My son likes it, and he'd buy it - $500.

No PS, no AC, no PB

It appears to be all there, and pretty used:
Interior - shot
Exterior - not real dented up, but needs a good going over
Trunk floor pans need replacing
Drivetrain - 283/PG/10-bolt

The engine has a road draft tube, so I think it may be original, but there's no balancer. The man said his son said (who supposedly knows about these things) that the 66 283 was internally balanced. I said I'd never heard of one - don't have to tell you what I was thinking. Don't really care about the engine, but if anyone's heard of an internally balanced 66 283 please enlighten me.

Has an alternator - didn't these have generators?

Doesn't have rams horn exhaust manifolds - has the under the plugs log style. We'd put headers on it.

Front sway bar looked to be about 5/8" - tiny.

We're not thinking about restoring it, but making it a dependable driver. I have a bunch of small block stuff and a spare TH350 or two which could be donated to this worthy cause.

I know its one of those "you'll get your money out of it" deals, but it's not my money and we're not looking for perfection.

I'm thinking for about 3K and a lot of work it may make a decent driver.

Share your thoughts.

I just bought one too. graemlins/thumbsup.gif I will be picking it up after I get back from CB04 I paid 300. no motor or trans but it was a 283 car the engine is still in it and getting pulled before I pick it up. good luck with it. I will post picks of mine when it is home.

Go ahead and buy it. At $500 you can't get too hurt, and your son already likes it.

Don't quote me on this, but I think the no balancer is correct for that car. The 283 is one of the most reliable engines ever made by Chevrolet.

All Chevelles had alternators, alternators replaced generators in '63.

No Chevelle ever came with Rams Horn exhaust manifolds - physical impossibility. Headers will make a noticeable difference, even on a 283.

Not much of a front sway bar was ever put on the early Chevelles - because not much of a tire was used.

Unless the Powerglide is acting like it needs to be replaced you should leave it in place. The Powerglide is one of the simplist most reliable automatics ever made.

My thoughts are that it will be a great vehicle for your son to renovate and learn more about cars.

Thomas

Thanks for the input. We'll check it out closer tomorrow after work.

I couldn't see how rams horns would work, unless they angled back pretty hard - just thought they were standard on older Chevys.

It is a perfect car to learn on. The bad news is it looks like it's had a lot of use. The good news is that it doesn't appear to have been hacked on at all.

For $500 and a 38 year old car, especially a utilitarian four door, it certainly should be well used. Its not hacked up because four door Chevelles, still to this day, have little following in the hot rod world.

Take a longer look in the engine compartment - there is NO way to angle back a ram's horn exhaust manifold enough to clear a Chevelle's crossmember. On any of the other Chevys that had the crossmember further forward and the steering gearbox in BACK of the crossmember then a ram's horn manifold is typically used.

Your son will have a lot of fun because it will be HIS car - possesion makes everything look better :D

Thomas

i bought a 67 4 door with a 1980 six banger and a th350. bad interior.. needs floor pans and floor braces, new trunk... lower fender patches and lower quarter patches i paid 1500.. and im really happy with it.. manual steering. manual brakes.. no a/c.. i just turned 19 and i love this car..

No balancer? That makes no sense. Some of the more plain-jane 283's used very small balancers but they all had one.

If the balancer was missing, it'd be blowing a lot of oil out the front main seal. Perhaps the engine has a very small balancer and he is confusing it for being simply a pulley. It also wouldn't last too long without a balancer of some sort. All small blocks are internally balanced except for the 400, but that doesn't eliminate the need for a balancer.

They are internally balanced, but I would expect to find a harmonic balancer. I think the oil seal in the timing cover would keep the oil in - I'm not sure you have to have a harmonic balancer for that. If there isn't a hole tapped in the crank snout, you can press one on. I have seen several pressed on like that.

Originally posted by jeffc:
I think the oil seal in the timing cover would keep the oil in - I'm not sure you have to have a harmonic balancer for that.The balancer slides in over top of the crank snout, so the seal doesn't work unless the balancer is there. I never saw any small-block that didn't have something.

Looked at it again today - engine has a serious knock (didn't start it yesterday). The guy let it go for $400. We'll try to get it towed home tomorrow.

Lesson 1 will be find the bad rod bearing. Should be fun.

Carnac sees a 327 in the future.

Thanks for the replies.

Oh yeah, there was a tiny little balancer - don't know if it's all there or not.

good luck with it... hopefully your floors and floor braces wont surprise you like mine did.. i had to redo them.......