While Ford was making lots of sales noise in 1965 with its new Mustang pony car, Chevrolet was having a banner year, too. For the first time, they produced more than one million full-size automobiles with the Impala representing 80% of that record. The Impala Super Sport was in its second year as a series of its own, which included this well-worn and thoroughly rough project convertible. Offered by a dealer in Gray Court, South Carolina, this Chevy looks like it was forgotten about long ago. Yet it’s available now and here on eBay for $6,500 (or you can make an offer). Another tip from yesteryear brought to us by T.J.!
Chevrolet redesigned its full-size machines in 1965 and met with a positive response from buyers. The boxy look from 1964 wasn’t the most popular as sales were down that year. But they popped back quickly, and Chevy was soon selling about twice as many Impalas, Bel Airs, and Biscayne’s as Ford was Mustangs. The profit margin per car on the Chevrolets had to be significantly higher, too. The VIN on the seller’s car identifies it as an SS convertible of which about 27,000 were estimated to have been built.
If this ’65 Impala SS could tell its story, we’re guessing it’s not pretty. It may have quit running at one point and left to wait for repairs that never came. Then parts were lifted, like the steering column and wheels (mismatched rollers on there now). The body was once finished in black paint, but that’s mostly given to surface rust. And the floors are totally shot as you can see the carpeting and other material hanging from under the mid-section of the car.
The fender script says this is a 327 cubic inch V8 and the motor looks like one. Yet the seller says it’s a 6.7-liter engine which would equate to the more valuable 409. An automatic transmission is present, likely a 2-speed Powerglide, so this SS was ordered more for looks and cruising than speed. Bringing this once cool car back to life will be time-consuming and expensive, which begs the question would you be better off spending more to get a better car than doling out what will likely become six figures to revive this one?
Not a 409 looking at the valve covers.Wonder what the frame etc.looks like??Not a lot of good parts on this mess.Not worth asking price.
The 65 convertible I pulled out of our junkyard and built back in the 80s was pretty bad. This one is way worse. Have to be in love with it to take it on.
No thanks.
That sure doesn’t look like my 409 lol.
650.00 is more in line as a price and you get it for 500.6500…no way.
A 65 Impala convertible is one of my bucket list cars, & I don’t mind taking on a project, but I’m not even sure this one qualifies as a parts car. About the only piece of metal is see that doesn’t need replacing is the dash, & I’m not 100% sure about that. Even if it is a SS, there are better starting points out there.
Hard pass!
My how times have inflated prices. 10 years ago, I had to sell my ’65 Chevy Impala convertible due to my moving and downsizing. It was a running, older restoration in real decent shape with the 283/3 on the tree good top and everything worked. The buyer could have driven it to it’s new home but, chose to trailer it. He got a steal at $5,000. I wish I could have kept it but, life got in the way.
It saddens me that someone allowed this beautiful piece of automotive history get in this condition. It could be restored but you’re looking at $50K plus or better to get it there.
I appreciate your optimism but the last paint job alone for a classic I had quoted was $20k and this was for a rust free pickup truck that had already been stripped, body work completed, sealed, primed and blocked. This is why I decided to learn to paint myself. It isn’t that difficult. The steps that you do the body work are the most important part and then it’s just temperature and technique. I think this rig would be close to $80k to even get it presentable unless a guy could do it all himself. Then $50k might be realistic. Yes it’s sad.
Dont be too sad about it , its not like its been running and driving for the last 50 years with no repairs until it died ., its been recently dragged out of a junkyard where its been likely sitting since Ford was president , and given up some parts over the years to keep other Impalas going.. Sure , at that time it was in better shape , but a 10 + year old car was basically worthless , and even a seemingly simple repair could be an old cars death knell . I bought a 318 powered 68 Belvedere (not mint) in 1981 for 5 bucks because it needed a starter . A 20 dollar starter from out local junkyard and I was driving it around our neighborhood . Nobody thought of these cars as anything special when they were old beaters , and no one knew how rare a car may have been without the internets help.
All true. I tried to get my dad to set some cars aside from our junkyard back in the 80s but parting them out and crushing them was what fed a family of 7. We were a poor lot. David Allan Coe’s Poor White Trash was a pretty accurate biography of our lives lol.
Yes I know Poor white trash not the name of the song but better to write that here than the real name and a google search will still lead you to it.
Sad. I will say, this has a great color combo, black w/ red gut. Must have been a real looker when new. It looks like a small block, 327 probably.
Sweet Baby Jeebus on a wee donkey! Overpriced at FREE. As much as I’d like to see this car saved, I can’t imagine why someone would attempt a rebuild.
Even the door jamb under the VIN tag is rusted through! It needs to be completely re-bodied and the frame replaced. Then you’ve have an expensive (and probably illegally titled) vehicle with only four options: SS appearance package, power steering, console, and powerglide transmission.
One more option: a low horsepower V8.
The fact that the seller even thinks there is someone out there who’d consider this. Junk. About all it’s worth is it’s weight for scrap.
There’s a bridge here in Brooklyn …