BF Auction: 1974 Chevrolet Impala
- Seller: Michelle T
- Location: Lexington, Kentucky
- Mileage: 44,107 Shown
- Chassis #: 1L69H4J107305
- Title Status: Clean
This Impala has been hiding in this garage for the past 35 years and has just recently been extracted. It’s showing 44k miles and is being offered by the original owner’s family. After being parked for so long, it’s going to need some work to be returned to the road, but it was still running and driving great when it was parked in 1988. It’s located in Lexington, Kentucky, and is being offered here as a Barn Finds Auction!
In 1971, Chevrolet introduced the 5th generation of Impala which was the largest version yet. Several body styles were offered ranging from coupes to station wagons. This 4-door sedan features the pillared body style with the vinyl top. For ’74, Chevy updated the body styling to meet new bumper standards, making this the only year of Impala with a completely different front end than its Caprice sibling. At this point, all Impalas came standard with power brakes, front discs, and variable ratio power steering.
The original owner must have wanted a comfortable but affordable driver when she purchased it new. The interior features floral pattern cloth upholstery, woodgrain trim, manual windows, and air conditioning. While it’s going to need a full interior detailing to be in top condition, it appears to be in good shape and helps to back up the shown mileage. Unfortunately, there isn’t any paperwork to prove that the mileage is accurate.
Under the hood, you’ll find a 350 V8. The VIN reveals that this car left the factory with the L65 version, which is equipped with a 2-barrel carburetor and was rated at 145 horsepower and 220 ft-lbs of torque. While not the most powerful engine offered in the Impala, it has plenty of power for a daily driver or comfortable cruiser. We aren’t sure if it’s the original engine or not, but chances are it is. No attempts have been made to start it, so it’s hard to say what it will need to be a good driver again. Since it was still running and driving when it was parked, it may just need a full service to be revived.
It might be a 4-door, but this Impala looks like a great starter classic to learn on or a great option for someone who wants an affordable classic. If you’d love to be its 2nd owner and the person to clean the 35 years of dust off of it, be sure to cast your high bid below. And leave any questions for the seller in the comments section below.
Bid On This Auction
Ryan bid $3,700.00 2023-12-27 08:29:28
Mama1011 bid $3,600.00 2023-12-27 08:17:29- Ryan bid $3,500.00 2023-12-27 08:15:08
- Mama1011 bid $3,200.00 2023-12-27 08:00:33
- Ryan bid $3,000.00 2023-12-27 07:54:04
- Mama1011 bid $2,751.00 2023-12-27 07:31:29
- Ryan bid $2,500.00 2023-12-26 20:16:09
2young2drive bid $2,400.00 2023-12-26 19:54:37- Ryan bid $2,300.00 2023-12-26 17:36:44
MR STEVE bid $2,100.00 2023-12-26 16:55:11- Ryan bid $2,000.00 2023-12-26 16:07:03
- 2young2drive bid $1,850.00 2023-12-25 22:33:02
- Ryan bid $1,700.00 2023-12-25 19:11:14
- 2young2drive bid $1,600.00 2023-12-25 18:21:27
- Ryan bid $1,500.00 2023-12-25 13:52:02
- 2young2drive bid $1,200.00 2023-12-23 10:56:55
[email protected] bid $900.00 2023-12-21 17:35:24
Jack bid $300.00 2023-12-21 12:42:58
Glen bid $200.00 2023-12-20 19:07:01
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Comments
Great car!
That’s a real deal 44k miles. Look at the steering wheel and seats.
I was oh so familiar with these kind of cars. They were all over the place even when they were 10 years old.
Someone get the detailing kit out for the outside and inside of this beast! I can smell that interior from here.
These were among the last GM cars designed to be big for the sake of being big. I bet there’s at least three feet between the bumper and the engine block. They were tough, too, with many examples surviving well into the 1980s, despite the brutal, salty winters here in Pittsburgh.
I owned a 1974 Caprice from 1979-1982. It was painful at the pump, had to pad the pedal to get 12mph. But my girlfriend and I liked the size and comfort of the pluch back seat. She requested that we take it out for one last late night spin before I sold it.
That car and especially looking at the interior brings back a flood of memories! My Grandma bought one identical new and when she couldn’t drive anymore my mom took it, probably around 77. I took my driver’s license test in this kind of car. Dated my future wife and used it for my wedding. I remember my buddies tied beer cans to the back and sprayed shaving cream all over it! Finally dads truck needed a motor so he started driving it to work (48 Miles 1 way) and that didn’t take long to finish it off. I’d buy this just for those memories if I had the extra money.
No comment, it is a BF sale.
Am I the only one who doesn’t understand the “running great when it was parked” claim? Then why was it parked? And why was it allowed to sit for years? There are legitimate scenarios where this occurs, but the claims outpace those scenarios by far.
