65 was my favorite year for Impala ( SS without a vinyl roof) , and 67 was my favorite year for the Chevelle Malibu SS ( also without a vinyl roof). I had a 62 Impala SS, and my parents had a 67 Impala SS. Our high school drivers Ed car was a 66 Impala 2 door with a bench seat.
A white 65 Impala was the first car in our marriage. Had it a week, piled in everything we owned, including wedding presents and drove 1500 miles for my first duty assignment. Great memories of the car. I wish I had kept is as long as I have kept the wife 😂
I got a ‘65 Impala SS when I turned 16, I sold it a couple years later to a cousin that totaled it. When I turned 65 my husband of 48 years bought me a ‘65 just like the one I had in High School. I love this car!!❤
That's really cool. Back in 1990 I happened to get straight A's in the 1st semester of my senior year and my dad gave me his 65 Impala SS in Willow Green. It was a beautiful car. I sold it about 5 years later and I've regretted that decision ever since. Definitely plan on getting another one
That yellow SS is a unicorn! Anything in '65 with the 409, or even the 396 for that matter, was incredibly rare as each had only half year availability. Add in the 4 speed and you have a rare car indeed!
@@TheTussman Didn't notice the crank windows. Sharp eyes there! Not many people are aware the 409 could still be had in '65 but it was the final year for it and there weren't many. Replaced mid year by the 396 and in fact, not too many of those around either and for the same reason. Only available for half the year. And they were probably the best 396 of all at 425hp. That was also the top Corvette engine that year. First year for a big block in a "Vette and the only year a 396 could be had. 427 arrived in '66. A lot of very sharp SS models all through the 60s but yes, I agree; the '65 was the best!
Pretty sure a guy I knew in high school had a 409 in his '65. Also, the front sway bar was missing for some reason, which made it horrific to drive( this was in the mid 80's)
I had a buddy in college that came from a rather wealthy family. He ordered a '65 Super Sport with the 409 but when it arrived it came with the new 396 engine. It had engine block number 11 stamped on it. It was a 4speed car also. I'm sure it would be worth a pretty penny today. It was a light metallic grey with a black interior. I even got to drive it once. hehe. He later traded it for a new '66 Malibu SS that also had a 396 four speed.
Adam the bowden cable heater controls were the bomb reliable and easy and cheap to fix if they did break, everything since has been inferior, complex and expensive; KISS principle in action. Cheers Michael
I may be wrong, but I believe my 2005 Scion XB has cable HVAC controls. Simple and reliable Toyota engineering. I don't like those electronic actuators that break all the time.
@@paulparoma the XB is an often overlooked car they’re actually really good. If they put Toyota badges on it, woulda been a hit. It’s like how the civic to crv is but from toyota Corolla. A taller more comfortable Corolla.
That’s because designers were trained in classical art. They understood proportionality and human form that the Romans had mastered 2000 years earlier. It was that Roman design that started the renaissance.
One early design study featured those tail lights as being flush mounted unadorned red plastic.. I think they made the correct choice by having them extend out from the deck lid.
Had a 2002 Impala; my first out-of-the showroom new car. Loved that they brought back the round tail lights; hated when - a few years later - they went to a boring bar. BUT... two bullet lights was a Biscayne, not an Impala!
@@MarinCipollina As I said, the Biscayne had 2 bullet lights (per side); a proper Impala has 3. The 2002 "Impala" had ( rather large) "bullets"; but only 2 per side.
My first car, 50 years ago in 1974, was a hand-me-down, my mom's 1965 Impala SS convertible, turquoise with black interior and black top, a 327 rated at 300 horsepower and a Powerglide two-speed which wouldn't shift into second (high) gear until the 327 was wound all the way up. No tachometer; a tach was optional so mine had a manifold vacuum gauge instead. I loved that car and consider the '65 Impala the best looking full-size Chevy. Wish I hadn't dozed off and hit a tree. I was 17. I'll be 67 this month and I still have the Impala SS grill badge I removed from the wreck.
I'm you're age, I would have thought a tach would be part of the SS package. Anyway I learned to drive on my sisters 64 bought in 73 for 300$. Thankfully her next car was a 68 Chevrolet 396 4 sp. I got to practice on too.
Same in my family. My father bought a new 65 Impala SS 327 with all the options including beautiful spoke hubcaps. I just turned 17 and couldn't wait to get my hands on it. It also survived me and my sister. It's my favorite Chevrolet and I have many great memories driving it.
My mom’s 33rd birthday gift from my dad as well. She drove it right out of the showroom. So much more beautiful than the 60 BelAir they traded in, that was an ugly duckling!
In late 1964 I wasn't yet 2 years old, but already a budding "car guy." I was in my bedroom playing with my Matchbox cars on the window sill when the next-door neighbor came home in his new 1965 Impala SS 327. It was a yellow slick-top with black upholstery, and from my angle I could see that beautiful chrome speaker grille between the rear seats. To this day I remember all the little details about that car. There was something quite special about the '65, aside from all the technical advancements. It had a special presence that even a 1+ year old child could recognize.
@MarinCipollina I don't know production numbers by color or paint code. My '65 Impala SS convertible was "Artesian Turquoise" with a black interior and black top. The identical color combination was used on the cover illustration of the convertible top supplement to the owner's manual. That was a popular color.
Looking back at the ‘65’s I’m coming to think the 4-Dr hardtops are amazing looking cars. Knew plenty of people who had 65’s they were very, very popular cars. My folks had an Impala SS convertible, red with the black interior, 327 and powerglide. Learned to drive in that hot rod.
@@stephenholland5930 Not really, if the customer can see the inner workings of the car he wants to buy and they're performing well it helped sell more units.
Our 1st AC equipped car when I was 9 yr old. A glacier gray 4 dr sedan, 283 powerglide. Helped Dad put on rear air shocks. Pulled heavy pop-up Apache Ramada trailer over Rocky Mtn passes. One instance of vapor lock. Was a great car.
I learned how to drive at age 16 on my parents 1965 Belair with a straight six and two speed automatic… Oh, the memories. Oh, and yes, I saw in the final advertisement shown in this video that the impala was missing a wheel cover on the rear passenger side in several shots used in the commercial.
