The 1964-65 Chevrolet Chevelle was a sales hit. As a new, mid-size entry, it captured the attention of buyers who wanted something smaller than an Impala but bigger than a Nova. Perhaps unexpectedly, the new Chevelle took sales away from the 1965 Chevy II/Nova, though it had received a minor restyle in its fourth outing. The seller’s car decodes as a real-deal Nova SS from ’65 but has gone the restomod route with a more recent 350 cubic inch V8. Located in Burlingame, California, this deep red beauty is available here on eBay for $29,000.
Chevy had a dilemma on their hands in 1965. Sales of their once-popular Chevy II/Nova were down by two-thirds in just two years, the same period in which the Chevelle debuted. The sporty new Ford Mustang may have had a hand in it, too, given that car’s tremendous success in 1964-66. Out of 122,800 of these little cars assembled in ’65, 9,100 carried Super Sport badging. A six-cylinder was standard, but you could upgrade to a V8, including the 327 which saw just 643 installations. This car appears to have been one of them.
This was an especially rare car when new as it also had a 4-speed manual transmission. For whatever reason, the 327 and 4-speed are gone, replaced by a rebuilt and tweaked 350 small-block with a TH-350 automatic transmission. This Chevy is said to run, drive, and sound better than a new car. The seller says this vehicle only has 26,000 miles, but it looks to have been restored, so we hope there is documentation to back it up.
We’re told the car is rust-free and the body panels have no patch panels, another clue to a restoration. The suspension has been lowered and power disc brakes added to the front for better stopping. The tires are also new, leading to a turn-key car that should attract attention wherever you go to show it off. Is the Chevy worth more or less than it would be if the original drivetrain had been saved?
Coincidentally I was driving behind this exact same car about a month ago. It’s in stunning shape.
It stands to reason, as this car was still basically the first Chevy II and it had so much sales competition including the Mustang and restyled Falcon too, that sales would be down. It’s a good car though but like the author, I’d be happier with it if they’d kept the original drive train.