Forgotten 1960s Chevrolet Muscle Cars - ULTRA-STEALTHY & RARE!!!
Vložit
- čas přidán 3. 08. 2024
- Thank you for watching, please consider supporting the MagnaLume channel by clicking the ❤️THANKS button on this video.
A revisit to the horsepower and muscle car wars of the 1960’s. Specifically, we’re going to look at obscure, rare and perhaps forgotten 1960s Chevrolet Muscle Cars that could be ordered from the factory with high horsepower engines in non-muscle car trim levels. To explain; Most people know what a 1960’s era classic Chevrolet American muscle car is when they see it. These are cars like the Camaro SS and the Chevelle SS 396. But, did you know that back then, sometimes one could order a plain jane stripped down trim level sleeper version with the largest engine and horsepower that was offered for that model. In many cases you could order a Corvette engine in the most basic ride imaginable.
If you were the stealthy type who liked having serious performance under the hood, but didn’t like to advertise it, these cars were the ultimate factory sleepers that looked like grandma’s grocery getter and Sunday ride to church but were secretly fast. Why would someone want that? A few reasons come to mind; they might be more economical to buy than the muscle car version of the same model, or they were usually lighter than the muscle car version which was better for racing, or they might lull your street racing nemesis into a false sense of superiority when a stoplight racing challenge was issued. Personally, I think they are the coolest performance cars from the 60’s because they are unique, rare and have a clean, uncluttered appearance that give little warning as to what lies beneath…. Kind of like a venomous kitten… .all cute and harmless looking, but utterly lethal.
These cars were rare on the ground because not many people ordered them this way, and these days command big dollars for all-original documented collector-grade examples in pristine or professionally restored condition. Because they’re not making any more of them, even beat-up, non- modified original cars like these don’t come cheap.
So, lets get on with it… These aren’t listed in order of importance. I may have left some out and you may not agree with these. Leave a comment and let me know what your favorite ones are even if they didn’t make it into this video. I might use your suggestions and make this into a series and look at stealthy sleeper cars from other manufacturers and brands.
00:00 Intro
00:27 1965 Chevelle 300 L79 4 speed
02:07 1964 CHEVROLET Biscayne 409 4 speed
04:04 1965 Chevrolet Biscayne L72 4 speed
05:58 1966 Chevy II 100 L79
07:52 Outro - Auta a dopravní prostředky
![BUDGET BRAWLERS: [10] Stealthiest Sleeper Muscle Cars of All time](http://i.ytimg.com/vi/TmKX-HtxD_o/mqdefault.jpg)
![BUDGET BRAWLERS: [10] Stealthiest Sleeper Muscle Cars of All time](/img/tr.png)
Another case of not knowing how well you have things until they're gone. You could order all kinds of engine/transmission/ body combinations then and the factory would build it for you and not for a lot of money either! try that now, the factories won't do it and the different power train combinations don't even exist like before, even the interior/color combinations are limited now. Nothing like the "Good Old Days".
I'm 65 years old and still have trouble sleeping knowing what I have owned and sold for peanuts.
dumb boomer
@@WestShore88 buttmunch
I'm 55 and same deal with exception that I do still have a 67 camaro convertible that i bought when I was 16 and a 67 SS350 that I bought at 18. Havent driven them for a few years but managed to hold onto them thru some pretty tough times when the world around me was pressuring me to sell them,. Made that mistake in 96 when I sold my 69 pace car i bought when I was 15 and said never again ! I am determined to break them back out very soon and enjoy them again now that the ol lady is on her way out. They came before her, and they'll be here after she's gone! Wis I had my 63 SS conv. Impala back too. Others also, so yes I know exactly what you are talking about and you've got 10yrs on me! Kids today dont understand, huh! I started working full time (6 ten hr days/wk) at 10yrs old.
Times have changed for sure. What was your fav you had to let go?
My first was a 51 Ford. What was yours?
I will be 68 shortly and miss all of my muscle cars
There will never be a time again like the 1960s when safety, emissions and fuel economy restrictions didn't exist. Wonderful!
Safety was left to the driver, not the government....freedom was sacred, thank goodness we got to enjoy that.
cars are way better now with all those things.
One thing I love early to mid 60's cars are the Interior of the base models are simple but very elegant.
@@davesnothere8859 They did it without computers. These were 'drivers' cars. You had to know how to drive. Now, you just ride along.
Yes and I was just the right age to enjoy it.....
I was born in 66 and my dad worked at a GM plant that was 125 miles round-trip everyday to work so about every couple years Dad would get a new car. In 68 Dad came home with a 427 Impala. Mom was happy because she didn't want him to get The SS because it was a " damn hot rod" and not what the father of 6 would drive. She never paid any attention to the crossed flag thingy on the fenders she said. My brother said when Dad let him drive on Saturday nights he would cruise around all the time looking for a race, and soon as people would see the emblems they would back out. In 68 and 69 and 70 he said he street raced that car maybe 10 or 12 times and only lost once, to some ugly green Nova that said ".Yenko Deuce on quarters".