The '64 Impala certainly has its following but the '65 was on a whole different level. Chevy really nailed it that year and all body styles looked smart. The 2-door fastback coupes have an especially beautiful roof line that still looks great. Thanks for the design backstory on this car, the Irv Rybicki interviews are a real treat!
@@johna.4334 Well, that had already been going on for years, then lbj screwed everyone in the Tonkin Gulf, but that's a whole other thing. 65, the last year Ferrari won Le Mans until last year; AM radio played GREAT music of all sorts, and bands wore suits; Go-Go dancers; cars, music, fashion, all were at their peak. Things plateau'd for a while, we had the moon landings, and some other good stuff, but wow, did things start going downhill fast in the 70s. Well, 68 is when the defecation really hit the rotary oscillator, but again, I digress. Jim Clark won the Indy 500 AND the World Driving Championship. Jim Hall was developing the Chaparrals, so much great stuff just in the automotive world. I would LOVE that yellow 65 SS in this vid!!!!!! (along with a 65 Riviera, and an Alfa Romeo GTV...)
Way back in '72, my Dad bought a '66 Impala, blue, with a 283 and 3-spd manual on the column. The car was a cream puff. One of the best cars he ever owned. That little 283 moved the car real nice.
No hub-cap on the RR, and looks like it's chained down on the LR side. These, and most all the American cars from this era were absolutely fantastic. Bring these back, any day.
The ‘65 Impala holds a special place in my heart as my parents bought a maroon ‘65 SS convertible as their first couples car. It had a black interior and top, 327 and a four speed. I remember one hot Illinois day my dad jumped in it with shorts on and the top down… I can still hear him yell and scream all these years later !!
That ending commercial is greatness!!! Look at the car, that thing is squatting hard because it was tied/chained to the ground! And yes, the passenger wheel cover is off at the end! Too cool and a bit funny! Bravo!!
Imagine the 1999 board room where they chose to put "Impala" on a front-wheel drive rental car. They knew the name was on cars like this, yet dared to apply the name to a dull, garbage car for no good reason.
It was worse when they restyled it and made it look more generic looking. I had a 2001 LS and it rode nice and looked nice, but the redesign looks more cheep rental car.
@VanWinger Mach E is the only bastardized name. The rest (even Maverick) all resemble prior use of the name. (Maverick was used as a utility name in the past)
Ha! At 19:42, I thought it was ready to capsize!! Plus there's a missing wheel cover somewhere in the ocean! As beautiful as this car is... there's one feature that absolutely drives it home: the Chevrolet Rally wheel. The Chevrolet Rally wheel is by far the feature that makes this car stunning. Who designed this wheel? All the lines had killer Rally wheels for Buick, Olds and Pontiac. Great video and style...I love the interviews in conjunction with the video.
The rally wheel on this car is from a 1968. In 1965 the rally wheel did not exist. For an SS, you got the wheelcovers with the three bar "spinner" look, wire wheelcovers or, dog dishes - scarce, but the "no option" offering.
The Impala in this video, a 1965 Super Sport in butternut yellow with black vinyl hardtop and (non stock) rally wheels is absolute perfection! Chevy made a wide variety of nice Impalas but this one remains my favorite. Thanks this made my day.
1965 is undoubtedly peak GM. It was the last year before the focus mostly switched from pleasing customers, to cutting costs. I would also argue that 1965 GM is peak American auto industry. It is certainly the last year that we built the best cars in the world.
I'n 1969, my dad put a Mark IV aftermarket A/C in their 1966 Impala, and we headed across the desert to L.A. from Oklahoma. Had a 283 2 barrel with a Powerglide that never missed a lick and got almost 20 mpg. When we got home, my sis and I were washing it and she found an Easter Egg that had made the trip across America, all over CA and back. It was a little smelly, but we didn't find it in its hiding place under the front bumper. Good memories.
My parents' first car after they got married, and the first car I remember in my life, was a 1965 Impala sedan, silvery grey-blue. They got a '65 Ford Galaxie sedan shortly afterward as their second car. Both were good cars, but I always liked the Impala better.
The exterior of the ‘65 is my absolute favorite because of the taillight treatment but the bucket seat and console that connects to the dash found on the ‘66 Impala is by far the best looking interior option. My first car was a 1966 BelAir that had the engine mount issue as well. It was as described with the driver’s side of the engine rapidly lifting during acceleration and kinking the mechanical throttle linkage wide open. Chevrolet’s fix was a cable that ran from the alternator bracket mounting bolt to the frame.
Missing hubcap. 19:3319:28 looks like rope next to the driver rear tire. I'm guessing it was tied down. 19:40 Watch closely as the water washes off the car. It settles back A LOT. It was tied down. 19:44 shows it clearly is tied down. It lunges forward until the restraints save it from "...washing away". lol All this for the punchline "...cannot wash away"? lol And the music makes it a religious experience.
@@corgiowner436 It was pretty strange, but the 1964 commercial that had an Impala on a rock tower formation at Monument Valley was even more bizarre. Have you seen that one ?
My parents bought a used 65 white 4 door Caprice with blue interior back in 66. I liked that it had hubcaps like the Impala SS and also had the black strip below the taillights, also like the SS. The interior on that car was so comfortable is what I remember about that car. It was also a great car to take to the drive in. Thanks for showing the beautiful Yellow with black Top SS Adam, and also bringing back some great memories.
I remember seeing my very first 1965 Impala at 7-8 years old. I thought that it was so futuristic looking by it's styling. Remember, us kids were watching the futuristic "Jetson's" on TV. The new San Diego Freeway was located in our backyard. The State of California took half of our backyard to build the southbound lanes of the 405 freeway. I have a copy of the plat map from 1959, showing the future routing of this freeway. The freeway opened in 1963. I would go out in our backyard, and draw pictures of the cars and trucks that I saw driving on the freeway. I actually still have some of the pictures. I was fortunate to grow up in a "golden era" of development of the San Fernando Valley, in California. Your Vlog evokes the optimism that I experienced at my young age, growing up, and really liking cars, especially the "futuristic" 1965 Impala, thanks!