Grandma stopped driving, and wouldn’t sell or let anyone else drive “HER car!!!
You nailed it! 👍👍
Probably grandma lost her license.
The problem is what happened between parked and now. Lots of time for mice or moisture damage unless carefully watched.
It was left covered and in a garage. No water damage to the garage ever during that time. Seats and interior show no evidence of mice damage.
Sir, it was parked because her husband came home from the Army. He bought a new SUV and she never drove again after that. He drove them around always. Which is common for that time. It was parked in the garage because it was her first and only car and had sentimental value. It remained there because they never got rid of anything of value. These are facts. Believe them or not, up to you.
Still running and driving great when it was parked -35 YEARS AGO! That’s hilarious!
Several things:
1. Check to see engine will start.
2. Find and bring car to a really good mechanic or take it to a
gm dealership and have them do a complete computerized
diagnostics inspection and body inspections and when they are
completely done have them give 3-4 print out inspection check
out sheets go to your mechanic go over the print out with them
and have the engine overhauled if it is worth saving.
3. Take car to good detailer and have the car thoroughly detailed
Inside outside.
That’s what I would do if I was going to buy it myself if I had the money, place and room to put it and drive it as a semi daily or weekend driver.
Computerized diag? It doesn’t have an ecm or bcm. There is no port to plug into.
It needs someone to see if it turns over and if it has compression. Once it is determined that it does, then it is a matter of getting it to fire.
Once it fires, it will take a lot of money to get it to “safe daily driver” status. You gotta replace any rusted brake and exhaust component, all rubber parts (tires, vacuum lines, brake hoses, cooling hoses, rebuild the carburator and brake master cylinder, probably bushings in the suspension, etc.).
The good news is these are becoming desirable to collectors.
I tell ya what, I wish I had the ability to buy it at this point! I would LOVE to own it!!!
I hope whoever gets it leaves it stock!
I sure liked these cars. My dad bought a ’71 sport sedan in ’77. Silver with a blue top and interior. I got to drive it for a few days. Nice driver. 16 mpg from the 350-2v. Like others said they were everywhere.
My grandfather had one in red. Unfourtunately the best memory I have of the car is my mom laying in the back seat with 3 large holes in he ankle from where the car ran out of gas and she tried to be like her brother and jump out while it was still moving to help push. Problem with that was she was in heels and of course she fell off said heels and her foot ended up under the back tire. She held on to the door handle till the car stopped then her foot , as she put it “magically flipped out from under the tire”. The Doctor said if she had let go of the door handle she probably would’ve been drug under the car and ran over. I remember looking in the back seat and seeing three pools of blood on her ankle where the road had ground it to the bone. Not a pretty sight for a kid of 5. Then later in life she bought one herself that had a 400 small block in it. My mom was always the hot rod mom. She loved getting wherever she was going as fast as she could and owned several cars in her life that would get her there in exactly that fashion. Fond memories of me and my twin brother hanging off the back of her 59 t-bird convertible flying around the corners of our apartment complex. GOOD TIMES!
Wince
Did she lose her leg? Was her name Peg? Don’t leave us hanging!!
wonder that you’re still alive….lol
Looks like Harry Dean Stanton’s (Bud’s) car in Repo Man. “Repo Man’s always intense!”
His was a ’71, but same vibe.
Wow. Looks like it looks like new. The color combination of turquoise blue with black vinyl roof and interior and the seats, carpet, and door panels are in excellent condition. Just needs to be serviced to get it back on the road and take on a park and show at A&W, Sonic, or Rallye drive in.
Does the car have any rust?
If the engine turns it will run. I still drive a 72 convertible as a daily. I grew up in these, my mother bought a 71 coupe new, that I still have. I drove a 71 4ht for years until the rear bumper fell off from rust at 235,000 miles. Sadly rust and the demonization of big 70s cars sent many to the shred by the 90s.
I’m a Mopar man, so these aren’t my style, but I do have to say that this is a fine, well-preserved specimen. The new owner(s) will be happy with it. GLWTS. 👍
Do the tires hold air so it can be put on a trailer ?
500.00 dollar minimum fee means the buyer will pay 27% premium @ 1850.00 , no thanks , 5%-7% is fair
If my circumstances were a bit different, I’d be all over this. Drove a ’74 Caprice Classic from high school in 1977 until the early ’90s. Brown with a black interior, a four door aircraft carrier. Only sold it because I got married and we didn’t need four cars. One of the biggest regrets in my life. It still ran like a champ, and a can of Turtle Wax and a nice Saturday afternoon, you could make that paint almost glow. I miss that car.
My sister had a 74 2dr. With a 400 sb. in 86-87
Ryan,
You need to post pics of the pickup and after you get her home and cleaned up. I, personally, want to see the interior cleaned up. Curious about that mildew myself. 🧐
Agreed! My sense is you got a good deal but I will hope to see how it all turns out.