1964 Chevrolet Impala SS

Chevrolet's 1964 Impala SS was a significant car but it earned its place in history more for what it ushered out, rather than any breakthroughs it ushered in.

When the all-new Impala was introduced in 1958, Chevrolet's biggest, most powerful engines were exclusive to its full-size cars. But 1964 brought the onslaught of big-block-powered intermediates and ponies, leading to an era when Detroit's longest automobiles emphasized luxury over quarter-mile E.T.s.

On the subject of Chevrolet's biggest, most powerful engines: The 409 was poised to ride off into the sunset in 1965 to make way for the Mark IV big-block's takeover. The 1964 model year turned out to be the last hurrah of the baddest regular-production W engine: the thundering dual-four-barrel 425-hp 409.

The '64 Impala was also a bookend for Chevrolet's X-frame-based chassis, a design that seemed to emphasize low-riding style over handling and safety. The division's 1965 full-size cars rode on more conventional perimeter frames.

The 300-hp 327 was the most powerful small-block offered on regular-production 1964 Impalas. A performance camshaft with solid lifters and a 2.5-inch exhaust helped boost it above the 250-hp version.

Finally, as it was the last of the series, the '64 rolled into the model year with just some cosmetic updates as Chevrolet had been devoting its resources to the radically redesigned 1965 Impala.

Today, a '64 Impala SS makes a rewarding collectible for several reasons. Prices for early-to-mid 1960s Chevrolet hardtops have remained flat on average over the last decade--for all but the most desirable versions in concours condition--so getting into one today doesn't have to break your budget. (The possible exception being 409-powered, four-speed cars and, of course, convertibles.) Well-cared for 1964 Impalas with Super Sport trim are plentiful because they've long been considered collectible, but if you're in the market for a fixer upper, the parts supply for '64s is excellent, and the fan base for these cars is enormous.

While Chevrolet's full-size X-frame cars were never known for their corner-carving ability, when everything is in order, they negotiate modern traffic just fine. When upfitted with the myriad aftermarket steering, braking and suspension components available, X-frame cars can learn to move like Chevrolets half their age.

There's plenty to like about the 1964 Impala SS and seemingly no bad time to wade into the market. Here's some information to get you started.

ENGINE

Yes, Super Sports were available with the 140-hp Turbo-Thrift 230 six, but you're far more likely to find one today with a small block--even if it didn't come that way from the factory. Incidentally, the VIN of a '64 can reveal whether it's an SS V-8 or SS six-cylinder: Look for "13" as the second two digits of a six-cylinder SS; "14" for a V-8 SS. Differentiating between an original SS built with a small-block or a 409 can be trickier.

The base V-8 was the 195-hp Turbo-Fire 283 with a two-barrel carburetor. From there, buyers could upgrade to the 250-hp Turbo-Fire 327 with hydraulic lifters and a four barrel; the 300-hp 327 with mechanical lifters and a four barrel; the 340-hp 409 with a four barrel and hydraulic lifters; the 400-hp 409 with solid lifters and an aluminum intake or the 425-hp 409, which was more or less a 400-hp engine outfitted with dual Carter AFBs.

As you move up the engine food chain, prices rise dramatically. Not only is a big-block car more valuable than a small-block car, but the prices of 409 parts tend to run higher than small-block parts as well. A nice, original air box for a two-barrel 283 for instance might be found for around $100, while a nice original dual-four-barrel 409 air box can set you back 30 times that amount. There is some interchangeability between the small-block and the first-generation big-block, primarily among accessories: fuel pumps, oil pumps, starters, the bits inside the distributor but not the distributor itself, for instance. So most items you'll need to keep your Impala running are available through the local auto parts store. Of course, there are literally dozens of specialty vendors who can supply everything you'll ever need.

