Classic car guys, I’m thinking about buying this

[trapdoor2]

If I didn't have two CCs already, I would be interested @~2k. One of my fav body styles.

All you need is pockets deep enough to build it back to where you want it.

For me, the body, fender and frame work is the fun part. Got the tools and the ability. There's nothing that can't be fixed, repaired or replaced.

Chassis rusted? Have one made. There's probably some maker out there that has them on the shelf. Cubic money, of course...but you can get uprated handling, stronger, modern mounts and fittings...

I'd ditch that buzzy little 327 for a big block...and I'm done with rowing a manual thru traffic. BTDT. Gimmie a Turbo 400 and a posi, I'm good.

Financially, I agree with the "run away" or the "flip" group. The interior and wiring would put me off also. I'm terrible with either. Not that I can't, I just hate it, get bored, etc.

 

[Wallo Tweed]

In my earlier post I incorrectly stated that the cable around the left motor mount was to keep the fan away from the radiator if the mount broke.

Actually it was a recall fix to keep the throttle on 65-70 Chevys from locking open when the motor mount broke. Sorry for the misinformation.

Chevrolet Motor Mounts

%

www.autosafety.org

 

[lammie200]

Umm, depends on your age and your shop facilities. If you have capacity, there's probably some better projects (that could be turned around faster). This will tie up space for a couple years, unless you obsess over it.

Also, remember, these full sized Chevies do not handle that well at all. I drove a '63 Impala wagon a lot and it was pure treachery and I owned a '64 Impala four door sedan for 3 years and the handling was far and away what made me sell it.

That car, somewhere in the range of $ 2,500, for the right buyer. And a serious future budget, of course.

Depending on the frame condition, and if this is a numbers matching car, it is an excellent platform for mods including those to the suspension and chassis to make it way cool. Better than a wagon or four door IMHO.

 

[CCK1]

Unless you just love the car, I'd have to let it go. I'd be willing to wager that if the car were given to you free of charge, by the time you got it basically presentable, and road worthy, you'd be in it for far more than it would ever sell for. If it was rust free, it might be a different story.

 

[Recce]

the enjoyment continuum is long.

Some guys ONLY enjoy going to show and shines and cars and coffee and just love the social aspect of having a cool old car.

Some guys love the work, slow and steady, sourcing parts, fixing stuff.

Some guys love the hunt of the rare bird.

Some guys have a HUGE list of cars they want to own (like guitars, eh?)
and once they have them, they pass them on.

Everything I've restored, I've hunted for vehicles that were uncut or if they were messed with, it was easily undone. I'd be nervous about having something half done or stuff that drove me crazy.

I love cars and trucks, but like guitars, I'm not a big 'karma' believer. If I can get something for a great deal, as long as the seller knows the scoop and is willing... it is just an object.

Getbent what do you value it at? The number in my head is $3,000 if the motor turns over but I agree it’s a money pit. You have much more experience in working on and building old cars. What do you think?

 

[CharlieO]

While I don't know your budget or the asking price for that car, the first thing that I would do is go to a couple of web sites to find the current market for a 1965 Impala SS. Once you are familiar with the market, only you can determine how much it is worth to you. It's not a $1500 car and it's probably not a $3500 car. It should probably be more because some parts have value. If for some reason you can get it in that price range and the restoration doesn't scare you, go for it. I really don't think it is worthwhile unless you really do it right, though.

Hemmings 1965 Chevrolet Impalas for Sale

Classic Cars !965 Chevrolet Impalas for sale

 

[boris bubbanov]

Depending on the frame condition, and if this is a numbers matching car, it is an excellent platform for mods including those to the suspension and chassis to make it way cool. Better than a wagon or four door IMHO.

Oh, sure.

I only bought the '64 sedan because it was $ 50. But I thought it would be useful to get acquainted with the basics of these cars. I'm sure the wagon would flex the worst, and a 2 door sedan the least, but my sense is, the basic structure has to make for a good basis upon which to modify and if you're going to have to go in and reinforce the structure, you've selected the wrong model of '60s car. I'd much prefer a Chevelle or Chevy II.

I've never seen a door almost fall off a 4 door GM car of this era. Two door hardtops? All kinds of issues, with doors sagging and etc. Even when we were young, we saw this.

