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50 years today, Picked up my 1966 Impala SS, still going

L

LittleD

Member
50 years today, took delivery of my 1966 Chevy Impala SS ….ordered it from the factory on Oct 15th, 1965 and picked it up from the dealer Dec. 9th, 1965.
I have done all the service work on it over the years myself….39 oil changes since new.
Now we just drive it in the summer to cruise nights, parades, and garage sales (Has a BIG trunk)……about 4000 miles per year.
Special memory taking my wife home from church after our wedding 49 years ago. Rich



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Super sharp! Does it have the 327-300hp? My father had a '65 wagon with a 327-250 and we loved that car. We also had a '65 SS with 327-300 4spd and 3.31 posi rear. Had a factory vacuum gauge on the inst panel. What a stump puller that motor was. Just touching the gas pedal would fry the tires.
 

That's a really sharp car. I had a 65 impala SS that was the same color. I bought it while in high school and only paid $50.00 for it. It was in pretty rough shape and had a little over 100,000 miles on it. I had a lot of fun with that car, until I spun a rod bearing. I sold it to a classmate, and he put a 396 from a early 70's police cruiser in it.
 
The 327/300 was a great engine. It was under rated and probably produced probably closer to 325 HP as measured at the time. It was also not cammed up so much as were the higher HP engines and suitable for use with automatic transmissions, power brakes, AC, etc., as a result. No higher HP 327 engines were offered with automatics.

IIRC, the 327/300 was last offered in the Impala in 64. It was replaced with the 327/275, which was similar but with a Rochester quadrajet. I believe it was nearly identical otherwise.

I had a 64 Impala SS hardtop 327/300 4 speed the same palomar red metalic with black interior as the pictured 66. I also had a 64 Impala SS convertible 327/250 powerglide. These were completely different engines. The 300 had 10:1 CR, bigger ports with 1.94 intake valves, forged crank and pistons and a Carter AFB on a cast iron semi hi-rise manifold. It also had bigger exhaust manifolds with 2.5" exhausts. The 250 was an 8.5:1 CR regular fuel engine with cast crank and pistons, 283 heads, Rochester carburetor and smaller exhaust manifolds with 2.25" exhausts.

62-64 Impalas with the 327/300 and 4 speed transmission, if not too heavily burdened with options, would shut down most of the similarly equipped tri power GTOs of the era. I never lost to one.

Dean
 
Great looking car!

I had a 64 Impala SS the same colors. I love palomar red metalic.

Are those Cragars or Hursts?

Dean
 
great story ,,. got another for ya ,,. I was sophomore in hi school ,,. 1972,.. shop teacher agreed to sell me his 66 SS for 600 bux , 48000 miles . 327 /4v/ powerglide/ it was red ,white interior and oh yes a white convertible top that hada tear where it elbowed itself ,.. rust was starting above wheel wells ,, snow grip tires with spinner hubcaps,,,what a deal ,. my beer drinkin Dad said no ,..aint no Chevrolet coming to my house ,,. ARE You Kidddin .??.. well kinda ,,. Dad Sobered and said this ,,. We got 6 vehicles for you to drive here anytime you need to go ,,. BUT EVERYTIME SOMEONE wants to go we have to move all the cars and trux so someone can get out ... I protested and said I will park at the barn ,, ,. not a good idea ,thereeither ,, for same reasons ,. someone will back into the SUPER SPORT ,. get too close... long story short ,,. I didn't get the 66... a no good drinkin doper dude paid 700 bux for her,. and raced the hale out of it ,, the top and rust got worse , he wrekt the front,,. in a yr,, instead of buying atop he pulled the motor and put it in a chevelle . ...my shop teacher told me one day , seeing that car destroyed hurt him bad ,, told me he knew I woulda took good care of it and wanted me to have it ,.. that's life ,.. btw ,.. bought a 1969 mercury marquis convertible in nov of 74,. still got it ...
 
To answer some of the questions, my Chevy has the 327 engine. I had a 1965 Impala SS with the 300 HP option and 4 speed. Was going with my wife at the time before we got married and she could not drive stick so we ordered the 66 with automatic.(she learned how to drive stick soon after)
The 1965 327 came in either 250 or 300 Hp. In 1966 they combined the 2 and only offered the 327 as 275 HP.
About 15 years ago I took the engine to a speed shop and they bored it out, put in a cam, switched to electronic ignition etc. It’s well over 300 HP now.
The Mags are “ET mags” which I put on in 1984. The paint is the original color “Aztec Bronze” Thanks, Rich
 
Very nice!
My folks bought a new 66 Belaire that was our family car for about 10 years.
4 door, 283 with 2 speed auto. It was the first car we owned that had seat belts but there weren't enough of them for all of us kids.
 