You got lucky,,,,my story has a sad ending , My grandparents used to get a new car every 3 years, grandma would drive the new car, and gramps drove the old one, and his old car was traded in . In 1974 they bought a Satilght Sebring. and my grandfather retired, leaving the 4-year-old 1970 Plymouth barracuda with a 318 bucket seats console shift auto, sitting in the driveway. MINT condition ( light metallic green ) I was 15.My father started driving the car to construction jobs,,,in about a year there was not a quarter panel without a dent, the interior was ruined and the door was being held shut by a barrel bolt. So my first car was a 69 4 door delta 88. I have 6 cars and 3 trucks now....must be from PTS. lol
Your dad was a hard worker and very smart, you should be proud!
@@ericwsmith7722 My dad and mom bought a new rambler Ambassador every 3 years. My grandparents also bought a new Rambler every 3 years. I wasn't very happy driving a Rambler when I first got my license.
great story
That is one long commute.
My brother owned a 1966 Biscayne 4 door sedan. It was ordered by a doctor and it came with a 396, turbo 400 and posi-trac. The only other option was AC. He replaced the 396 emblems with 283 badges and went on to win a lot of street races. I still have one of the 396 emblems sitting on my dresser. Awesome sleeper!
Biscayne
My son has my 468 cube 66. Biscayne sorting out all the pesky stuff I didn't and enjoys with the family.
😂 dude, that was sneeky 😂 👍🏻
Fred Gibb Chevrolet in La Harpe Illinois ordered 50 Copo Camaros and 50 Copo chevy 2's with L78 396/375 hp engines, radio delete, plain jane in 1968. This was the mininum number required to qualify for a factory car at NHRA. Dick Harrell in Kansas City put the ZL1 aluminum engine in some cars The Chevy 2's sold for $3592.12. I grew up a little over 20 miles away in Iowa and wanted one these badly, but couldn't afford it. I later bought a 1968 Camaro that was a factory L78 396/375 horse with a 4 speed, 4:10 rearend, SS with Rally headlights, extremely rare car. Ended up doing an endover from right front to left rear due to running slicks on the street. Totaled the car, all I got was 8 stitches in the side of my head. Didn't know what I had until it was too late.
I lived with all these cars on Friday night drag times. And they left out some really great cars from AMC, Dodge, Ford, Fiat, Jaguar, Chevrolet. Friday night could bring out the monster of drag racing in those days. What great memories I have of the 60s had. Dam I miss those days, life was so much easier then.
Yes indeed, but I believe they were covering strictly Chevys. My mom and dad had a 66 Ford LTD with the 390 and that car would spin the tires as long as you kept your foot down. I'm glad they never caught me doing that. It was hella fast.
We dodn't need a pocket phone in front of our nose to find our way to meet our friends... who we actually saw in person rather than on fricking faceboo...
Chevy II was my favorite car. I had a 66 and two 67..1 was a wagon sleeper all in the mid 70’s. The wagon had 6 banger and 3 on the tree. Bought a 327 motor, 4 speed tranny and bucket seats from a 65 totaled Vette. Installed a 12” positrac rear end my father had laying around. Factory black steel rims with small hubcaps. What a sleeper.😎
My first car was a 1963 Chevy II Station Wagon. Inline 6 with a manual column mounted shifter. Even though these cars were not originally available with V8 engines you could still install one yourself. You had to get yourself a front sump oil pan and matching oil pump from a later model. I did this and I can tell you there is nothing like a plain Jane Chevy II Station Wagon with a secret V8 engine on race night. Everybody would laugh at my car, but more often than not, I got the last laugh. Good times for sure.
pp
Bernie, I had a '62 Chevy II 2 dr wagon that I bought in CA. 6-cylinder engine with an A/T. Drove it back home to the east. Not long after that, it got a LT1 engine and 350 A/T with Ford 9" rear differential, and front power disc brakes. Fun car to own and drive. I kept it for 10 years and then sold it. Sometimes, I wish I hadn't sold it.
Reminds me of a guy I went to school with that did this when he was 15 years old ! What a great guy ! Great car !
That's the good stuff.
The Chevy 2 back in the day looked pretty plain but by today's style of cars I think it looks way better than any modern junk.
Agreed. There was something honest and earnest in the design language of that car. It had a very upright appearance and seating position and lots of greenhouse area with excellent outward visibility for the driver.
@@MagnaLume Also the 1960's model's were not plastic junk like today's cars that might last about 10 or 12 years before its ready for the junkyard. These old cars look fast just standing still.and they are 60 years old and look great ! When you look a new car today if you removed the name tag off of it you wouldn't know if it was a Honda, Toyota, or a Chevy. I find this very sad.
100 % ,👍🏻🇬🇧
That’s because car makers only put a bigger engine in a vehicle and kept the same family car body to save money.
Agree
I've always been a Ford guy,but that doesn't stop me from liking other car makes. About all were Chevy guys in high school except me & a couple Mopar fans. This was late 60's,early 70's. Several years later,I became friends with another truck driver. He told me he once had a friend years earlier, that owned a '67 Chevy 11. He would have my friend Larry, drag race it for him,since Larry was much better at power shifting it. Another friend had gotten out of the Army & bought a new '67 Camaro with a 327. He got beat by a guy with a '65 fastback Mustang. He followed the guy home to see what he had in it. It was the 289 hipo. He sold his Camaro & got a Mustang. As far as I know, Roy was a Ford guy until he passed away a few years back. Every word is true. RIP Roy.❤ ps I forgot to say that '67 Chevy that Larry drag raced was the L79!
