Chevrolet sales were up in 1963, and the Impala Super Sport was a superstar in its second full year. Year-over-year demand jumped by more than 50% for the sporty full-size hardtops and convertibles. Not much information is provided on this ’63 Sport Coupe, including what lies below the hood. It’s obviously a project, but we don’t know if the mechanical problems will outweigh the cosmetic ones. Located in West Babylon, New York, this vintage Bow-Tie is available here on craigslist for $5,500.
The Super Sport started as a performance version of the Impala in 1961. Offered with only Chevy’s most powerful engines, just a few hundred copies were built. Chevrolet redefined the product in 1962, making it more about style (bucket seats, special trim, etc.). A Super Sport could then be ordered with any Chevy engine, including an inline-6 (can you imagine an SS with a 6-banger?). The shift in strategy worked, and nearly 100,000 of the cars were sold in 1962, rising again to 153,000 in 1963 when the seller’s SS was built.
Overlooked in the seller’s photos is what powerplant lies beneath the hood. We’re at least told it’s a V8, but those options were a 283, 327, and the iconic 409 (“She’s So Fine…”). Considering the asking price, we’d doubt a major thumper is there unless the seller doesn’t know what they have (an estate sale, perhaps?). However, the console shifter tells us a 2-speed Powerglide automatic is/was along for the ride. The odometer, which is broken, sits at 50,000 miles, but it may have stopped on its second time around.
The maroon paint no longer has optimism of a future shine, but the sheet metal may be okay. Some of the chrome is beat up. But the lack of substantive pics leaves much to guesswork without a personal inspection. We don’t know if the interior is okay or a basket case, either. The seller simply says this is a project, so we’ll have to take that on face value and assume the worst.
All my friends, build a lowrider…
The flags on the front fender usually represent 327, the v without the flags represent 283 from my experience. I owned one in 1970.
Needs more pictures and info. More undercarriage pictures being from New York.
I guess that the price is not outrageous for a genuine SS, if it is. Didn’t the 409 have a badge to that effect? Not many pictures, but one captain’s side view shows considerable rust in the rear quarter. Who knows what the floors and rockers look like. This is salt country after all.
The “V” call-out without ‘flags’ on the front fender says 283, which fits with the other options on the car.
I always loved the 63 SS I had a friend with one,409 4spd red it was a beautiful car.
I wonder if this one spent it’s whole life in my.
Even though its faded the body looks solid from what you can see.
I like it as-is.
Clean it up, fix the mechanicals, and just drive it.
There have been times I have priced cars and other things without checking the current value on them, dar n…
Up in smoke tribute.😵💫
My very first thought as well.
I n it was 64.
“I think we’re parked, man.”
A couple of comments on here are: get it running and drive it like it is. Do the young people have no pride in old cars anymore? Drive a junk pile old rust bucket or restore it and have something to be proud of? How many people go to a dealership and say: I would like to order a rusty junker, that looks like it just came out of the junk yard? NO ONE does that. There is a reason; people want to drive nice, not junk yard!!!!!!!
I have an idea. You buy it and invest 1000’s of hours of research and labor and 10,000’s of dollars restoring it and let me know when you’re done. Then maybe I’ll buy it from you…