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1964 Chevrolet Impala SS Likely Sitting for Decades Flexes Mysterious V8

If you’re in the market looking for an original Impala SS to restore, the one we have here is definitely worth checking out, especially as there’s a chance it ends up selling quite cheap.
1964 Impala SS 18 photos
Photo: eBay seller falloftrey
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We can’t help but state the obvious: this 1964 Impala SS doesn’t come in its best shape, and it looks like it’s been sitting for quite a while, possibly under the clear sky.

eBay seller falloftrey themselves admit the car is very rusty and would require some body replacement panels, so it’s pretty clear this Impala hasn’t been stored in the proper conditions. And this obviously affects its resale value as well, especially given how much work one would have to put into a restoration project.

But when it comes to the engine under the hood, the listing raises more questions than answers.

The seller says they “assume it is an SS,” yet the VIN code confirms this is indeed the case. The engine under the hood, however, is listed as a 350 that would need to be rebuilt. And this is where it all gets tricky.

The 1964 Impala was launched with a 230ci (3.8-liter) six-cylinder and several V8s, starting with the base 283 (4.6-liter) Turbo-Fire and continuing with the optional 327 (5.4-liter) and the 409 (6.7-liter) big-block. The Impala SS could be ordered with any engine in the lineup, including the six-cylinder, but as you can figure out already, there was no 350 option for MY 1964.

So there’s a chance the 350 reference is either a typo, in which case the car possibly comes with a 327 V8, or someone has already made an engine swap, so the original unit is no longer there. This is highly unlikely though given this Impala otherwise looks rather original, so you should definitely look into this before the purchase.

The VIN, however, indicates the Impala was born with a V8 under the hood (it features code 14, as code 13 in the VIN was used for six-cylinder models).

At the end of the day, this Impala is definitely worth checking out despite its pretty rough condition, especially when figuring out what’s under the hood. The best of all is the car is likely to sell at a really low price, as the no-reserve auction has recently reached $2,000 for the top bid.
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About the author: Bogdan Popa
Bogdan Popa profile photo

Bogdan keeps an eye on how technology is taking over the car world. His long-term goals are buying an 18-wheeler because he needs more space for his kid’s toys, and convincing Google and Apple that Android Auto and CarPlay deserve at least as much attention as their phones.
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