 

[lammie200]

Oh, sure.

I only bought the '64 sedan because it was $ 50. But I thought it would be useful to get acquainted with the basics of these cars. I'm sure the wagon would flex the worst, and a 2 door sedan the least, but my sense is, the basic structure has to make for a good basis upon which to modify and if you're going to have to go in and reinforce the structure, you've selected the wrong model of '60s car. I'd much prefer a Chevelle or Chevy II.

I've never seen a door almost fall off a 4 door GM car of this era. Two door hardtops? All kinds of issues, with doors sagging and etc. Even when we were young, we saw this.

All he has to do is open his wallet. Anything is possible nowadays.

 

[Fredhead59]

Buy it. But don't resto-mod it. This is so overdone. Just restore it back to almost factory new.
I noticed no power steering/brakes. Makes a car not fun to drive but it can be done.

 

[getbent]

Getbent what do you value it at? The number in my head is $3,000 if the motor turns over but I agree it’s a money pit. You have much more experience in working on and building old cars. What do you think?

The market varies across the country... so, since I'm on the west coast... a car like that, as described would be 5-6K (maybe more if everything is intact inside so you could market as all original) but in midwest (and with harsher road salts etc) I think Buckocaster has it right at 1500.00 because even if you can get it running, in the midwest, I'm thinking you could maybe get 5k cleaned up and running and kinda stopping.

The whole key is how much you can do on your own (or if you have a mechanic buddy who loves drinking beer at your crib.) I looked at the pics and I could smell the rat pee and I thought 'if I was 35' I don't think it is that much of a money pit (maybe) and the lowrider community here is always looking for a cool car...

Hispanic communities have taken off all over the midwest which is great for food culture and car culture... but, just based on what I saw, I'd try to get it for 1K and go up to maybe 2k if I could not find rust throughs... I'd want to pull the front carpet though... underneath wont tell you enough.

I'd be curious to look in the trunk and engine bay for 'repair' signs too. If it is straight and not damaged and all original... maybe call Joe Martin and see if he wants it for 5k (again the hassle with fuel prices is that hauling this car to an area where they pay is 1k no matter what.)

 

[MarkieMark]

Sidebar-
When I was young an older neighbor had a black 63-64 (I think) Impala SS. I dont know if he bought it new, but I can recall seeing it in his driveway in about 65-66 and it was always polished, flawless. I remember the 327 emblems on the fenders. There was something about all that clean glass.
The car burned an impression on my brain. Always a fan.

'63 Impala SS - Bing video

www.bing.com

Another neighbor had a '67 SS Chevelle 396 4 speed. Typical mildly modded car of the period.
That also left a strong impression.

Then I got to go for a ride in spanking new '69 Chevelle SS. (My memory may be faulty, it may have been a '70 454 SS. I think it was '69}
Red with black stripes. Cowl induction hood with the little cold air flap that opened at full throttle.
I still vividly remember the sound...
Another imprinted memory.

My friends dad had special ordered a Fury III with some big multi-carbed engine that would bawl the tires at any speed. His cousin took me for a ride in a Super B with a 383 six pack. Brand new car.

It was a good time to be a young car nut.
Don't get me started on motorcycles...

 

[dkmw]

Lots of bad signs from the pics. Will be interesting to see what op finds when he looks at the frame.

The wife of a friend found an old jag sedan she thought would be cool. He bought it and started to get it right (he thought). He had done a frame off on a old pickup and had the skills - he was a fabricator/boat builder.

He found enough corrosion that he decided to strip it down to unit body and put it on his rotisserie. What he found when he ground into a few spots caused him to quietly re-spray the unit body, put it back together, and sell it.

Sometimes things are just too far gone…

 

[Toto'sDad]

My mother had one of those cars in the early 80s. She and her husband bought a late model Buick, and I told a buddy about the car she had just sitting there. He went out and bought it for $350, did a ton of work on it, and sold it for $700. The car wasn't really in bad shape, it just needed some tinkering, hand stuff, and only a small investment in parts, which my buddy bought mostly used. I drove it a few times when it was up and running, I truthfully never much liked the car.

