Build It Your Way: 1961 Chevrolet Biscayne
Sometimes it feels like there are endless numbers of craigslist ads with terrible photos and awful descriptions. Different from the rest of the pack, at least this one has an actual description as countermeasure to the bad photos. And for the sub-$1,000 price tag, it has a very impressive list of included extra parts to go with it.
The subject vehicle is a 1961 Chevrolet Biscayne, and it’s located in northwestern Indianapolis, Indiana. The asking price is $975, and it can be found here on craigslist.
The inline six cylinder engine and column-shifted three speed transmission are said to be in working order. The owner says the brakes pull the car to the right, which we know is likely a brake hose that has swollen partially closed on the driver’s side, but despair not, for a disc brake kit is included!
While this kit appears to be of the low-end variety, with minor modifications it can be made usable. But this is only the beginning of where it starts to get interesting, particularly to those who might own additional 1961 Chevrolet cars.
Lots of additional parts are included. Front fenders, hardtop doors, repro rocker panels, a complete new exhaust system, just to name a few. Also lots of four door and trim parts as well.
No mention is made of the missing front seat, and this wouldn’t be particularly fun to go out and find, but not impossible.
I didn’t know whether to file this one in Barn Finds‘ “Dirt Cheap” department, or my own “Fantasy 500” list of cars, which consists of about a thousand vehicles or so, more or less. Probably more. So here it is. You decide.
Does this car suggest any possibilities to you? Which way would you go with this one? Let us know, below.
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Comments
big block with a 4 speed, bench seat, sleeper……
Hate to say it because I’m all about originality buuuut… there is nothing cooler than a formal roof bottom of the line sedan with a thumpin big block and a four speed shifter poking out from under the front of a big vinyl bench seat. :)
Drop a 283,327 or a 350 with a automatic, some nice buckets seats and make it nice daily driver total cost about 5,000 what used car can you buy for that price????
Needs more doors! LOL
I’m partial to sedans/wagons; they don’t get enough love in the collector world
409 360 HP m4 speed.
oh ya!!!!
Don’t shoot the messenger, but the curved A-pillars on GM models from this era scare me.
Watch how it folds up in a crash with a 2009 Impala:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fPF4fBGNK0U
that was sad to watch
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=85OysZ_4lp0
Think that one is bad? – look at a 2016 Nissan Versa vs a 1992 Nissan Sentra (Technically it’s a 2015 Nissan Tsuru, a mexican-market vehicle that is pretty much identical to a 1992 US spec Sentra)
That little car from 1992 standards faired just about as poorly as the ’59 did…
And that was only 40 mph. I have a Nissan Micra, just slightly smaller than the Versa. I wouldn’t want to meet a truck head on. Micra’s aren’t available in the U.S. Only in Canada eh, pity. (old commercial here in Canada)
Don’t buy one. I have owned dozens and I’m here still typing. If your a good driver, this will not happen.
Not sure why anyone thumbs downed that. I dig old cars too, but there’s no arguement that modern vehicles are astronomically safer than old ones. Not sure why they trashed a classic car to celebrate 50 years however.
…bargain of the year!
Had several of these over the years and these were the worst diving handling thing GM ever built. Whats upwith the extra 2dr htp doors? You going to modify an graft them to make a 4dr? Won’t fit this car in any shape or form.
Probably planned to graft on a bubbletop..
Cool I’ll take it
Circa 1964, The little Eastern Oregon town I grew up in (Athena) needed a new cop car. The night patrolman Bill W showed up one evening with a ’61 Biscayne 2 door like this one, but it had a 327 and a 3 on the tree with overdrive. Musta been an ex Fire Chiefs car because it too was bright red, but had factory HD equipment. He hauled me around for a couple of nights on patrol, and man would that Chevy fly. Sadly the town council nixed the car, but it was fun while it lasted. :-) Terry J
Sold.
https://youtu.be/CbSfVSoJ2YQ
In 1969 I dragged home a barely running 62 black 6 cly 2 dr. biscayne, I had bought it for 10 bucks. Smoked a whole lot. I was 16 at the time. It stayed in our driveway exactly one day,when I got home from school the next day it was gone. My dad called the junk man to haul it away . Well at least I still had my 62 corvair monza,but that’s another story.
My brother had a ’61 Impala 2dr post car, very rare and a real looker with all the trim the Impala used. It was a deep burgundy color, he stills kicks himself about selling it about 10-12 years ago. The only other one I ever saw was in an article and pictured on the cover of a Late Great Chevy magazine back in the early 90’s
I like these post cars myself and would like to have this,.. have to agree with Pat about the big block and 4spd, bench seat and add some steel wheels with poverty caps to make a nice touch.
I’m with Pat definatly needs a V8 with a 4spd. I’d paint it Hot Rod Black ,with the steel wheels and the doggy dishes this thing would be Baaaaad.