Nick from Jersey
 

Hey guys,
So I've always been into the good old muscle cars and drag racing. I grew up (18 now) around fast muscle cars and at the track. I can't stand ricers or any import, they're a waste of space IMO, So I've been saving up for my first car and i knew i wanted a muscle car to take to shows and the track. anyways I found a nice '65 chevelle that I'm thinking of buying, I though i would ask here if anyone could help me not get into a project car. I was wondering what to look for in this car? Any places to check for rust besides the obvious places? This car is going to cost me about every penny i have so i really would hate to screw up... here are some pictures of it,
http://images.craigslist.org/3n23m73...dda445139e.jpghttp://images.craigslist.org/3nc3p53...92fc4311d6.jpg
http://images.craigslist.org/3n43od3...778cb41a26.jpghttp://images.craigslist.org/3n43o83...55c338184a.jpg
The engine could use some detail work but i would like to replace it with a 454 or some sort of big block.
Thanks,
~Nick

Hi Nick,welcome!Waving Not the best of pictures,looks like a nice car though.How much is it?

Thanks,
He is asking 9500 to much?

I am also thinking maybe buy a 71-72 (i really like these too) for alot less and be able to do some of the stuff i want to it. (supercharger,crome up the engine,foose rims) and not be broke?

Welcome Nick, Do you know what the vin is. Is it a original V8 car or a 6 cylinder car? I'm no expert on 65's, but the value will depend on the condition of the car. Is there any rust any where. Buying a 71-72 project car and restoring it can be very expensive. If the 65 needs little work and you can enjoy driving it right away it might be the way to go.
Ray

IMO,looking at the pictures that sounds like a fair price if it's not full of bondo.

You need to really go over the car...like with a comb. Seriously. Look at everything, the frame rails, the floors, the rear sill, the rockers, all that stuff. The car is 40 years old, and if it was garaged the entire time, it would be going for a LOT more than 10 grand. Just make sure that if you're going to spend all your jack on it, that you'll be happy knowing there will be no surprises. And there are always surprises.

You need to get on it, see if it has a posi or not, see what the engine does from a cold start, and what it sounds like, both cold and hot. Check for laks and the obvious stuff.

If you are going to keep the car, like for a long time, it doesn't matter as much what the trim tag says. Restoration guys and collectors can tell you exactly how the car left the factory by the codes on that tag...the one on the firewall/cowl area on the driver's side. If you ever planned to "flip" this car or expect to sell it for a lot of $, it would need to have been a pretty well optioned car, with the original engine, trans, all matching numbers, etc.

If it looks good, go for it and don't look back. If it makes you nervous, run like the wind. Then go home and start looking for another one.


Welcome to the site, by the way...my name's Jake. :D

Thanks guys,
The guy said it is a true SS i was reading up trying to memorize the stuff i want to see on the vin. He did say it's not original engine though bummer... but as long as it's not a crappy replacement out of some junker i'd be fine with it. I'm not planning on flipping it or anything just want a nice old car. I asked about rust and he said there was alittle but he said it wasn't anywhere visible like where i would need to repaint it. He said the paint is excellent. He also told me what needed fix, like the battery is bad and won't restart after turning it off and that the wiring in the dash needs replaced and so do all the gauges. mph,rpm,temp,oil,etc. I'm just scared because i know one little thing wrong and i could be screwed. I'm not expecting a pristine car but he does garage keep it and will only take it out once or twice a month on a sunny day around the block. Not sure how long he's been doing that though. The one thing that's both nice and scary is he said every piece on the car besides the engine is original and never had any body work done. He said he really would love to keep it but he rather someone like me who will enjoy it and drive it. But idk I'm still 50/50 about it.

I'm not talking about body rust...more like structural rust. Could be a reeeaal rat's nest behind the dash. Be skeptical and keep yourself from getting attached to it because if you really "want" the car, you won't listen to your conscience sometimes. Ask me how I know.:D

Sorry yah i know what your talking about. like wheel wells, frame, underbody stuff? Like i said i'm still not 100% sure on it, I've been saving for years so hopefully i'll get that feeling if not i'm not going to jump on it. Although i know my dad really likes it but it's not his car!

As was said, the single most important thing you can do is check it out very very carefully. Rot would be my biggest concern. Pretty much everything else can be fixed a little at a time and fairly easily. But major rust rot can get very expensive and time consuming and isnt neccesarily something for a beginner.

Check all the fluids, make sure the engine is running well. Take it for a drive and make sure it shifts correctly, check to see if it pulls to one side or the other. Check the brakes for working condition as well.

Crawl all over this car and see what it is you are getting yourself into. Go to websites like www.npdlink.com and see how much things like a underdash wire harness and guages are going to cost you, you dont want to buy the car and have it burn it up a few weeks later.

Just thoroughly check it out, and if anything feels wrong, walk away from it. You have to keep in mind, their are hundreds of thousands of chevelles out there, you dont need to jump on anything, their will always be another. The worse this economy gets, the more that are coming on the market and the cheaper they are getting. Dont feel as though you have to get this one or never get one, you'll get one easily enough.

