Classic car guys, I’m thinking about buying this

[drmordo]

Price?

Like I said I know what he’s asking, I was hoping to get some opinions before posting that as a feeler.

Objective and goals?

The car is not a total basket case, I’ve had to walk away from a lot of those through the years. I wouldn’t want it for a full resto, these cars are expensive to go that route. Goal was to go through the mechanicals, get it running again, brakes ect, clean it up and make a fun driver.

I’ve never drove a 327 or four speed car but heard they can be fun.

Well, It's pretty difficult to offer an opinion without the entering argument. If it costs $10k, that's probly too much.

If I step back and look at it as a rough daily driver (I get what you are interested in), I would definitely be interested if the price was reasonable.

 

[Twofingerlou]

Interesting find. I love old Chevys. My opinion differs somewhat from the others above. It all really depends on whet you find underneath. If you live in an area without a ton of road salt, the frame and pans could be fairly solid and you could spiff her up a little and run her as a survivor - body rust and all. If the engine is frozen, a replacement shouldn't be too hard to come by. The suspension and brakes will need to be sorted, but if there is minimal serious rust, shade tree mechanic credentials may be enough for a pleasant project if you are so inclined. I doubt you will get back any $$ you put into her, but same with partscasters! Keep us posted.

Thanks, it’s a Midwest car so my opinion may be different than others out west that get lucky with all the solid stuff and don’t know what rust is.

Mechanically I can rebuild the motor if need be, brakes are easy and I have a guy that’s a bad dude when it comes to rebuilding trannys. As I mentioned I need to check the frame, if that’s toast I’m out.

 

[Twofingerlou]

Lots of negatives, but it is a manual coupe. If you have the passion I wouldn’t discourage you.

Thanks!

 

[Twofingerlou]

We don't have enough info. It's like looking at a few bad pics with none of the neck heal or back of the headstock. If you know what you're doing a 327 is an easy rebuild if you get the car cheap that could be pretty good. If it's all original it may be worth it depending on the price. The first order of business is checking the vin on the engine block is the same as the car. Even with a deceased original owner that engine could have been swapped without the family remembering. An original SS Impala with everything can be valuable but the fact that you are asking the question makes me think that you might not be doing the work yourself. Rust is almost always worse that what you think unless you are lucky enough to get one from California where you can actually find one with no rust.

No offense but i didn’t know asking questions makes someone not qualified. Fwiw it’s worth I am mechanically inclined, my first hobby was cars, my schooling after high school was autobody. As I mentioned above I already have a project right now. I’ve got one of my trucks apart right now and have a LS I built that it’s going in.

 

[Twofingerlou]

Since when do we need to avoid hobbies that don't turn a profit? If you want to rebuild an engine or a tranny, who cares what it costs? For a car guy its a life experience. I know guys who spend way more than $2k year on golf. What profit does golf turn? Or skiing. Or how about a $5K electric mountiain bike made out of the latest unobtainium? Live your life. Enjoy it. Don't let anyone else tell you what to spend your money on. Save and invest what you can, then spend a little on yourself and be happy.

I rebuilt a flathead 6 mopar engine last year. It was a ton of fun. Extremely rewarding. I put over 1,000 miles on it in the 2022 cruising season. How does a gear head put a price on the experience. Where is there a course offered on how to rebuild a vintage flathead 6 engine? Will I get back the money that I spent rebuilding that flathead? I really could care less. I drive it and enjoy every proud mile I put on the car.

This old girl was never about getting my investment back.

View attachment 1058375

I hear ya, and nice car! I never could get into golf or video games or other countless hobbies others enjoy. With cars I always felt at least I’m learning something and have something to show for my knowledge or skill set. I’ve got a truck apart right now, the frame is currently sitting on my trailer so I can get it to powder coat and probably fifteen grand of parts on a shelf. Will I ever recoup the costs? No but I don’t plan on selling it so there’s that.

 

[Twofingerlou]

Does it have a clear title and registration?

Yes

 

[Twofingerlou]

I bought a clean 65’ with a 283 and a ‘glide for $3500.00 in 2012. It was a clean, running, almost rust free California car. The person I bought it from needed it gone so that was a pretty good deal. I sold it a couple years later for $5200.00

Good to know thank you!

 

[dogmeat]

looks like a lotta work. if the price is cheap and you have the time & skills thats one thing but time will be a factor. I don't think it would take much to make it run unless the engine is blown. once running it'll need wheels, tires, brakes and exhaust system redone. to get it looking good would be many many hours of cutting metal & welding. unless you have the money to buy re-pop panels. even those require fitting. and then paint. you can probably buy one that has most if not all that work done already for 20k

whats it worth now? I'd say its worth the price of the parts that can be sold to a restorer

as for a motor for your car... a crate small block has to be the most common engine available

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[mexicanyella]

I can see the appeal
Of getting it mechanically functional and driving it as a beater with character. My dad once bought a rust-free but rough ‘66 Biscayne, 283/2-barrel/powerglide, for $50, put a radiator and some brake work and suspension bushings/tie rod ends in it and drove it for years. It was hideous to look at but simple to work on and could hold a ton of stuff.

