Perfectly Restored 1962 Chevrolet Biscayne Flaunts Bored and Stroked 409

The nameplate debuted in 1958 alongside the Impala. Both joined the Bel Air to form the core of Chevrolet's new full-size lineup. The Biscayne slotted under the Bel Air but sat atop the bare-bones Delray. That changed in 1959 when Chevrolet discontinued the Delray, and the Biscayne was relegated to entry-level duty.

But even though it was sparsely equipped and lacked the fancy exterior trim of the Bel Air and Impala, the Biscayne was available with all V8 engines. And the list includes a few iconic high-performance lumps, including the 348-cubic-inch (5.7-liter) "Tri-Power" W-Series and the 409-cubic-inch (6.7-liter) big-block.

All told, the Biscayne was the perfect sleeper when fitted with the right powerplant. And the series gave birth to a few beefed-up sedans and coupes were rarely see on the road today. The red-on-red beauty you see here is proof that some Biscayne models deserve as much attention as the Impala.

Described as a "nut & bolt restoration," this two-door sedan hails from 1962. The full-size had been redesigned for the second time by then, with Chevrolet having introduced the third-gen model in 1961. The makeover was rather significant. Chevrolet ditched the nearly horizontal rear fins and gave the front fascia a more sculpted look. In 1962, a mild refresh made the Biscayne (and all its siblings) slightly boxier.

Personally, I'm a fan of the 1961 version, but the 1962 full-size is also pretty sleek. And it looks rather hot in bright red (this hue was called Roman Red that year). Making things that much better, this Biscayne also rocks an all-red interior and matching wheels. Nothing screams "1960s!" better than a red-on-red Chevrolet in my book.

But things get even better when you pop the hood because this Biscayne is a fully-fledged sleeper. The valve covers proudly display the iconic "409 Turbo-Fire" stickers that adorned the range-topping V8 option in 1962. The 409-cubic-inch V8 was offered in two flavors rated at 380 and 409 horsepower. The latter enabled the two-door Biscayne to cover the quarter mile in just 14.6 seconds.

However, the said sticker is a bit deceiving because this 409 is not a factory-stock lump. The unit was bored 0.030 over and stroked, now displacing 474 cubic inches (7.8 liters). Our host says the V8 was dynoed at 429 horsepower before a recent upgrade, so it likely cranks out closer to 450 horses in this configuration. The figure is not overly impressive by modern standards, but this Biscayne will definitely make an impression at the drag strip. What's more, the beefed-up engine sounds rather menacing.

But is this Biscayne an authentic 409 V8 car? Well, apparently, it's loaded with a 1963 version, so it's not a numbers-matching rig. But I don't care. This Chevy looks too good to make me want to think about originality. And if it drives as good as it sounds, this Biscayne is definitely one of the finest 1962 builds out there. Check it out in the video below.