What to watch for: Engine swaps: It's easy to install a 409 in a 1964 Impala SS and can be difficult to prove that the engine isn't original. The pads on later high-performance engines (the rule of thumb is 300-hp and above) were often stamped with the car's partial VIN as well as a transmission code, but that can be duplicated, or conversely, the stamping could've been removed during a rebuild. Block casting numbers can help, as can casting dates. Also, later 409s had a fuel return line and used 3⁄8-inch fuel line routed to keep it away from dual exhaust. Small-block cars didn't have the return line, but high-performance 327 cars did have 3⁄8-inch line. Documentation is key to determining a car's value.

TRANSMISSION

The 230 six and the 283 V-8 were both available with the buyer's choice of a three-speed manual, a three-speed manual with optional two-speed planetary overdrive or a Powerglide two-speed automatic. Four-speed transmissions were not available on the two base engines.

Moving up to the 327 made a Muncie four-speed available as an option over the three-speed manual. The Powerglide was optional as well, but the three-speed manual with overdrive wasn't available with a 327 or a 409. The base 340-hp 409 was available only with a four-speed or the Powerglide while the 400-hp and 425-hp 409s were sold only with four-speed manual transmissions. Buyers of the most powerful 409s could order either a wide-ratio four speed with a 2.56:1 first gear (M20) or a close-ratio box with a 2.20:1 first gear (M21). All 327s and the 340-hp 409 were sold with the wide-ratio box.

What to watch for: The basic stuff. Manual transmissions that pop out of gear when you let off the accelerator, noisy throw-out bearings, grinding when going into gear or shifting. Incorrect transmissions might've been substituted over the years or automatics converted to four-speeds.

CHASSIS

The 1958-'64 X-frame placed the main frame support in the center of the Impala allowing the body to be dropped low to the ground. The design also required a two-piece driveshaft that passed through the center of the X and connected via a carrier bearing. Frame rust isn't typically an issue in the front and middle portions of the frame but can be in the rear rails surrounding the trunk floor.

These cars rode on coil springs at all four corners. The front used typical upper and lower stamped steel A-arms with ball joints and spindles. Power-assisted steering was available and used a conventional manual box with a hydraulic ram that pushed and pulled on the steering linkage.

The rear springs ride on beam-type lower control arms that pivot on brackets mounted outboard of the frame on one end and welded to the bottoms of the axle tubes on the other. There is a single upper control arm on the right side to help keep the axle from rotating and a diagonally mounted Panhard rod in the rear to locate the axle laterally.

The rear axle uses a drop-in carrier installed in the front of the housing. Limited-slip was available and factory third members with Positraction have a large letter "P" cast into the outside of the carrier.

Brakes were 11-inch drums at all corners with vacuum power assist available and a one-circuit master cylinder.

Parts are widely available for the steering, suspension and braking systems of X-frame Chevrolets. If factory-style replacement or reconditioned parts don't suit your plans for your car, there are dozens of aftermarket upgrades available.

What to watch for: Worn-out front and rear control-arm bushings, a carrier bearing and U-joints that are past prime, leaking power steering rams and loose steering joints can all add up to an Impala that's a chore to drive.

BODY & INTERIOR

By 1964 the Impala had sobered up from that wild party in 1959 that brought out the Dagmars, cat's-eye taillights, bat-wing fins and aircraft canopy shaped cockpits. The last of the X-frame Impalas avoided looking trendy, but the body panels were crisply creased and fashionable, like one of Don Draper's suits. Construction was fairly typical for a body-on-frame automobile: steel cowl, roof, underbody and rear quarters welded together to form a solid shell with bolt-on fenders, hood, doors and decklid.

Air could enter through vents at the base of the windshield and was channeled through the cowl and rocker panels. Unfortunately, once the vents and drains in the rockers were plugged with debris, moisture would rot the panels from the inside out. Common rust areas on these cars include the lower portions of the front fenders, the leading edge of the hood, door bottoms, rocker panels, quarter panels around the wheelhouses and, the lower portions of the trunk floor as well as the foot wells inside the cabin.

