Even though there were often annual facelifts and regular restyles, full-size offerings from the 1960s seem to be easily glossed over these days. Typically, a 1969 Chevrolet Impala fits that bill for me, but this one caught my eye. I found it here on eBay in Leonardtown, Maryland for an asking price of $29,900. For those who feel the ask is a bit high, you’re invited to make an offer.
In direct contradiction with my contention that these are easy to gloss over, you must’ve been able to find a 1969 Impala on almost every block when they were new. Chevrolet pumped out an estimated 777,000 Impalas for the 1969 model year – that’s more than enough for every single person in modern-day Seattle. That number is inclusive of the Kingswood wagon; 4-door (post) and sport sedans; as well as the 2-door convertible, sport coupe, and custom coupe (like this car).
A pedestrian color such as Burnished Brown seems a perfect fit on a car like this. It is the original color, but the paint is new as is the vinyl top. All chrome and sheet metal are claimed to be original except for a small rust repair on the driver’s rear quarter panel. The rally wheels wrapped in “like new” BF Goodrich redline tires give this Impala a more muscular look.
I’m most impressed with this interior. With the exception of the headliner, it’s said to be all original. The tan vinyl seats with cloth inserts show little-to-no wear. The backseat looks like it was hardly used. The front bench seat with column shift offers plenty of room for 3 up front, so those of us who want room for the whole family shouldn’t overlook this one.
With one straight-six and 7 different V8s to choose from, the 1969 Impala seemingly offered a powerplant for everyone. The seller tells us this one has the optional 300HP 350 cubic-inch L48 V8 backed by a TH350 3-speed automatic transmission. An MSD EFI throttle body and electronic ignition have been added. Recent maintenance includes new belts/hoses, master cylinder, brakes, brake lines, shocks, as well as Flowmaster 40s.
This is one of those cars I think I could enjoy for a long time. There’s nothing I find singularly spectacular about it, but the sum of its parts offers a lot of appeal. Is this one you’d consider adding to your collection?
Heh…so, those of you who know me, know that I have owned many 1969 Chevrolet B bodies – Caprice and Impala and several body styles and drivetrains, blah, blah, blah.
When you focus in on a certain year, make and size of car, you tend to make friends with the same such…er, ah…affliction?
A friend in a Chicagoland bought this as a low mile ‘survivor’. He added the rally wheels, redline tires, and the crossflags on the fenders. He also added ’67 Camaro SS hood louvers. Yes…I know. It was his car. Now you know why a mostly original paint car has new paint!
What may seem odd in the description -and read the ad – this car is ‘Champagne/Burnished Brown with a white vinyl top’. That’s correct. It was originally a painted Champagne top with a Burnished Brown body – a factory two tone (making sense why the medium gold interior was ordered). I have a picture of this car from when he put it up for consignment….
Had a 69 caprice classic, looked just like this one, had a white vinyl top and a 427 turbo jet, that was in 1974
Another picture…considering all that has been done on this car, and the original miles, I don’t think you could restore one for the price.
I like the two -tone. As the writer says it’s the sum of its parts that makes it such a good looking car. A 427 is always nice but a 350 may get driven and enjoyed more.
this is a very nice clean example of the 1969 Impala. I used to have a 1970 Impala convertible which was nice but no where near the level of originality as this beauty.
I have one right now sitting in a garage never outside collecting dust & yes it runs. 350 300 HP Turbo 400 , 4:11 Rear 2 door Custom Coupe Fire engine red with white vinyl top all original taking up space…
I had a 69 Impala Custom, gold with brown vinyl roof and a 327 4 barrel. Last year Chevrolet built a 327 for production. Purchased the car in 79 for 500 bucks and sold it for 650. had a set of 15″ western slots with Remington XT-120 60’s all around.
The ONLY 327 available in the 1969 full size Chevrolets was the low compression, small port head 2 barrel. Period.
What it came out with didn’t prevent additions afterwards. The 4 barrel along with intake was added before I purchased. Also had headers and dual exhaust which was not factory.
These were such sweet rides. I was working in new car get-ready at a Chevy store back in those days. They sold like crazy.
Nice car and I’m not downing it at all but at 30k it should be at least a 396 2bbl car or a 427 385hp l36. Nothing wrong with a 300hp 350 just a little too pricey imo.Glwts.
