on BF.
Well something just doesnt seem right with this car. It’s a 58 year old car that looks like it rolled off the assembly line yesterday. I just hate to see buyers get scammed, no matter who buys it. I also pull over to offer help to cars broken down on the side of the road, but that’s just me being me..
TomP you are a good intentioned person. Some people I think need to get smacked in the mouth in order to learn. I’m going to presume that a person who drops $40,000 on a basic 1960s transportation appliance has a good enough deal of money to absorb the lesson. It might be good for them in the long run. IMO of course.
Beautiful looking car. 1964 and 65 are my favourite years for the Chevelle, at least until 1970-71. Given its like new condition, I’d be more inclined to pay close to $20k.
In ’75 I received one like this in blue, for free,
from a friend’s dad. Needed wheel cylinders,
but he wanted no part of it. Lucky me!
Always liked the looks of these…
Well, what ever the case, upkeep and maintenance has been outstanding to preserve it in its current state. Unhappy with the pricing and mileage?, Ask for proof and dpcumentation!
This car cries out for 428 Cobra Jet/C6 swap.
Those are FORD parts 🤢🤢🤢🤢🤢🤮🤮🤮🤮🤮
it’s the Repo Man car after it starts glowing!
Oh yeah!
Yes, I remember going to the Chevy dealer in late 1964, we had a 1961 Tempest wagon and a 63 Impala convertible red with a white top and interior. My dad regrets buying the tempest, we were trading it in.
We drove home in a new 4door Malibu with a 283 and am radio. That car was a very dependable car.
Am I wrong…do I see a PCV valve? Did they even have PCV valves then?
I think PCV came out in 63 with the new style six, I never seen a newer style Chevy six with a road draft tube and I never seen an older style six with a pcv
If you bought a new 1965 model car and drove it straight home and parked it in a garage, it more than likely would have picked up a few scratches and minor dents just from being moved around and having things lean against it. I do see a few things on this car that make me wonder about it, but there’s enough good about it that I will take the seller’s word about the mileage. Think about how many times it was started, put in gear, moved around a little, driven to the gas station, grocery store, drug store, etc. and each time the pedals were pushed while the car barely had any mileage added to it. You have to know the history and how it was used to use the pedals as an indicator of mileage. I don’t want this car but apparently some people do, as it’s approaching $40K now, so congratulation to the seller and GLWTS.
Joshua’s initial comments above are certainly rational.
As a serious collector, I would have to start off with this question: What proof do you have to show me, after 68 years, that it’s 9k original miles?
Can’t trust those “As Is” no warranty dealer sticker cars.New paint on engine.Carpet doesn’t match the rest of the interior.Looks refurbished to me.Could be wrong but it DFM,I ain’t buying it.Gutless with no AC👎👎
I think the “carpet” is a black rubber mat.
Disregard the report, BF. that was a mistake. You should move or remove that.
Rubber mat
I don’t know if the car has been repainted or not. But there is not one thing shown in any of the pictures that strongly suggests that it has been repainted.
For context, I own around 15 original paint 65-67 Chevelles, and two of them are every bit as nice as this car looks to be in the pics, despite one of them having FAR more mileage on it than this car is reported to have. So, Yes, cars like this DO exist, and simply looking “too good to believe” is not in and of itself a sign of a bogus story.
Regarding the rocker moldings mentioned above- Those look exactly like they should. They are anodized aluminum. The pictures are taken with the reflection of white concrete bouncing off of them from below, and an overcast sky from above. There is no white paint on those rocker moldings visible in these pictures.
Regarding the comment above about primer on the hood hinges and inner fenders, what the heck are you looking at? There is dust on the inner fenders, and signs of water running through the dust at some point (probably washed the car when they got it, but didn’t wipe off the inner fenders). Yes they should have cleaned all that up a lot better before taking the pics, but there is not a single thing under that hood suggesting that the exterior of this car has been repainted.
