Vehicle sighting - 1964 Chevy Bel Air

Status
Not open for further replies.
Joined
Jul 7, 2014
Messages
5,130
Location
Winnipeg MB CA
Saw this beauty yesterday, in front of the garage where the '60 Impala was a couple of months ago. The complex blue and green paint job is obviously not from the factory, but looks great in real life. I wish the hood had been up - I think there's a good chance the car came equipped with an inline-6, and wonder whether the six has been replaced by a 350. The column-mounted shifter is a classic PRNDL, indicating a 2-speed Powerglide way back when.

IMG_8365 - Copy.JPG


IMG_8366 - Copy.JPG


IMG_8368 - Copy.JPG
 
I had two of them straight 6 with 3 on the tree and another with a 283 3 on the tree, they were not that pretty though. Thanks for posting the pic, brings back memories.
 
To bad it's not a 2 door. Not sure why GM made the Bel Air and the Impala almost identical.
 
Originally Posted by Trav
I had two of them straight 6 with 3 on the tree and another with a 283 3 on the tree, they were not that pretty though. Thanks for posting the pic, brings back memories.


My first car was a 1963 Impala (three taillights, not two) - 230 cube straight 6, 3-on-the-tree with Overdrive.

Black with red interior... not as nice as this!
 
Originally Posted by Linctex
Originally Posted by Trav
I had two of them straight 6 with 3 on the tree and another with a 283 3 on the tree, they were not that pretty though. Thanks for posting the pic, brings back memories.


My first car was a 1963 Impala (three taillights, not two) - 230 cube straight 6, 3-on-the-tree with Overdrive.

Black with red interior... not as nice as this!
And my first was an old battered rusty '63 Biscayne wagon, 6-banger with a 3 on the tree. Dad tried to trade it in when he bought the '67 Chrysler Newport in '72 but they wouldn't give him anything for it. It sat for almost two years until I was driving. These cars were undervalued at the time. They were just old tired workhorses in the '70s.

Originally Posted by andyd
Nice pictures Thanx! I hope it has the 230 6. Way too many great cars and trucks ruined by an SBC
Agreed, I like it when they're kept original. Did see a '67 Biscayne a couple of years ago - it was an unrestored survivor. Talked with the owner and was amazed to see the inline=6 when he opened the hood for me.
 
My first car in 1980 was a 66 Impala, 283 power glide. Great reliable car, lots of high school era memories with that car. Wish I still had it.
 
The powerglide on my 1957 Chevy was PNDLR, not PRNDL. Are you sure it was PRNDL on this car?

Back then they put Low and Reverse next to each other so you could rock a car out of a mired situation.
 
Originally Posted by Kestas
The powerglide on my 1957 Chevy was PNDLR, not PRNDL. Are you sure it was PRNDL on this car?
Back then they put Low and Reverse next to each other so you could rock a car out of a mired situation.
Chevy changed the shift pattern in 1958 due to safety concerns.
 
Last edited:
Originally Posted by Snagglefoot
My buddy had two in a row with a 283, 3 on-the-tree. We'd go 80 miles per hour in 2nd gear before shifting into 3rd.
laugh.gif


That was about the same gearing my '68 Impala SS 327/300 HP convertible had with its' Turbo 400-55 in 1st, probably 85 in 2nd, I never was brave enough ti top it out in 3rd (broken top frame, flapped at high speed when up).
 
Somewhere in the mid 70's think, I bought a real beater 63 4 door with 6 cyl and 3 on the tree. Had terrible piston slap, but the bottom end was tight. Burned a LOT of oil. Got the rings unstuck, and it got to where it would go 500 miles on a quart. Drove it to work, and used it for my service car. Had a push bumper on it. I drove it 5 miles to work and back every day, and chased parts etc. Drove it 10 years like that. Great old car, and SOOO easy to work on.
 
Originally Posted by Jarlaxle
Ah, the Powerglide. Suddenly, it's 1955!
My newest car with a Powerglide was a '71 Biscayne (with a 250). I coveted a mighty 3-speed TurboHydramatic. In those days, 10-speeds were road bikes, not automatic transmissions!

Originally Posted by old1
Somewhere in the mid 70's think, I bought a real beater 63 4 door with 6 cyl and 3 on the tree. Had terrible piston slap, but the bottom end was tight. Burned a LOT of oil. Got the rings unstuck, and it got to where it would go 500 miles on a quart. Drove it to work, and used it for my service car. Had a push bumper on it. I drove it 5 miles to work and back every day, and chased parts etc. Drove it 10 years like that. Great old car, and SOOO easy to work on.
I would have been over the moon if my '68 Impala (with a tired old 307) had ever gotten more than 250 miles on a quart of oil.
 
Originally Posted by Warstud
To bad it's not a 2 door. Not sure why GM made the Bel Air and the Impala almost identical.

They're different trim lines. A Biscayne looks just like a Bel Air which has more trim and standard features and both look just like an Impala which has all of what the Biscayne and Bel Air have but better trim and upholstery and more standard equipment.

Big difference between Impala and Bel Air. Biscayne for fleets, Bel Air for the frugal, Impala for the mainstream and sort of deep pockets, all full size Chevrolets.

If you wanted a Chevy that wasn't "just like" an Impala in 64 there were Corvair, Chevy II, Malibu and Corvette.

A buyer might have had aspirations to own a fully loaded Impala, but in reality could only afford a Bel Air. The Impala got the mark into the show room.

It's called marketing.
 
Last edited:
Status
Not open for further replies.
Back
Top