My Father-in-law traded in his 65 Impala to buy a new Caprice with factory 427 4-speed. He would drag race it on weekends. He told me a lot of times they would put him up against 427 Vettes. He said the only way he could beat them is if they missed a shift. When I asked him why he sold it, he said it only got 4 miles to the gallon and it was the family car. (4:56 rear).
I owned two chevy IIs , 6 cyl, 3 sp and a '64 SS 4sp that someone had dropped a 327/300HP in to replace the 283.
Had a couple friends that owned '66 Novas with the L79 engine. Another friend owned a '65 Impala 4sp, 409/425HP. Yes Chevrolet put 409s in '65. Enjoyed the video and look forward to seeing more.
My second car I bought when I was seventeen was a cherry 1967 Chevrolet Malibu Custom Sport Coupe. Snow White with blue interior, tinted windows, AC, 283 cubic inch V8 with two speed power glide transmission. It was five hundred bucks. It was far from the fastest car on the road, but it was beautiful and ran like a top. Yeah baby!
Awesome! Sounds like it was a beautiful ride. Thanks for the comment!
Sounds like a beautiful ride Arthur! I LOVE 66-67 CHEVELLES n EL CAMINOS/WAGONS! I got a Bolero Red on red 67 MALIBU with 43,000 original miles with that same drive line minus the AC, but it has the PDB, PS, plus it has factory buckets with RARE headrests, console, and is a blast to drive too! And yeah, when I found and bought it in 2017, it WASN'T $500 bucks though either! Lol Yeah, I remember them "later daze" at least. I am only 47 yo but I REALLY miss them old 70s 80s even 90s car prices! 😎
This was great review of a by gone era. I miss it so much
Thank you for the comment. Glad you enjoyed it!
IKR ! !
Me too, more than I can say. I feel so sorry for the kids growing up in this time period.
I miss seeing engines that weren’t covered in wires, tubes and little hoses everywhere lol. Just a block with a big round air filter on top of the carburettor, a battery and the spark plug wires lol. You could actually work on them yourself without a laptop and an IT degree lol
Don't I know it! Had a '57 Chevy. 327, Corvette heads, milled 30 thousandths of an inch, Edelbrock aluminum high rise manifold, Holley dual line double pumper carb (650 cfm, I think), open Hooker headers, Muncie 4 speed transmission, Dodge rear end (388 I think), steel u-joints. Primer gray, one seat, drivers side...LOL. Was in high school, best we could do with no "sponsor". Never street legal, towed to drag strip for "grudge nights". Some specs a little fuzzy on, so long ago, 66 now. I could change the spark plugs in 15 minutes. Got a Dodge Dakota, 4.7, need a 3 day weekend to change the plugs in that. If only I still had that beast. :(
When me and my brother's were little kids in the early 70's, mom and dad owned a 63 Chrysler New Yorker with a 413 semi Hemi in it. We would ask her to smoke the tires, and boy did she light up the tires! We grew up in a motorcycle racing family, always the need for speed! I'm 58 and remember it like it was yesterday. RIP mom, dad, and my brother's.
My first car was a 61 Chrysler Newport, my friend said it had a "semi hemi" 340? I think? Complete with pushbutton transmission. Funny thing, if you kept around 60mph it easily got over 20 mpg on the freeway, it was so heavy..
I like it. Great video. Back in the day in 1968 i had a 66 Chevelle. It was a 396 and 360HP 4 speed with 4:11 rear gear. Well, I blew it up street racing. So I bought a 427 L88 short block to build and install. With the 427 I had edelbrock high rise a 3 barrel Holley carb that was 1050 CFM, Mallory ignition. I took out the L88 cam and installed a Crower solid lifter cam. The crower cam was the biggest without pushing a valve into a pistol head. Installed Jardine headers. Unfortunately my Chevelle was stolen from my driveway at my parents house. I was just 18 years old then. My Chevelle was found 4 months later totally stripped in an alley in South Chicago. So, I bought a 64 GTO 389 engine that had a blown out rear differential. I figured out the Chevelle differential was interchangeable with the GTO. I had to cut the drive shaft down about 3 inches and get it spun balanced. But it worked just fine. This was 1968/1969. Vietnam was knocking on my door. I joined the USAF. Those were great times and memories. I was never able to get back to building another race car. I do miss it. But life goes on.
uihinion
Does anyone else actually kinda almost smell these old cars while watching these vids? Weird right? But I see the paint and rubber and just get taken back ! Senses and memories run wild
It was pretty easy to modify tires, brakes, and suspension,to make them handel and stop.What you ended up with was cheap easy to work on monsters.Ah the good ol days.
Those were the days weren't they , they just went to fast 😞😞😞
Yeah in my area there is only one fuel stop in my town that won’t make it ping, I don’t trust the additives.
yep...the good 'ole days...
when it cost near next to nothing to fill-up the car after a night of driving around
@@dopeytripod yes I would budget my weekly gas at $4.00 per 5 day week which left me with $25.00 for my weekend gas and I don't believe I ever put $25.00 in my tank on a weekend usually around $8 - $10 leaving me with extra money to impress the girlfriend with a hamburger and fries with a malt or cherry coke.
@@1979bobhd Oh yeah, what a beautiful time grow up in, those truly were the days!
