So Fine 409: 1964 Chevrolet Impala SS
Before the era of big-block Camaros and Chevelles, Chevy fans seeking high performance in a passenger car package opted for full-size cars equipped with 409 cui V8 engines. Drag racers favored the lighter and more rigid two-door sedan Bel Air and Biscayne versions. Those interested in both performance and styling opted for the more ornate Impala SS-409. This 1964 Impala Super Sport is equipped with a 4-speed transmission and the highest powered engine available in the 1964 model year, the 425 horsepower 409! Located near Raleigh, NC, it’s listed here on Craigslist for $32,500.
This car is also equipped with power steering and brakes, factory tach, Posi-traction rear, accessory bumper guards, and seatbelts. The color is called Goldwood Yellow. The seller calls this a “true survivor” but he doesn’t elaborate. That leaves me wondering what portion of the car has been restored and what is actually unrestored original. I always thought the 1962 through 1964 Chevrolets were handsome cars, if a little boxy relative to the to the models to follow, the 1965-1968’s.
The interior looks to be in excellent original or restored condition. For all it’s worth, the odometer reads 48,613. I don’t know anyone who puts much stock in odometer readings of a car this old. That’s the factory tachometer jutting from the dashboard just above the steering column. Black interiors were so prevalent in this era that I’m always glad to see an interior in tan, white, red, or almost any color other than black. I think this saddle tan interior goes great with the yellow exterior.
Here’s what makes this car special, the 425 horse 409 engine. The valve covers are obviously aftermarket. They originally came with painted, stamped steel valve covers. The seller states that this is a “date coded engine”. He doesn’t say what date the code indicates. Also stated is that the car is a “true SS V-8 1447 VIN code”. The “true SS V-8” merely tells us it came from the factory as an SS with a V-8 as opposed to a 6-cylinder. The 1447 in the VIN code simply indicates it’s a 2-door hardtop coupe. Notice that there is no claim that the car left the factory with this engine or any 409 engine. So if your desire is a 1964 Impala SS that was born with a 409, let the buyer beware. This one may be a transplant. The price seems fair to me anyway. What do the readers think?
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Comments
Wow, that is a beautiful ’64 “SS”. Date coded engine using means NOM. It’s my understanding that in stock form a lot of 409s were blown up. Any prospective buyer might want to press the Seller for engine details before paying the cash.
High School 1962, a friend came the first day with a beautiful “Bubble Top” ‘61 Impala SS, 409. Sadly, the engine didn’t make it to Thanksgiving. After his father replaced the engine, a repeat performance occurred shortly after New year 1963. The Impala was to be seen no more. A classic case of more cents than sense.
The early 409’s were notorious for giving up early. Saw it a lot a the local drag strips.
You are right that’s why there’s so few of these still left and in operating condition I would guess the number of original for 25 horsepower engines in the car they came with would only be a handful
Just out of HS, ’73, my 1st gf had a ’64 2 door Impala similar to this. I think it was her dad’s car. It was a big car, and she was just a little thing, had to sit on pillows. She ended up trading it on a ’72 Datsun 1200. Talk about one extreme to the other.
My favorite is the 62 w/ 409, but I really like this one as well.
409 cars came with a 3/8 fuel line and a brace welded in the car on the upper link on the rear axle. small block cars had a 5/16 fuel line.
Jerry you are right about that not many people know about that extra brace on the frame from what I understand it was on 327 300 horse and all 409 cars you know your stuff!
Wwwow. Dream car right there
I have a soft spot for the 62-64 big cars. My oldest brother had a red/ red 63 Imp SS 327/ PG as his first car in 1975 or so. The PG needed rebuilding as it slipped. My dad let him trade it for a 53 chevy pickup. WTH. To this day I give him a hard time about that swap. Back in the 90’s I did some swapping for an anniversay gold 62 Imp SS. It had the accessory bumper guards, AC, PS, PB, padded dash, accessory lock guards, and POWER WINDOWS. I was missing the original engine. I think it was a small block car originally. After I started cleaning it up, I found that the floorboard was held together by the carpet (!) I traded it to the owner of the body shop a paint job for my 71 El Camino. This was befroe floor pans were available. He said he found a four door with a good floor, drilled and cut it out (!) and painted the car black. I still see it out in front of his shop. Then there was the 62 Bel Air “Bubble Top” my late brother and I pulled out of a back yard near Lake Travis. Also gold. Gave $500 for it. The 283 was stuck and have frozen. We pulled it and the three speed. He went to look at a 409 and and 4 speed and ended up selling it to the guy with the 409. He put the money into a 61 Impala 2 dr (same “Bubble Top” as the 62) then sold it.
