The Story

Imagine sitting in the rear facing seats while the Chevy big block is laying down rubber! That's what you'll be doing in this hot rodded Impala Wagon. Load it up with the advertised 9 passenger maximum and take to the streets. This wagon sat for about 10 years as the previous owner started the body work and then he passed away 4 years ago. He was a longshoreman from Pinole, CA and he clearly had a vision of power and speed judging from the big block swap, wide tires, and cowl hood. The current owner purchased it as a non-runner, which turned out to be a chewed distributor wire. Once the wire was reconnected, carb freshened up, oil/filter changed, new fuel lines and fuel filter installed, it fired right up!

The Impala was built in the first week of April 1965 in the Los Angeles plant. The original Sierra Tan paint is still visible in some areas and the Saddle Tan interior also appears original. It has a clean CA title in the seller's name and registered as Non-Operational status with DMV. The blue and yellow plates will go with the car and can be utilized if registered in CA. There is a reserve on this wagon that will need to be met in order for it to sell.

What You Get

The factory 283ci V8 was swapped for a big block with iron Rectangle Port heads. The block decodes as a 454 from 1980, but the actual cubic inches is unknown. The Edelbrock Performer intake was new and is topped with a Holley 750 Double Pumper carb. The valves are actuated with aluminum roller rockers of unverified brand, but appear to be Harland Sharp. Hooker 2" Super Competition headers handle the exhaust and route through a 2.5" H-Pipe and turbo mufflers. It has an extra capacity oil pan and the motor has great oil pressure of 65 at cold idle and close to 80 when warm at higher RPM's. The MSD Pro Billet distributor lights the fire. New Autolite sparkplugs were installed after the initial fire-up. The factory transmission would have been a Two Speed Powerglide, which was swapped for a Turbo-Hydramatic 400. The added white line on the column gear selector indicates the change from two to three speeds. The transmission shifts very well, like it was just rebuilt, with better than factory feel.

The wagon was reportedly the family car for a long time. The paint appears to be original based on low paint meter readings where there is no primer showing on the body and door jambs. The body work appears to be for small dings and dents. The seller wet sanded several areas of primer and discovered original paint underneath with some spots that were previously sanded down to metal. The wet sanding included some areas of the passenger fender, upper front passenger door, quarter panel, and tailgate. There is very little rust in the body, with a spot under the paint on the lower edge of passenger rear door a small amount of surface rust on the roof. The floors have some surface rust on top in some areas, but no rot. There is one spot on the driver's side rear passenger floor where it looks like it was punctured and sealed with silicone.

The interior is mostly as it came from the factory, with the exception of the under dash gauge pod, aftermarket stereo and door speakers. The rear facing seat appears original and in well preserved condition. The carpet on the fold down seats is also in excellent original condition. The radio turns on a functions, but is showing it's age along with the speakers.

What You Need

The wagon has undergone some body work to take care of dents and dings in preparation for new paint. The quarter panels will need body work around the outer wheel wells, as the previous owner attempted to flare them and they are rippled. The hood has a cowl grafted on, which is separating in some areas of the seam. The cowl was added to accommodate an extra tall air cleaner, so the new owner could elect a stock hood and fit a regular height air cleaner. Some trim pieces are missing from the front end, plus the main trim piece from the tailgate. The tailgate window is operable, albeit a little slow going up. It operates from the dash switch and key switch on the tailgate, while the rear inside switch only creates a small click without window action. With the window down, the tailgate releases with the inside handle, but does not release all the way so that it can fold down.

The interior appears original and is ready for a refresh. While it is serviceable, there are some rips in the front bench. The rear bench only has one rip and the rear facing seat does not have any rips. The middle panel on the fold down rear seat needs to be reattached. The headliner appears original and has a seam tear in the front, with other small stains. Most of the carpet has been removed, so it needs a full carpet kit. The parking brake foot lever needs repair. The heater/defroster does not appear to be working and the selector knobs don't slide as intended.

It has front and rear drum brakes which need to be flushed and bled. It pulls hard to the left when braking. The front shoes look near new and the drum surfaces are smooth. The rear wheels have not been off, so the brakes have not been inspected. There is some rubbing on the rear tires going through big dips and the front left rubbed when making a left-hand U-turn. All four tires need to be replaced. The bottom 4 coils of the front springs are compressed, like they were heated to lower the wagon. The power steering pump is leaking and will need to be replaced. The steering wheel will need a nut to secure it.

Once the safety items are corrected, this is a running and driving project that you can work on over time.