'64 Impala for $1,200 to restore. should I take it?

[Race4Peace]

I dont know all the specifics about it yet. i was just reading the classifieds and saw that under "Classic Autos: 20-50 yr.s"
should i inquire for this car(it would be kinda sweet having that car while im still in high school), or should i try to rebuild the engine for the '91 Escort GT in the garage, and not even think about the ad?

or just say "fuck them both" and get a motorcycle?

[Oeditpus Rex]

1. If you don't take it

I will. :evilgrin:

Seriesly — get a good look at it, especially for rust and missing parts, including body and interior trim. These are readily available at places like http://www.opgi.com but they can get pricey.

Trust me. I have a '65.

[Race4Peace]

4. Oh, I will

as soon as i get hold of the owner. and you wouldn't be able to take it; it's in a newspaper ad, not the internet.
The ad said for parts of to restore, so it might have some things missing. and if its a ratty old peice of shit thats been in the middle of a pasture for 20 yr.s, fuck it.

and if it's a standard transmission, is the stick on the floor or the steering column?

[Oeditpus Rex]

5. Oh, wait... it's a parts car?

Different story. $1,200 seems pretty steep, unless it's got straight, rust-free steel and you need the parts.

If it's a standard, it'd be on the column... unless it's an SS, but I'm not sure even they had floor shifts in '64 unless it was a "hot rod" option. Most likely it's a Saginaw three-on-the-tree or a Powerglide on the column, or in a console if it's an SS.

[Race4Peace]

10. parts or restore... its been the same for weeks so i geuss it still in one

piece. since it isn't such a massive, busy city, it's been overlooked by the rednecks around here(southeast GA)

and the ad says it's a two door. does that say anything about whether it's SS?

though I have never driven AT, i dont like the idea of a tree-on-the-column. they belong on the floor, thankyouverymuch!x(

[Oeditpus Rex]

24. If it's a two-door, it *might* be an SS

since there's no such thing as a four-door SS.

They did have some three-on-the-floor shifters in those days, but they weren't common.

[Race4Peace]

27. I hope its an SS, and that it has a floor stick.

wait a second... did you say three as in 1st, 2nd, 3rd is all you get?

[Oeditpus Rex]

29. If it's an SS with a 'performance package'

it might have a Muncie 4-speed on the floor.

Might.

[Race4Peace]

30. da-a-amit! by the narrowest of margins, may i have found my dream car?

if it isn't should i fedex it to you?

[Oeditpus Rex]

38. Nah

I've already got the '65, and it ain't done yet.

Gonna get it lookin' like this again.

[Race4Peace]

46. good luck. that's enviable

[KitchenWitch]

17. And do not forget to look for bondo!

:hi:

[Race4Peace]

18. done and done

[LeftyMom]

2. Absolutely

I :loveya: old Impalas (we had one when I was a kid and that thing was my favorite car ever.)

If you get a motorcycle while you're in high school, worry and the insurance payment will keep your mother up nights. Stick to cars until you're a bit older and more practiced.

Upside to the Escort- would be good on gas and the Impala will make you cry every time you stop for gas (which will be a very frequent occurance.)

Upside to the Impala- Girls will like it. The back seat is spacious. Do the math. :D

[Oeditpus Rex]

3. LM makes a good point

Before I got my El Camino, I had a '66 Bel Air.

The spacious back seat got rather... uh, broken in. :evilgrin:

[Race4Peace]

7. so after you got the El Camino,

you looked down and said, "are you okay, boys? are you alive?"

[Race4Peace]

6. yea, motorcycle for later, but if your sayin what i think,

that Impala would be expensive, 3.00 a gallon and terrible mileage(with a 75 cent here and there)

[CanuckAmok]

8. If it's restorable, there's no reason you couldn't make some money on it.

Even a beater Impala should go for $3,000 if it can be plated.

And if it's an SS or some other "limited" varian, you may have hit the jackpot.

But my bet is that if it could be restored, it sold within ten seconds of the ad being placed.