I have a date coded heart ❤️ 🤠🤡
Beautiful car even if NOM
FYI so if one gets a new wife don’t they usually get a newer model or look for a date coded one 🤠🤠🤠
The “425” hp engine actually came with factory chrome stamped valve covers, not painted. The beige interior is rare, very nice car at a fair price.
Not only that but look again at the fender 409 emblem. Its wrong. This probably isn’t anything but another ss with someone putting a 409 in it. I have 9 engines laying around and one going in a wagon now that was a small block car originally. Anyone want to take bets on matching up the casting numbers and stamps with the build of the car? My money is its another clone.
Nice catch, Randy. You can Bull **** the fans but you can’t BS the players.
My friend had one of these in a convertible. He needed it to pull his big wooden ski boat. We used to call it “She’s Real Fine”. It could lay a lot of rubber with little effort. It was fun blowing off the competition on the street. They were shocked at how the parade float could move out. Very smooth transmission. I have a fond memory of passing a car uphill on the highway pulling the boat.
Flex hose?knock off couple grand
A ’64 Impala with a dual-quad 409 and a four-speed is a pretty rare beast.
While, like Michael, I’m more a fan of the ’62s, this example would be a great addition to anyone’s collection. It’s one of those cars that’s meant to be driven!
Have a cousin who bought one new before he went to Viet Nam. Teal Blue, 327, 4 speed. It was a great car, I got to ride in it a few times and it was a thrill.
Didn’t hurt his BIL’s family were the local Chevy/Buick dealers (which is where my first new car came from) so he obviously got a good deal.
I had the exact ’64 SS, with one teensy little difference – mine was a 283. Not exactly a pavement-ripper. But it was this same yellow, albeit with a black interior, which I think looked better with the yellow. I can’t recall seeing one in yellow with a saddle interior back in the day, although you could order anything you wanted back then, so…..
It was a good car, in any case. I always preferred the ’64 over the ’62 and ’63, but most people don’t seem to.
Beautiful car people don’t realize how rare 409 original cars are the engine came in 8800 cars in 64 with 1. 6 million cars being made including Impala Impala SS Bellaire and Biscayne I’m fortunate enough to have a 64 Impala SS with its matching number 409 and 4 Speed I really love my car
In June/July of 1963, I attended one of the regular drag meets held at a former WWll air training base at Deseronto, Ontario. There appeared a 1962 Chev 409 coupe, gleaming black, 4 speed, buckets, and beautiful. Had to fight crowds to get close to it. I have never seen another like it, and have no idea if it was a custom, or not, but the roof had a large bubble over each front seat. Until a few years ago, when someone referred to a “bubble” Chev, I thought I knew what they were discussing, but every pic I have seen did not match the Deseronto 409. The owner’s pal, having some experience, I suppose, drove it, and, as it was a stock “production” car, it needed no scatter shield of any kind. Guess what? First run, almost cut the car in two, and no one could figure out how the driver was unscathed!
If this was an actual production car, I would love to hear details.
My cousin bought a 1964 Impala SS 409 powerglide when he got home from Vietnam. It was black over black. It was very, very nice. I told him to be nice to the powerglide until he could get a beefed 350 or 400 Hyrdomatic. He did not listen to me and fried the 2 speed in a day or two. He then got all drunk and sold it for peanuts. He always was a loser.
Nam vet and loser ?
When I was married in 1973 I had this car but in convertible configuration. It was one of my favorites. I sold it in 1978 when my second child was born. It went to a young kid who totaled it within days. I know many of these 409’s died early, especially the 3 Duce variety , lots of them were replaced with 348’s because 409’s were hard to find even in the late 60’s. If this is truly a date coded 409 it is great find.
