1963 SS Impala convertible - FAKE

Carl 1962

Carl 1962

Well Known Member

1963 Chevrolet Impala 409 SS | Online Auctions | Proxibid

1963 Chevrolet Impala 409 SS. This Is A Gem Of A Car with The Body In Very Good Condition. An Immaculate Red Interior, Believed To Be Original, with Matching Boot Cover For The Powered Soft-Top Convertible Storage, 4-Speed Hurst Shifter, Power Windows, Full-Length Console, Steering Wheel Mounted...
www.proxibid.com www.proxibid.com

This car is for sale on an auction website and is not what it seems because it has a different history.

The original convertible was for sale in August 2016 and someone has been very busy since, because the original cowl tag (below) is for a Palomar red Impala convertible that has a black bench seat interior, wasn't a 4-speed and wasn't a SS. But the car for sale now has the exact same body number (EP10181) but has changed to ermine white, has a red bucket seat interior, has a 4-speed and is now a so-called SS. The VIN confirms it was a V8, but I can just about guarantee it was never a 409 (probably just a 283).

The for sale ad says "Believed To Be Original" and "Cannot Confirm Matching Numbers At This Time" but the reproduction cowl tag has several things that make it easy to tell it's a reproduction.

If anyone is thinking of bidding on this car, just be aware that it's not what it appears to be.

Original cowl tag
10181.jpg

reproduction cowl tag
10181 Fake.jpg
 
Carmine

Carmine

Well Known Member
Supporting Member 10
That is a nice looking '63 SS vert. even though a clone. I have a little experience in this area. I bought my '62 Impala that had the color changed and it was converted to an SS model. The previous owner didn't skimp on anything to make the changes. Everything was done to replicate an original SS model. I was really impressed. But, I knew this ahead of time. This wasn't an original SS and it didn't matter to me. It was just done so well. I guess if you know the origin ahead of time and aren't fooled by someone, it's not an issue. Just have to be careful not to overpay. I took mine a step further and removed the '68 327 and put in a '63 409. That was my plan all along. When sold, I told the new owner everything I knew about the car and he bought it anyway, Carmine.
 
Carl 1962

Carl 1962

Well Known Member
DaveN said:
Are you sure there wasn't a mistake at the factory Carl that tag looks legit to me.
Click to expand...
No mistake. The reproduction tag has several clues that confirm it's a reproduction. Look at the date code, see how the reproduction code is stamped with big digits, whereas the original Cleveland date codes are always small "courier" font digits. The repro tag is also missing the extra code "B" after the paint code, which the original tag has, to confirm that the body was being sent to Baltimore to be mated to a chassis and assembled. These are the two obvious mistakes that confirm it's a bogus tag.
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Top