My grand mother passed down her 68 Chevy II, I wish the New England weathers didn’t eat away at it and I still had but I still think the 67 ChevyII are one one of best looking Chevy’s of the time
@Michael S, the 1968 Chevrolet Chevy II was the only time that the Chevy II appeared on the 1968 to 1974 Chevrolet Nova, am I right? I thought that the Chevrolet Nova got a body redesign in 1968, thus my question.
67 and still love all muscle cars, especially those from long ago. My first like are the Chrysler Plymouth Dodge cars, but really can't go wrong with muscle of any of the "BIG THREE"!
What a coincidence, that is a pic of my 1967 Chevelle L79 convertible. I built it several years ago and absolutely love driving it. I get goose bumps ripping thru the close ratio Muncie, just as I did as a 22 year old in the same car but a hardtop.
My first new car was a ‘69 Camaro. I wish I still had it.
I will always be an old muscle car lover. Back when you could see their own individual lines from a mile away. Even the lights at night stood out on their own. Today is just cookie cutter BS.
I could not agree with you more. Back then at night at a traffic light, I could almost always tell what make/model car was behind me.
Cars were much more interesting back then. You could identify most cars by seeing only a small part of them.
It was really expensive for the factories to retool every year for the new models but that’s what people looked forward to. The new models came out in September and everyone wanted to see what they would look like.
My family would go to the Western Washington State Fair in Puyallup and I was always exited to get my first look. It was my favorite part of the Fair.
I still like those same cars but now they’re old and I go to classic car shows to look at them.
I wonder if there’ll be any this year. They were all canceled last year.
At least we have the Mustang, Camaro and Challengers that stand out today.
I still love them today I have a 74 Charger Scat Pack and a 2 door 68 Dart with the leaning tower of power in it, great for a grocery getter.
I love the 60s model Chevys. I have a 63 SS 4 Speed Impala and a 65 Convertable Impala with the 283 and 2 Speed Powerglide.
Fork it over!!!
This was GREAT! I loved the "E-ticket" reference. This was a great trip down memory lane. Thank you!
Thank you so much for the comment! Glad you enjoyed the vid :)
Well I had a FORD 427 and I didn't back out any race in 1963. I beat all kinds of cars and motorcycles for 1/4 mile. Lot of fun for sure.
I had an R code 427 Ford.
Had a '67 Nova with the 283 under the hood when I was in college 1976. Kicking myself for letting her go decades ago. Mid-60s Chevys were the most intriguing cars and easy to work on.
I built a 1966 Chevy 2 post L79 clone in 1999. Last time I had it on the dyno it was putting out 390hp. 3.73 12 bolt with Muncie 4 spd. It taught many big blocks a lesson on Sat. nights. I owned it for 18 yrs.
Brian Veitenheimer - Those clones are certainly very worthy projects especially with added current technology tweaks.
I enjoyed the video very much. Thank you. I own a 64 Chevelle Malibu SS and love these stories about old sleepers. 🏁
Well done! I owned a 64 Nova SS with a 283! Loved that car! 😎
I wish you still had it
In 85, I worked at an alignment and repair shop. An older lady called me to come pick up her car because it was too fast for her to drive… it was a 64 ish chevelle with a 396. I wanted that car. Such a sleeper car…
I'd rather spend big dollars on cars like this than any modern supercar
Unquestionably modern cars have far superior performance, but after five years 60% of your big dollars are gone. Besides that classic cars are just cooler.
I'd just buy the cheapest 4 or 6 banger 1962 Chevy II I could find today and drop a SBC 400 and 4 - 6 speed manual into it... along with suspension mods, disc brakes, 8.8" rear end...
@@BuzzLOLOL - Hahaha,,,,,, it never ends,,,,,, and thennnnn, and thennnnnn. It’s so bloody much fun!!! I have a 67 Chevy C10 short box. It has the bench seat I have always liked with the vinyl cover with all the scrollwork. Now I finally broke down and am waiting on my new Bucket seats and console as well as new seat belts!!! It never endssss. The guy that bought my seat (nothing on this truck is numbers matching) showed up he offered me another $50 just because the frame looked new,,,,,,. I told him it was new about a year ago. If I get a deal, I pass it on!!
@Alias SmithandJones, et al, why can we not love them both?
@@davidsimmons1105 , I wonder why a person cannot reproduce a V16 engine from an old World War II fighter airplane like the Thunderbolt and convert it to street use? Would it not be sick to make a Dodge/Chrysler Viper clone that had a heavily modified version of one of those engines under the hood? Let me tell you how powerful that engine is in comparison to what is offered to today. The V16 engine that powered the Thunderbolt, in its stock form, had, at the very least, 2,500 horsepower...modify it with enough modern technology and you could easily double those numbers, and in comparison, the fastest 16 cylinder powered engine, the W16 that is in the 2020 Bugatti Chiron Super Sport 300+, only goes to 1,578 horsepower...not that it is a slouch by any means, it certainly is not, but it is also not as big or as powerful as that aircraft engine. Also, from what I know of the Thunderbolt engine, it has a maximum speed, at least in the air, of 500 mph, whereas the engine that powers the Bugatti Chiron Super Sport 300+ only goes 304 mph. Now, granted, the aircraft engine will most likely be unable to go 500 mph on land, but having it go at least 400 mph is certainly achievable, given the right conditions, of course, and it might also break the sound barrier if given enough modifications, as well as the right frame to run on, though.