It's insane what Detroit muscle is selling for these days. I think it's a combination of guys who were teens in the 50s and 60s reaching retirement age and buying the cars they always wanted as kids, and people subconsciously protesting the imminent end of oil by using as much as possible, in denail.

look at these recent sales at Barrett-Jackson:

1970 Plymouth Hemi Cuda Coupe sold for $216,000
1970 Plymouth Hemi Superbird 2 Door Hardtop sold for $194,400
1970 Dodge Charger R/T Hemi Coupe sold for $170,100
1970 Plymouth Hemi Cuda 2-Door Hardtop sold for $159,300
1969 Chevrolet Camaro Copo RS Coupe sold for $142,560
1967 Plymouth Hemi Satellite Convertible sold for $135,000
1969 Plymouth Hemi Roadrunner 2 Door Hardtop sold for $105,300


Here's a '63 Impala (unrestored original condition) for $30K.

http://www.barrett-jackson.com/selectservices/cardetail_list.asp?id=184105

[Race4Peace]

9. i've been watching that ad for weeks, now, it's still there.

all i need now is a job and it's mine.

[SoCalDem]

12. we have a 1970 Gran Torino with 37K original miles

:) (hideous olive green)..everything original.

[Oeditpus Rex]

45. But that's a Ford

And therefore worthless.




:hide:

[Race4Peace]

48. if only we could convince police agencies of that. then again, they could

catch you if they had other cars. keep them in those crown vics.

[Oeditpus Rex]

52. Only reason they drive the Vickies

is Ford's the only U.S. manufacturer who makes fleet police cars anymore.

[CanuckAmok]

84. Plus a tuned Vic can thrash!

The same 4.6 multiport EFI as the Mustang GT, but with a heavy-duty 4-speed auto tranny (the police interceptor models come with a shift kit as standard equipment), a TrueTrac (posi) rear end, firm suspension, propane injection, alternate fuel compatibility, enlarged cooling system and the same hp:weight ratio as a Corvette.

I've owned a few Crown Vics for work in movies, and even the beat-to-shit ones I buy at auction are serious contenders.

If I were going to have a 4-door passenger car for myself, I'd get a fleet-equipped Crown Victoria or a Merc Marauder in a heartbeat.

[SoCalDem]

51. My son who's spiffing it up as a surprise for Dad

doesn't think so.. but then he's a Ford-guy.. he has a 66 mustang, a 99 mustang and a big ole ford truck..and they have a Passat and a Fiat convertible.. (there are just two of them:eyes:.)

[Oeditpus Rex]

55. I was kidding

Well, half kidding.

I never liked the Torino's styling, and I hated it when Chevy copied it with the Monte Carlo and especially the Camaro. But a Torino with a 351 Cleveland and a C-6 was a pretty potent machine — much less one with a 429.

(Thinking of 429s, we were once bopping around in my friend's folks' '69 Mercury Marquis. We were on this lonely country road and he got it up to 115 before the C-6 shifted into third. The guy and his girlfriend in the back seat didn't think it was so cool, though, since we had the windows down.)

:rofl:

[nicktom]

78. OK, I am now officially sick,

in 1971 I bought a 1966 Chevy Chevel SS with a 396 ci engine, factory headers, over 400 h.p. 4 on the floor Hurst shifter, for $600.00. I sold it in 1974 for $500.00. I was in love with the car but needed the money to move out of my folks house and go out on my own. From the day I sold it I promised myself that one day I would find one to restore, guess not.

[Oeditpus Rex]

85. You probably did the right thing

The solid-lifter 396s had notoriously squirrely valve trains.

[CanuckAmok]

86. no, *now* you can be sick:

http://www.carsinbarns.com/

(go to "Superbirds and Daytonas" if you want to become terminally ill)

[xmas74]

90. It did make me sick.

I grew up in an AMC town and had to check them out.

Sad, just sad. I remember neighbors working at the local plant. They had these cars in their driveways, constantly washing and waxing them.

[madrchsod]

11. 64 ?

probably not much. plan to put in at least another ten to make a decent ride and there are lots of new parts available for this car. save your money- sell the ford and buy an early miata- now thats a chick magnet. oh and buy a airbed.

[Race4Peace]

14. That's the problem. the escort is historically a peice of shit.

even the best mechanics struggle to understand the engine compartment: its like teaching algebra to a third grader!

sure, the trannie was rebuilt and only has a thousand miles on it, the engine is an 'kill me now' job to work on.

i'd have to rebuild it just to sell it.

