Numbers-matching L35 396/325. Lifetime New Mexico car, totally straight with no rust ever. 66,503 original miles. Beautiful interior, one repaint, runs and drives like a new car!
This remarkable 1966 Chevrolet Impala SS396 spent its first 48 years in New Mexico in the hands of a single owner. It still carries its original, matching-numbers L35 396/325 horsepower engine. The 66,503 miles showing on the odometer are authentic. And all those years in the desert means that the sheetmetal is impeccably well preserved. Every square inch of this car’s bodywork is original and has not been wrecked, patched, or filled. It was repainted once in its original code F Marina Blue back in the 1980s and if you didn’t already know it had been painted, it could almost pass for immaculate original paint. The bumpers wear rare factory bumper guards that I bet you’ve never seen before and the stainless trim along the flanks isn’t bent or dinged. This car even carries four correct T3 headlight bulbs that are probably worth a few hundred dollars all by themselves!
Yes, the code 885-S bucket seat interior is also 100% original, right down to the carpets. The factory vinyl is in excellent shape with the only notable demerits being a small scratch on the driver’s outer bolster and a few threadbare areas on the original carpets. Again, there’s just no reason to replace any of it and it’s a real gem of a find if you love original cars. Everything works, including the optional AM/FM radio and dealer-installed 4-way flashers and there’s no question that the mileage shown is authentic. The woodgrained appliques are in excellent shape, the steering wheel hasn’t cracked, and despite a lifetime in the desert the dash pad is almost entirely unmarked. The trunk is rust-free, of course, and is fitted with its original mat and what might just be the original redline spare tire.
There’s no question that the 396 cubic inch V8 living under the hood is the original, numbers-matching L35. The stamping pad decodes correctly:
T = Tonawanda assembly
plant
0114 = January 14 assembly date
IV = 396 cubic inch V8, 325 horsepower, automatic transmission, no
A/C
R = Rochester 4-barrel carburetor
6L = 1966 full size
163184 = last six digits of the VIN (matches)
The engine remains 100% stock, right down to the Quadra-Jet carburetor and cast iron exhaust manifolds, although at some point somebody added a set of chrome valve covers with T-handle fasteners, and the air cleaner’s snorkel is missing, but those are easy details to fix. Even the under-hood light works! Turn the key and it fires quickly and settles into a 1000 RPM idle that’s buttery-smooth and a few seconds later, you can blip the throttle and it’ll drop down to a nice 650 RPM where it’ll stayThe big engine’s torque moves the hardtop as if it weighs 800 pounds less than it does and never seems to work very hard. The stout TH400 3-speed automatic transmission is the ideal partner in a full-sized cruiser like this. With 410 pounds of torque on tap, downshifts are purely optional and thanks to tall 2.73 gears in the 12-bolt rear end, this is a fantastic highway cruiser that’ll eat up pavement at an alarming rate. The dual exhaust system is older, maybe even original, showing galvanized mufflers and correct hangers, and the muted V8 burble is exactly right for a piece of luxury/muscle like this. Floors, rockers, trunk pan, and quarters are all spotless with only a light dusting of surface scale that comes from age, not neglect, because this car was never undercoated and never needed it. No squeaks, no rattles, no wind noise, just a warm purr of a V8 engine and an inevitable feeling of acceleration pushing you along. It sits on Rally wheels that look right, as well as a set of 225/70/14 white-letter radials, but just imagine how amazing this car would look wearing a set of redlines!
If you love original cars, if you’ve been looking for a big block Impala that won’t break the bank, and if you like the mid-60s styling, this car is a very exciting find.
For more details and photos, please visit www.HarwoodMotors.com