Beautiful car for its size, but my dream car that I never got to have was the 67 Chevelle SS 396. The local dealer had a blue one with a black interior and a 4 speed. I fell in love, but was only 17 and couldn't afford it.
Looks like they added weight in the trunk (or secured the back of the car) to keep it from being washed out to sea. Another blooper was a lost a rear driver's side/then passenger side hubcap(s). They edited in another take with the cap back on.
Thank you Adam. I always noticed a Chevrolet appearance in the 1960's Opels. Thank you for sharing the design history and the styling themes of Chevrolet and where it was headed. See the USA in your Chevrolet indeed! I apppreciated see how Caprice was created and the Ford LTD started that trend that carried on for decades.
I was always under the impression you were not a fan of the "coke bottle styling" in an Impala. Glad to see you posted this informative and well thought-out video. I feel they are stylish and influential. You're right, the '65 was a great improvement over '64.
I vividly remember the day I saw a '65 Impala for the first time. I'd just gotten off work in the early morning, stocking shelves all night at the Thriftway store in Loveland, OH. The Impala that caught my eye was that new "Evening Orchid" color. My jaw dropped. I thought it was the most beautiful car I had ever seen. And it's still beautiful today.
Evening Orchid was only available on Super Sport models , although you could get it on an Impala , Malibu , or Nova as long as it was a SS . Only available for the first half of the year as it had problems with the dyes in the paint not being color fast . If left in the sun all day while you worked it would soon fade to a streaky silver color . Too bad , those cars were beautiful .
@@bobbrinkerhoff3592 Well, it must've been a Super Sport. I'll be darned. There's a fact I didn't know (about the only available on SS). Thanks for the info, Bob!
@@StvMcQueen1 You're very welcome . An older gentleman I knew had a detail shop , and loaned me his coor charts one time . On the chart for the '65 Chevies was Evening Orchid with a footnote stating that it was only available on SS models , you couldn't even get it on an El Camino , which I think would have been sharp .
You know it's a dang perfect car when they build 1 million of these cars (with 50,000 of them being the Super Sport variants I believe) in just one goddang year! 😎😎👍👍💪💪
My grandfather had a new 62 sedan, its only options being a heater and a single speaker AM radio. It was tan on brown. He always had a water leak from somewhere in the cowl area that Chevy just couldn't find. As a result, by 66 the car had no floors left. He bought a used 65 sedan in late 66, again, bare bones six but it did have the Glide. By 69 that transmission was giving him nothing but trouble, and he traded it in on a LOADED Plymouth Fury III sedan with a 383 2bbl. He never told my grandmother he was buying it. When she found out what it cost, he said she chased him around the house with a rolling pin, like something out of a cartoon. She hated that car right up to her death in 1991. Papa kept the car until 1994. It had just 77k on it. My dad learned to drive in a 39 ford, but the 62 and 65 chevys were his favorites. I'm no Chevy guy but I like the 65-66 Chevys.
My family had a 65 super sport 283 with the 2 speed power glide. I drove it a lot as a freshly licensed teenager from about 76 - 77. We never had any problems with it, and at that point it had 100k miles on it. It was starting to rust pretty badly around the rear wheel wells area, being a daily driver in Michigan winters with road salt. Funny thing is I don't remember exactly when we got rid of it, or to who. But I'm pretty sure it was gone when I got my first car all my own in 77, a SS396 Chevelle....perfect car for a 17 year old....LOL.
@@johnstudd4245 LOL. What a nice and durable car! If you have a modern-day Chevrolet, I bet it wouldn’t last from a single malfunction in its electronics! Nice story! 😎👍💪
@@matthewpaanotorres7309 Yeah, don't even get me started on modern cars, cost and complexity. I can appreciate some safety features like air bags, crumple zone exterior and interior parts and what not. But aside from that....I would GLADLY go back to driving a 1965 car or pickup. With some common sense applied we should be able to have the best of both worlds. But thanks to Govt fuel economy mandates and automaker greed, buying and owning a modern car can be a nightmare. Now with electric vehicles thrown in the mix also, lower income people are just about priced out of the ability to to have some sort of basic transportation. And that is by plan. It used to be automakers gave the consumers what we wanted and we had plenty of good choices, now its we take what they have to offer with few if any decent choices whether we like it or not.
I saw a guy in a boat leaving in a hurry in the background. I think he had one of the wheel covers under his arm. Also there is no accounting for taste it would seem. I loved the look of this '65 since the first time I saw it BUT, I equally loved the '64. You say plain I say understated.
Well, the car did not get washed away but the wheelcover sure did! I think that the 65 Chevrolet full size car was one of the prettiest that they ever made.
Two '65 Impala SS Hardtops are memorable to me when I was 11 years old. One of my aunts bought a new SS at the end of the model year. It was silver with a black painted roof and blue bucket seats, quite a unique color combination. It had the small V8. She took my Mom & I for a ride in it after she bought it. It had a wonderful "jet-smooth" ride and was very quiet. I was fascinated by the Vacuum Gauge on the dash. She had it for 13 years then bought a new loaded '78 Monte Carlo Landau, white with red velour seats and wire wheel covers. Then earlier that year while my Dad and I were parked one evening in front of the local A&P grocery store waiting for my Mom to finish the shopping, next door was the Chevy dealer, and this beautiful SS Hardtop pulls into the lot. It was the rare Evening Orchid with a black vinyl roof, white bucket seats and factory wire wheel covers. This beautiful blond haired woman was driving it and gets out wearing a fur coat. We figured she was the dealer's wife as the SS had dealer plates on it. I never saw that SS again.
As a boy I rode a lot in a 1965 green four door belong to a friend's parents. What I remember was the beautiful upholstery and especially the great a/c like my parents' Bonneville. Great video!
65, 66 and 67 in my opinion are the nicest Impalas, they had all the best engines as well. The 65 SS 409 4-Speed is slightly out of my price range but that would be my pick as the best one.
That commercial at the end 😆 so many questions. Love my 68 impala 4 door. Absolute stunner of a car. I daily drive it, turned the big journal 327 into a 383 with lots of goodies. People always trying to buy it. Easy classic car to make a daily.