Even an old Mustang fanatic like me can enjoy a cool vid like this one showcasing some of Chevy’s sleepers from the 60s ! My personal preference was always the late 60s/early 70s Chevelle’s, but that 327 Chevy II was WAY cool 😎
In the mid-eighties I could have bought a 69 fastback, 429 Cobra jet 2, " driver" level but very clean, for 25k, and could have bought it! Everyone wanted a Boss, I knew these would be valuable one day too, would have bought it as investment, had house, garage, everything. Ended up buying a 69Camaro SS, 350/350 LT1 Vette motor about 10 years later, but never got around to restoring it. Kept it a running car though, louder than f**k that car...
Ah the Chevy II. Also known as a Nova in later years. It shared the same architecture of the Camaro.
I saw a 20 year old gearhead actually break down in tears when his RT440 was beaten by a 66 Chevy II smallblock.
My brother bought a used Chevy 11 ss and we would go to the drag strip. Nobody could beat him. I got to ride shotgun.
Add be in tears to because that's the funniest bullshit i ever heard my life
Those cars were a beast weren't they , a bud of mine had a 67 Nova with a trick out Nickey Chevrolet 327 in it , man that thing was fast !!!
What's with all you old gear heads out there with your reply section turned off ,let's talk drag racing ?????
👍👍👍 Classic!
0:10 the lady in the car commercial is none other Elizabeth Montgomery, sitcom star of Bewitched which ran from 1964 to 1972!
That's cool thanks
Right! I saw that! Her handbag and everything!
thought so
I can confirm. It is indeed Elizabeth Montgomery.
She was a beautiful lady.
I had a 67 Chevy ll (deuce) in Mars red custom paint as a teenager around 1982. People driving corvettes would turn their heads to see it. Sold it after a few years do to people constantly breaking into it.
I had one just like that, the Blonde that is.
My former neighbor had one, stripped 67 Nova, 327 4 bbl. 4 spd. posi. Maroon with a gold bench seat interior. Fast as heck. He ordered it brand new. It's long gone now.
Great video. I used to own a 73 Nova back in High School, but always wanted that Chevy II my buddies had. The one they talked about but never laid eyes on was that sleeper.
I had the 73 hatchback. Solid Alabama car. No rust. Rallies. 1500 bucks. Had her for 27 yrs.
Couple hundred dollars in parts in that '73 350" could bump the HP way up...
Every one I knew where I lived at in HS in the mid 70's the NOVA & MY FAVORITE THE CHEVY DUECE WAS THE COOLEST LOOKING TRICKED OUT
As soon as you saw one of those Chevy's with 'dog dish' hub caps pull up next to you at a light, you knew to just let him go; you never had a chance against one.
I laugh in Mopar Hellephant engine.
unless you were on an H2 750 or KZ1000, then you could give him 10 car lengths and fly passed him in a wheel stand.
Unless you were driving a 64 Galaxie 500 XL with a 427 spd. and a 4.11 gear rearend with a locker. Then he had no chance
A L72 was first rated @450jp
A 427 Sideoiler had no chance.
@@MasterWitchDoctor more like blke lengths, I had a 69 500 kawi fun bike still alive at 77 lucky
My Dad had a 1945 Plymouth, a 1964 Mercury Comet, and a 1965 Chevy Impala in 1968. I was 8. My Mom drove us kids around in the Plymouth. Mom loved that old car. Build like a tank. No power steering. I still remember Mom wrestling that big wooden steering wheel on turns. The Comet was my favorite. Two tone. White and brown. Fins and round tails lights. It may not have been a muscle car, but, man, was she cool to look at.
My Dad gave me his 1960 - 6 - 3 speedy on the Column, and I took the Motor out and put in a 327 and street Racer at First Avenue in NYC, back in the Sevent's. 🙂
Grew up in a sleeper. The 1965 Buick Skylark GS. 400 c.i. engine mated to the turbo 300 auto trans. The car regularly blew off chevelles and gto's. The car that finally shut it down was the mopar 426 hemis.
I had a 62 Nova hardtop that came with the "194 cu in.6 cylinder"". I put a built " 327" similar to the "L79" option in the car. Oh man did it fly! I could dust off any "GTO"or " SS 396" Chevelles. Also a few Corvettes + Mustangs as well.Those were the days my friend, we thought they'd never end!
I've always preferred the look of the most basic bare-bones sedan model of any car. Police cars, taxis & granny cars looked better to me than the flagships with all the added chrome. I thought I was backwards.
I'm with you on that as well. Something of an honesty in those base models without all the frippery.
My friend had a dodge, police interceptor, I think it was a Coronet? But IDK? Super fast, and he could drive like a Stunt driver..❤️🙏👉🇺🇸👍
THESE ARE GREAT DONT STOP!!
Thank you for watching and the encouraging comment!
