The owner of this 1965 Chevrolet Impala is not in the least bit fazed by the rust that has afflicted the vehicle. It seems to be confined to a single area, and for the last 3-years, the owner has been driving and enjoying this great 1960s classic. The next owner could choose to continue the trend, but I’d be willing to bet that they will be tempted to treat the vehicle to at least a partial restoration. With the rust addressed, a fresh coat of the original Sierra Tan paint applied, and a new vinyl top fitted, this could once again be a pretty stunning car. If the thought appeals to you, then you will find the Impala located in Bozeman, Montana, and listed for sale here on eBay. Bidding has worked its way to $5,500, and with the reserve now met, a new home is just around the corner for this beauty.
Now that’s some serious rust. When you open the trunk of a classic and find a floor that looks like that, it is very easy to think the worst. However, the news isn’t bad, and there is a very good reason why the Impala has rusted the way that it has. The original owner used to load the trunk up with bags of salt, and it seems obvious that some of the load found its way out of the bags. I guess that there is a lesson there, which would be to either put down some protection if you are going to carry those sorts of loads, or clean any spills ASAP. When the current (and 2nd) owner purchased the vehicle, this is what he found. The trunk pan, drop-offs, and the lower sections of both rear quarter panels have dissolved, but that would appear to be the extent of the significant rust in the Impala. The owner says that the floors and rockers are solid, and even the rear frame rails seem to have survived with no significant damage. The lower front fender on the driver’s side has a spot of rust that could be addressed with a patch, but everything else looks quite promising. The trim and chrome look like it would respond well to some polish, while the glass is all good.
Opening the hood of the Impala reveals plenty to be optimistic about. What we find is a 283ci V8, along with a 2-speed Powerglide transmission. The current owner has been using the vehicle on a regular basis for the past 3-years, and he says that it happily cruises down the highway at 80mph. There is a video included at the bottom of this article. It includes a walk-around of the vehicle, plus you get a chance to hear the 283 starting and running. It sounds clean and crisp, with no signs of any knocking or rough running. Under the current owner’s stewardship, the Impala has been treated to a new fuel tank, new fuel lines, along with all new belts, hoses, and regular servicing. Apart from the engine sounding strong, the owner says that the Impala drives nicely, the transmission shifts smoothly, and the brakes work perfectly. The engine bay could benefit from a good clean, but it does have a nice, honest look to it.
There are going to be no real options for shortcuts inside the Impala because there is no escaping the fact that the interior is going to require a full restoration. There is precious little in the way of upholstery that could be saved, with the original seat covers looking pretty dirty and stained below those fairly bright aftermarket items. The door and rear trims, headliner, carpet, and the dash pad, have all deteriorated quite badly. The dash itself looks to be fairly good, and apart from the seat covers, there have been no aftermarket additions. Complete interior trim kits are pretty easy to source, and a complete kit featuring the correct cloth inserts for the seats, new door, and rear trims, carpet, headliner, sun visors, dash pad, armrests, and associated hardware, can be found for around $2,800. Not cheap I’ll admit, but the end result should be well worth the expenditure.
I have to say that I really like this Impala. I’d love to see it fully restored, but there is something quite charismatic about it as it currently stands. It wears the rusty trunk pan like a badge of honor, indicating to all who look that it is a car that hasn’t spent its life wrapped in cotton wool. Being brutally honest, this is not a car that in its current guise would command massive potential values. If meticulously restored, it could conceivably be worth somewhere around $30,000, or maybe a bit more. Having said that, a competent individual could potentially undertake the majority of the restoration work themselves, saving significant sums of money into the bargain, and making for a financially viable project. Alternatively, the next owner could choose to follow the lead of the current owner over the past 3-years, and simply drive and enjoy this great old survivor…warts and all.
Just because you can do something, doesn’t mean that you should. I would be concerned about the potential for exhaust fume infiltration; and the possibility of catastrophic damage inflicted on the rear due to an inattentive driver rear ending the structurally comprised trunk area. Just my $0.02 worth! :-)
My thought’s exactly!
Good points Mopar man. Wonder whats holding the gas tank in. And do check that frame real good, known problem on there. cant imagine cruising down the road wondering if the gas tank is going to fall out. Caveat Emptor.
Cheers
GPC
Another project Chong never finished.
Cheech had a ’64 Chevy. Chong had a VW.
So another curious fact for myth busters or readers…
How fast does one have to go to allow the missing trunk floor blow the trunk open?
110?
Its odd one section affected so much.. A trunk seal left neglected gone crazy…
65 impala cars are sweet rides..
“The original owner used to load the trunk up with bags of salt.”
Cool ‘pala,yes. But it doesn’t have rust in the trunk floor- there’s no trunk floor at all! I’d be considerably worried about the lack of rear body mounts and how driving it hard would affect the remaining mounts. In my world neither a particularly safe ride nor worth current bid
Makes it easy for anyone with inclinations to tub in a set of Mickey Thompsons on a shortened axle! Just bash away the rest of the rust, hope that it stops eventually…
It would have to be bought for a lot less. And the the whole rear of the car needs to be addressed. It’s not safe the way it is. Especially in Left Coast traffic and Freeways. I’ll pass but someone might really enjoy this when it was finished.
Looking at the rust stains reveals a leaking rear window which created a nice salt slurry to go to work. There is undoubtedly more damage than meets the eye.
“Where’s the groceries, honey?”
Awe, shucks!
Like the car, sure sits low,
like the original color too. Before any heavy hitter engines find their way under the hood a full inspection is in order. Other than that it’s cool.
I’d get the underside right and drive it as is. Maayybe do something with the interior down the road. I don’t know what it is but this car caught me with that first pic.
Glad I caught my comment in time to edit: Are those heater hoses just hanging there? They’re not hooked up to the heater core by the looks of it.
Anyone notice the cable tie downs going from engine to upper a-frames? That was the first factory recall that I can remember. GM had junk motor mounts that if you reved the engine it could would break the left mount and throw it in reverse and away you went though the garage door and into the neighbors flower bed. They recalled them and dealers installed these tie downs till they could redesign the mounts.
This would be a nice car iffin der was a trunk floor.
I saw that also, I’ve seen them before on other Chevys of this era. By my way of thinking just the left side should be sufficient.
Could not hide a body in that trunk it would fall out on the ground.
Maybe carried bags of salt for weighted traction?
That car would never pass an MOT inspection in order to be licensed without getting that repair work completed. Given that it is all near flat panel and structure I don’t imagine it would be all that expensive. I still don’t understand why people let things like that go to that point.
To my ears it sounds like its running rich or missing……along with the trunk :)
1500 tops!
Driving around Montana without a heater? Dude is a bad-ass!!
I never understood why some folks would allow such a sweet car to get into this kind of condition. Continual under body work would be required if you want to keep it for any length of time. Sad. Really sad. I couldn’t bid on this if I wanted to.