Cool ’65 396 4-speed Chevy Belair
 

I know this isn’t a Pontiac, but it’s too cool not to share as I think most Pontiac lovers will enjoy seeing this. Scott is doing a quick once-over of a 1965 Chevy Belair that hasn’t been on the road since 1972. What makes it really unique is it is owned by the original owner’s brother, who has owned it since 1967…and it’s a factory original 396 (325 hp L-35), M20 4-speed, 3.31 posi 12-bolt, (manual steering & drum brakes!), in its original dark blue (Fathom?) paint and light metallic blue Belair trim interior with the factory in-dash tach and AM radio. The brothers installed ’65 bucket seats a long time ago and tossed the original bench seat out. It has 59,600 miles and was pulled out of a barn (yes, another true barn-car) and was trailered to a local car show for display, where Scott saw the car and met the owner, and subsequently talked into giving it the thorough inspection before it goes back on the road.

Dennis

So much awesome right there.

One of the few out there optioned up like a muscle car and so untouched, really who wouldn’t love to own that beautiful car. :thumbup:

I’d buy that.

My first car was a 67 Bel Air, 283/glide/hubcaps...LOL 4 door. bought in 1975 when my family still lived in Iowa
I was fortunate to live in a town in S.E. Oklahoma that had a legit engine builder/drag racer. He is a Chevy guy. He built my 283, dyno'd it. He also built a lockup TH350 that easily took the place of the glide. I obtained a 12 diff from a 69 Impala, found a 2 series posi for it. He set up the rear end for me with 2.73:1 gears (too tall for a 283, but worked out)
I have a lot of knowledge of those cars. The 65-70's were the same platform.
I converted mine to power disc, power steering. added a larger front sway bar and added a rear sway bar.
I had it repainted stock color in 1978. In 1997 the body and frame were rusting away, again. I parted it out. Gave the suspension parts to a friend with a 65 Impala. Kept the engine, trans, rear end....

This '65 Belair is pretty nice, but a little crusty around the edges, like the bottom rears of the rear quarter wheel openings have minor rust-through, but only there. The floors (trunk & interior) are solid as are the lower front fenders. The deck lid's rear lower seam is splitting due to a huge mouse nest across the width, but it looked relatively fresh, so not a ton of mouse poop & pee to remove and didn't rust it through as it would have after a couple years of habitation. We're worried there is a mouse house up in the headliner as there is a small hole over the drivers seat, but we don't see 'lumps' in the surface. Hopefully, they didn't have time enough to really get settled in to cause more damage. All the stuffing the little buggers used appear to be from the seats.

It's a very honest original car and is going to be preserved in it's current original state...other than going through the brakes, suspension, and wiring to make it safe to drive again after being of the roads for 50 years!

Dennis

Beautiful car. One of the best colors for '65.

Picture #3 even has the famous flying engine retention strap!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

That is a very cool car.

Tom V.

How about the GTO under the Tree??

It’s here, a barn find, search Dennis’ threads, another very cool story/car!!

Thanks,I missed that.I was wondering when they were going to tell the story.Still should go to MCACN tho.

I remember my father’s 1969 Impala being recalled for that cable to be installed. I recently had a survivor 69 SS Camaro in the shop with the cable intact. My 40 y.o. mechanic/employee was stunned when I explained what it was for.

Always loved the 65 Impala/Biscayne/BelAir 4 speed cars. Growing up one friend had a 327 4 speed Belair and another had a 65 Impala SS, 396 4 speed. Both were daily drivers but could run hard at the track.

I'd buy it too!

X3, I'd stuff that bench seat back in there as well.



Frank

Very cool car! Thanks for sharing!

Very cool!

Very cool.

I once saw a 65 Biscayne 4 door dark blue with 396/425hp 4 spd in floor from the factory. Sleeper that someone ordered.

Always cool to see something different.

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What a great time capsule, glad it is being preserved. It’s hard to believe these great barn finds keep popping up.

In 1970, while still in high school I worked part time at a transmission shop. I replaced a lot of motor mounts on 65-70 Chevy’s. I can remember several times cars were towed in because they were dangerous. Under the right conditions cars with automatics could be started while in gear, even though the shift quadrant indicated it was in park. The engine could torque over because of the broken left mount, as the engine torqued the design of the throttle linkage would raise the engine rpm and sometimes simultaneously pull the vacuum line out of the power brake booster. Causing the car to leap forward with just the turn of a key. I personally witnessed this phenomenon twice, Very alarming the first time it happens because the car takes off with reduced braking ability. Fortunately the shop owners had a rule, to always start cars with one foot on the brake. My apologies for hijacking this thread.

It's been said a bunch already, but that is a super cool car...I love it! For some reason, I've been dreaming about a '62 Bel Air 2-door post lately, even with a 283 or something.

Very cool find Dennis!
My first car was a 65 Impala SS 396 4 speed, same color combo!
Had to sell it just after high school to pay for further schooling.
Brings back some fun memories!
Biggest problem with that car was the 4 wheel drum brakes..... Did the brake fade boogie quite a few times while showing off in front of the high school!

