Looking for advice on 1963 Impala SS

[Carl 1962]

I'm totally amazed at the collective knowledge and experience, that you guys have with these 409 engines. Very, very impressed by what you all share with everyone. A learning experience for me all the time.
I took a look at that car and I think it's nice, but not worth the almost $60,000.00 asking price. It's just my opinion, but when you buy something advertised as original, that is what you expect. No one wants to be deceived. The problem as I see it, is that some of these cars are portrayed as being original (drivetrain) and they aren't. I'm not sure deception is deliberate or not, but it does occur.
My '62 Impala came from the factory gold in color with a 283 automatic. The owner before me, changed the color to maroon, cloned it to a SS model and dropped in a 327 engine 4 speed. But, I knew all that before I bought it. Those changes didn't bother me because the transition was done correctly. I found a '63 409/340, had it rebuilt and dropped it in. When done, I was very happy with this car. Would I have liked to have had an original one, sure, but I didn't. Went to several shows with this car and was almost constantly asked about it being an original 409. Told them the history. I would have never promoted it as being something it wasn't, Carmine.

I think the main problem is that anything could have been changed in the 60+ years since these cars were built and with multiple owners, if someone swapped out the original engine for a 409 and didn't tell the next owner it wasn't original, suddenly the engine is "original" and believe me, some people do not take kindly to being told their car is not an original 409, or an original SS, and they can get very cranky when told the news.

 

[327]

Carl 1962 ...

 

[lennyjay]

Carmine, you are with the 98% group. We like something that shows well, built the way we like it, and not afraid to put different wheels on, or a different manifold to get some more gas mileage while we drive. The purest will want something original, top dollar, and may trailer it to some shows.....but that's ok. My '62's are drivers (the 409 causes an issue with the wife when I start it) but I drive them weekly. I don't want to cause a stir, but the current administration hates these cars, and the individual freedom we have to enjoy them.

 

[Carmine]

Carmine, you are with the 98% group. We like something that shows well, built the way we like it, and not afraid to put different wheels on, or a different manifold to get some more gas mileage while we drive. The purest will want something original, top dollar, and may trailer it to some shows.....but that's ok. My '62's are drivers (the 409 causes an issue with the wife when I start it) but I drive them weekly. I don't want to cause a stir, but the current administration hates these cars, and the individual freedom we have to enjoy them.

I agree with you. I drive my cars. No trailer queens for me, although I don't begrudge anyone from having one. What it comes down to for me, is to be informed and aware of what I buy. If something is described as original, such as but not limited to the drivetrain, then I have to know what that means to the seller. Can it be original to the car, what it left the factory with, or original for the year, date of manufacture?? Any documentation??Nice, original cars will always bring a good dollar. And, I wouldn't mind paying it, but I don't want any surprises either. So, the onus is on us as buyers to make sure we are getting what we pay for. I'm pretty much into originality of older cars. For the most part, I want the car to have what it left the factory with. I know my cloned '62 SS 409, wasn't original in many ways, but I knew that. I contributed to it. But, I didn't pay a whole lot for it either. That car would probably have tripled in price if it was an original. I really enjoyed that car. Miss it. I also don't mind an original car having some upgraded safety features; seatbelts, radial tires, front disc brakes, dual master cylinder, etc., but I don't want a resto rod either. Guess it's whatever strikes your fancy.
I think I posted here previously about a '63 SS 409 convertible that was supposedly original and went for I believe $65,000.00 at an auction I never heard of before. Can't get that car out of my mind. The more I think about it, the more I feel that if it was as described and I saw it in person, that car would have come home with me. The problem is, I don't know about these little independent auctions. Everything seems to be Mecum or BJ.
Well, that's it for now. Wife just left for work. Have a honey do list to get started on. I don't think she has any respect for retired people lol, Carmine.

 

[our1962]

Back when I was a kid, I put 409's in just about all my 60-63 Chevy's mostly 60 Biscayne's. Fast forward to 2003 when I got the 62 and I wanted everything date coded correctly so I found this forum and bought Chevrolet by the numbers and the 62 is mostly date coded correctly with the exception of the transmission it's a M20.

Now here we are in 2024 and the numbers matching date coded vehicles don't matter anymore to me as long as I have a nice 60-63 Chevy 409 car my 63 Biscayne was born a 3 speed 6 cylinder car and now it's a 409/400hp 6 speed tremec