That said, if it feels right for you, have a blast with it. From what I see, I love the car. I want a 65 really bad.

Jeff

Thanks guys,
Well it's not my car... yeeeet
Going in the morning to check it out I'll be sure to post some pictures and questions...

There is a lot of equipment that would be on an SS, like rear sway bar, boxed control arms, etc. You should see how much if any of these options are on this car.

Take LOTS of pictures.

Thanks guys,
Yeah i'm charging the camera. I though about taking my camcorder but that might be a little weird... But ya i'm taking pictures of every little piece on this car. I didn't realise the 65 SS didn't even have the 350 as an option ether 327 or 396 for v8's? Is that true? Not that it really matters since it's not # matching... What do you guys think i should offer on the car without lowballing him?

194 cid
230 cid
283 cid
327 cid

those were the engine options...

http://www.chevellestuff.com/1965/engine_id_codes.htm

Look over the info on this site about '65 Chevelles.

www.chevellestuff.com

Thanks Jake,

Wish i found that earlier...

You're absolutely right. Shows how much I know. :p

The page at Dale's site says it all. At least I know where the facts are available as a resource.

Wow it was really depressing... The guy knew very little although he pointed out the vin said RR which is rose red? lol But ya he just got it painted in Dec so he could sell it. He didn't know that even if you paint over rust it's still bad... And there was bondo which wasn't even filled right along with dings here and there... It was originally a 283 SS from Cal, It's ashame he painted it i probably would of bought it before he painted it. I loved the interior looked brand spanking new even though it was done in 1999. Oh well i guess my search continues :(

For sure! I don't want to get in over my head. My neighbor is trying to sell me his '64 mustang but it is in the beginning stage of complete restore but he has to move to japan so maybe he'll just give me it and i can learn how to do some body work and weld on it :D

How far will you go to buy a car?
What is your budget?
Are you only looking at Chevelles? or only A body cars? or only Chevy muscle?

I'm really open to any muscle car. I usually search online for chevelle/nova 60's-72, gto/tempest 60's, firebird/trans am 60's-79, Challengers/Charger/Cuda 60-70's within like 50-100miles. Why you know of any? I would like to stay around 7k (i know i'm really limited) that way i still have alittle cash to do some stuff to it (cams,headers,rims) but if it's a nice looking car i could go higher.

Edit. I'm curious what does it usually cost to redo interior? anyone know?

Thanks,
thats just for the two buckets? I might have to get into that business lol

Lots of cars for sale all round the country. I have to stop myself from looking or I get depressed. Good luck with the shopping.

Yeah there are but it's hard to find a decent car for a fair price... I've found many that sound good around here and actually just got a call back about a 65 tempest and the guy wants 8grand but said the interior needs redone and some body work so you'll have to repaint it too. UGH it's not a GTO... I figured it would be in alot better shape then that. Oh well, It really sucks a few years ago we saw a 70 chevelle with a 400 for 4k OBO at our lemon lot but a few days later it was gone and then we saw it at an auto store and the guy said he decided not to sell it i tried to talk him into selling it again but no go... It was near perfect inside and out...

Yeah i'm sure it's the way to go. I know i've seen them doing it on like overhaulin

Thanks ya i've been check there too.

The best advice I can give you is dont get your knickers in a bundle trying to get a car. It will happen, and it likely will fall out of nowhere when you least expect it too. You will get your best deal when you least expect it to happen, and thats because you arent pushing yourself to find a car.

Their are literally thousands upon thousands of great muscle cars for sale around the country, and some are great cars at great prices. You just have to sort through the Barrett Jackson dreamers to find the realistic sellers. Its sad to say, but their are many that are in a state of desperation and are letting nice cars go cheap so they can feed their families.

You absolutely will find a nice car that you can afford, just stick with it and let the chips fall where they may. Just consider a muscle car learning experience, the more you look at, the more you will know what you're looking at, and that will be very helpful when you finally do find the good one.

Jeff

What Jeff said. I was looking for a Chevelle but not real hard. I checked the papers and the internet but didn't find much. One day a 70SS 396 was up for sale just down the street from me. Too much rust, ran like crap and she was firm on the price so I said no thanks, good luck.

A few months later my son was talking to a lady he worked with. She was planning on moving out of state and said she was going to sell everything and buy new after the move. Jokingly he asked if she had a Chevelle for sale. As a matter of fact her husband did. He had removed the frontend, engine, bumbers, seats, trim, etc. because he was going to paint it and turn it into a show car. So I bought a bunch of pieces and reassembled it, replacing a few parts along the way.

Being in pieces was actually a good thing. I could see the inside of the front fenders, floor and other parts so I knew it was solid. The car you're looking at looks good but you need to pass on the first one. Each car you look at will give you more ideas of what to look for and look out for. The right car will come along.

Thanks for the advice,
thats sweet! I have always hoped for that especially since i live on a military base i figured some single guy will have to go on overseas for a few years and will have to sell it. I know my cars out there just wish i knew what is was and when i'll find it LOL but thats life, hmm?