my first car was a '65 SS, I still own that car. Have owned three through the years. I think they are great. Everyone else is right on with the rust issues, as well as the frame, my car had all those problems. I think they make great drivers, the brakes are kinda weak like everyone says. I run mine with a healthy small block with 3.08s, average about 17mpg on the highway. If you get one with a powerglide that would be my first change, go to a T350. I am in the process now of building a 454 for mine. Man, what a great car that was for a high school kid...tons of room for all kinds of illicit behavior
I've always thought the '65 Imp was a beautiful and well-integrated big car, and I've never understood why they weren't as popular as any of the '60-'64 models with customizers and lowriders. I'd love to see (or drive) a well-done mild custom with upgraded mechanicals and interior. Because of their relatively low popularity, I've always thought their values were pretty reasonable compared with other old cars that were desirable to me. I agree with the other posts here that, if you're not looking for one of the rare big-engine or SS models, you should be able to find a nice one under $10K or a decent builder for less than $5K. They are certainly less common than they were 20 years ago, so it might take a while to find the right car. I'd watch the pulp "Old Car Trader" or "Deals on Wheels" kind of cl***ified magazines. Old cars of moderate cost seem to turn up most often in that kind of publication. Good luck!
A couple of stories here... The week before Christmas I saw one on the freeway at a distance, a big red thing with skinny whitewalls and Cragar S/S wheels. Very cool but sad to see it getting driven in the salt. My father saw it closer up that same day and said it was a typical rusty Michigan winter car with no rockers and wheel arches. Second story - my dad knew two guys with near identical '65 Bel Airs with 396s and 4-speeds at college. Both killed themselves within the space of a week on the same bend in the same road on the same tree. The second guy was showing his girlfriend what had happened to the first guy. Cool cars, but make sure you upgrade suspension and brakes before taking any twisties!
I hate to think of how many 65-68 impalas we bought just so we could swap those engines into the 50's Chevys. Pick up a wrecked or 4 door 65 or 66 impala for free to 100 bucks. Yank the drivetrain and go looking for a 55-57 Chebby 6 banger or a dead V-8 car or maybe a 6 banger camaro. Swap in the V-8 drivetrain, s**** the impala for 25 bucks to the wrecking yard, sell the new V-8 car and double your money for a weekend's work. We did those by the dozens. And if you lunched the motor in your Camaro, there was always another cheap impala out there for a quick fix. Those were the days. We used impalas the way Bill Cody and the hide hunters used the buffalo. Today, impalas are cool. Back then they were just big heavy parts cars. Like the way streetrodders think of mustang II's and Falcon owners look at Granadas.
I had a 65 SS impala 327 4 speed. all matching numbers. It had a engine that had a 65 casting date but it was a engine number that was not supposed to be used untill 66. I also had the rusty back window and trunk floor. In 1994 I paid 4500.00 for it, in southern calif. I think I did more reserch on that car than any other one ive owned. I put disc brakes on it and some minor engine bolt ons. I like that you could get both a 409 or a 396 in it. I had it in really good condition, paint, interior, engine. Then it got broken into and all jacked up, and i sold it.
54bomb, did you buy a kit for disc swap or did you use stock parts? I know it can be done with stock parts but I dont know exactly which ones??
They raced in NASCAR, and looked bad *** all hunkered down over fat tires on every corner... Great cars...rebuild the front susp. and upgrade to discs while you're in there. TOugh to beat a small-block for reliability. Good luck in finding a nice '65- !! Scotch~!
One correction...I said 1998...it should have read 1989. I would opt for the big block. Mine ran really strong (396CID, 325 HP) but I think it would be a slug with a small block. That car was HEAVY!!!
I couldnt find this thread for a while, -so its very cool with more feedback. Thanks a lot. Good brakes is essential on norwegian roads. Do anyone konow about which options one have discbrace-wise? Also; do anyone have pics of older lowrider 65 Impalas? Just for the **** & giggles?
Sorry, Sailor, I've seldom seen a nice custom '65 Imp, and haven't had my camera when I did. Here's a relative, though; a nice '66 Catalina mild custom:
Catalinas and even more so Bonnevilles are equally cool as 65 Impalas imho. Looks like a nice car, Freud.
i've been doing some thinking about a disc brake upgrade in my car using parts store stuff to convert it, some had disc brakes between 65 and 70. i've read that up to 1970 disc parts will work, but i also saw that 69-90 something were different... problem is, you cannot find rotors for anywhere near a reasonable price. cheapest i saw was 120 bucks for a DISC. i guess it does come with a new hub (maybe?), but criminy. also apparently, the originals were some kind of two part disc, however that works. i'd like to know. i've seen disc kits for 1000 or so, but a principal at the school i am subbing at as a write told me that there is some kind of kit for 60s gm cars to put disc brakes right over your spindles up front for like 400 bucks. not a bad price. took mine for short trip up the road yesterday in this unseasonably warm january weather. if you find one, make sure to inspect the fender lips on these, like any other car they rust out, but to my knowledge, there are no companies making patch pieces for the front fenders to fix the lip. i just bought a spare on ebay for mine, shipping killed! quarterpanels are available for a decent price, shame front fenders aren't! the fender extensions are the only front end piece available, aside from the lower rear fender patches. go on ebay for like 50 bucks, but i have a spare or two if one is needed.
I've owned at least 12 65 -6's , every one had either rust in the vynal tops or frames , , personally i perfer the 66 for its cleaner look , w caprice tail lamps (just sold my last pair on ebay), My fav was a 66 SS w factory orig. sqr port 4 bolt main 427 w AIR and white interior/black paint , I loved that car but couldn't get the ***le , prior owner took my money and ran, found out he had a huge loan against it , turned it into a stock car first till I got banned from the track -illegal engine CI, then pulled the motor and sold the 66 stock car , eventually the 4blt main L88 427 ended up in texas in a mud truck , VERY strong motor , still miss that 66 couldn't have been many built that way, rode like a tank, but ungodly acceleration,Had a 3:9? 12 bolt posi , the whole car was orig and a second owner car.
I really like the 65's better, in my own opinion they are the final break between early and late sixties design, I mean with the wrap around front fenders and the slick smooth tail lights, and the split roof lines between the caprice and impala. Its just a personal thing, small details can change the whole look of the car. As far as the brakes go, I just went and got the whole brake set off a 69 impala in the junk yard, got new pads and rotors rebuilt the calipers and master cylinder and ran it. The power discs worked a 1000 times beter than the stock drums.
i dig the 65's taillights better myself. round is cool. the square looks too modern for my tastes. i did away with my back up lights and wired in regular taillights in their places for a more uniform look out back. the red and chrome look real nice against the gold.
I had posted a few months back about how much I missed owning my 65. this post doesnt help ha ha. Maybe ill sell my 54 chevy and buy another impala.
Just remembered... They can rust out in the lower cowl area below the front door hinge too. Usually caused by leaves getting in the cowl vent and ending up clogging the drain holes in the side of the cowl... Lots of cars and trucks do that though. That's whey fender well cutouts are NOT a good idea,. the exhaust can **** straight into the p***enger compartment tru either the open drain or the rusted out area around a clogged drain.
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