Watched a Chevy II SS come up in Autotrader last year. Everything I've always wanted in a Chevy II. 283, 4spd, power steering and brakes. Bad @$$ little screamer. If only😭
SGTJDerek, My 66 Chevy II Nova SS had the 283 4 speed single exhaust with no power steering or brakes. The only thing bad about that car was the single leaf spring meant you had to take off in 2nd when drag racing. It still beat a lot of Mustangs. It had the 4 barrel but I didn't find out till later the back 2 barrels were rusted shut. So I actually had a 2 barrel. lol
That red Nova is stunning!
The 65 Chevelle 300 w/L79 was a surprise! Would have been my choice even over the Nova due to it's frame!
They also made this in a two-door wagon.
Hell yeah! Mid size GM muscle! TRI-5s and Chevelles/El Caminos/Wagons ALL day n EVERY day for THIS guy! I just always have preferd the styling too I guess OVER the Novas, Camaros OR full size but, I DO love those cars as well. ANY pre 87 GM car or truck is fine with me FTM...😏
@@jamescon55 , the 1994-1996 Chevrolet Impala SS, 2009 Chevrolet Impala SS, 2010-present Chevrolet Camaro, 2004 Chevrolet Silverado 1500 SS, 2014 Chevrolet SS, 2003 Chevrolet SSR SS, 2008 Chevrolet HHR SS, 2008 Chevrolet TrailBlazer SS, 2004-1009 Saab 9-7 Aero X, GMC Yukon, Cadillac Escalade, Chevrolet Tahoe, 1988-2002 Chevrolet Camaro, 1988-2002 Pontiac Firebird, 1988-2002 Pontiac Trans Am, 2004-2008 Pontiac GTO, 2004-2008 Pontiac Grand Prix GXP, Vauxhall Firenza, 2009 Pontiac G8, Chevrolet (South Africa) Firenza Can Am, Chevrolet (South Africa/Middle East) Lumina SS, any HSV vehicle from Holden, 2007-2017 Vauxhall VXR8, the Opel Kadett, the Opel Diplomat, Opel Manta GT, and the Buick GT by Opel/Opel GT: "Are we all jokes to you?"
I had a red 64 Impala SS. What a car that was!
SUPER COOL 😎
I’m probably going to watch this video dozens more. My grandfather had 1966 Chevy 2, two door with the posts, six cylinder, auto. Color gold.
Yeah, those were the days of the unsuspecting muscle car. My idea of a one of a kind car would be a '69 Chevy Caprice 2 door hardtop, loaded up, with a Corvette 400hp 427 tri-carb engine!! Who would mess with that??
James: I believe the 427 tri-power Vette had 435 HP. (and I would mess with it all day, and win, with my '99 Vette.
I had a 1964 Chevy Impala SS with a 327 4 speed. I bought it in 1970 for $900.00. It was stolen and wrecked in 71. It is still my all time favorite car. My neighbor had a Chevy II back then but it fishtailed bad.
Great history lesson! Sincere thanks!
Wow. That was great video. 👍 Super informative. Beautiful machines.
Nothing like watching a pair of Factory Show room stock identical L-79 Corvette's and a pair of identical L-79 Chevy II's all of them being Blue in color drag racing the 1/4 mile . Stock red line factory tires and neither driver racing each other giving up until they crossed the finish line . The craziest door to door racer's all over the track but never crossed into each others lanes . Needless to say they were all buying new tires come Monday morning . I talked to each of the guys and they had just bought the cars and it was their first time to drag race . My buddy had a 365 HP 327 Corvette Coupe that really knew how to race and tried to get one of the guys to let him take him down the track and show him how to correctly make a pass but the guy wouldn't do it . Too bad as he would have won every race once he did . Hell of a day of drag racing in Carlisle , Arkansas . Awesome cars featured in video .
That was awesome. Thanks for the memories. 🐶🐶
great video, beautiful cars! Thanks Pilgrim
In 1972 I bought a 1965 SS impala off a car dealership for 1295,00 , (which was about the going rate ) it came with the 396/375 The fender badges said 396 turbo jet . It had a 3 speed automatic , all I did was put a 410 gear in to replace the factory 263 , and a set of appliance headers , and it ran extremely strong , pass everything but a gas station , I wish I still had it ☹️
Sweet ride! Love those hardtops. :)
Probably my biggest mistake then was passing on a '66 427 Impala SS for $600 in the summer of '72. Still kick myself for that one. I was looking for a replacement for my '60 Chevy. I also looked at a '69 Chevelle SS 396 the dealer wanted $2000 for. We just couldn't get together on price. (2K was a little high I thought)
I ended up with a brand new 307 3 speed Nova Coupe which fortunately I still have. Paid $2500 for it.
I'd love to see any of those Biscaynes square off against Jay Leno's '66 Hemi Coronet. Always been more of a Mopar fan, but these Chevrolets, especially the full-size models, are amazing.
An old friend of mine built that 66 Coronet and sold it to Leno. Cool car!
It looks like an Impala. Is it the same?
Cool stuff, my dad owned a 1965 impala ss, 396, turbo 400, dark blue with light blue interior. I own a 1990 ZR-1 now and it's a great car, but I miss my 1968 firebird, 468c.i BBC, 4 speed. I still have a 1972 455H.O Pontiac engine, still has the 7f6 heads on it. I miss those days, today's hydraulic clutches suck, give me a muncie m22 with a 11 inch clutch. Thanks for posting. 👍👍🏁🏁
You put a BBC in a Pontiac - blasphemy! lol
I had one to but mine was blue with white interior.