Another Great video, thank you my friend. ... OH & as for the final commercial ( the back hubcap is missing - probably washed away w/ the tumultuous waves) 😊
There we go!. My father bought a new 65 impala from Berger Chevrolet. Car was ordered with the 396 425hp Muncie M22 and 4:10 12 bolt posi. Would beat anything on the streets at that time.
The 1965 Chevy Impala SS was the best looking year!!! I had a Red one with a fine 409 & it was an Awesome car!!! Only the 62's & 63's were comparable in styling!!!
When I was a kid the parents of one of my friends bought a new 1965 Impala SS 2 door hardtop. I remember that it was Evening Orchid with a white interior and a black vinyl top. They drove that car forever. It replaced a 1957 Imperial and a 1973 Cadillac replaced it.
My grandmother had one. An SS, no less, with the goal post shifter. Shocked the heck out of 12 year old me. Drove in from Chicago for the NY world’s fair .
I had several 60s Chevy's in my early driving years, my dad was very familiar with them and wanted me to drive also, he could help repair and rebuild the drivetrain, but those issues never happened! Rode and drove very nice, I would still daily my Chevelle, Impala or Caprice! 😊
Thanks for this video Adam. I own a 65 and love it. Driving around I get all kinds of thumbs up from other drivers on the road. Sadly my original 327 bit the dust so I now have a 350 GM crate engine on her. Love the reliability.
Great video! In spring 1965 my dad piled the family into our well-used '57 Ford wagon and drove to the Chevy dealer intent on buying a leftover '64 Impala. Instead we drove home in a black vinyl over white 1965 Impala 396 coupe. It wasn't the SS and weirdly it had a powerglide automatic, along with positraction and a tilt wheel. It was wicked fast and one time when dad had to take my sister to the emergency room he left a pair of burnout marks down our driveway, through a 90-degree left and down the street, tires still smoking. He sold it before my 16th birthday because he said it was too much power for me to drive. He was probably right but at the time I wasn't happy about it. Great memories nonetheless.
My dad had a 1965 impala ss 396 turbo 400 back, dark blue with light blue interior. I always thought the vacuum gauge was cool, around 1972. I would sit in it at night anf listen to Elvis 8 track and talk on cb radio. Great memories.
I saw the hubcap was missing! Probably the water took it away... One design element I think you missed was that this was the first year curved side glass was used on full size cars like the Impala/Bel Air/Biscayne. This design feature was previously introduced on the intermediate-sized cars in 1964. Let me know if I have that right. Adam. Great videos lately on specific topics. All very interesting. I love the behind the scenes information you provide! Anthony
Very well-done video. Thank you for your fine attention to the details. This 1965 SS is one of the finest Impalas to come off of the Chevrolet lines. An absolutely beautiful piece of machinery.
Awesome video Adam. I always look forward to your latest downloads and never miss one. I have learned more from you than any other channel about the finer aspects of design, budgets, engineering, sales strategies, etc. You truly are an automotive treasure. I think I speak for many in saying thanks for all your hard work although I think you quite enjoy it. Maybe it’s time for you to write a book. Just a thought
Spot on again. My favorite is a toss up between the coupes of 65 & 68 hideaway headlights, 427, lightning bolt hood. As a ten year old, I was fascinated by these commercials, and as soon as you mentioned the Swept Away ad; I remembered the rear hubcaps were, 'swept away'! There was a documentary on these commercials showing how they chained down, helicoptered in and I believe Swept Away was ramped, chained down and secured at low tide. And things went wrong when the force of the late day waves were under estimated.👍🏾🇺🇸🏁
I had a two door '65 Impala with a 283 2 bbl, Powerglide that I sold so I could afford to go back to college many years ago. That engine was so smooth and quiet, when I pulled up to a stoplight you could not tell if it was running or not. Miss that car.
The tie-downs and missing wheel cover shown in that ad would have been nearly impossible to spot on the analog, low resolution TVs of 1965, particularly if one’s rabbit ears antenna was not in the perfect position. 😉 My first car was a ‘65 Impala Super Sport. Had the 283 2-barrel with the 2-speed PowerGlide. No speed demon, but plenty of torque and very smooth. The blue Super Sport shown at the end of this video is gorgeous. (Mine was burgundy).
Adam, the styling of the big Chevy had many things in common with the new 1965 Corvair. Those cars really set a trend for the whole Chevy line up thru 1970. I can only add that the 1965 trapped hood was trapped on four sides until they introduced the cowl with the wipers under the rear of the hood. That was a few years later. (1968?)
Thanks, again for a great video. Like you said, the 64 Impala was a pretty plain looking car. I thought it was a poor restyle of the new 63 model. The 63 Impala was a much nicer design in my opinion. I also didn't like the flat grille and heavy rear end design of the 64. But the 65 Chevy Impala was a real knockout and beautiful car that was so much better than it's competition from Ford and Plymouth that year. Thanks, again.
I can agree that nothing from Ma Mopar looked good in 65, even if the 62s were their serious low point. Same with Ford if you set the Mustang aside. GM really had some great looking cars in 65. If I were an adult new car shopper w/o a budget, IDK with 65 GM I would've chosen. Cars were so unique back then. Not like the cookie cutter SUVs and crossovers we have today with shared drivetrains. Infinitely boring.
I had been gone during summer. When it came time to go home, I got a big surprise. Parents had bought a new 1965 Impala Super Sport convertible, yellow with black top and interior. 4 sp, 396. I was stoked. It was dirty so I washed it. When I got done mom said thanks, we are taking it back! I didn’t even get to drive the thing. I was 15 I think.
In my opinion the 65-67 full size Chevy was perhaps the best car available at the time. If not the best, certainly a world leading car in terms of design, manufacture, drivability, quality and value.
My brother in law had a brand new 1965 Chevrolet Impala SuperSport. Same light yellow color with black interior and a hard top. It was so much sportier when compared to my parents 63 Dodge Dart station wagon. Bucket seats were cool so was being a two door. I think the 65 was the best looking Impala Chevrolet ever produced. Thanks.
