True to its roots as the working man’s full-size, this 1966 Chevrolet Biscayne here on craigslist in Costa Mesa, California wears minimal chrome, tired paint, and dog-dish hubcaps on body-color steel wheels. Stop there and this would be another ho-hum Grandma car, parked in a garage so small you have to turn sideways to get in, with a tissue box on the package shelf. However, this street-fighter packs a 396 cid big-block, a Muncie M21 four-speed, and a host of high-performance upgrades. Thanks to Rocco B. for spotting this base-model brawler. Only the stance and fat rear tires warn posers that this ’66 packs a wicked right hook.
The bright red Rat motor and shiny bits glow like neon against an engine compartment draped in a pall of matte black. The seller claims this low mile mill features a performance cam and Holley 750 “double-pumper.” Other upgrades include a new Eaton Positraction rear with 3.73:1 gears, balanced driveshaft, “and more.”
The only problem with this car is that I like to get my hands dirty, and this ride is nearly perfect as it sits. Air conditioning might be nice, and there are no interior pictures so that’s a question mark. Wait; are those bits of rubber behind the rear wheels? Where did I put my checkbook? Actually, I can’t buy this car, but I’d sure like to build one like it someday. What do you think of this (not-so) Plain Jane Biscayne?
I have always loved the 65-66 full size chevy’s. This one would be a dream purchase and I agree A/C would be a must for me here in AZ. Love the sleeper look.
to bad a 2018 toyota camry would blow its doors off.
No one wants to be seen in a toyota though
So true.
lol yes
Not back then. How bout a 1/4 mile race of a 66 GTO vs a Ferrari GTO? Or that 396vs a Porsche of that era. Leave the Camry comparison vs old muscle out
Actually, no.
A V-6 Camry runs 14.2@99 mph. Assuming this Biscayne weighs 3800 lbs, makes 400hp at the flywheel/325hp at the wheels (I’d be shocked if this one doesn’t) it’d pull an easy 13.5@102MPH and pretty handily send the Camry packing..but ya know, if you really, really love Camry’s I guess you could call it a race..
That’s a lot of assuming and a difference of only 0.7 seconds. I call that a race and I would put money on that Camry hooking up, not bogging down and winning.
Have you ever drag raced? .7 in the 1/4 is an eternity.
I’d say all pretty safe assumptions (we know it doesn’t weigh 4000lbs, and if anybody cracked open that motor and buttoned it up for less than 400 hp, we pull their man card) Also, from what I’ve observed over the years, front drivers are a lot harder to hook up on launch than you’d think, due to the direction of weight transfer.
Clint, you are right, at that speed it’s close to 1ft per hundredth so 7/10ths would be approximately 70ft at the finish line.
I think you are right, not many people spend much time at the track, they don’t get the idea that time equals distance.
Steve R
Not a regular Camry but a XSE Camry.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OYzYfzLFEtk
DON’T REMEMBER ANY 13 sec 1/4s in 66 with this engine and we tuned friends car pretty well. 14.1 1/4 mile was his best.
Tires were big drawback.
MOPARS WERE EATING THESE FOR A SNACK, My 64 Maxi Polara 500 convert embarrassed friend when his brand new car was three maybe 4 car/lots behind and I had backed off.
Not saying today ome Chevy so equipped could not do 13’s.
ONLY THE 375 H P HAD THAT CHANCE.
I was going to say, .7 tenths in a quarter mile is A LOT of real estate!
maybe eating 396/325 HPs for lunch but the 427/425 L-72 which you could also get for 66, I think not. they ate plenty of mopars. plus a 396 is a worthy contender for any 383!
Wow.
Lotta swingin dicks here.
Who give a flying fart if a new car can beat this in a race? If that is your goal, go but a soulless Camry and GTFO of here.
Holy moly! Next thing you’ll tell me is that the Camry gets better fuel economy too!
Really ?
The XSE Camry would be cheating? Dosen’t matter. Better MPG? Who cares. Back then gas was @ 30 cents/gallon. A qt of oil .29-49c. Didn’t matter. Please find a way to go back in time. just for 1 day! Oh wait, not possible. Won’t matter
So… what exact models was toyoduh building 52 years ago? That would have been the comparison of logic…
@ OIL SLICK……not too slick after all, are ‘ya? Hey! Here’s an idea! Smoke ANOTHER doobie?!
Did you archive the ad? It’s gone.
What was the asking price?
Steve R
Get the AC. Swap the rear end for a 2.73, have the rear tires match the front, even the stance, take her out to the desert.
Love it! It’s exactly how I would do it. Love the sleeper image.
Already with the Camry comments! My money is on the Impala. That ain’t no stock 396 and the 3.73 gears and 4 speed will eat that Toyota for breakfast.
@ Jack M……
What Impala?
Without pictures, unsure but the passenger side is missing the 396 emblem on the fender and I can’t see any of the typical holes so I’m assuming it was a 6 cylinder car originally. Guy in HS has one bought new and that thing would fry the tires till it was down to cords.