Ever since I learned what Bill “Grumpy” Jenkins did with the ‘66 Nova as a drag car, I’ve looked at the 66-67 327 option Chevy II as a car I would love to have. That body style is as 1960’s and plain as it gets, but I love the lines. So I guess I agree with Ficus Wizard below and your answer to his comment.
I had a 66 Chevy II but I loved the 67 fastback. For a cheap car they looked really good.
In the spring of 1964 I owned a 1959 Impala with the stock 250 horse, 348 engine and Turbo glide. Over that summer, the 59's 348 engine was rebuilt from the parts of a wrecked 1961 Impala's 348, 350 horse engine. Jahn"s 11.25 pistons and rods, 409 oil pump, dual valve spring heads, solid lifter cam with tri -power intake, dual point distributor, Bog Warner 4 speed with bench seat T handle shifter, and the 3.70 positraction from the wrecked 61, completed the 59's 348 engine. Many early muscle cars were fooled by that W engine, only the lumpy exhaust at idle and the 4 speeds whine, gave the car away. What an absolute sleeper this 59's Impala was in the day, if only I could have it back.
looks like a big OPEL , i love it. Sleeper 100%
This may do little to quell your regrets but, from my perspective, atleast you had the experience and pleasures associated with owning these beauties!
I think the 350hp ChevyII was the unsung ultimate sleeper, so under realised in its day
And once it became the Nova and got the BIG BLOCK V8 options it was lights out for the competition.
I had a 66 Chevy II with a 327 4 speed, it would run 12.97 in the 1/4 mile
Thanks for the video!
Very well done video.... I enjoyed it! thanks for sharing!
Thank you for checking out the video and great comment; really appreciate it!
Gee, I own my grandmother's 66 Chevelle 300 two door sedan now. I stuffed a .040" over 427 big block and Muncie M-20 4 speed into it. Looks fairly tame but it now has over 400 hp under that hood.
That’s awesome brother, give us some pictures to drool over 👌
The nineteen sixties were a different time in automobiles. This was before the 1970,s when the early emission controls started to rob engines of power. Also the 1960's were a time when a number of cars were available with multiple engine options going all the way from a low powered six cylinder all the way to a big block V8 engine. This was also true of Ford Cars and Chrysler Cars.
They had 6 cylinders and V-8s in the 30s tec improves over time, the power achieved from a V-8 now puts the 60s to shame.
Yeah but today's high performance factory cars can't be ordered with a BIG BLOCK V8, or a 4 Speed Gearbox. So another 2 wins for the 60's and early 70's
You can’t shift the gearboxes today like you could that Muncie. They didn’t call it a rock crusher for nothing.
@@55bamafan the M-22 was indestructible. 18yrs. Old, 70 Camaro SS, I beat the s**t outa that thing! Never broke! Imagine how many shifts I missed, 1st stick, too!
I bought a 1960 Chevy 2 Door Hard top with a high performance 348 cube engine, 4 speed trans, four barrel Daytona carb and a flat lobe Duntof (sp?)cam with solid lifters. No positive traction rear end so I had to "lock it up" by welding all the gears together. Most amazing part of this story....I rolled this car off the showroom floor new for $3300.00. Unfortunately, I had it stolen twice in ten months with it ending up in a back alley in Chicago....stripped and burned!!
I miss my 1969 Nova 396 cu in 375 HP . Straight from factory . handled great sleeper no chrome , the only give away was the hood louvers , SS at the back under
the trunk key. SS at the side of each front fender. & the RUMBLE from the cam ! Came with a tach( didn 't like it) installed a Sun tach in plain sight !!! 4 speed on the floor narrow gates
Best Goddamn Sleeper Low Keyed Chevy's they Built in the 60's.
I was born in '67, but as I got older really started to appreciate cars like this! I've owned 4 different Montes and would LOVE to own another. My first was a '74 (SS), but of course didn't have the "badges", but had swivel captain's chairs and a floor shifter...MAN I miss that car, the other's were 2 '70's, one I drove, the other was for parts. The 4th one was a '76 the next to last year of the "boat" body style. What fun cars they all were!
I had a 69 Biscayne with a 427 interceptor package in it my senior year in high school. (1975). It was beast.
All of those cars could pass anything on the highway, except a gas station!
Very cool, really enjoyed!! 👌👌👌
Love the lesson thanks for that, that was radical
I drove '65's for years. LOVED the 283...the last one I had was turquoise SS Impala with white interior. GOD! I rebuilt the engine with a 327 manifold and stuck a 4 barrel Holley on top of it.....could pass anything except a gas station. Gorgeous car! Those were the days....we're paying for them now
This is a great throw-back video. The narrator has a radio voice.
