This badge tells you that we’re about to look at a Chevrolet that is a cut above the ordinary. The 409 under the hood of this 1963 Impala is about as good as it got, and it is wrapped in a package that the owner describes as being of show quality. It is a stunning car with stunning performance, and it is searching for a new home. If you find the temptation too overwhelming to resist, you will find the Impala located in Montrose, Colorado, and listed for sale here on Craigslist. The owner will happily hand you the keys to this classic if you hand him $52,900. I want to extend a big thank you to Barn Finder rex m for spotting this stunning classic for us.
The owner states that this Impala has undergone a professional refurbishment, and the finished product is nice enough to knock your sox off. The Azure Aqua paint shines magnificently, and this has been laid over panels that appear to be perfectly straight. There seems to be nothing that would justify criticism when you look at the exterior. The paint is flawless, the chrome shine just as impressively, while the glass seems to be crystal clear. The owner doesn’t mention any rust issues, and the trunk pan’s clean appearance seems to reinforce my belief that the car is structurally sound. It isn’t clear when the professionals completed the work on this classic, but it appears that there has been no opportunity for any corrosion of any description to develop. If the owner took the supplied photos in the Chevy’s normal storage space, this is not surprising. It looks clean and dry, and I suspect that dust would be afraid to land in this garage. The owner describes the Impala as a show-quality classic, and it is hard to argue with that description.
Okay, this is when we reach the “good news/bad news” side of this story. While it appears that this Impala is a genuine SS, the owner admits that it is a big-block clone. That’s disappointing, but the owner has created this classic to be as good as an SS could be in 1963. The 409ci V8 is of 1964 vintage and is a “QB” dual-quad that pumps out 425hp. Getting all that power to the road is a challenge, but this Impala feeds it there via a 4-speed manual transmission and a 3.42 Posi rear end. This is not a car to be underestimated because it should be capable of demolishing the ¼ mile in 14.5 seconds. If the driver is brave enough to keep the pedal to the metal, that 409 should run out of breath at 141mph. Those numbers stack up quite well in today’s environment. In 1963, they would’ve made you the king of the road. The owner isn’t specific about how the Impala runs or drives, but he does provide a few clues. The first is how immaculately the engine bay presents. It has a showroom fresh appearance, with no evidence of fluid leaks or other problems. He further emphasizes that this project was completed to the highest standard, suggesting that there was no corner-cutting on the drivetrain build. However, the clincher is that he refers to the SS as a turn-key classic. If I found it parked in my garage, I would struggle to resist the urge to turn that key.
The show quality presentation of this Impala extends to the interior, and while the photos are limited, they paint a positive picture. The owner has had it upholstered in Aqua vinyl to complement the exterior, and it features bucket seats, a console, a factory tach, and a pushbutton radio. What can be seen of the interior presents well, with no visible faults on the upholstery, dash, or carpet. Sadly, that’s about all we can ascertain, so potential buyers will undoubtedly want to perform an in-person inspection.
Cars like this 1963 Impala leave me scratching my head. This isn’t because it is a bad car or some type of fraud. The owner candidly admits that it is a big-block clone, and the vehicle appears to be in exceptional condition. However, if I owned a car of this type and potential value, I would’ve put some effort into taking some decent photos to include with my listing. He supplies three exterior shots, but they are all taken from the same angle. A sole interior photo doesn’t help his cause, and it would require an in-person inspection to ascertain how good this Chevy is. I won’t be surprised if he receives plenty of inquiries. Could you be one of them?
I would never buy through Craigslist or Facebook Marketplace without a visual inspection first that included seeing the title in the seller’s name, photo ID to show the name on the ownership and ID are the same. Of course, a visual inspection of the car itself (especially the underside) goes without saying. If the car passed, I would make a reasonable offer. Unless I really wanted the car, I would not travel more than a couple of hundred miles to do the inspection, as it could wind up being a winner and might still not be able to work out a reasonable deal.
Any car for that much money needs to be looked at with a jaundiced eye if it’s being offered on Craigslist. This car really should be advertised in publications that specialize in automobiles..but then again, this is a “clone” so the price is probably a bit high.