L36 was advertised at 390 (Gross) HP for the 1969 model year. 396 2 barrel was a low compression pig. See vintage road test below. My parents had a 1969 Impala equipped with the TH350, “300 HP” L48 and 2.73 axle ratio. Car would run 0 – 60 MPH in 9 seconds flat with no power braking at launch. https://youtu.be/WbGK7lSmP28?si=x1Pjj6Pb00sEDfX5
Dad had a ’70 Custom Coupe, white with a blue vinyl top and blue interior just like this gold one. Equipped the same, and with 350 and factory rallye wheels. Great looking car that was bullet proof. A/C was ice cold in southwest desert summer. Crappy AM radio with the antenna imbedded in the windshield. Traded on a new 81 Subaru GL hatchback, of all things, that served him well until 93 when he went back to a full sized car, a Grand Marquis LS.
Two different 350 engines in these cars for the 1969 – 1970 model years. Both were 4 barrels, though most of them were not the high compression/”double camel hump” cylinder head equipped L48 version (advertised as 45 HP stronger than the lower performance variant).
Who wants to buy your Grandfather’s car for 30k ? Not me ?
Being a stickler for originality, and they’re only original once, I can’t understand why people take a complete, low mileage, original car and try to make it into a new car with an old body. Just go to the chevy dealer and buy a new malibu if you want a new car.
Really? The electronics and sensors on a new car are far from flawless. All the extra copper with the rodent food for insulation. Then you walk out in a parking lot and all the cars looking the same. Gee I have no idea.
I remember a 1969 Impala Convertible that I was enamored with. It was Blue with a white top and interior. That one also had a 350, 275 HP and single exhaust if I recall correctly. It was fully loaded, A/C, power everything. Had I not recently purchased a 1969 Dart Swinger at the time, I would have gone for that Impala. It was just so pretty. Had the Rally wheels on it to boot. One of the best looking wheels GM ever put on their cars.
255 HP and 300 350 engines in these cars; no “275 HP” version ever.
Beautiful car! In 1969, I was fourteen, and the proud owner of a learner’s permit. That same year, both my dad and my grandpa bought new Chevys.Both were bright blue in color – ours was a Chevelle Greenbrier with the 350 4bbl, and Grandpa’s was an Impala with the 396 2bbl. Grandpa had sold the farm that year, and decided to replace the ’54 Plymouth Belvedere with the Impala – big upgrade!! I’m not sure which Grandpa was more proud of: the white painted roof that kept the interior cooler, or the purchase price, which he had gotten reduced to $3000.
I had a buddy years ago that had this exact color combo but was an SS model . A 427 with hideaway lights, fiber optics, and a bunch of other neat accessories. Sadly long gone to the shred, rust claimed it and back then the engine was the only valuable item on these.
Only the Caprice was available with hideaway headlights. Never offered on SS427 or Impala.
His had them. I put a headlight switch in it, which wasn’t easy to find then and I welded the vacuum tank in the fender well that had rusted out in the bottom. Who knows it was a 14 year old car at the time. it really doesn’t matter as the shredder ate the car and race heads finished off the engine but it was the same color combo as this one with the rangy vinyl top.
No doubt that this car has a 350, but the seller mentions that it is has a 327 3 different times, and a 350 1 time.
Good catch. A private seller/enthusiast would never make that mistake. This looks like a dealer.
If I remember correctly the 69 turbo 350 was the only time chevy put a drain plug in the pan
I think it was 68 thru 70.I used have a few lying around. Liked them when I was a teen. So much less mess. Bean counters at GM I’m sure axed it.
My mom and dad inherited (from my grandparents) a gold 69 with a black vinyl top. It had the 327. When I was 11 we moved across the country in it, all the way from Buffalo, NY to Phoenix, AZ.
Hi, my dad had a 70′ Impala custom 2dr htp. company car.he worked for W.U. Tect. services. Telatype machine…basically 60’s internet. from maine, got to see liston/casius clay in 60′? JFK in 63′ in Lewiston,ME. We went to DC/W.Virginia 71′. I was 15 then and a car kid! great car! a/c cruise 350 i’m sure. DC was cool, got to see smoky bear! no the in between. Smithsonian, hope diamond/D of Independence, ford theater, B&C death car, S of st.louis plane. he had some good company cars! the last good one was 78′ malibu w 305. last one…80′ K-car…K for crap! dad pretty much had New England to drive…that tells you the dire straights of Western Union…but he had good cars he no control of.