Replacement body panels for some of the earlier X-frame cars can be a challenge to locate, but the aftermarket has really stepped up to support the (similarly shaped) 1963-'64 cars with reproduction fenders, hoods, doors, quarter panels and floors.

Impala SS interiors featured thick foam buckets, deep-twist carpet, soft expanded vinyl-upholstered seats and door panels, bright trimmed center consoles with floor shifts for four-speed or Powerglide, as well as unique SS trim, courtesy lights and the buyer's choice of eight colors.

Excellent-quality interior kits are available as are a wide variety of interior accessories and trim, as well as carpet kits.

What to watch for: Super Sport trim on a non-SS car. Rust in the lower portions of the body and trunk.

ENGINE

There were seven engines available for the Impala SS. You won't find many around with six cylinders these days, but the rarity of an SS with an inline engine doesn't make it valuable. Cars with 409s on average bring the big money.

BRAKES

Stock drums with a one-pot master cylinder are okay for AACA shows, but upgrading to a dual-chamber master is easy and safer. Power disc brake kits are plentiful and many bolt up in an afternoon.

TRANSMISSION

Odds are if you're shopping for a 1964 Impala SS and reading HMM, you want a four-speed. Aluminum-case Muncies were used in these cars, not Borg-Warner T-10s, as in earlier Impalas. If you like automatics, but not Powerglides, there are many options for upgrading to a Turbo-Hydramatic.

INTERIOR

There's no reason to drive one of these cars around with a shabby-looking cockpit. Practically everything you need to make the living quarters of your '64 Impala SS like new is being reproduced today.

CHASSIS

X-frame cars had a floaty ride with plenty of body roll, but when everything is up to snuff, they really aren't bad to drive. Power steering kits with modern boxes are a nice upgrade on drivers. Springs of all weights and heights, shocks as well as anti-roll bars are all available.

BODY

These cars rusted in all of the typical locations--fender and door bottoms, rockers, rear wheelhouses--but the availability of aftermarket (and rust-free original in dry parts of the country) body panels for 1964 Impalas is excellent.

The 1964 Impala was the last hurrah for Chevrolet's X-frame cars. For '64, Super Sport became its own series. Outside, there were SS emblems on the quarters and wheel covers, but only the 409 got an engine callout above the flag logo. This car is powered by a 300-hp 327.

My father and I stumbled upon this Impala back in the early '90s at the Kruse auction at the Charlotte AutoFair. Back in those days, every once in a while, we'd score a "gem" at that auction. This was one of those gems. When we looked it over, and eventually won it,

we assumed the car was a very nicely restored example, and we were attracted by the great combination of colors and driveline. It wasn't until we got it home to our shop, and started doing our normal 'due-diligence,' that we slowly realized the paint was all-original, the interior all-original, all the bright work, etc. Holy cow, that 21,000 miles on the odometer was actually original mileage! It quickly became apparent that we'd purchased a low-mile survivor that had been treated to some very nice cosmetic-detailing of the engine compartment and undercarriage, but was otherwise 100 percent original and unrestored. So, long story short, it's a dandy car... Not just because it's a red '64 SS with the 327/300 four-speed driveline, but also because I don't think I'd be able to find a finer one without it being a full restoration. And even then, it wouldn't be the same. Suffice it to say, it runs and drives like a brand-new Impala would.--Rick Schmidt

WHAT TO PAY

Add 5 percent for 250-hp 327, 20 percent for 300-hp 327, 60 percent for 409, 75 percent for 425-hp 409.

Add $500-$1,000 for four-speed.

HARD PARTS

Full rear quarter panel: $435

One-piece trunk floor: $465

Hood: $379

Front fender: $340

Door shell: $490

Trunk lid: $470

Windshield: $260

Rear window: $300

Grille: $420

ENGINE

TRANSMISSION

DIFFERENTIAL

BRAKES

WHEELS AND TIRES

PRODUCTION

1964 Impala SS: 185,325

PERIOD ROAD TEST RESULTS

Source: Motor Trend, March 1963