[madrchsod]

20. i owned an escort and yes the engine went to hell.

actually any decent old car is worth buying if it half way runs-easy to work on and cheap parts. as long as it starts,runs ,and stops you`ll be in business

[Race4Peace]

23. yea, escort engines are a pain in the bitch.

ours had problems coming up all the time, so it never really got to hell, someone reversed the escalator halfway down so that it was falling down the stairs for eternity

[liberaltrucker]

13. Girls aside(as if!)

Even if the Impala is in very good condition,
you're looking at lotta $$$$ bringing it up to
snuff. Looks like you're mechanically gifted, so
rebuild the engine, and add your own "tweaks".

Might not be as sexy, but lots cheaper to build
and operate thereafter.

You're young. Enjoy that. You'll get your expensive
toys in time. Trust me, I've been there.

[Race4Peace]

15. most boys/men at my school want pickups and ATVs. i want this.

but not for the girls though(and i dont kid when i say it). I like a handful of car when i go around the on-ramp at 90mph.

[liberaltrucker]

22. Then go for it

Good luck. I'll keep my fingers Xed.
You're about my daughter's age. Gawd,
boys are easier to raise, but I digress.

[Race4Peace]

25. one of those "tweaks" being a reinforced front bumper(see Road Rage poll)

:evilgrin:

[amitten]

16. Can't you just ride a palmetto roach?

:7

Seriously! The chicks DIG it!

[Race4Peace]

19. Protein, BABY!

[malmapus]

21. Well my .02 / gearhead wife said go for it

But yeah looks like you are :D Great find!

[uncle ray]

26. it would be a good car to learn on, if you're up to it.

if i could score a 64 impala that cheap, i'd build a clone of Cheech's "love machine" from Up In Smoke. it would be dirt cheap to build...relatively speaking of course, only a few grand total.

the upside, small block chevy engines are very cheap and plentiful, you can get parts at any auto parts store,they are easy to work on.

i don't know you abilities, but don't kid yourself, expect lots of work just to get it roadworthy, all new brakes, rebuild the suspension, drivetrain etc.

[Race4Peace]

28. if only i could get rid of the escort in the garage right now.

[uncle ray]

32. eh, don't worry about that.

it's not like an impaler is gonna fit IN the garage!

[Race4Peace]

40. oh, the garage is pretty big.

[yorgatron]

31. uncle ray speaks the truth

you can have a lot of fun with an old Impala,cheap if you do it right.
we are both members of a traditional hot rod message board that can help you out with finding parts and technical assistance.
edit for spelling

[uncle ray]

33. hi Yorgatron!

hmmm, maybe we should start recruiting libruls and overrun the other board!

:evilgrin:

[yorgatron]

34. hey Ray!

"maybe we should start recruiting libruls"
that is SO not gonna happen :rofl:

[uncle ray]

37. man, it gets so lonely being one of "us".

we can't come here and talk about things like driving fast loud dangerous cars that burn lots of gas, you know, fun shit...and over there the typical mindset is "kick their ass and take their gas". if only i wasn't too lazy to try to bridge the gap!

[yorgatron]

41. my car gets 18 mpg if i keep my foot out of it

and i like to think of our hobby as "recycling" cars,as well as their intrinsic value as rolling works of art.
but yeah,i DO like to burn a little rubber now and then... :evilgrin:

[Race4Peace]

35. i already have a chevy mid-size 1964-84 Chilton's

Chevelle 1964-77, Laguna S-3 1974-77, Malibu 1978-84, Monte Carlo 1970-84, El Camino 1964-84. no Impala, but do you think this manual con be applied to it?

[yorgatron]

36. all the engine/trans/driveline stuff is the same,so it's a start.

unless you have a 409 powered car.
that's a whole other ball of wax.
if it DOES turn out to be an original 409 car you can sell it for way more than you paid for it.

[Oeditpus Rex]

39. Man, I didn't think of that

A 409 with two AFBs and a Muncie or B-W four-speed? Yowza!

[Race4Peace]

43. fuck! that would be my lucky day!

shit!:wow:

[Oeditpus Rex]

47. That's a hot-rodder's dream

Finding a car whose seller doesn't know what he's got.

Then y'gotta contain your glee so you don't blow it. That's the hard part.

[Race4Peace]

50. damn, then, i probably jixed it already.

if i had ALL those goodies with it, but it was a makeshift henhouse in the middle of a pasture, should i still take it?