My first car, inherited from my Dad was a 1965 Impala SS convertible, with a 396 V8. I've never owned a more beautiful automobile. Yes, the motor mounts had to be replaced. It had an automatic transmission, so the tachometer was replaced with a manifold vacuum gauge. I never quite knew what it was all about, just that I should keep the car's performance out of the blue range. Thanks so much for this documentary.
My Grandfather (Mom's Dad) bought a new '65 white coupe with a black interior. Mom liked driving it... I believe the '65 Chevys were the first cars available with FM stereo, with the separate multiplex unit. Dad told me of a friend who had it, and they'd lay into him about how the FM radio stations turned off early for the night, etc., but that it was really impressive for its time.
My first car was a white 1965 Chevy Impala 4 door with a 283 and Power glide. I was just out of high school...(1974)...bought it for $500 with 72k miles. I drove that car for 5 years and sold it with 126k miles. It had the infamous broken motor mount/sticking throttle issue (happened if the wheels were cramped to the left and you accelerated too hard) and the brakes ALWAYS pulled to the right. Over time the upholstery split (which I "fixed" with a cheap nylon seat cover), it rusted some and developed a lot of squeaks and rattles. I drove that car everywhere...a trip to Texas (from Michigan) several trips to Omaha and all over the Midwest. Through it all the car was dead reliable. The only time it failed me was when the fuel pump quit on the way to work. I did do frequent oil changes and replaced the brake pads a couple of times along with some replacement exhaust/muffler components but I was always broke at that time and maintenance was minimal. It was my favorite car of all time (I'm 68 now) and this video brings back the memories...thanks for that.
We had a 66 Caprice 396...69 Impala Coupe...69 Impala 4 door with 350's...69 Kingswood Estate 350/4 barrel...71 Impala Coupe 350/4 barrel... 73 Monte Carlo 350/4barrel...74 Impala 4 door 350/4 barrel...74 Chevelle Laguna 350/4 barrel...77 Monte Carlo 350/4 barrel. You could say we liked new Chevies!
i was a car crazy 5 year old when Caprice was introduced. From then on all i wanted was a 65 1/2 Caprice. Fast forward 25 years. Found 1 (pre internet) in New Jersey Had it sent by ship to my home in East Coast Canada Looked like an Impala with a Cadillac interior. White and blue combo... 3 years later I bought my first home.......guess what happened next......(who knew there would be closing costs Lol)......loved that car and have had a couple of other vintage cars since.....Thanks for the video
My parents bought the exact Caprice color combo that you purchased from New Jersey. I live in Ohio though, so probably not the same one, but you never know . I loved the looks and comfort of the 65 Caprice especially with the spinner hubcaps like the Impala SS and the black strip below the taillights, also like the SS. That was a great car. Ours had the 327 motor, but not sure if it had the power glide or the turbo hydromatic in it.
My first car was a white 65 Chevy Impala wagon handed down to me by my parents. I put down the back seat, laid down 4 inches of foam topped with a carpet cut to size (shag carpet of course) giving me a bed that was well longer than my 6'2 height. perfect for the drive-in movies! The dashboard was a killer tightly curve edged metal dash (deadly to a passenger in front wearing a lap belt). It also was the first of four cars that I have totalled in a collision in my lifetime (a head on collision... not my fault!!!). Making a right turn at an intersection I could floor it while turning the wheel hard right, and do a 180 completely under control ending two lanes over LOL little did my parents know. My best friend had the 63 Chevy Impala, a favorite of the low riders at the time.
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"the tide could not wash away"...........everything but the hubcap!
Beat many of Us to it.
Not sure what the ad agency was trying to convey with that whole ad. Not the best of the mid-60s stuff coneptually, but fun to watch for sure.
A new way to see if your Chevy will prematurely rust out...
Wouldn’t the proper term be “wheel cover”? 😊
And the driver’s side rear hubcap seems to be gone for a second as well early in the ad.
Great video as always Adam - thank you
Possibly the best looking Chevrolet ever built. Visually balanced and pleasing from every angle. 👍
Nope ... '67. All across GM, '67 was the best.
I like them both,you have to think the 67 car is better overall. My favorite being a 67,427 4 speed convertible.
65 was my favorite year for Impala ( SS without a vinyl roof) , and 67 was my favorite year for the Chevelle Malibu SS ( also without a vinyl roof). I had a 62 Impala SS, and my parents had a 67 Impala SS. Our high school drivers Ed car was a 66 Impala 2 door with a bench seat.
1963 Impala four-door hardtop in dark/light brown and wire wheels. Neighbor had one, has to be my favorite Chevy.
@hiitsstillme I agree completely! '65 is my favorite Chevrolet - even over the '57 which everyone seems to love.
A white 65 Impala was the first car in our marriage. Had it a week, piled in everything we owned, including wedding presents and drove 1500 miles for my first duty assignment. Great memories of the car. I wish I had kept is as long as I have kept the wife 😂
Thank you for your service!
You got a wife that good you don't need anything else. Congratulations!
I had a white 65 Impala but I wrecked it I was 17
Buy another one! There's plenty of mint turn key 65s just Google
@@djt8518Buy another one
I got a ‘65 Impala SS when I turned 16, I sold it a couple years later to a cousin that totaled it.
When I turned 65 my husband of 48 years bought me a ‘65 just like the one I had in High School.
I love this car!!❤
That's really cool. Back in 1990 I happened to get straight A's in the 1st semester of my senior year and my dad gave me his 65 Impala SS in Willow Green. It was a beautiful car. I sold it about 5 years later and I've regretted that decision ever since. Definitely plan on getting another one
That yellow SS is a unicorn! Anything in '65 with the 409, or even the 396 for that matter, was incredibly rare as each had only half year availability. Add in the 4 speed and you have a rare car indeed!
Then add in crank windows *with* A/C! Didn't know the 409 was available then. '65 was the most beautiful SS year for Impalas.
@@TheTussman Didn't notice the crank windows. Sharp eyes there!
Not many people are aware the 409 could still be had in '65 but it was the final year for it and there weren't many. Replaced mid year by the 396 and in fact, not too many of those around either and for the same reason. Only available for half the year.
And they were probably the best 396 of all at 425hp. That was also the top Corvette engine that year. First year for a big block in a "Vette and the only year a 396 could be had. 427 arrived in '66.