Nice car. The first muscle car I ever rode in was in the early 70s, it was an early 60's SS with 327 4 speed and was a convertible, all black (IRC it had a red interior?). It belonged to my Dad's farming partner. He didn't drive it much even then but when he did he drove it hard. What a thrill ride for a 15 yr. old.
 
Upon reflection, I recall that the 327/300 was offered in 65 and probably 66. I believe that the 327/275 replaced it in 67.

Dean
 
Upon reflection, I agree. I recall working on a 65 SS with 327/300 when I was a refueling technician in the early 1970s.

Another little known fact from the era is the availability of the 409 in early 65 models. Production of the 396/427 was inadequate to meet demand at the time so Chevrolet continued to produce the 409 for automotive use until, I believe, January 65. I've seen two 64 Impala SSs with 409/400 engines. Of course the dual quad option was dropped in 64.

Dean
 
Sharp! My first car was a 63 Impala SS two door hard top. 283 automatic,console shift and bucket seats.
 
She's a beauty! Had one myself years ago but it was a yellow convertible and nowhere near as nice as your's.
 
Post above (classic) should say: "I've seen two 65 Impala SSs with 409/400 engines."

Dean
 
Very nice. In high school one of my friends, John had a '66 396 Caprice coupe that his grandmother gave him. It was pristine and factory. Black vinyl over light blue, automatic, fully loaded. Nice, nice, nice. My best friend, Blaine's grandmother gave his mother a '66 327 Impala coupe, all light green. Nice car, grandmother took excellent care of it, pretty much didn't even drive it to church on Sundays because her daughter did did in her then '68 Olds 88 330. Then my best buddy got hold of it and trashed it. Just trashed it because it was free to him, I guess. I always loved the '66 because we had one too, a light yellow four door sedan, 283. The '66 Impala and Caprice were favorite full sizers to me, behind the 68' Impala and Caprice. I had a '68 427 Impala coupe, factory four speed, last year for a manual in a full sized Chevy. I loved that car for a lot of reasons. A couple of years ago I happened across a 68' Caprice almost identical to my Impala, same black vinyl over maroon, same 427, same 4 speed, same black vinyl seats, same everything except nicer Caprice trim. When I saw it, I swore someone got hold of my Impala and cloned it into fake Caprice trim, but it wasn't. That one was a Caprice from a place down in Houston that was asking $11,000 for it and like a moron I wasn't on a plane down there to buy and pick it up. Stupid, stupid, stupid me. Back in the '60's, you could order them "custom" through dealers and there would be a small plaque on the dash that would say, "Customer Ordered For..........." (Your name). One of our close family friends used to get a new custom ordered Caprice every year. Last one before she passed away was a 1970 400, fully loaded, same plaque on the dash "Customer Ordered For Muriel Nielson". I don't know, maybe 1970 was the last year could customer order them and get the plaque? I never saw one before or after her, and every year in her new Caprices.

By the way, yours is very sharp. Very sharp.

Mark
 
Beautiful car, and you cannot go wrong with the Cragar wheels. I always loved the look of those Cragar SS wheels, but for some reason I never ran a set. I bought an
old Ford pickup last year, and am on the lookout for a decent set to put on it, but hard to come by a decent set that is not rusted, or chrome peeling, and I really do
not want to invest the $$ on a new set on this old truck. Someone will surely drag out a set and sell sooner or later and put on craigs list. Seems like everyone had a
66 Impala, and I remember when dad purchased one new, traded in a 57 for it. Ours was white 4 door 283 Powerglide with only one option aside from engine and trans, and
that was an am push button radio - no power, no a/c. It wasn't fast, but was rock solid reliable, and got around 20 mpg on fuel. Oddly enough, 20 mpg is still decent
for a heavy vehicle. Enjoy. Not many can say they owned a car that was purchased new for 50 years.
 
Our first cat after we got married was a '66 Chevelle with the 327/275 engine with optional dual exhaust, 3 speed on the column. We traded in our '57 with a 235 six on it. I wish I had either one back. But that 327 was a horse that wouldn't quit. A lot faster than I had guts.
 
You had a '65 SS in '65, ordered a '66 SS and took delivery of it in '65.
You must have made good money for a young man. That's none
of my business of course, it just struck me as "Good for you"!
Did you trade the '65 in on this one?

Beautiful car and a wonderful story! Thanks for sharing it.
 
I asked my Grandpa which of his cars that he liked the best and he said his 66 Impala.
SDE
 
I had a 1964 corvette that had a 327 fuel injected engine. It was rated at 375 hp. I've seen Impalas that had fuel injected engines in them, but don't know if you could order them stock or not. and they were newer then 64s. just my 2cents. john
 
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