[Oeditpus Rex]

57. I probably would

Depending on its condition, of course.

Thing is, you can spend a helluva lot more getting a body and interior and whatnot back into shape than an engine. I've got about $1,200 in my interior right now and I'm not finished yet, and I haven't even started on the body. Give me that same $1,200 for the engine, and I'll get another 50 horsepower or more out of it. Or a new transmission.

But stock parts for old Chevy engines damned near grow on trees — except the 409 and 348, since they haven't made those since about 1965, and they didn't make enough of 'em that many of the NOS parts houses re-tooled for 'em. There just isn't enough of a market now. You can find 'em, but they'll cost more. OTOH, you can get 283/307/327/350 parts at any Kragen, Pep Boys or whatever, and they're relatively inexpensive.

[Race4Peace]

64. you said they make parts for the midsze 64-84?does that include

the interior? i mean, i may just wind up selling it years on down the road, and if the seat is worn out, i'd like for it to have been my OWN work, IF i do wind up using it :evilgrin: nudge nudge. so do they still, or am i just gonna hafta restash the seats?

[Oeditpus Rex]

83. This give you any idea?

New upholstery, new carpet and jute pad/sound deadener. Waiting to be installed: new headliner and door panels (including arm rests and trim), all from Original Parts Group.

They've got a ton of interior stuff and they've got it in matching colors and styles of the original, year by year.

Also, if you want the original paint for the interior or anything else, you can get it in regular spray cans, custom mixed according to the paint code, from San Leandro Color (http://www.sanleandrocolor.com/).

[Race4Peace]

42. how do i determine if its a 409?

[uncle ray]

44. the valve covers on the engine will be irregular shaped.

but at that price, being in the paper for weeks, fat chance.

a 409, the valve covers are sort of W shaped, but only on the bottom, a run of the mill small block has prdinary rectangular valve covers.

oh, and if it is a 3 on the tree, it's very simple to get an aftermarket shifter for the stock 3 speed tranny and convert it to floor shift.

[Oeditpus Rex]

49. The scalloped valve covers

were also on the 348, remember.

[Race4Peace]

53. so which is better, 348 or 409?

[Oeditpus Rex]

56. I don't have my Chilton's manual handy, but

a '64 409 with one four-barrel carb put out somewhere around 350 horsepower, I think. A 348, maybe 250.

The 409 was the race engine for awhile when it came out (1961?), especially in NASCAR. That's why Mopar developed the 427 Hemi, to knock the 409s out of the winner's circle. (And they were so successful that eventually NASCAR outlawed the Hemi.)

[Race4Peace]

61. and the engines mopar puts in dodges these days aren't real hemis.

they've been altered from the original configuration, go figure.

[henslee]

54. Sure its cool. But it sounds too cheap. I suspect it could be a

nightmare in terms of time and money. Get some cheaper, less headache, less romantic wheels. Save some money and spend about 3-4 grand on a better ride.

[Oeditpus Rex]

58. Why?

Why not get something you can turn into your very own, almost like a work of art, and learn a lot in the process — and subsequently be proud as all hell of it?

A lot of us would much rather have those "headaches" and have a car with soul that we truly love rather than something non-descript we bought off a lot.

[henslee]

59. I learned this the hard way.... "You can't polish a turd" No smart car

guy/gal would put hours into restoring a piece of crap. Not saying that Impala is a rustbucket... but for that price, I bet it is. And if it is, pass. Something else will come along. One just nneds have the cash readym keep their eyes open and scoop. With the gas prices rising and the economy weirding out, you will surely stumble into a good deal on a clean car.

And of course I like cars with soul, I've had some soulful rides....a scary 85 plymouth gran fury w/police package, a 69 Ghia with peeling 60's Dead Sticker in rear window that got me pulled over routinely...and a 68 ponitac Lemans conv. which I could kick myself for selling... to name a few.

But if one is really stuck on a car, go for it.

[ScreamingMeemie]

60. My father in law had a '64 Impala as his first car. It was brand new

and he kept it for quite some time. If you don't buy it, I'll buy it for MrG! :)

If you need help with it, don't hesitate to PM. :hi:

[HiFructosePronSyrup]

62. 64 impala? The car that dreams are made of?