Regarding the firewall mentioned above, that is not white overspray. The entire firewall was painted body color first at the factory, then masked off across the top and sprayed black after the body was painted. It is nut uncommon for coverage of the black to be thin at the top, and for the body color to be visible there. Especially on light colored cars, because they would deliberately try to avoid blowing black paint through the wiper motor hole into the cowl grill area where it would be visible and look bad on a lighter colored car. I have an original paint white 66 SS (also an Atlanta car like this one) that has a wide band of white visible across the top of the firewall, and no black coverage on the trim tag at all.
Regarding the rear wheel well lip mentioned above, that may have been touched up with a brush. But maybe not. It is very common for that area to be rough from the factory. It was covered on cars with wheel opening moldings, and it got little attention to detail on a mass production assembly line. Plus the rocker is galvanized, the quarter is plain steel, the filler at the seam in the wheel lip is lead, and then it was smeared over with seam sealer and painted over (and you can see the line of the seam sealer along the rocker seam in that picture, and the typical small cracks that original seam sealer usually has after 58 years). All those different materials meeting in one spot is a common place for the seam sealer and/or a chunk of the lead to let loose and take the paint with it, requiring some touch up. I have a car with 43 miles on the odomoter (yes, 43 miles, not 43K) that looks just about the same as this car in that area.
The only glaring negative I see is that the engine has definitely been touched up, if not repainted in its entirety, at some point.
Also not sure about the pedal pad comments above. The gas pedal is dirty, but does not look worn to me. And the brake pedal pad is pristine on the edge toward the gas pedal, which was typically rubbed away after 15K – 20K miles. And it is an original Chevelle pad, not the repro pad that is based on the Camaro pad and contoured differently.
And if you know these 300’s and 300-Deluxes, finding an original rubber floor mat in that condition is 99.99% IMPOSSIBLE. They are always cracked and crumbled around the trans hump and seat feet. But the one in this car is pristine!!
Again, maybe the car was repainted too, but I see nothing that “screams” to me that it ever was. And of course, anyone thinking about dropping over 30K on a car needs to get someone knowledgeable to do a personal inspection first, because pics can lie even better than people. In person inspection would take about 90 seconds to know the truth, if you know what you are looking at.
Lastly, no, I don’t own this car, or know the seller (that I know of). Above is just my dis-interested observations and opinions, from lots of experience with survivor first-gen Chevelles.
Thanks for your insightful comments Jeff.
Bob. This seller Just bought this car from the actual grandson sold it on Market Place for 15,000 OBOffer. he had the entire story of his Grandad Orginal Miles and this grandson did replace all the tires. said the Originals Looked Bad. had it professionally cleaned and serviced.
New fellow was wise enough to Buy it quick
I’d say that settles that :)
If you have a yen for the most basic of sixties cars practically unused and money means less to you than me, then have it.
Always fun though to see mostly original sixties cars…..even if it is the definition of a stripper!
Jeff, I owned a couple 65’s back between 79-81, including a red El Camino. Lived in a SW Chicago suburb.. One of them was extremely modified and to this day I wonder if it’s possible to learn whatever happened to it. It was an authentic SS but has a Corvette 327 w/ solids and 11:1 in it…oh, and actually had the chance in ‘82 to buy one of the 201 for 3K…it too had 9K on the odo but was missing the drivetrain. Any ideas… anybody else? Thx, Paul K
PS there’s a photo album on my Facebook page of the SS
Jeff you are exactly right on everything you said, I own the car now and have been all over it and its original state is impeccable, Thanks
Hello Tim,
I’m late to the party, but congratulations on this time capsule!
Is your 65 Ermine White? I appreciate your time,
Best Regards,
Shawn
its the ” white ghost👻” that was raced in detriot ..a 1/4 mile at a time .. not winning any races it was retired .. an soon it will be sold for 1 million dollars at mecum .. and the movie will be soon to fallow …
Looks odd. Shouldn’t that steering wheel have a chrome horn ring? I owned a very similar 1965 base model chevelle back in the day. Mint green with matching interior. Same basic six with two speed power glide automatic. Chrome horn ring on steering wheel.