I'm not a Chevy guy but a 66 L72 Biscayne is probably my favorite car that Chevy ever made besides a 69 Camaro ZL-1. That black 66 is just sinister looking with the black steelies and dog dish caps. A no frills, all business drag racing machine. Looks like a moonshiner's car. Before 1970 if you wanted the hottest Chevy big block bigger than 396 cubic inches then you had to buy either a Corvette or a full size car unless you ordered a 427 COPO Camaro or Chevelle(1969 only). But only a handful of dealers even knew about the COPO loophole. In 1967-68 Yenko Chevrolet offered a 427 Camaro but Yenko had to pull the factory 396 and install the 427 himself. In 1969 only they were shipped to Yenko with the 427 already installed and he just added the graphics and aftermarket wheels
Q I'm
Great show good job
My best friend has a 1955 Business Coupe with a 292 V8 Small Block manuel 4 speed..manuel brakes..manuel steering..cranking out 300+ modified horses
That was beautiful all those cars were beautiful
Great video. I knew none of this. Oh to have a time machine..lol. I do remember seeing the commercial with Elizabeth Montgomery however. Bewitched was one of my favorite shows when I was a kid. Thanks for the video. Subscribed and hit the bell, and the like button, of course.
Very beautiful amazing car
The sleeper Nova is a scary beast...I'd bet that a good number of them didn't survive long enough to rust!
As I recall, the 327 4 speed Chevy II was something to not screw with in the mid 70s. And yes, we killed many of them. You know, sideways thru first, sideways thru second, hook up halfway thru third and hit something immovable off in a field or in another lane.
I’m 73 years old and know these cars when they were new. I aldo built and raced many Chevy’s. Became a Corvette fanatic, my firstone being a 63 Rio Red convertible with a 327/340. Fast and independent suspension. That’s why it’s America’s first true sports car. Also had 2 427’s as well. The 327 was my favorite though.
How I love the cars of the 60s, Biscayne had the best lines IMO. Long live GM
I still have a 59 Biscayne Love the lines!!!
Chevy was my favorite car in the late 50s 60s and early 70s. I was not old enuff to drive. By driving age I went with Mopar and Ford. The first car I bought used was a 69' Ply Road Runner in the early mid 70s after H.S. Got my first Chevy ever in 2011 as a Camaro. Current ride is another Chevy ...17 Super Sport 6 speed camaro. And yeh its bad ass!
My father special ordered a dual quad, 4 speed, posi, 409 Biscayne in 1961. Wonder how rare that is today? Shame he doesn't still have it.
As last of baby boomers born in '64, these Chevy's were some of my first visual recollections as a young child.
Owned a ‘67 Chevelle SS 396 back in the days before gas was $1/gallon.
Great video, awesome cars. I was a teenager mid-60’s. This guy I worked with at a Chevron station had (i forget which year model 65-67) Chevy Biscayne. Don’t know what the actual name of the color was, but it was really red/black bench seat interior, with a 427/4 speed. Super sleeper. Very plain until you lit it up.
Love that combo of colors on the Biscayne. So sinister.... Thanks for the comment!
they would pull hard, but just spun with street tires. They didn't have much of a cam and hydraulic lifters, low rpm.
@Craig T, as I said in another comment, everyone sleeps on the Chevrolet Biscayne and, to be honest, one can also argue that it is the best kept secret in the muscle car world.
@@MagnaLume 409 underated motor..
I have a clone of one of these cars. It's a '66 Biscayne wagon with a 390HP 427 I added in 1977. It's a plain jane for sure and I had a lot of fun on the streets (and strip) when younger. I could tell stories for hours...........
The only '66 Wagons I've seen with factory 427's were both Caprice versions. Over the years, I remember a few Impala wagons with the 396 (one was one of my donor cars) I have no idea how many Biscayne, Bel Air or Impala wagons might have been ordered with the 427 much less the 425HP option.
One of my brother in laws Dad had a Used Car business. He came up to take for a drive in a 66 wagond with the 427. I had no idea about the engine till he stepped on it. I was in collegein the early 70's and several of my faternity friends started rolling up in these big block older Chevy's. The was an old community next to the Uni I was at, and all the old people of about the same age had these cars for sale as they were selling their property and/or moving away. There must have been a 'keep up the Jones moment' years before; there were 1/2 dozen big v8's bought and drove around.
Super early 65 Biscaynes were available with 409 engines, not just MK IV big blocks. Found one in Ft Worth, Tx. It was ordered for NHRA class racing.
YOUR RIGHT ABOUT THE 409 BUT IT WAS ONLY THE 400HP ONE. I SAW ONE WHEN THEY WERE BRAND NEW .
As a teenager in the early 70s, you could get any of these cars for next to nothing, you could buy a used Chevelle for $150 to $500 with a small block and the big blocks went for $500 to $1,000, tore up a lot of these cars back then, although we sure had a lot of fun
YEP.....I remember them days & there were pages of 'em, not just 1 or 2
Just rolled through our little town by the used car lots, even in the 80’s there were boat loads of ss chevys sitting under the cheap awnings that are still there today. They’re keeping the sun off little Toyota’s and Honda’s.
H3LL yeah! I had about 30 different muscle cars. Moved to FL in 87 & they were all over real cheap at "Buy here pay here" for $50 - $75 a wk!
I moved back to small town 50 miles North of Detroit in 98 & people wanted 3k for what used to be a winter rammer/ $75 or 100.
and 10 years later when i was a teen you couldnt get one with a fist full of 100 dollar bills. didnt bother me cause i was into small cars that cornered great on windy back roads. none of my friends could keep up with my 4 speed chevette in their big muscle cars
My dad bought several small block Chevy's, 350 LT1's, and 327-365 HP in the 70's from wrecked corvettes and Camaros and put them in fiberglass bodied jeeps. Incredibly fast and scary!