A lot of very sharp SS models all through the 60s but yes, I agree; the '65 was the best!
Pretty sure a guy I knew in high school had a 409 in his '65. Also, the front sway bar was missing for some reason, which made it horrific to drive( this was in the mid 80's)
I had a buddy in college that came from a rather wealthy family. He ordered a '65 Super Sport with the 409 but when it arrived it came with the new 396 engine. It had engine block number 11 stamped on it. It was a 4speed car also. I'm sure it would be worth a pretty penny today. It was a light metallic grey with a black interior. I even got to drive it once. hehe. He later traded it for a new '66 Malibu SS that also had a 396 four speed.
@@dj33036 It would definitely be a valuable car today!
Adam the bowden cable heater controls were the bomb reliable and easy and cheap to fix if they did break, everything since has been inferior, complex and expensive; KISS principle in action.
Cheers Michael
Mine still work in my 68 impala. My 71 olds with vacuum control and 02 Tahoe with electric have both had issues.
I may be wrong, but I believe my 2005 Scion XB has cable HVAC controls. Simple and reliable Toyota engineering. I don't like those electronic actuators that break all the time.
@@paulparoma the XB is an often overlooked car they’re actually really good. If they put Toyota badges on it, woulda been a hit. It’s like how the civic to crv is but from toyota Corolla. A taller more comfortable Corolla.
exactly what I was thinking!! No BS that you need a dash out to fix!!!
My 82,000mi 91 Buick Century has dual slide cables works just fine, as someone commented KISS.
The interiors of cars from the 60 and early 70 were such sculpted works of absolute ART. Such a shame that was lost
Exactly mate
The chrome gates angled toward the driver & those clear Lucite steering wheels were so cool. Riviera,Third & GP to name 3.
Gages
The bean counters won the war.
That’s because designers were trained in classical art. They understood proportionality and human form that the Romans had mastered 2000 years earlier. It was that Roman design that started the renaissance.
I love that 6 taillight rear for the 1965 Impala, is so beautiful and iconic looking.
One early design study featured those tail lights as being flush mounted unadorned red plastic.. I think they made the correct choice by having them extend out from the deck lid.
Had a 2002 Impala; my first out-of-the showroom new car. Loved that they brought back the round tail lights; hated when - a few years later - they went to a boring bar. BUT... two bullet lights was a Biscayne, not an Impala!
@@paramounttechnicalconsulti5219 Who said Impala was two tail lights? Not seeing that posted by anyone here.
@@MarinCipollina As I said, the Biscayne had 2 bullet lights (per side); a proper Impala has 3. The 2002 "Impala" had ( rather large) "bullets"; but only 2 per side.
@@MarinCipollinaThe '66 wound up with the more flush rectangular taillights. A handsome design but the '65 was more distinctive.
Chevy has built some beauties and some real eyesores. The 65 Impala was omong their best ever.
The 80s weren't good not for me. The 75 was the last I liked up until 95SS. I still thought their last offering all loaded looked good too,I miss it!
@@richardmorris706365 was the best bodystyle, second was a 62. Got the money buy one
My first car, 50 years ago in 1974, was a hand-me-down, my mom's 1965 Impala SS convertible, turquoise with black interior and black top, a 327 rated at 300 horsepower and a Powerglide two-speed which wouldn't shift into second (high) gear until the 327 was wound all the way up. No tachometer; a tach was optional so mine had a manifold vacuum gauge instead. I loved that car and consider the '65 Impala the best looking full-size Chevy. Wish I hadn't dozed off and hit a tree. I was 17. I'll be 67 this month and I still have the Impala SS grill badge I removed from the wreck.
I'm you're age, I would have thought a tach would be part of the SS package. Anyway I learned to drive on my sisters 64 bought in 73 for 300$. Thankfully her next car was a 68 Chevrolet 396 4 sp. I got to practice on too.
Best looking chevy ever built. These were my favorite car growing up and still love them. Boy I wish modern cars could be this elegant.
Missing hubcap.
My Dad bought my Mom a '65 Chevy Impala Super Sport, 327 with a quadrajet.
It survived me and my three brothers learning how to drive.
Same in my family. My father bought a new 65 Impala SS 327 with all the options including beautiful spoke hubcaps. I just turned 17 and couldn't wait to get my hands on it. It also survived me and my sister. It's my favorite Chevrolet and I have many great memories driving it.
My mom’s 33rd birthday gift from my dad as well. She drove it right out of the showroom. So much more beautiful than the 60 BelAir they traded in, that was an ugly duckling!
I think the 1966 is a cleaner more classy look. Not to mention the 427 was way better than the 409.
You sure it wasn't a '66? In '65 the 327/250 had a 4GC Rochester, and the 327/300 had a Carter AFB (I think).
In late 1964 I wasn't yet 2 years old, but already a budding "car guy." I was in my bedroom playing with my Matchbox cars on the window sill when the next-door neighbor came home in his new 1965 Impala SS 327. It was a yellow slick-top with black upholstery, and from my angle I could see that beautiful chrome speaker grille between the rear seats. To this day I remember all the little details about that car. There was something quite special about the '65, aside from all the technical advancements. It had a special presence that even a 1+ year old child could recognize.
1965 : Chevrolet Builds a Near Perfect Car! Could'nt agree more! 65 Impalas are the cream of the crop ever.
'65 one of my favorite Chevs. Yet don't really care for the '66. Love that light yellow color!
That Opal gives off serious 66 Nova vibs.
I seen that also!
I currently own my sixth '66 Nova , to me it looks more like my first car , a '64 Malibu .
Thanks for this one, Adam.. Nearly an entire generation of young teenage drivers had a 1965 Impala as a used car by 1975..
Yep. I was one.
@@SupergurlKara And I think nearly half of those were that medium blue metallic color..
@MarinCipollina I don't know production numbers by color or paint code. My '65 Impala SS convertible was "Artesian Turquoise" with a black interior and black top. The identical color combination was used on the cover illustration of the convertible top supplement to the owner's manual. That was a popular color.