When I was a kid in NJ,, we could always spot unmarked cop cars. They were always plain Biscayne’s.
there’s a white one in my town just like this, but it has the 396 flags on both front fenders. the owner has had it since new, ordered in that way. the thing just rumbles and shakes everything near it while sitting at a stop light. despite the flags, it looks like a sleeper until you hear it.
How much. This is a gem that no one can pass up. Its got to be gone by now.
dog gone it the ad is gone…….
The owner built the car to appear to the average sucker in their Toyotas and Hondas that they could take him. I guess that he won so much money in his town that he can’t line up anymore races, so he listed the car for sale.
“I LIKE IT”
Please excuse the caps.
I saw a 66 396 4 speed mint convert last summer for 26 with all orig parts and paint as son was selling late dad.
Unfortunately I had no to many 🚗 to consider.
I do prefer 65 taillights but 66 is s good second car choice
dont think the biscayne had the emblems–sleeper–made everybody think it a 6 banger–hahaha
It’s already been deleted.
Did you do the Craigslist Ad Saver?
I had a boss in the early 70s that had a similar Biscane with a 425 horse 427 and Turbo 400 transmission. He bought it from a lady from his church who inherired it from her husband…a retired police captain from a small town in Alabama.
I got to drive it often and raced it against my 340 Challenger 4 speed that ran in the mid 13s at the time. The big Chevy would be a fender length behind in a quarter mile. The car would run an honest 140 mph with 3.08 gears…and it had A/C !!
That big car was really fun to drive and even with 3.08 gears…would burn the rear tires thru 1st an 2nd if you stomped it from a dead stop…best launch was from a 5 mph roll.
A friend of mine saved up for one back in the late 60s when he finally had enough he bought 66 impala SS 427425 hp he drove that car like you stole it funny and fast scary fast
427/425 with factory installed ac?
It’s like a dirty martini on wheels.
I just surprised that a 2 door chevy residing in Costa Mesa Ca. hasn’t been turned into a lowrider.
they don’t use post sedans …
Those look like ’65 Chevelle stripper hubcaps, the full size ’66 Chevy poverty/dog dish hubcap was different. Like the black Cal plates however, bet they came on the car new.
I had a 65 with a factory 396 and automatic trans that I bought in 1970. It was a retired, unmarked Md. State police car, it had the HD 400 turbo trans as part of the police package. I bought it for about $500. It surprised many Camaro and Nova SS guys when they were left scratching their heads at the stop light. It was an ugly tan color, and the police cars had no engine badges on them so it was a true sleeper.
Didn’t you guys profile a black on last week or so? Great car with a lot of potential.
True sleeper! Fine looking ride…..
Own both and a few years ago a 1984 Corolla was going 221 in the quater mile and a Supra was going 227……….and i’m a hard core Chevy/G.M. Guy………….I squeezed a 14:27 @ 100 out of my Tweeked on 406 powered 3rd gen with a 3:08 street tired and a 2.7 60 foot time………and it was 100 out ,I have seen some FWD’s mile an hour but the 60 ft. times suffered and yes .7 is a eternity……..
I’ve always preferred the base model of any vehicle. No fuss, no muss, and a lot cheaper to repair in the long run. This from someone who hangs on to vehicles for well over….well, let’s just say, longer than most. :)
Love all the bench racing, too bad a Toyota Camry was used in comparison early on in the comments though. No question this 396 has been upgraded a bit and probably makes for a quick car, but personally I believe it needs some extra torque from like a 427 or even a 454 to be hairy fast, big car/big cubes. Despite all that, this is a great looking car and it might not have a/c due to high winding r.p.m.’s, I’m okay with that!😀
We used to remove air and let slip fan and alt belts, enough fuel for couple runs, 90/10 shocks on front, in order to get even those mini seconds and H P gains.
One bad part on buds Chevy was breaking of driveline yokes and twisting shafts so we used Beefed balanced driveline with heavy yokes, 390- gears were hard on that first fastest shift from 1 to 2 with what we called sticky street slicks.
Retreads taken from molds early so rubber was sticky, no glaze to break.
Realy miss those days of learning by trial and f/ ups.
No bracket nonsence, streight up, run what ya brung.
love post car strippers but also love loaded Caprices and impalas, when was the last time you saw a 66 Caprice with the tilt/tele steering wheel? or twi-light sentinal?Comfortron?
@ 68custom…..
In ’66-only you could opt for either a comfortilt steering wheel (N33, @ $42.15), or a tilt/telescopic wheel (N37, @ $79.00).
Hi
This car are in Sweden now end i have it :-)
Hello Johan – that’s great! Please share story and pictures if you like. Thanks for the post!
Hi Johan, if you still have the hubcaps that were on it, can I please possibly buy them and have them sent to me in New Zealand? I have one of these cars with a 454 manual here in NZ and need four hubcaps. If you still have them could you contact me on [email protected]
Cheers. Chris.
Hi Todd
This is a littel run from me😎
https://youtu.be/UK-gr_a3SE4
End a cool start.https://youtu.be/9f_QtxR7DFA
Regades/ From Sweden😎😎
Nice burnout! My Swedish friends will be impressed. Great to see that big American beast in the forest, and the wheels look great. Keep us posted!