I remember the first 396 Chevy convertible in the area out the road from me.

That’s very cool Dennis, thanks for sharing. You don’t see the 2-taillights on each side setup of the Bel Air and Biscayne very often on 65s…

I never heard of that! Somebody fill me in please.


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I only saw that issue ONCE on a Chevy vehicle at my uncles dealership.

He would take work at his Pontiac/Cadillac dealership if the car owner did not get along with the Chevy Dealership.
I picked up the parts from a Chevy dealership 30 miles away, and watched our Chief Mechanic install the parts.

I fabricated a chain deal after that between the frame and head, even though the Pontiacs did not seem to have that problem.

Memories. WAY COOL CAR!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Tom V.

Dennis,
I hope you can get some pictures of it’s end condition.
These cars will not stop safely with the front drums, unless some sintered iron shoes can be found.
FYI, if the owner ever wanted to go O.E. Front disc ( I’m sure Scott’s endless car knowledge has this covered). The 68-1/2-70 OE (Singlepiston) front spindle/calipers require 15” wheels. The location of the caliper on the spindle, andhaving 12” rotors, I doubt there is a 14” disc brake wheel that would work. 15” wheels were optional in 67.

Man, that's a neat car. That factory tach location is so cool.
I always had a soft spot for the '65s and that was the last year the Bel Airs had no back-up lights; at least not standard.
My first car was a '66 Bel Air 4-door sedan 283/glide. The only options it had besides the engine/trans were deluxe wheel covers and seatbelts. No radio or power anything. Bought it from the original owner's wife in 1977. And it had those engine cables.

1965 Chevrolet was apparently the last large American car designed by Leo Pruneau.

Leo was, if I recall correctly, the head of design at Chevrolet before he was sent to England as head of design at Vauxhall motors. After 6 years there he came to Australia and worked at Holden till he retired here.

He is still alive and well I hear. A mate of mine has regular contact with him. I went to a lecture he gave some years ago plus I met and chatted to him at an All Holden Day event about 10 years ago. A very nice and gentle man.

I clearly recall him talking at the lecture I went to whereby he said the job criteria dictated that every model car following the previous model had to be made cheaper.

Interesting car.

Back in high school (1969-ish). one of the kids in my gym class had a 1966 Impala convertible, maroon with black top and interior, bench-seat, 396 325hp with a 3 speed on the column his dad bought him. His dad was a preacher with a generous congregation and I guess he thought the 3 spd would keep his kid out of trouble. lol.

He'd park it at the side exit of the gym where we'd all file out to the park for flag football. We'd get last in line with the PE coach way out at the head of the line and hop in the car. The kid was a riot. He'd leave the top down and we'd Batman and Robin over the doors and drive away, cruise for an hour (in our gym clothes), park on a side street and file back in with the rest of the class.

I drove the car a few times, what a great car.

My Grandfather sold the farm and retired in 66. He bought a new 66 Impala 283/Auto in gold. I have fond childhood memories riding in that car with my mom and her parents.

My first nice car was a 65 Impala convertible 409, 4 speed. It was a used car back in 1971 I saw at our local Pontiac dealer when me and a couple of friends went to see the new Pontiacs.
You have no idea how many people over the years told me that it must have been a 396. NOT

A lot of people didn't realize that the 409 was available the 1st half of the year. .

For a brief period my dad had a Cameo Beige 1965 Belair. Four door, 283 w/ Powerglide. It was an unremarkable car, nothing more than basic transportation. One thing about it was that for some reason the speedometer read 15 or 20mph slow - we didn't realize it until we noticed how quickly we were arriving at destinations. :)

Around the same time one of my cousins bought a new Marina Blue 1967 SS427 four speed Impala. Now that was a car.

That would have been a pretty rare car. I think they dropped the dual quad option and there was just the 400hp version? Any pics of it?

The owner just wants to preserve its originality, and I can respect that. It actually stops really well for manual drum brakes. I learned that the car was trailered to the show and rolled into a spot as it hadn't been started yet after sitting in a garage for 52 years. The owner asked Scott if he would be interested in going through the car to make it safe to drive again and correct a few modifications that were done back in the day. So they trailered it down to Scott's shop to go through it top to bottom and front to back. The brakes were still functioning well and just needed new hoses and fluid. The 396 needed a tune-up and oil change, cooling system flush, and chasing down a bunch of electrical issues with bad grounds and oxidized connections. It does need a new dash wiring harness since the original harness had been cut and spliced a bit. Scott also did a light buff to the original paint to bring back the shine, but not 'cut' too much of the thin factory paint. It won't be perfect, but it is a presentable survivor type car that can be driven without too much worry.

Dennis

I believe both the 340hp L78 and the 400hp L31 were available. Supposedly 2,828 409 powered 65s were made before being discontinued.

Sorry, no pictures. I looked through all the old pictures my parents had also.
I only had that car for 6 months and was stolen. I used the money from insurance company to buy my 67 GTO CONVERTIBLE. So maybe was a blessing in disguise .
I do however would love to have that Chevy today