I live in louisville and believe I know this car. It spent the bulk of its life under a carport on Fernvalley Rd. Many of my friends tried to by this car in the late 70’s. The story goes that a young man bought it new and then died in the vietnam war along with some of my friends. His mother would never sell it to anyone. Apparently she may have passed away about 15-20 years ago because the house was bulldozed after a liquor barn and a Sam’s club was built around the property. It had so much dust on it, it was almost a light brown. I have lived 5 blocks from where it sat most of my 63 years of life, then it and the house were suddenly gone. If it’s the same car this ad is the real deal. Check DMV for address. A little high though. But a true story.
I remember this car like it was yesterday. When I was a kid, our sixth grade teacher, Mrs. Throckmorton used to drive it to and from school. She lived six blocks from the school so didn’t have far to drive. Occasionally I’d see it at the A&P supermarket down the road. She was a single spinster all her life, so never had a husband or sons to run the car into the ground. She eventually got too old to drive so left the car in her garage for fifty years. After she died her family sold the car to a car flipper who either does not know it’s history, or chooses not to disclose it.
For anyone curious. After about an hour research it appears the original owner was Irimine ‘Irmie’ Dill Gebhart. She was born Feb. 13, 1884 and died on December 6, 1980. She is buried in Dayton, OH. She was 96. Irmie had a daughter named Helen E. Corwin. It appears her daughter Helen transferred the car into her name on 12/31/1980. Helen was born in 1907 and passed away in 1985, and is also buried in Dayton Ohio. Where the car has been since 1985. Who knows? Perhaps with a grandchild of Irmie.
My bad Erminine “Ermie” Dill Gebhart.
Thanks RJ that is very informative. So somebody was willing to pay forty large to replicate the transportation (and maybe driving) style of old Irmie That is quite a tribute. Surprising. Very very surprising. But a nice tribute!
RJ, You have the most accurate information except the car was sold by Helen in February of 1984 to my parents with 8830 miles on it. They owned the car up until 2004 and sold it after my father passed away. The car was cleaned, detailed and maintained by my father who took it to Chevrolet club shows on a trailer. The car was never driven any distance just on and off of the trailer. I do not remember how many miles were on it when my mother sold it in 2004 but it wasn’t much more then the 8830 when they bought it. On a side note, I do not know the current owner and am not affiliated with them in any way. I do not know what happened in the last 19 years to the car, but I can’t imagine they drove it around too much. I just wanted to clarify that this was an original low milage car up to selling it in 2004.
I am looking from afar here in Australia and would I be correct in saying that six cylinder engine is the same as we had in our Holdens here for many years,if so they were quite a reliable engine that gave good service to their owners.We had a HR model Holden with base entry level engine that was used for Taxi service and it covered 250,000 odd miles with general maintenance.I love Barnfinds which I read every day not all the cars featured were avaliable here but I enjoy reading all your comments and stories.Bruce.
I posted a long comment earlier tonight, generally debunking some of the earlier nay-sayer comments. But it is not showing up. Is there a character number limit? (If so, never seems to stop Howard!) Or was it blocked by Barnfinds for some reason ?? Or just a technical glitch? I can repost it, but don’t want to waste my time if same will just happen again …
That’s funny, my comment was deleted too. And it wasn’t even aimed at hurting anyone’s feelings! I guess the web police are at it again. I don’t like the oppression.
Looks like it finally showed up, several posts up above here …
This “auction” made it to $37,101 and ended with Reserve Not Met?
That is less than 2K from the Buy It Now price. That’s not an auction, might as well have just put it as a classified ad saying 39K is the firm price.
If anything the engine has been refreshed,with a paint job and new gaskets.engine and trans gaskets would not still be good after 58yrs,they all would seep by now,and what about the rubber hoses for fuel,brakes,how are those looking?on cars this old your inspection should start underneath and end up top.i always have a flashlight and paint depth gauge and a magnet to inspect something this old.one can easily be taken in by a stunning visual appearance and nice paint…
This was fun. What I get out of this you can’t appraise a car from a picture neither can you a gold coin, or would be that foolish??????????