They had some later model four door Impalas at a place where I worked later on, I never liked them either. Just big unwieldly boats of the road. Oddly enough, we have a 2006 Impala LTZ now that we bought new, it only has about 61000 miles on it, still drives like new, and I love it, so does my wife.

 

[NC E30]

The car hobby has been killed? I didn't even know it was sick! There are more parts, more cars, more restorers, a bigger market for old cars now than ever. Shoot, there is a guy who runs a team in the northern provinces of Canada who searches for cars (no car crushers up there) to flip and he is feeding a TON of demand down south.

The car hobby is alive and well in our area, sorry it has been killed by guys finding cars in barns and selling them on rather than just leaving them there.

Not dead, just unaffordable. Flippers down here have been selling local cars to people up north in the rust belt for years. Now they are flipping them to people overseas. The Charlotte AutoFair used to be huge. At the spring meet, the flea market parts filled the infield and a couple of the outer parking lots. The car corral used to circle the entire track with at least 2 rows, 3 in some places. Now the infield isn't even full and the cars only cover a little over half the track. Gone are the days of being able to find an affordable car to restore.

The other thing that has hurt the hobby is televised Barrett Jackson auctions. When they show a COPO Camaro going across the block for 6 figures, everyone with a 6 cylinder rust bucket first gen Camaro on blocks in their yard now thinks it's worth 20 grand.

 

[pbenn]

TLDR, but you can't check a frame by just crawling under the car. You need a high hoist, like a truck garage.
Frame rust is at top, facing up, where you can't get at it. Tap with a wrench and listen.
'65 Chev had frame problems/recalls when new.
Car looks like a $30k resto at least... unless it is a matching #s big block, don't see the value.

 

[getbent]

Not dead, just unaffordable. Flippers down here have been selling local cars to people up north in the rust belt for years. Now they are flipping them to people overseas. The Charlotte AutoFair used to be huge. At the spring meet, the flea market parts filled the infield and a couple of the outer parking lots. The car corral used to circle the entire track with at least 2 rows, 3 in some places. Now the infield isn't even full and the cars only cover a little over half the track. Gone are the days of being able to find an affordable car to restore.

The other thing that has hurt the hobby is televised Barrett Jackson auctions. When they show a COPO Camaro going across the block for 6 figures, everyone with a 6 cylinder rust bucket first gen Camaro on blocks in their yard now thinks it's worth 20 grand.

 

[boris bubbanov]

I think the wise money is on, buying a vehicle that Mr. Affluence just spent $ 30,000 or more on restoring, and he's grown tired of it and is looking for the next project. If the guy likes you, he may just send it over your way - as fooling with the whole Barrett Jackson circus thing is not seen as much fun by many of these guys and they don't actually need to try to claw the money back. They already have too much money. If you can make their selling experience a real pleasant one, and they can see you want the car for your own personal use, as long as the number doesn't seem trivial, they might round that number way down.

 

[feldkeen]

We all had $150 Impalas in the late 70’s

 

[Toto'sDad]

I think the wise money is on, buying a vehicle that Mr. Affluence just spent $ 30,000 or more on restoring, and he's grown tired of it and is looking for the next project. If the guy likes you, he may just send it over your way - as fooling with the whole Barrett Jackson circus thing is not seen as much fun by many of these guys and they don't actually need to try to claw the money back. They already have too much money. If you can make their selling experience a real pleasant one, and they can see you want the car for your own personal use, as long as the number doesn't seem trivial, they might round that number way down.

It's long gone, but the best pistol I ever owned was a SIG P220 .38 Super. A guy I knew liked buying a new pistol, slicking it up to where it would really shoot, shoot it a few times out at the range, and then sell it for a very reasonable price. It had a presentation case, and two tuned mags. It was a single stack which made it really nice to handle.

One of my clients asked to look at it, when he saw it in the case in the back seat of my truck one time and wouldn't leave me along about buying it. I quoted him a ridiculously high piece and said I'd have to do a transfer on it, and he'd have to pay for that too. He didn't hesitate, said no problem.

Incidentally, the guy who liked working on pistols was an attorney!

 

[DesmoDog]

Where are you guys getting cars restored for $30k? My definition of "restored" must be different than yours...