That was always the intent of Craigslist Mike when it was created, to buy and sell local. I have bought and sold numerous cars from Craigslist and Kijiji within 100 miles of my home. People are getting so flaky now that I will probably trade in my next car. Getting to old for all the b.s..
What a drop-dead gorgeous car…but over 50K for a clone? I think not, IMHO…
Too bad first three pics are the same, only one interior and no underside. More pics and a video is to be expected now a days if you expect to sell for what it’s worth without a hands on inspection. No serious buyer is going on assumptions.
Wow, that’s a lot of $$$$ asked for a 409 clone.
Barn find?bet it never saw inside of a barn once. Prices are just freaking ridiculous these days.
What exactly makes this car a “clone”? Did it originally come with a different engine? Or was it not, originally, an SS? If it’s not original, for a little less money I’d buy it, enjoy it and don’t tell anyone.
Straight from the sellers add – “Non-matching Big Block SS clone professionally done.”
Most 63 64 Big block impalas had tachometer sitting on dash under speedo
If this car checks out, it would be better suited to a site like “Bring a Trailer”, They verify all the legal docs, and make sure there is no slight of hand. This car is a beauty, could be one step better, a convertible……but I would like it just as is. The QB block code is a passenger block, the 3:42 rear was not offered in ’63, could be a 3:55?
Maybe BaT rejected the seller because he has an unrealistic reserve or other issues that they discovered while interacting with them to see if it meets their standards. This leaves FBM, eBay or C/L for the seller to find a buyer that thinks he’s getting a bargain or maybe doesn’t really know what he’s buying. Always, always preform an in person inspection or pay someone to do it for you if the vehicle is farther away than you’ll travel to inspect before you purchase!
The 63 is one of my favorite GM body styles, along with the 57 Belair and 65 Impala as well as the First Gen SuperSport Monte Carlo. I’d definitely be interested in this one, just not for 52K!
What does Miguelito think of this Impala?
“Let’s go surfin now!
Everybody’s learnin how
Come on the safari with
MEEEEE!!”
“Ba ba ba, ba Barbara Anne”….yada yada yada,
“She’s my little deuce coupe…..you don’t know what I got”
Oh yeah, “She’s so fine, my four- oh—nine”
Thats all I ever whenever a 409 Impala, real or built, is at a car show..nothing but good time rock and roll, usually about surfin or blowing some super stock Dodge in the weeds. Or a girl named Barbara Anne. Sorry!
Aint no 409 slug ever blew a super stock DODGE anywhere.
Fuel injected Corvette?, I cant remember all the lyrics to that surfun stuff.
Oh no, when match racing (Dyno Don joined in) started the Sox Z11 ’63 Chevrolet won many races over the Dodges and Plymouth’s. Now at 512 CI and minus the interior weight, I believe it turned in high 10’s 130 mph. The lack of parts and high breakage of motor parts led the Sox/Martin team in another direction. Starting in ’64 the Chrysler products took over, this was the advent of the Dick Landy automatic converter, all but eliminated the 4-speed from racing.
Clone or not, it looks good based on the pictures, though I’m not sure the price is in line with the actual car. Around 1966 I had the privilege of riding in a real 63 SS 409 4 speed. It had plugs on it and Tom opened them up and ran it down main street about 9:00 on a Sunday night. You have no idea how loud that is with the exhaust echoing off the buildings and trees along the street.
Whoo whee, I absolutely dare anyone to compare ANYTHING today, foreign or domestic, that has the zing of this car. If this car doesn’t give you goosebumps, just looking at it, much less driving a beast like this, I think you’ve clearly missed the boat. Anytime songs are written about a certain car, well, that’s pretty special to me.
Now, again, to clarify, cars like this came along once in a blue moon in the midwest. ’63 Chevy was an immensely popular car, and almost never optioned like this. This is what we heard ( through song) what they drove in that mystical, faraway land called “California”,,,for us, it was a 283,( or a 6) Powerglides, a dented fender and faded paint, and only spun the tires on snow. They were just workaday cars, and used until they broke in half. Most were then sold to Japan as scrap and made into new Toyotas,,,I kid you not. Cool car, too bad a Ford or Chrysler of similar vintage, could eat it for lunch but GM took care of that in short order.