Photo: matrixmotorsportz/eBay
What makes an early 1960s Chevrolet great? If your answer includes the words "bubble-top," "Impala SS," and "big-block V8," you're my type of car enthusiast. But as much as I love the early-1960s Impala SS, I'd go a slightly different route. As in, I'd rather own a lesser version of the bubble-top full-size. Why? Because an entry-level Biscayne makes for a nicer sleeper with the right engine under the hood.
And by "right engine," I mean the iconic 409-cubic-inch (6.7-liter) V8. The one that Chevrolet introduced in 1961 with 360 horsepower on tap. Essentially a stroked and bored 348-cubic-inch (5.7-liter) powerplant, the 409 was Chevrolet's range-topping unit at the time. Output increased to 380 horsepower in 1962 when Chevrolet also rolled out a higher-performance variant with a dual four-barrel Carter setup. The latter came with 409 horses on tap or exactly one horsepower per cubic inch.
The mill got one final bump to 425 horsepower in 1963, but I'm not here to discuss that. I will stop at the 409/409 setup because that's exactly what motivates this gorgeous 1962 Chevrolet Bel Air in Tuxedo Black. Yes, I remember saying I'd rather have a base Biscayne, but the Bel Air also makes a better sleeper than the Impala SS. Especially if it's finished in black and sports plain-jane wheels, like this 1962 bubble top.
And you know what makes it all even better? The 409-horsepower big-block mates to a wide-ratio four-speed manual transmission and a 3.36 rear end. Granted, it's not quite ideal for the drag strip, but good enough to smoke a Ford Galaxie at a traffic light. Not that I recommend burning rubber and speeding on public roads, but you get the gist.
As you might have already guessed, based on how it looks, this Bel Air got a comprehensive frame-off restoration. Refinished in its factory-correct Tuxedo Black exterior, it sports a red interior and a split bench seat. This combo screams early 1960s like nothing else. And needless to say, it looks fantastic from every angle, while the 409 V8 shines like it just rolled off the assembly line. But there's a catch.
While it may look like an all-original rig, some of its components are no longer of the numbers-matching variety. The list includes the engine, the gearbox, the Posi, and the column-mounted tach. However, all these parts are date-correct, which is the next best thing to a numbers-matching car.
And given that fully matching classics are hard to find nowadays, it's not an issue outside the purists' fan club. At least it wasn't for the Antique Automobile Club of America, which awarded it a Senior National First Prize in 2009.
The Bel Air left the factory with a radio and heater delete, two more features that recommend it as a hot sleeper. And it runs and drives as it should following a recent inspection. If this 409 is something you need to park in your drivetrain, the car is being auctioned off as we speak. Bidding has reached a whopping $65,100 with four days to go, but the reserve is still in place.
You can bypass it through a "buy it now" sticker of $125,000. Yup, that's about four times more than the average 1962 Bel Air in Concours condition, but this Chevy is anything but average.
The mill got one final bump to 425 horsepower in 1963, but I'm not here to discuss that. I will stop at the 409/409 setup because that's exactly what motivates this gorgeous 1962 Chevrolet Bel Air in Tuxedo Black. Yes, I remember saying I'd rather have a base Biscayne, but the Bel Air also makes a better sleeper than the Impala SS. Especially if it's finished in black and sports plain-jane wheels, like this 1962 bubble top.
And you know what makes it all even better? The 409-horsepower big-block mates to a wide-ratio four-speed manual transmission and a 3.36 rear end. Granted, it's not quite ideal for the drag strip, but good enough to smoke a Ford Galaxie at a traffic light. Not that I recommend burning rubber and speeding on public roads, but you get the gist.
As you might have already guessed, based on how it looks, this Bel Air got a comprehensive frame-off restoration. Refinished in its factory-correct Tuxedo Black exterior, it sports a red interior and a split bench seat. This combo screams early 1960s like nothing else. And needless to say, it looks fantastic from every angle, while the 409 V8 shines like it just rolled off the assembly line. But there's a catch.
While it may look like an all-original rig, some of its components are no longer of the numbers-matching variety. The list includes the engine, the gearbox, the Posi, and the column-mounted tach. However, all these parts are date-correct, which is the next best thing to a numbers-matching car.
And given that fully matching classics are hard to find nowadays, it's not an issue outside the purists' fan club. At least it wasn't for the Antique Automobile Club of America, which awarded it a Senior National First Prize in 2009.
The Bel Air left the factory with a radio and heater delete, two more features that recommend it as a hot sleeper. And it runs and drives as it should following a recent inspection. If this 409 is something you need to park in your drivetrain, the car is being auctioned off as we speak. Bidding has reached a whopping $65,100 with four days to go, but the reserve is still in place.
You can bypass it through a "buy it now" sticker of $125,000. Yup, that's about four times more than the average 1962 Bel Air in Concours condition, but this Chevy is anything but average.
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