The factory 3 -2’s only came on the 348. The 409’s were single or dual quads.
409s did not come from factory with 3 Duce’s only 348s had this set up. 409s came in 3 types 1 / 4 bbl (385 HP) or 2 / 4 bbls (409 or 425 HP).
Last of the flat door glass cars.
This one is a true legend. I wish it was 1964 again.
By a stroke of luck and a play on words .
My neighbor informed me his uncle passed away one summer day about 8 yrs ago.
He told me to call his aunt and set up an appointment to view his inventory of tools and other stuff.
Having never met his uncle I had no clue what I was getting into.
After conversing with my neighbors aunt I made a 1 hr drive to their home .
Here , I open the the garage of a rotted roofed structure to unveil a 56 Thunderbird , beat abused and barrel rolled , COMPLETELY DESTROYED …!
In addition a 85 jeep lifted with a 360 in it. Not impressed !
After looking thru all the contents of the dilapidated structure I come up with a few item .. muncie trans , valve covers and some tool a small seeming less pile.
Still eyeballing this Tbird I decided to pop the hood .
Now I’m no ford Guru but I dam well know that Ford never had a motor with these crazy looking valve covers , fluted with what I called camel humped indentations.
So I called my friend ,who builds my Harley drag motors.
I explained to him what I’m looking at.
Here he’s silent for seconds … and says where are you and what did you offer.
I said nothing.
Here I’m staring at a 409 wedged in a Ford Thunderbird and when I say wedged , I mean like shoe horn vaseline and KY…
500 took the pot .
6800.00 and some individual in Texas took the motor on Ebay.
Offenhouser everything ..
Manifold, valve covers ,oil filter you name it this motor had it.
And to think I was going to look past this pos … true story .. hand to God.
So good they wrote a song about it. I’m not from those days and most of my memories of these early sixties Impalas were lowriders, which were cool but not my kind of ride. That impression of a hunkered down Impala on little spoke wheels with a hand cuffs steering wheel with some pretty bad looking cats driving very slowly has never left me,despite my complete awareness of the 409 powered versions and all their glory. Must have been one heck of a car back then…
Plenty f bloviating here but as I see from comments this is likely a transplant 409 and is a little over priced or a serious collector.
Yes it appears to be a transplant but having said that you probably couldn’t feel this car for that price
I’m just happy to see one that hasn’t been turned into a lowrider…..yet.
’63-’65 09’s had chrome-plated valve covers, ’61 & ’62 09’s were painted silver.
@ Rustytech….
A 3 Duce 409?!….never any such animal.
@ Larry…….
WRONG….’61 ’09’s were single 4-only (360hp).
’62’s were 380 & 409 (single 4 & dual quad), respectively.
’63-’64 were 340, 400, & 425 (hydraulic-lifter/Rochester quad, solid-lifter/Carter AFB single quad, & dual quads) respectively.
’65 09’s were L33 (340hp) & L31’s (400hp) only…there was no L80/425hp dual quad ’09 in ’65.
Just go on 348-409.com web forum and duke it out with the specs and options boys. There were a number of variations of 348’s and 409’s over the years. No one here is smarter than anyone else. Either way, unless the owner can produce a build sheet then this is just another nice clone.
I Love the 409. I bought my first 409 in 1982. it was in a 1964 SS convertible with a 4 speed. It turned out to be a truck block with truck heads. Someone put an aftermarket 2×4 Intake. It was gutless, could not even spin the tires. I researched the car and it was originally a 250 Horse 327 automatic car, I sold the 409 engine and put in a 300 horse 327 and kept the 4 speed. I still have the car and LOVE it. I now have a 1964 SS hardtop factory 400 horse 4 speed car that is Silver with Silver interior and a 1962 Bubbletop with a 409 4 speed. I also have a Silver with black interior 1962 SS Convertible that I m going to put a 409 4 speed in, I do LOVE 409’s
Wow that is some collection of cars you had that silver on Silver car is really rare very few came in that color I have several 409 engines and they are getting harder and harder to find