The 327/four speed would add fun over a 283/powerglide, but only you can decide whether the rarity/cost increase would be worth it. It is still a big old hog without a lot of cubes, and on today’s roads with today’s cars the power to weight ratio won’t be spectacular or anything.

But throwing it through the gears with some dual exhaust on it would at least be a bunch of pleasant sensations.

 

[MelodicBend]

Definitely not a muscle car unless you shove a high output 350 at the very least. Even then, it would still be a cruiser. You need a Chevelle, Camaro, Firebird, GTO ,etc for that muscle car effect.

You will not recoup your money or time, so don't take on a project of this magnitude unless you are doing it strictly for hobby's sake. It will be an enormous investment. The rewarding part of it all is doing the work, not adoring the finished product. Don't kid yourself and be realistic. If you don't have a nice garage and a full arsenal of tools, it would be better, cheaper, and more enjoyable to just buy an already fully restored car.

 

[Ed Storer]

For a '65 Impala that's been left out in the weather, I would expect the body channel that holds the rear windshield to be rusted through and leaking into the trunk. It's nearly unfixable.

We replaced my wife's '78 Caprice with a '67 Impala that had that problem. I wanted something that I could work on and I got it, but that back window leak defeated 3 attempts at repair.

I didn't have a forum to warn me like you do.

 

[acousticnitemare]

All the good thoughts posted above.
I'm just wondering about how safe it will be to have your mid-60s year old Mom driving that stick in a couple years, and in anything less than a fully-sorted vehicle, so to get to there, my sense is you'll be sourcing lots of parts.
Are you sure this is what your Mom wants? Maybe wait, find one with an automatic?

 

[Twofingerlou]

I can see the appeal
Of getting it mechanically functional and driving it as a beater with character. My dad once bought a rust-free but rough ‘66 Biscayne, 283/2-barrel/powerglide, for $50, put a radiator and some brake work and suspension bushings/tie rod ends in it and drove it for years. It was hideous to look at but simple to work on and could hold a ton of stuff.

The 327/four speed would add fun over a 283/powerglide, but only you can decide whether the rarity/cost increase would be worth it. It is still a big old hog without a lot of cubes, and on today’s roads with today’s cars the power to weight ratio won’t be spectacular or anything.

But throwing it through the gears with some dual exhaust on it would at least be a bunch of pleasant sensations.

I have a good 350 with a big solid roller cam sitting around if push come to shove, that would get it and the four speed moving.

 

[Twofingerlou]

Definitely not a muscle car unless you shove a high output 350 at the very least. Even then, it would still be a cruiser. You need a Chevelle, Camaro, Firebird, GTO ,etc for that muscle car effect.

You will not recoup your money or time, so don't take on a project of this magnitude unless you are doing it strictly for hobby's sake. It will be an enormous investment. The rewarding part of it all is doing the work, not adoring the finished product. Don't kid yourself and be realistic. If you don't have a nice garage and a full arsenal of tools, it would be better, cheaper, and more enjoyable to just buy an already fully restored car.

As I’d love to have a legit muscle car and my dream one being a 70-72 camaro, the prices have become astronomical the last handful of years.

 

[P Thought]

can see the appeal
Of getting it mechanically functional and driving it as a beater with character

Kind of like Lt. Columbo's old Peugeot?

 

[Twofingerlou]

For a '65 Impala that's been left out in the weather, I would expect the body channel that holds the rear windshield to be rusted through and leaking into the trunk. It's nearly unfixable.

We replaced my wife's '78 Caprice with a '67 Impala that had that problem. I wanted something that I could work on and I got it, but that back window leak defeated 3 attempts at repair.

I didn't have a forum to warn me like you do.

Thanks I’ll check out the back window!

 

[Twofingerlou]

All the good thoughts posted above.
I'm just wondering about how safe it will be to have your mid-60s year old Mom driving that stick in a couple years, and in anything less than a fully-sorted vehicle, so to get to there, my sense is you'll be sourcing lots of parts.
Are you sure this is what your Mom wants? Maybe wait, find one with an automatic?

Watch it, I’m sure there’s a majority of people on this forum in that age range, you might have just fired shots!

Just because you’re in your 60’s doesn’t make you old, frail and disheveled or un capable lol. Hell she’s the one that taught me to drive a four speed when I was young, also the same woman that gets her jollys off handling a 12 gauge and 44 mag.

 

[Masmus]

No offense but i didn’t know asking questions makes someone not qualified. Fwiw it’s worth I am mechanically inclined, my first hobby was cars, my schooling after high school was autobody. As I mentioned above I already have a project right now. I’ve got one of my trucks apart right now and have a LS I built that it’s going in.

I didn't mean any offence I just couldn't tell exactly where you were coming from. If it were me I'd definitely consider it. These cars are getting fewer and fewer every year especially an SS. If it is all original I'd do everything I could to keep the original engine and transmission, any thing with the vin number on it

 

[Twofingerlou]

I didn't mean any offence I just couldn't tell exactly where you were coming from. If it were me I'd definitely consider it. These cars are getting fewer and fewer every year especially an SS. If it is all original I'd do everything I could to keep the original engine and transmission, any thing with the vin number on it

Yea there’s a certain numbered plate that’s suppose to be in the door jam to verify it being a true SS car, that was on my list to check out when I go back.

 

[Buckocaster51]

$1500 absolute tops