This extremely clean and original 1965 Chevrolet Impala wagon, offered on here on eBay, with no reserve and a starting bid of $4,500, looks like it might be a reasonable deal, especially compared to some of the other original sixties cars we have seen lately.

This is a six seat wagon with the very reliable but low grunt two barrel carb 283 ci V8 and Powerglide transmission. It has a few options too, most notably factory A/C, an AM Deluxe push-button radio, the not so frequently seen front seat seat belts, wheel opening moldings, and lastly, rocker moldings.

The car came painted in Sierra Tan Metallic with Cameo Beige Top, and its paint is still all original, while the interior color is an attractive saddle color. This Impala shows an original 113,000 miles and cosmetically it’s in good condition, especially for being a 50 year old station wagon. I’ve always though 1965 was a great year for American car design, and the full size Chevrolets of this year are particularly attractive. These cars were once common family haulers, but time has taken its toll, and finding an original wagon in solid cosmetic condition is no longer all that easy.

The buyer has written a good description of the car, covering body, mechanical and interior condition in terrific detail. For example, the seller points out that that it has “some minor dings and paint chips, there has been some minor body repair work done on the left rear quarter panel which does show.” As for the rest of the body, it’s not perfect either: “the hood has some hail dents, and there are some minor dents on the right side above the center body line……There are no rust holes showing in the body, but both front fenders have some brown spots in the lower area behind the rocker moldings, there also looks to be some rust under the rocker molding on the left rear quarter panel under the lower molding behind the rear tire only.”

The glass is good, but there is a crack in the windshield. There is a very complete description of the interior, backed up with excellent photos. You can see some issues with the driver’s side front seat, with the dash and with the tailgate inner cover (not surprising considering how wagons are used in daily life).

Clearly this Chevy family hauler was well cared for during its working life and must have been stored in reasonably safe conditions as well.

However, it is mechanically where the biggest issues arise. Since the car has been sitting (evidently in dry storage) since 1977, the engine will not turn over. There’s an excellent chance the engine will need a complete tear down and rebuild, or if you don’t care about originality, you could drop in almost any Chevy small block or a new crate engine and probably be on your way, but only after rebuilding the brakes, since they don’t work either. Not unexpected after almost forty years of sitting.

Even with the work that is needed to get this wagon on the road, it looks like a good starting point for a daily driver with incredible charm and curb appeal. Since as of this writing there have not been any bids, it may well be that $4,500 is just too much for a non-running full size sixties wagon. Still, the current hot wagon market shows no sign of cooling off, so it seems likely that this car will find a new home. Perhaps one of our readers will make an offer. What do you think it should sell for in this condition?

The car can be found in Great Bend, Kansas. The VIN is 16435S144772. Its seller has more pictures and will be glad to answer questions by phone or email.