The Impala first arrived at showrooms in 1958 as a submodel of the Bel Air. As the model evolved, passing through the “bat wing” fin stage of 1959 to the clean fin-less look of 1963, it offered ever more engine and transmission options. The Impala was becoming a stylish car for Everyman. By the time 1965 hit, the car had been completely redesigned by Bill Mitchell. The new body’s horizontal lines emphasized the 119″ wheelbase. A forward-slanting grille and a raked rear deck gave it the sensation of speed even while parked. The trio of round rear taillights, a consistent feature of the Impala, remained. The public loved the new styling and the near-endless menu of trim, engine, and transmission options: Chevy sold over 1 million Impalas in that single year. Here on craigslist is a 1965 Chevrolet Impala hardtop coupe, with an asking price of $34,000. The car can be picked up in Los Angeles, California. Said to be sporting its original Regal Red paint and with only three owners, this car has been garage-kept all its life. Pat L. gave us this tip – thanks Pat!
In 1965, the Impala could be ordered with any of at least ten different engine configurations from the six-cylinder Turbo Thrift to several different V8s with various compression ratios and carburetors. This motor is the car’s original 327 cu. in. V8 with “camel back” heads. The odometer has turned over and shows 2233 miles. The seller replaced the transmission with a 700 R4 Turbo four-speed automatic with overdrive to improve highway performance. The tires are new.
The interior is mostly original with no rips or holes. The headliner was replaced, and the car has new door seals. The roof rail seals and one vent window seal are new. The seller reports that everything works – horn, lights, radio. Adding to the vintage appeal, the car has an eight-track in it, which also works. The car is equipped with air conditioning and it works well.
It’s rare to find a car with original documentation these days. Not only does this car come with its early registration documents and owner’s manual, but it also has its Protect-O-Plate, a metal tag that GM used to verify warranty service. I’ll pay extra for a car with good historical records, provided everything else is acceptable. Two-door coupe Impalas with a 327 are a bit scarce on the market at the moment, but it looks like this price isn’t too far off the mark, since 283 V8 cars are in the $25,000 area. What do you think?
My favorite Impala. Santa, if you’re listening……
Nice car,& in a great color.I also like the way they
painted the front valance panel Silver on these.
Our neighbors came home from the SF Boat Show
with a brand new boat,and a new ’66 Impala 2 door in this color.
One of those cars you always remember.
Excellent write up as usual Michelle!
Really nice
wow….awesome
Nice. Made me sad to read transmission swap.
700r4 is a great addition! powerglide,while a reliable unit sucks to drive in todays traffic,as do 3 speed autos,that o/d is so much more comfy at 70,no squrrells popping outta the hood,kudos to the seller
Maybe, but the car was meant to be driven.
joe, not to worry!. the hydro is a much better trans than a slip and slide.he is asking about 7000 too much but it its his car.there are plenty of decent 65,s out there for 25 large.another feature that us a real plus on these cars is disc brakes up front.all in all a great year for chevrolet.
I was thinking what a great upgrade ,
it is a bolt in part, so if one prefers a lesser/antiquated trans, they can bolt it back in.
While im here
WOW, ya personally love the year, and a darker red, original ?!, its just wow, a sweet find and deal.
The new owner will be wearing a smile for miles =)
I agree. The car is really nice, looks mostly original. I wonder where the original trans is, no mention of it. The seller did mention “low rider” in his ad, I hope not with this one.
I believe its camel hump, not camel back heads.
Those heads are called camel hump, camel back, double hump, half circle and fuelie heads, I just looked it up and no matter what you call them they all come back to the same cylinder head.
Had a 65 ss also black, white interior, bucket seats. One of the last 65 off the line with a 66 327 engine in it. lots of fun to drive.
All I can say is … NICE!
In my humble opinion, 1965 was GM’s finest year for styling across all its divisions.
1965 was a strike year and a lot of bad Chevy products hit the street. My sister had a new one and it was a load of trouble…Today my brother owns a like ’65 Impala withthe 327. They were pretty dead until you put a manual behind the sm.
First time I’ve ever heard anyone say that ‘65 was a bad year for GM products
Johan, The car my sister bought new had one head from a 283 and one from a 327 among other things. The were pushing the cars out before the strike as fast as possible. A friend had a new 327 300HP with 3 on the column. Back in 65 that was a fast car. He kept it till the ’68’s came out and he got a 327 4 speed Impala. He said the ’65 wasn’t put together very well whatever that meant.
One of the best styled cars ever !
Barn Finds you are killing me today. Three cars in a row, that I would love to have, and I can’t even explain why? Just because I like them,
Very Nice…..Love to own it.
Had a “65 Impala w/283 power glide when I was 16, my first, and my last. Daily driver no problems, I sure do miss her, wonderful ride hands down.
YES! 1965 Chevy made a great looking car!!!
My dad had one just like this,except it had a black vinyl roof. I cried when he sold it.I loved that car.
This one looks to be in exceptional condition, along with an exceptional price tag.
Exact vehicle the sweet little old lady next door owned back in the early nineties, 32,000 miles on it and mint condition. She’d come up to the chain link fence between our yards with the keys in hand, dangling them like a golden ticket in my face, and asked if I would take the car and blow the carbon out of it. I couldn’t get those keys out of her hand fast enough!! Drove down to US 131, got on the freeway and hammered it as fast as it would go for about ten miles, exit, and gung ho back south. That car was going to be mine for $1500 bucks until her son found out and kaibashed that deal. Great times.
what a chick magnet this car would be, if I were only 16 years old again!
I’m not familiar with Impalas, but would A/C with power seats and no power windows be considered a pretty rare combination?
Also, would those wheel covers be considered deluxe?
Hey! I had one exactly but dark blue in 1970. This made me cry when I seen this! Great car.
Beautiful, but wish it was a three speed.
It would have to be an original big block car for me to even think about buying that at that price. Definitely a nice car!