'65 409

[Pangloss2007]

The '65 Impala is progressing.

I am grateful to those of you who have offered such useful suggestions. I have got a lot of little parts from places you guys have suggested; many thanks!

I have a lot of stuff fixed now so the motor runs and I have the PCV sorted with some help from a good buddy here who knows everything. Like most of the '65 409s mine has a lot of options, mostly vacuum or electrical: aircon, PB, PS, tilt steer, PG, the rear screen demisting thing, am radio, and some of that does not work still. The paint is original but poor, thru to the undercoat in some places. Built in Van Nuys in 12/64, lived in CA all its life, all the numbers match, it has two lap seat belts in the front.

I would appreciate any and all suggestions regarding the way forward. Everyone is chasing early 409s, but this is one of the last, in which almost no-one seems interested. The '65-up perimeter Chassis and 409 motor seem to me to be an exceptional combination. The W block motor design is intelligent, replaced for financial rather than engineering reasons. The W is lighter, and incorporates attributes of both the semi-hemi and squish combustion chamber ideas. It's a torque motor, and I notice that the two main variants (solid cam/high comp and hydraulic low/comp) having essentially the same torque specs. Being PG it has a 340 hp motor.

There have been only about 2k of these 340 hp 409s built, and how many are left? The last '65 409 I saw advertised was on Hemings last year, a rare orchid pink 2D beauty, fully restored, and it sold – but not for not a lot of money. I don't want to restore this one, I want to retain as much as I can of its originality. This is a piece of American automotive history. To have a '65-up chassis with a 409 motor in completely original condition is fairly rare: when did you last see one of these?

 

[327]

 

[region rat]

Have seen a number of these over the years. Most not with original motoors. I have a handful of 65 blocks. Some were gernaded. I agree about the perimeter frame. Mostly because it's easier to build a roll cage and you can use a bigger driveshaft.

 

[Carmine]

A '65 Impala is one of my most favorite cars. I look at them all the time. If I was to find and '65 Impala SS convertible with a 409 engine, hard to tell what might happen, Carmine.

 

[63impalass409]

Here is my 65 409 clone but all 65 parts including a nos 65 400hp fitted block and 583 heads, and correct HP distributor and I know 400hp is not supposed to have cruise control but I couldn't help myself, car will be painted this winter the original crocus yellow

 

[327]

63impalass409 ....

 

[Murphdog]

And there is another 15 indent air cleaner lid! This bumfuzzels me, Are they supposed to have 15 or 16? Or does it change from assembly plant to plant and who the vendor supplying GM that time of the year was?????????????????
I have 2 chrome 15 indent lids. 1 came with a 65 JE engine I bought 40?? years ago, The other probably a swap meet. A well as a 16 indent black one.
Jeff

 

[Carmine]

Here is my 65 409 clone but all 65 parts including a nos 65 400hp fitted block and 583 heads, and correct HP distributor and I know 400hp is not supposed to have cruise control but I couldn't help myself, car will be painted this winter the original crocus yellow

I don't think I knew that you had a '65 SS convertible?? Very nice. Cloning it into a 409 would not bother me one bit. I did it to my '62 Impala and loved it. Do you have anymore pics to share?? I could look at that stuff all day. Actually, sometimes, I do lol. How long have you had it?? How did you find out about it?? How far along are you with the restoration?? What engine originally came with it?? Additionally, anything you want to post, would be appreciated. Thank you for that.
I have no desire or interest in restoring another car, but if I was to find a '65 SS 409 convertible, needing just that, it just might pique my interest, Carmine.

 

[63impalass409]

Carmine I have had the convertible since March of 2016 after I had my left hip replaced I was off of work for 8 weeks and was bored so while I was scrolling ebay I found a 12 bolt posi with a 3.08 gear 60 miles north of me for another 65 I had at the time and managed to win it for like 250$ at the last second and when I drove up to pick it up the seller had this convertible and another one sitting in his yard that he was parting out so after lots of begging he sold me the stripped shell with a clean title for a 1000$ which he even agreed to deliver it to me for free. It originally had a 327 and power glide in it. I will have to get more pictures of it soon but here is few, the tach in the pics is a 6k unit but have since found the 7k unit which would be correct for a 400hp 409 or the L78 396 motor.

 

[Murphdog]

Is that an automatic headlight dimmer on the dash above the tach in pic2?
Jeff

 

[327]

Sure looks like one.

 

[63impalass409]

Yes

 

[Murphdog]

Is that a GM thing or aftermarket?
Jeff

 

[64ss409]

Many years ago I rode in a 1952 Olds 98 that had auto dimming headlights. I think the unit was on the left side of the dash.

 

[327]

Here is one in a '62 Impala.

 

[63impalass409]

It's all GM I bought it from the John Oldenburg guy that restores and sells complete units, I also had a nos unit in the Chevy box that I sold for a 65 and one for a 63 I also sold to a fellow member here

 

[427John]

I think the 409 got replaced by the BBC mostly because of the superior longterm high rpm power production required on the super speedways. Plankhead engines like the 409 and 430 Lincoln had their day in the sun in Nascar but track speeds rapidly increased that required sustained high rpm running and those style engines just didn't adapt to it as well as conventional chamber in head engines, so I would say it more out of necessity to remain competitive in that particular sport than anything else, face it in the early 60's marketing was win on sunday sell on monday and that was Nascar, stock class drag racing had a few years to go before it got the coverage. Most of the early footage of drags was all dragsters,altereds and gassers it was the mid 60's before stock got near equal coverage.

 

[La Hot Rods]

Good thing I only want to get it to run the 1/4 mile.

 

[Pangloss2007]

John, I agree with your observation. Recall that the W motor was intended as a hauler, so, torque: right? But the Gen lV motor was also cheaper to produce for a broad range of applications. Remember that outside trucks, only full-size Chevys came with a W block motor.

I am lucky enough to have found a last-model survivor, and I'd like to look up with anyone else with a factory '65 409 as there are a lot of details I still have to work thru, mainly all the options it came with. My car doesn't have cruise, but I'm looking at adding one (OEM if I can find one – lots of Buick/Cads had it by '65).

I have asked the question in some other posts, who has a factory '65 409, and no-one has got back to me. I'm looking for advice on quite a lot of details so I get this survivor back close to original as I can. After 60 years, how many of the 2828 remain?

 

[Pangloss2007]

Is anyone interested in setting up a registry of '65 409s?