Hell yeah.

[GOPisEvil]

63. How good are you at metal working/fabrication?

You might be replacing trunk pans, floor pans, the area around the rear window, behind the rear wheels, etc, etc, etc. If there is only surface rust, then you might be ok. But if that rust is deep, you're looking at a lot of work. You can buy all the parts, but it's taking the time, and doing it right. If it's a driver and there's no real rust, then whatever the engine/trans, it's a steal.

[Race4Peace]

65. armed with a handbook and ready to learn how to do that

i havent done that fun stuff before, so i dont know.

[GOPisEvil]

67. Watch TLC tonight.

"Wrecks to Riches" and "Overhaulin'"...if this Impala looks like the "before" cars in these shows, run. Fast. :)

[Race4Peace]

68. I dont have cable! can you mail me a tape of it? or dvd, whatev

[GOPisEvil]

69. Er, I'd love to, however, I own neither a VCR nor DVD recorder/TIVO.

:(

[Race4Peace]

71. shit. you know someone who does?

i'd be willing to reimburse for the tape and the mailing.

[GOPisEvil]

74. No promises, but I'll see what I can do.

[maveric]

66. 2 or 4 door?

[Race4Peace]

70. 2 door

On edit: my bad. i mistook you for frylock. me and him came together to make internet races with titles of progressive organizations as the 'team sponsers'
we haven't raced yet, and i thought you were him. my bad, i really fucked up there.

[maveric]

75. We're both in San Diego.

So you were close.

[Hotler]

72. Narrowed rearend, 502c.u.i./502hp crate motor..

Lots of candy color paint, roll bar, cool bucket seats, killer stereo and, and, and, and oh Shit! gas just hit $3.50gal.
Motorcycles are easier to work on and easier to store. A hoot to ride also.

[Race4Peace]

73. which ones, harleys or the oriental rocketships?

i perfer the ORs, but that's just me.

[Hotler]

76. Here's a suggestion for and OR.

2001-04 Suzuki 1200 Bandit. Upright seating, big motor, brakes and suspension not to bad. Plenty of bolt on up grades for brakes/suspension/motor are avalible. Just as happy going to work as to being thrown through the canyons as hard as you can push it. There are plenty of good motorcycle salvage yards that you can get frames and motors, forks, wheels etc. You can also find good clean low mile used bikes at good prices. I used to be into hotrods. now I bikes.

[DancingBear]

77. Depends on what you want it for

If it's nothing special (base motor, 3-speed, things like that) I wouldn't bother, unless you just want to restore it for the sake of doing a restoration.

Restorations, no matter who does them, are big $$ items. You're crazy to spent big money for a car that will NEVER bring that money back to you, if that's what you're expecting. OTOH, if you're just looking for a "driver", then maybe - but if that was the case I'd look for an already completed '64. Trust me, no way in hell that car is going for $1200 if there's muscle under the hood.

DancingBear, former owner of a '58 283/230 Vette convertible (both tops), a '65 396/425 Vette coupe (Bloomington Silver - Google it :) ), and a '67 327/350 Vette convertible (both tops), formerly owned by one of The Smothers Brothers.

[Race4Peace]

79. well hell, ive been best/worst case scenario geussing for a straight day.

i dont know anything about this car for granted except that it's a 2-door '64 impala. hell, i dont even recognize the local code in the ad! coffee(god) knows where it is and what condition it's in!

[DancingBear]

80. Ain't it fun, though to have

200 of us boneheads out here tellin' ya what to do. :) :) :)

[Race4Peace]

81. not as bad as the 300 that populate Effingham County, where I live

but you guys have done the restorations before, so you know more than i do.

[anarch]

82. if you have the extra cash, and the car isn't completely rusted,

then hell yes! Especially if you are willing to put some work into restoring it.

[Beware the Beast Man]

87. Do it!

Check it out, though. If the body is in decent shape, then you should definitely take it.

[LynneSin]

88. Impalas eat gas, Escorts don't

As a former Impala driver (It was my first car - a 75 Olive Chevy Impala that made Hummers look like eco-friendly cars).

If gas wasn't $3+/gal, I'd say go with the classic car but if the cost of gas has affected you then stick with the escort

[WCGreen]

89. Hold out for a '63.....

Sleaker model.....