No Fake Patina: 1965 Chevrolet Bel Air Long-Roof

Usually, when the subject of old Chevrolet station wagons arises, it’s the Impala that gets the coverage. Prior to the late fifties, the range-topping Bel Air got all the glory, but by 1965, a Chevy Bel Air was aimed at the “budget-conscious” buyer. Today’s Boise, Idaho, discovery, courtesy of Tony P., has that weathered look about it, but it’s genuine; no fake patina going on here! Let’s look this long roof over and see if it has any special characteristics that make it worthy of consideration. Here on craigslist is where you’ll find it, and it’s available for $9,500.

Chevrolet had a banner year in ’65, selling a total of almost 2.5M cars. Their full-size line (B-body) was responsible for about 1.6 M of that total, with a station wagon count registering 184K units. The big car’s complete redesign for ’65 was just perfect, at least in the eyes of many auto buyers. Trim levels started the model year with the Impala on top, the Bel Air in the middle, and the Biscayne trailing along in the caboose position. Early February saw the introduction of the top dog Caprice, but no station wagon variant was available until ’66. Our subject car is finished in Artesian Turquoise, a very popular ’65 hue, and is topped off with a white roof. The body is straight, but the paint is damaged, there is rust in places, and some of the stainless trim has gone missing – cosmetics are this car’s biggest issue. The only exterior suprise are the magnum-style steel wheels, which were featured as standard equipment on the ’69 and ’70 Chevelle SS.

The interior is in pretty fair shape, though the seating upholstery, its pattern in particular, does not appear to be original (Bel Air standard pattern included wide stripes), though the seller claims that it is. Regardless, it’s a neat and clean environment and doesn’t appear to need a lot of attention, though the door panels are looking a bit shaky. The front seat belts, a standard requirement by ’65, may or may not be original equipment, though black was often the standard default shade. There’s no included image of the wayback, and that’s unfortunate because its condition can provide a clue as to how the car was used (or maybe abused?) over the years.

Under the hood is old faithful, a 283 CI V8 engine, lashed up to a Powerglide two-speed automatic transmission. The seller adds, “motor is original and was resealed and inspected, power pack heads and four barrel intake,” which tells me it’s the optional 220 gross HP version (RPO L77). It was a mid-year introduction along with the previously mentioned Caprice trim level.  The seller states, “It drives nice and has been very reliable and occasionally used as a daily driver.” I have to say I’m not exactly sure what “resealed” means or what an “inspection” might have entailed.

OK, so what’s really special about this 1965 Chevrolet Bel Air station wagon? Nothing that I can gather, it’s certainly not rare, and is not equipped in any special way. It has, however, withstood the test of time, and is a tribute to an era when GM ruled by size and market share, and it seemed that the Chevrolet Division could do no wrong. If you’re looking for a slice of that sixties vibe, in the popular long-roof version, here’s your chance, right?