I had mine in 70
Drove a 65 Impala Sports Sedan from 1992 to 2020. Great car I was the second owner. It was sold and now lives in Sweden.
Looking back at the ‘65’s I’m coming to think the 4-Dr hardtops are amazing looking cars. Knew plenty of people who had 65’s they were very, very popular cars. My folks had an Impala SS convertible, red with the black interior, 327 and powerglide. Learned to drive in that hot rod.
@@mammothscott1455Buy another one
In the days before computers, that advertisement was neat.
What a waste of a car.
I told my daughter to come and watch this commercial and said exactly what your comment was, done before CG was a thing, pretty cool.
@@stephenholland5930 Not really, if the customer can see the inner workings of the car he wants to buy and they're performing well it helped sell more units.
Our 1st AC equipped car when I was 9 yr old. A glacier gray 4 dr sedan, 283 powerglide. Helped Dad put on rear air shocks. Pulled heavy pop-up Apache Ramada trailer over Rocky Mtn passes. One instance of vapor lock. Was a great car.
I can hear that Powerglide now, whirring in Park! 😁
I learned how to drive at age 16 on my parents 1965 Belair with a straight six and two speed automatic… Oh, the memories. Oh, and yes, I saw in the final advertisement shown in this video that the impala was missing a wheel cover on the rear passenger side in several shots used in the commercial.
A straight 6 Bel Air or Biscayne was pretty drab compared to a V8 Impala SS. But Chevrolet sold a lot of them.
It appears to also be missing the rear wheel cover on the driver side as well, in the opening shots of the commercial.
The '64 Impala certainly has its following but the '65 was on a whole different level. Chevy really nailed it that year and all body styles looked smart. The 2-door fastback coupes have an especially beautiful roof line that still looks great. Thanks for the design backstory on this car, the Irv Rybicki interviews are a real treat!
1965 was the high point of human civilization in just about every way.
In America anyway, that's for sure.
Then came Vietnam from which we've never quite recovered.
@@johna.4334 Well, that had already been going on for years, then lbj screwed everyone in the Tonkin Gulf, but that's a whole other thing.
65, the last year Ferrari won Le Mans until last year; AM radio played GREAT music of all sorts, and bands wore suits; Go-Go dancers; cars, music, fashion, all were at their peak. Things plateau'd for a while, we had the moon landings, and some other good stuff, but wow, did things start going downhill fast in the 70s. Well, 68 is when the defecation really hit the rotary oscillator, but again, I digress.
Jim Clark won the Indy 500 AND the World Driving Championship. Jim Hall was developing the Chaparrals, so much great stuff just in the automotive world.
I would LOVE that yellow 65 SS in this vid!!!!!! (along with a 65 Riviera, and an Alfa Romeo GTV...)
@@sergioleone3583I'd add a '65 Pontiac Bonneville Sports Coupe with a 376 hp 421 HO to that list. 🙂
I’m glad to see I’m not the only one who thinks that’s true.
Way back in '72, my Dad bought a '66 Impala, blue, with a 283 and 3-spd manual on the column. The car was a cream puff. One of the best cars he ever owned. That little 283 moved the car real nice.
No hub-cap on the RR, and looks like it's chained down on the LR side. These, and most all the American cars from this era were absolutely fantastic. Bring these back, any day.
The ‘65 Impala holds a special place in my heart as my parents bought a maroon ‘65 SS convertible as their first couples car. It had a black interior and top, 327 and a four speed. I remember one hot Illinois day my dad jumped in it with shorts on and the top down… I can still hear him yell and scream all these years later !!
That ending commercial is greatness!!! Look at the car, that thing is squatting hard because it was tied/chained to the ground! And yes, the passenger wheel cover is off at the end! Too cool and a bit funny! Bravo!!
Imagine the 1999 board room where they chose to put "Impala" on a front-wheel drive rental car. They knew the name was on cars like this, yet dared to apply the name to a dull, garbage car for no good reason.
The begining of the end.
Kind of like Dodge putting DART on an ugly aahhh Fiat made Neon 💀
It was worse when they restyled it and made it look more generic looking. I had a 2001 LS and it rode nice and looked nice, but the redesign looks more cheep rental car.
Like half of todays Ford offerings, Mustang E, Maverick, Bronco, Ranger. All destined for recycling.
@VanWinger Mach E is the only bastardized name. The rest (even Maverick) all resemble prior use of the name.
(Maverick was used as a utility name in the past)
Ha! At 19:42, I thought it was ready to capsize!! Plus there's a missing wheel cover somewhere in the ocean! As beautiful as this car is... there's one feature that absolutely drives it home: the Chevrolet Rally wheel. The Chevrolet Rally wheel is by far the feature that makes this car stunning. Who designed this wheel? All the lines had killer Rally wheels for Buick, Olds and Pontiac.
Great video and style...I love the interviews in conjunction with the video.
Adam should just do a video on all the divisions rally/specialty wheels and wheel covers.
The rally wheel on this car is from a 1968.
In 1965 the rally wheel did not exist. For an SS, you got the wheelcovers with the three bar "spinner" look, wire wheelcovers or, dog dishes - scarce, but the "no option" offering.
The Impala in this video, a 1965 Super Sport in butternut yellow with black vinyl hardtop and (non stock) rally wheels is absolute perfection! Chevy made a wide variety of nice Impalas but this one remains my favorite. Thanks this made my day.
Crocus yellow.
I could do without that cheezy vinyl top. I'm just sayin'...
Butternut Yellow came out in '67 /'68 .
The wheels & stance help it out quite a bit. I've seen a few 65s that didn't have nearly the presence of this one.
While those wheels were not from factory in '65, they WERE GM wheels from the late 60's and early 70's.
Growing up in rhe 80s and 90s Id see one of those and think why cant they make them look that good anymore?
Exactly my thoughts!
1965 is undoubtedly peak GM. It was the last year before the focus mostly switched from pleasing customers, to cutting costs. I would also argue that 1965 GM is peak American auto industry. It is certainly the last year that we built the best cars in the world.
