The 1965 Impala SS that is parked in this workshop is a clean survivor that is ready to be driven and enjoyed. Not only is it an eye-catching classic, but it features an interior that wants for nothing. The car does have some rust, but it is so minor that it doesn’t need to be addressed immediately. Located in Rocky Mount, North Carolina, you will find the Impala listed for sale here on eBay. The owner has set a BIN of $29,500, but he is willing to listen to offers. I have to say a big thank you to Barn Finder Larry D for referring the SS to us.
Once the Mist Blue Impala has been rolled out into the light of day, it does show a lot of promise. The owner describes the paint as 7/10, but he might be marking it pretty hard. It isn’t perfect, but it is tidy for a classic of this age. The panels are straight, with no signs of any significant dings or dents. When it comes to any classic from this era, the big question is the presence, or otherwise, of rust. There is some to report in this Chevy, but it isn’t severe. The owner reports minor bubbles in both doors’ bottom corners, but the areas are small enough that they are only clearly visible in close-up shots. Some simple patches would fix the problem, which could wait until next Winter if the buyer chooses. The trim, chrome, and glass all present nicely, while the Impala rolls on a new set of wheels and tires.
Chevrolet offered a wide selection of engines in the 1965 Impala SS, and the original owner ordered this one with the 327ci V8. This small-block should be producing 250hp, which finds its way to the rear wheels via a 2-speed Powerglide transmission. The combination of the Powerglide and the reasonably hefty 3,845lbs that the car carries means that the journey down the ¼ mile takes 17.4 seconds. It is worth noting just how much the transmission impacts overall performance. If the original owner had ordered this classic with the 4-speed manual transmission, that ET would have dropped to 16.5 seconds. However, if this Impala is considered as a comfortable cruiser that seats five people rather than a performance car, it stacks up pretty well. The engine bay presents beautifully, and it doesn’t flatter to deceive. The owner says that the Impala runs and drives perfectly and that everything works as it should.
The owner places some emphasis in his listing on the Impala’s interior condition, and it seems that this is well justified. I’m not sure if I would go as far as to describe it as perfect, but I will say that the owner could hold their head high if they took the SS to any Cars & Coffee. The vinyl upholstery shows no signs of wear or fading. The outer edges of the seats and the tops of the door trims are particularly prone to problems, but these look impressively good. The carpet has no wear or fading, while the dash and pad also present well. The console is excellent, and the only aftermarket addition is a set of gauges mounted under the dash. Otherwise, it looks exactly how it would have the day that it rolled out of the showroom. As is the case with the drivetrain, the owner says that everything inside the Impala works as it should.
There’s no denying that this 1965 Impala SS is an attractive vehicle, and the addition of the aftermarket wheels adds a touch of aggression to the mix. Some enthusiasts would love to park a classic in their driveway, but a growing family can put these ambitions on hold. That’s where cars like this one come into their own. The rear passenger area features generous amounts of leg and headroom, which helps it to accommodate the tallest teenager. Its pricing looks very competitive, so if you are in that boat with some growing teens, maybe this is the car for you.
I think the 65 styling of the Impala is the most beautiful of the series. I was running errands in town yesterday and on one of the side streets someone had their 65 SS parked. Car had faded worn through paint in many areas and they had installed large wheels and side skirts. Those combinations don’t usually appeal to me but on this car it worked. It was even mist blue in color like this one. Beautiful cars.
I owned a 66’SS for 14 yrs and absolutely loved that car. With the bigger rubber on this 65’SS, I know it drives and handles pretty darn well. I agree with Adam on this example is, “Priced Competitively” indeed. A body as straight as this and a near-perfect interior, yep nicely priced indeed.
Such a beautiful automobile.
It would be wise to look at the obvious areas with a very critical eye. The paint and body that has been done was not minor, nor was it cheap. For the rust to be bubbling through on the doors already begs the question of the quality of work overall.
She sure is a pretty one however.
You are right, it is pretty. However, the rust in the door and passenger side of the firewall suggest this could be a bomb with a lite fuse. For the current high bid I’d expect better pictures of rust prone areas and a more thorough description. As it stands currently, there are a lot of blanks to fill in, many potential buyers will focus on the shiny paint and not their own interests.
Steve R
Looks like a tidy driver indeed but it’s also appearant it’s been refurbished at some point. It’d be interesting to learn just how ‘bad’ it was before someone decided to redo it – to me it looks like the firewall seam has been re-gooed, this is not the first place a 60s Chev that has been properly cared for and garaged will start to rust. The ‘166’ desig indicates a legit ’65 SS and though not original to a 327 the 409 air cleaner looks better IMO. Observe it still has the canister style oil filter. I wonder why the A-arm flaps weren’t replaced when it was apart though.
In my world this is almost as good as it gets if one wants a driver, if it were much nicer than this I’d probably be too worried about it to use it. As Jcs says above an in-person inspection would be mandatory to reveal whether it’s indeed as good as it looks
Buddy of mine’s mother had one in Evening Orchid … the happiest day of his life was when she traded it for a red with black vinyl top ’67 GTO 389/4-speed … we didn’t care it didn’t have AC …
People were tougher back then. Your friends mom made a good choice.
Steve R
I’m never crazy about after factory wheels however, I give these wheels a pass. While this car is not perfect I give it a strong 7 as there is nothing wrong that $ 5,000.00 would fix pull it back in to being a 10.
Well those ARE factory style wheels, just not correct for the year and somewhat wider than the stock Rallies. Observe that owner has made a set of unique center caps combining the standard dish with what appears to be ’65 ‘pala spinners
noted I had a factory auto ’67. The color misty blue is incorrect. It was called Cosmic Blue. although the car needs a little help as well as a nicer air cleaner it is a survivor that has desired quality’s,
I beg to differ on the color. Of course the build plate would be needed to confirm code D
There was NEVER a “Cosmic Blue” on Chevys. Mist Blue was the color name in both 65 & 66. Previously, it was Silver Blue.
It’s a beautiful car, and in my opinion prettiest of the 64/66, that being said, that wimpy power glide kills it for me, a nice 400, or even a 700R4 it then it’s only a 327 with no a/c so this car would be upside down in 2 minutes of me financing the upgrades, needs a 396 to be rite, 427 of course would be the best, but let’s be realistic
My brother had a 65 artesian turquoise. It had a 396 turbo 400 trans, would do the 1/4 mile in the high 14’s. Those were the days. Used to go to Dragway 42 in West Salem, Ohio almost every Sunday. Cruising around on Friday and Saturday nights. You look back and all those times are gone, but what great memories.
There’s one strange thing about this car. It has full rocker moldings + behind the rear wheels. ONLY regular Impalas had these moldings. NONE on an SS.
You have a good eye!!! This whole car is questionable.
Good observation Chuck and we’ve discussed the matter of rocker moldings before. It seems no less than 4 variants (+ the mentioned ‘none’ variant) were available for the ’65-66 fullsize Chev depending on year and trim level. So there should be quite a selection for any owner to customize his ride with bits that still offer an OE look to the vehicle.
I wouldn’t really call the car questionable simply because of a set of incorrect moldings though. I can understand many people could fall for the temptation to add some bling only for their personal preference even though not entirely correct for the model
How about a 409, yea my old man bought one in 1976 for 100.00 from an old farmer in the area. Had 2nd gear and reverse redone in the four speed and quadrupled his money, sold it for 427.00, it showed up on ebay in the sme town it went to, final bid in 2002 was 15,000. That car was cool. Only single 4 bbl 409’s were offered early in 65.
65 is the best appearance, price is high, considering potential body condition problems, and pg trans. Full inspection would fill in the blanks.