---

My 1964 Chevrolet Impala page

I have always been an Impala enthusiast since my first one, a 66 Impala, at age 16. Even my  father had a 63 Impala 2dr hardtop with a 6 cylinder engine that he liked a lot.

I did it Myself! With Tools and Instruction from Seasoned Pros. They'll be in awe of you... when you tell them who did the work.

Click Here!

How I found this one

My wife and I were in Kintersville, Pennsylvania one weekend staying at the Light Farm B&B for a relaxing country style weekend when I saw the 4 door 1964 Chevrolet Impala Sport Sedan I now have. The owner (Max) of the B&B bought it for his 16 year old son and had it parked behind the barn because his son could not afford to renew the insurance. He was the 2nd owner and said the car sat for 15 years before he bought it. I asked him if he wanted to sell it and he said "NO!". Well... I got home after that weekend and found a tax return check in the mail and immediately called Max to try and talk him into selling it to me and he finally agreed. My wife thought I had lost my mind, saying I was going to blow the money on an old piece of junk.

Well...that was in September of 1997 and I still have the 64 Impala after spending about $6500 on parts including rebuilding the engine.

Why I sold my baby?

I've bought a 2 door 64 Chevrolet impala sport coupe, more on that Impala later. If I kept it, I will never work on the 2 door since I can only restore one of them, I don't have the time to divide between 2 restoration project classic cars. I have put a lot of TLC into this car, mechanically it is in excellent condition, it steers straight, doesn't pull when braking, is very quiet and very reliable. I have driven this car all over the east coast, everywhere from Atlanta to New York, and from the eastern shore to West Virginia.

All it needs is some body and interior work from someone who will give it plenty of TLC as well. I think the new owner is well qualified for the task.

Car Specs

• 4 Door Hardtop (Sport Sedan)

• Made in Tarrytown, NY plant.

• Painted dark green in 1996

• Original color is Laurentian Blue

• Black Interior

• 283 Cu In Engine w/2 barrel Rochester twin jet

• Powerglide Automatic transmission

• Power steering

• AM Radio (non push button)

• 121,000 miles on body

• Less than 100 miles on rebuilt motor as of Sept 13th, 2003

• Transmission rebuilt in 1997

• All original including floor mats

• Some rust on rocker panels in front of rear wheels

• No rust holes on trunk

• Some rust low on passenger side doors

Time and Money Already Invested

Have a look at the list of parts I have replaced in the last 5 years, it's quite extensive.

The best part about this car would be that a lot of the mechanical work is already done. The motor purrs like a kitten and since much of the mechanical work is done the only thing left to do is the body and the interior.

If you are someone who has already owned an older car like this and spent the time and money on bringing it up to a functional condition, then you can appreciate the value in a car like this where most of the mechanical work is already done. We know too well about the simple things that most people take for granted on modern cars that simply do not work anymore on an old car if it has sat around for any length of time.

When I first got this car, that was the case.

• The door and trunk locks, the window windings and door latch mechanisms, were seized.
• The door hinges were so dry the doors had to be pried open.
• Each of the switches and knobs on the dash were squeaky and I had to take them apart to sand and lubricate the moving parts.
• Hood hinges were on there way to being seized as well.
• The weather stripping was dry rotted and had to be replaced because it crumbled like dried bread when you touched it.
• The exhaust manifold studs broke off when I removed the front pipe. It took 2 days to drill them out and replace them with new ones.
• The same for the intake manifold carburetor mounting studs.
• Of course the engine leaked everywhere.
• The front suspension squeaked with every crack in the road.
• The car was loaded with rattles.
• The list goes on and on...

Is this 64 Impala a good deal?

When I first bought the car in 1997, I had to have it appraised in order to get classic car insurance. The appraisor valued it at $3250, before I had done any work to it!

Body and interior work is minor compared to what has already been done. Prefabricated interior kits can be purchased for this car for $1400 and sheet metal replacement panels are now cheaper and better fitting than they have ever been. You don't have to be a sheet  metal master to do the job yourself anymore. Even rust free doors are available, you can order them from Desert Valley Auto Parts in Phoenix, Arizona. Call them at 1 800 905-8042 and ask for Brian. He quoted me $225 each in September of 2005. If I were really feeling lazy I would just order a rust free rolling chassis, sandblast it, prime and paint it, and start moving parts over to it from this one. They quoted me $1650 for a rust free rolling chassis with 4 doors on it just 2 weeks ago (January 2006).

Like I said earlier, I have a 2 door now and I cannot keep working on both of them.

The Photo Gallery

Click here

Dispelling the Myth

An unknown fact about 1964 Chevrolet Impala 's is that parts of every kind can still be bought new, including body panels and plenty of chrome parts and every little screw and clip you could possibly need. GM licensed other companies to manufacture parts under the AC Delco name. Even door handles and window chrome can still be bought for these cars brand new. I would recommend you join one of the Impala Owners Associations. I joined the Mid-Atlantic Impala Owners Association just this summer and I really wish I had done it sooner because so many of the members are such a wealthy resource of information and membership is only $20 a year.

 

Home   How To   Directory   ContactUs