Vehicle Description
1965 Chevrolet Bel Air Station Wagon
The first station wagons were built around 1910 by independent
manufacturers producing wooden custom bodies for the Ford Model T
chassis. They were originally called "depot hacks" because they
worked around train depots as hacks, (short for hackney carriage,
as taxi cabs were then known).
For consignment, a 1965 Chevrolet Bel Air Station Wagon which was
purchased from an elderly couple who had the car since new in 1965
and was always garage kept. At that time, it had 74,000 miles. It
was used as a daily driver by our consignor and also was taken on
the eastern leg of the Power Tour in 1998. The car has an actual
mileage of 79,292 original miles and presents very nicely with some
recent services performed. Road Trip!
Exterior
All steel is bathed in Tuxedo Black and has well minded gaps. There
is a dent on the rear quarter panel, but otherwise the car is
straight, and the consignor states the body was bathed in an acid
etching primer, did not need any bondo, and then painted with a
base coat and a clear coating. The dual headlight grille and
bumpers are pristine and very nice and shiny. Trim spears adorn
each side and run the gamut, and a small rocker trimming is also
on. Badging is all good as is window trimmings, mirrors and
handles. Glass is all original and bringing up the rear are dual
taillights one on the rear quarter and the other on the tailgate.
15-inch rally wheels are on all 4 corners.
Interior
Inside red vinyl door panels are looking great at the swing of the
door. There is slight wear on the arm rest trimming, but the
handles and cranks are like new. The interior seating is all
original utilizing red broadcloth inserts which have a ribbed
stitched pattern in the centers and a smaller ribbed stitch pattern
on the edges. The bolsters and sides as well as the backs of the
benches are smooth red vinyl. The back bench is looking to have the
same pattern as the front and is also nicely preserved. The dash is
all GM original from 1965 and is bathed in red paint with a padded
vinyl top with no cracks or errors. Red carpeting floods the floors
and some plastic clear floor mats are in front and back to protect
it. Up top is a white headliner, and it shows a few areas of
previous repair. In the very back it is covered with red molded
plastic for the sides and the rear bench folds down to accommodate
more storage. A few scratches for this area but considering its
original, it's in good condition.
Drivetrain
A pop of the hood and we note an unrestored engine bay with the
factory 283ci V8 engine. It is topped with a single 2-barrel
carburetor, and on back is a rebuilt Powerglide transmission with
less than 1K miles since the rebuild. A new aluminum water pump and
high-capacity radiator is now in to keep things cool. On the back
the rear axle is a 12-bolt 3.31 conventional setup. It is all
original and shows some aging but it runs great due to a tune up in
the last 200 miles.
Undercarriage
Original and unrestored showing some surface rust and patina. It
remains structurally sound however it will need a new tail pipe.
The front end was rebuilt with new ball joints for the lowers, poly
upper A frame bushings and poly bushings for the front sway bar.
This is also true for the rear sway bar. New drum brakes, wheel
cylinders, and a master cylinder are also on.
Drive-Ability
So we piled in and took her for a spin and its raring to go on
another road trip. Good smooth acceleration, smooth shifting from
the recently rebuilt Powerglide, and solid bias free braking. All
functions were working, and it is a good driver.
I remember going on road trips as a kid and my sister and I would
fight for who would get to stand on the hump and watch the world go
by. We'd pull over and mom and dad would have sandwiches for us and
dad would pop the hood to cool her down (this was a 60's thing).
Good times had and with this vehicle lots of life for more good
times are in its future.
VIN DECODE
156355T229105
1-Chevrolet
56-BelAir V8
35-4 Door 6 Passenger Wagon
5-1965
T-Tarrytown, NY Assy Plant
229105-Sequential Unit Number
TRIM TAG
04D-4th Week April Build
ST 65 15635-1965 BelAir 6 Passenger Wagon
BDY T9698-Tarrytown Body #
TR 872-Red Cloth & Vinyl
PNT AA-Tuxedo Black
Classic Auto Mall is a 336,000-square foot classic and special
interest automobile showroom, featuring over 650 vehicles for sale
with showroom space for up to 1,000 vehicles. Also, a 400 vehicle
barn find collection is on display.
This vehicle is located in our showroom in Morgantown,
Pennsylvania, conveniently located just 1-hour west of Philadelphia
on the I-76 Pennsylvania Turnpike. The website is
www.classicautomall.com and our phone number is (888) 227-0914.
Please contact us anytime for more information or to come see the
vehicle in person.
