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1964 Malibu SS with 327

6K views 27 replies 10 participants last post by  The Lizard King 
#1 ·
When I was a kid growing up, my family had a 1964 SS with Goldenwood Yellow paint and 283. Beautiful car, and I literally cried at the age of 12 when my mom totaled it.

Fast-forward to today. I live in MPLS, MN and am in the market for either a 1964 or a 1965 Chevelle Malibu SS. I came across this one advertised for $17K. Thoughts?

http://minneapolis.craigslist.org/wsh/cto/3665830684.html




"for sale is a 1964 Chevelle has 327 motor bored 30 over 4 wheel disc brakes 22 inch rims also have stock wheels and hub caps flowmaster exhaust exterior is clean as well as interior very well taken care of and alot of extras put into this car. Be ready for Back to the Fifties with this clean machine."

TLK :cool:
 
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#2 ·
I asked the seller for more pics, and this is what he sent me:











I asked him some questions...

1. The antenna broke off after an automatic carwash in between the pic in the advertisement and the latest batch of 5 pics that follow.

2. The clock and AM radio are no longer functional. All of the other guages/electronics in the dash do work, including the tach mounted on the steering column.

3. The original paint was Goldenwood Yellow (MAJOR PLUS FOR ME!!! :hurray:)

4. I asked him about the "squarish" looking sideview mirrors and if they were GM or aftermarket, and he said he didn't know.

5. He doesn't know if the 327 engine is original to the car (I doubt it -- weren't all the V8s 283 ci in 1964?).

6. The rear differential is a 10-bolt non-posi one.

TLK :cool:
 
#3 ·
I HATE the wheels and tires. The rest of the car is "OK" but not really anything special. There were 327's offered in 64. Likely the largest 327 was a 300 HP engine. I wonder how a 64 Chevelle takes one back to the 50"s? Also looks to me like the drivers side of the trunk lid does not line up well with the fender. Might be the picture...might not. $17 K seems like a LOT of money.
 
#4 ·
I HATE the wheels and tires. The rest of the car is "OK" but not really anything special. There were 327's offered in 64. Likely the largest 327 was a 300 HP engine.
I hear ya. If I was to buy it, I would convert it all back to stock (including the paint!). So, yes, I hate the low-profile wheels, too.

I wonder how a 64 Chevelle takes one back to the 50"s
That made me laugh, too.

Also looks to me like the drivers side of the trunk lid does not line up well with the fender. Might be the picture...might not. $17 K seems like a LOT of money.
Did not notice that in the pics. I have an appointment to look at it tomorrow. If I was to buy it, I have no idea what to counter-offer based upon it's "OK" current state.

TLK :cool:
 
#7 ·
I don't think this guy is talking about a dragster or a drag strip contender. The "Glide" worked...sure it worked but street driver cars are being converted to TH350 or TH400 daily. Even those 350 / 400 conversions are now dated in 2013. In the day of 3 or 4 speed automatics with O/D the PG is a huge throwback. Sure the old cars are cool but if for no reason other than fuel economy and pleasant highway cursing why mess with the "glide"?
 
#9 ·
Cool car, x2 on not fond of the wheels. Otherwise, if the price is negotiable, and you can confirm no rust or that it has been properly repaired, it should be nice car to have.

I kinda have moved on to liking overdrive. My 66 has a th350 and I drove it 25 miles each way on the interstate yesteday at 75 mph/3400 rpm. It drives me nuts! A glide is bullitt proof, solid, and can be cushy smooth, but not my deal for todays cruising.

I like the older looking engine setups.

If it is close enough to your desired car, and per the above, and can be immediately driven, it may be well worth pursuing. I will have over that in to my 66 New England rust bucket in an year or two, still needing paint, etc.
 
#13 ·
Cool car, x2 on not fond of the wheels. Otherwise, if the price is negotiable, and you can confirm no rust or that it has been properly repaired, it should be nice car to have.

I kinda have moved on to liking overdrive. My 66 has a th350 and I drove it 25 miles each way on the interstate yesteday at 75 mph/3400 rpm. It drives me nuts! A glide is bullitt proof, solid, and can be cushy smooth, but not my deal for todays cruising.

I like the older looking engine setups.

If it is close enough to your desired car, and per the above, and can be immediately driven, it may be well worth pursuing. I will have over that in to my 66 New England rust bucket in an year or two, still needing paint, etc.
He said that there is rust around the trunk lid near the rear window. He said that it's, "not bad," whatever that means.

I hear ya on an automatic without overdrive. My wife has a Toyota Corolla (4-speed AT) and my neighbor has a Honda Civic (5-speed AT). On highway cruising miles, our Toyota clocks in at 2200 RPM at 60 MPH. I asked the neighbor what her tach reads at 60 MPH, and she told me, "about 1800." If true, it's a big difference in fuel economy.

TLK :cool:
 
#15 ·
I don't wish to come across as someone who racially stereotypes people, but I have found that the people who love fancy/wild/flashy wheels/rims are more often than not people of color/minorities. Are there whites who love them? Sure. Just an empirical observation. No more, no less.

