Rare L34 360HP: 1965 Chevrolet Impala SS 396

Chevrolet replaced the famous 409 cubic-inch big-block V8 with the new 396 midway through the 1965 model year. A setup with 325 hp was standard with that engine in the 1965 Impala SS 396. As the seller’s car was built at the end of the model year, it has the L34 360 hp version, not technically available until the 1966 model run. From its perch on a trailer, this was no doubt a barn find that will need a complete restoration after sitting for 40 years. Located in Eugene, Oregon, this once-bodacious bow-tie is available here on craigslist for $12,500.

From the data provided by the seller, this 1965 Chevy Impala SS 396 should be a rare car. Besides having an engine that wasn’t supposed to be in these cars that year, it also has factory air conditioning. The big motor is backed up by a TH-400 automatic transmission, and this is a numbers-matching automobile. If that’s not important to you, he has a Muncie 4-speed manual that you can have (perhaps in place of the automatic).

The seller must have found the car in Oklahoma, as that’s where the license plates are from. The machine may have just 60,000 miles and was parked for reasons unclear. The Chevy is not rust-free, but it hasn’t gotten carried away either, with the trunk and floorboards in question. The vehicle may be complete, and the seller has a cadre of extra parts that will follow the Impala to its new home.

Sales of the Impala SS would decline as the 1960s wore on. That’s because big performance cars were replaced by smaller ones; in Chevy’s case, that would be the mid-size Chevelle. The last Impala SS from that era would come out in 1969 – you shouldn’t be able to find a 1970 Impala SS anywhere. If you don’t mind a project, this Chevrolet will give you a lot to talk about – assuming you leave it in its current setup. Thanks for the nifty tip, “Zappenduster”.