Vehicle Description
Many are familiar with the incredible story of Lambrecht Chevrolet,
specifically the huge 'Field of Dreams' survivor auction held there
in 2013 that sold off over 500 incredibly preserved vehicles.
Lambrecht Chevrolet was a small "Mom-and-Pop" dealership run by a
literal Mom-and-Pop (Ray Lambrecht and his wife) and one mechanic
from 1946-1996. Mr. Lambrecht was a proud American from "The
Greatest Generation" and among his eccentricities was an axiom from
which he never swayed - to only sell brand new cars. That meant
that every trade-in, every new car that went unsold when the
calendar turned over, and any new car that Mr. Lambrecht didn't
feel like selling was stored out of sight, and never offered for
sale. That's until 2013 when they decided to reopen the dealership
to have the world bid on what was probably the largest collection
of survivor-grade cars, most of which were collector-grade
Chevrolets, ever assembled. That's exactly where this incredibly
special 1965 Chevrolet Impala Hardtop hails from.
In 2013, this '65 Impala was sold from the Lambrecht collection
still on its factory M.S.O. and with only 5 original miles on the
clock, after which it was then sold to the current owner with a
scant 16.2 miles. After a mishap with a car cover rendered the
original finish damage beyond repair, the current owner elected to
professionally repaint this time capsule and upgrade a few crucial
components - mostly suspension, brakes, and steering - completing
the work in 2022 in time to offer the vehicle for sale with only 96
miles on the odometer. The original Code K Artesian Turquoise was
faithfully refinished with basecoat/clearcoat urethane paint that
shines better than it did in 1965, ostensibly giving this 'new' car
a whole new lease on life. The paintwork was finished to a very
high standard, darn near perfect if not for a couple of very minor
imperfections - most of which could easily be remedied with a
professional cut-and-buff. The bodywork is laser straight, the gaps
line up factory-perfect, and all the glass and rubber is in
excellent shape, too. All the chrome and brightwork shines up
insanely bright with nary a flaw to speak of - boasting the rarely
seen benefits of untouched American steel polished to an almost
unreal luster - and even the badges and lenses all look new. By
pretty much any measure, this Imp looks better today than it did
rolling off the factory floor, although the paint in the door jambs
and engine bay is still all original yet looks new because those
parts of the car were hermetically sealed and protected from the
elements for decades. That makes this Impala, and the other
Lambrecht Chevys that were auctioned off and subsequently restored,
incredibly unique and loaded with an unparalleled amount of
preservation and history.
That unprecedented originality continues with the Aqua interior,
where everything is 100% original aside from the carpet and the
driver's seatback vinyl trim. The ornate cloth-and-vinyl upholstery
on the benches is in great shape, showing deeper detail than
reproduction seat covers, along with a bare minimum of wear with
less than a 100 miles logged. We struggle to put into words just
how unique of a find this original Impala really is, and when
you're sitting inside this big muscle car you're instantly
transformed back to 1965. The two-tone steering wheel is a gorgeous
accent and frames the wide speedometer and symmetrical instrument
panel, and all that woodgrain applique and brightwork (which
admittedly shows a tiny bit of patina) on the gorgeous dash is, you
guessed it, original. This particular car was ordered with very few
options, no A/C or radio, in fact all you really get is a
heater/defrost unit, lap belts up front, and a set of color-keyed
vinyl floormats. And as you might expect with a brand new car,
everything this Impala is still 100% operational. Even the trunk,
which is massive, still carries its original spatter paint, plaid
mat, and bias-ply spare.
Although it was ordered light on options, this Impala never lacked
for power. Under the hood the numbers-matching 396 V8 still holds
court, topped with a factory Holley 4-barrel carburetor and
boasting 325 horsepower. It starts, runs, and drives better than it
did when it logged it's first 5 miles in 1965, and the presentation
is INSANELY clean and tidy with original Chevy Orange enamel on the
block, original satin-black paint on the firewall and inner
fenders, and original components throughout. The chrome air cleaner
and valve covers add flash, the '396' decals put everyone on
notice, and even the hoses have clear GM markings that haven't
faded. Keen eyes will note the upgrades like the gel-cell battery,
the power brake booster, and the power steering system. Underneath,
the preservation continues with a rust-free presentation that
boasts factory undercoating and markings still in place. With plans
to actually drive this car, all new bushings, a new AGM power
steering system, and braking system with power front discs were all
installed. The suspension is new and upgraded as well, with tubular
control arms, boxed rear trailing arms, an adjustable panhard bar,
and a rear swaybar all from UMI Performance working together to
make this Impala handle like a dream. That's a new
factory-replacement dual exhaust as well, and it unbelievably still
has original Walker stickers on the tailpipes. A TH400 3-speed
automatic transmission handles the big block with ease, spinning a
factory 12-bolt rear end with 2.89 gears that's ready for the
highway. Rally wheels wrapped in 225/70/15 General radials are a
welcomed upgrade, although the original wheels, bias-plys, and
brake, steering, and suspension parts go with the sale.
Loaded with provenance, this is one of the best documented and
low-mileage classic we've ever featured. And it has such a cool
story, give us a call so we can share it with you. Call today!