Let's just say while talking to the owner on the phone about the car, his accent did not sway me away from this hypothesis. :)

'Nuff said.

TLK :cool:
 
#16 ·
As stated, wheels and tires ruin the look of the car. $17 for Powerglide...come on. Rust around the windows, minor(there is no such thing). Re-paint in original color. Not even close to being worth $17 to you. Look for a car like you want and spend what it takes. Don't buy a somewhat done car and then re-do it. You really lose money that way.

If performance is not inportant, buy a PG car. If it is important, change torque converter, rear gear, have the PG modified. Nobody ever seriously raced a stock PG. Back in the day they only ran in stock classes. Today they run in lots of drag cars, but they bear no resemblance to a stock 64 trans.
 
#17 ·
As stated, wheels and tires ruin the look of the car. $17 for Powerglide...come on. Rust around the windows, minor(there is no such thing). Re-paint in original color. Not even close to being worth $17 to you. Look for a car like you want and spend what it takes. Don't buy a somewhat done car and then re-do it. You really lose money that way.

If performance is not inportant, buy a PG car. If it is important, change torque converter, rear gear, have the PG modified. Nobody ever seriously raced a stock PG. Back in the day they only ran in stock classes. Today they run in lots of drag cars, but they bear no resemblance to a stock 64 trans.
I have been dissuaded from considering the car due to your and oman's salient points, which I agree with. The last thing I need is a money sink hole that my wife can b!tch about over and over.

Having come to that conclusion, I have a moral dilemma... Should I still go see the car just to sit in it (or *gasp* drive it! :)) knowing full well that I'm no better than a "tire kicker." Or should I simply call our appointment off, because I'm really not serious about buying his car.

TLK :cool:
 
#23 ·
If your concern is the money the car will cost to keep on the road and keeping the wife happy, my suggestion is to find a bone stock 64 SS with the 283 Pwr Pac motor. 220 horses with the 4bbl and dual exhaust provides plenty of power for cruising. My 64ss, so equipped, gets about 23 mpg on the highway with a th350 3 speed automatic. It's been my daily driver for 7 years now and sees between 500 and 600 miles a week. It has NEVER left me stranded and I've only replaced the starter so far. Incredibly dependable, efficient and inexpensive to insure and operate.
I'm a big supporter of the yellow you are looking for. Mine is an original white car that I'm considering a color change when I restore it...if I can stop enjoying the ride long enough to work on it!!!
Good Luck in your search!
Tom
64 ss dd
 
#25 ·
15-20k budget should buy you the car you want in this market. You just have to be patient and find the right one. The one you have begun this thread with is simply not it. A repaint w/ rust repair is not cheap. Even if you buy it a 12k you cannot get a quality paint job w/ rust repair and be under budget in my opinion. Bet the rear window leaked on that one and you would have quite a bit of work to do under that paint.

You want a yellow w/ black gut 64 SS w/ V8 and automatic. They are around. Buy the best bodied car you can find. Body work and paint is expensive if you cannot do it yourself. Changing a powerglide to a TH350 is not difficult or expensive and could be done a year after you buy the car if you like. That way you and wife could enjoy it this summer and have it changed next winter or spring if you like. Spreads out the $ spending. Heck, sounds like you would even take a clone of an SS if it was nice and equipped how you wanted. I would expand my search to include them if I were you.

Trust me having a car sitting in paint prison is not fun. Even a "simple" color change takes a while for a quality job. Nor is having to restore every little bit and quickly realizing that you have more in a project then simply buying a completed car and cruising. Finding a nice one that you can drive and enjoy from day one is the way to go. Simple little cheap weekend projects are the fun part. Something you can change in an afternoon and be cruising later that day or the next.
 
#26 ·
15-20k budget should buy you the car you want in this market. You just have to be patient and find the right one. The one you have begun this thread with is simply not it. A repaint w/ rust repair is not cheap. Even if you buy it a 12k you cannot get a quality paint job w/ rust repair and be under budget in my opinion. Bet the rear window leaked on that one and you would have quite a bit of work to do under that paint.

You want a yellow w/ black gut 64 SS w/ V8 and automatic. They are around. Buy the best bodied car you can find. Body work and paint is expensive if you cannot do it yourself. Changing a powerglide to a TH350 is not difficult or expensive and could be done a year after you buy the car if you like. That way you and wife could enjoy it this summer and have it changed next winter or spring if you like. Spreads out the $ spending. Heck, sounds like you would even take a clone of an SS if it was nice and equipped how you wanted. I would expand my search to include them if I were you.

Trust me having a car sitting in paint prison is not fun. Even a "simple" color change takes a while for a quality job. Nor is having to restore every little bit and quickly realizing that you have more in a project then simply buying a completed car and cruising. Finding a nice one that you can drive and enjoy from day one is the way to go. Simple little cheap weekend projects are the fun part. Something you can change in an afternoon and be cruising later that day or the next.
Excellent post/advice. Thanks! :)

TLK :cool:
 
#27 ·
Before I bought ANY car I would ask for a picture of the VIN plate and the Trim Tag plate. I would then post it on this site and let the chips fall where they may. And yes, loose the wheels.
 
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