I'n 1969, my dad put a Mark IV aftermarket A/C in their 1966 Impala, and we headed across the desert to L.A. from Oklahoma. Had a 283 2 barrel with a Powerglide that never missed a lick and got almost 20 mpg. When we got home, my sis and I were washing it and she found an Easter Egg that had made the trip across America, all over CA and back. It was a little smelly, but we didn't find it in its hiding place under the front bumper. Good memories.
Nice. The rear wheel covers were missing and suddenly appeared. Real cool cars, for sure.
I could hear the rust forming!
My parents' first car after they got married, and the first car I remember in my life, was a 1965 Impala sedan, silvery grey-blue. They got a '65 Ford Galaxie sedan shortly afterward as their second car. Both were good cars, but I always liked the Impala better.
I was 12 years old in 1965 and I remember seeing these cars everywhere! They were so popular.
Always liked the 65, 66, 67 Chevy Impalas.
For me it was the 65, 68 and 70 Impalas.
Yes they were all nice cars!
The exterior of the ‘65 is my absolute favorite because of the taillight treatment but the bucket seat and console that connects to the dash found on the ‘66 Impala is by far the best looking interior option. My first car was a 1966 BelAir that had the engine mount issue as well. It was as described with the driver’s side of the engine rapidly lifting during acceleration and kinking the mechanical throttle linkage wide open. Chevrolet’s fix was a cable that ran from the alternator bracket mounting bolt to the frame.
Missing hubcap. 19:33 19:28 looks like rope next to the driver rear tire. I'm guessing it was tied down. 19:40 Watch closely as the water washes off the car. It settles back A LOT. It was tied down. 19:44 shows it clearly is tied down. It lunges forward until the restraints save it from "...washing away". lol
All this for the punchline "...cannot wash away"? lol And the music makes it a religious experience.
The suspension looks to be a bit compressed as well the tie downs probably compressing it a bit. I’m wondering how they got it out there 😆
What a weird commercial.
@@corgiowner436 It was pretty strange, but the 1964 commercial that had an Impala on a rock tower formation at Monument Valley was even more bizarre. Have you seen that one ?
@@corgiowner436 Very. Brand loyalty back then was strong, especially for Chevy. A bunch of fluff could get customers to "visit your dealer NOW".
@@bobhenry6159 oh yes! We were Pontiac people and wouldn’t dream of looking at a Ford or Chrysler.
My parents bought a used 65 white 4 door Caprice with blue interior back in 66. I liked that it had hubcaps like the Impala SS and also had the black strip below the taillights, also like the SS. The interior on that car was so comfortable is what I remember about that car. It was also a great car to take to the drive in. Thanks for showing the beautiful Yellow with black Top SS Adam, and also bringing back some great memories.
The Caprice roofline was different. Main competition was the Ltd from Ford
I remember seeing my very first 1965 Impala at 7-8 years old. I thought that it was so futuristic looking by it's styling. Remember, us kids were watching the futuristic "Jetson's" on TV. The new San Diego Freeway was located in our backyard. The State of California took half of our backyard to build the southbound lanes of the 405 freeway. I have a copy of the plat map from 1959, showing the future routing of this freeway. The freeway opened in 1963. I would go out in our backyard, and draw pictures of the cars and trucks that I saw driving on the freeway. I actually still have some of the pictures. I was fortunate to grow up in a "golden era" of development of the San Fernando Valley, in California. Your Vlog evokes the optimism that I experienced at my young age, growing up, and really liking cars, especially the "futuristic" 1965 Impala, thanks!
I'm 67 & used to draw cars all the time. I used a 50 cent piece for the tires!
My dad bought a new one of these when I was 16. it was a great car maybe one of the best our family ever owned.
I Just Love The Styling Of This Vehicle Front and Rear Tail Lights ❤ 😊
I think it's the best looking car ever made.
Beautiful car for its size, but my dream car that I never got to have was the 67 Chevelle SS 396. The local dealer had a blue one with a black interior and a 4 speed. I fell in love, but was only 17 and couldn't afford it.
Looks like they added weight in the trunk (or secured the back of the car) to keep it from being washed out to sea. Another blooper was a lost a rear driver's side/then passenger side hubcap(s). They edited in another take with the cap back on.
1960s were peak GM and peak USA.
That commercial was exactly how I felt years ago driving home from the bar in my 65 Impala 😊
Thank you Adam. I always noticed a Chevrolet appearance in the 1960's Opels. Thank you for sharing the design history and the styling themes of Chevrolet and where it was headed. See the USA in your Chevrolet indeed! I apppreciated see how Caprice was created and the Ford LTD started that trend that carried on for decades.
I was always under the impression you were not a fan of the "coke bottle styling" in an Impala. Glad to see you posted this informative and well thought-out video. I feel they are stylish and influential. You're right, the '65 was a great improvement over '64.
I vividly remember the day I saw a '65 Impala for the first time. I'd just gotten off work in the early morning, stocking shelves all night at the Thriftway store in Loveland, OH. The Impala that caught my eye was that new "Evening Orchid" color. My jaw dropped. I thought it was the most beautiful car I had ever seen. And it's still beautiful today.
Evening Orchid was only available on Super Sport models , although you could get it on an Impala , Malibu , or Nova as long as it was a SS . Only available for the first half of the year as it had problems with the dyes in the paint not being color fast . If left in the sun all day while you worked it would soon fade to a streaky silver color . Too bad , those cars were beautiful .
@@bobbrinkerhoff3592 Well, it must've been a Super Sport. I'll be darned. There's a fact I didn't know (about the only available on SS). Thanks for the info, Bob!
@@StvMcQueen1 You're very welcome . An older gentleman I knew had a detail shop , and loaned me his coor charts one time . On the chart for the '65 Chevies was Evening Orchid with a footnote stating that it was only available on SS models , you couldn't even get it on an El Camino , which I think would have been sharp .
You know it's a dang perfect car when they build 1 million of these cars (with 50,000 of them being the Super Sport variants I believe) in just one goddang year! 😎😎👍👍💪💪
My grandfather had a new 62 sedan, its only options being a heater and a single speaker AM radio. It was tan on brown. He always had a water leak from somewhere in the cowl area that Chevy just couldn't find. As a result, by 66 the car had no floors left. He bought a used 65 sedan in late 66, again, bare bones six but it did have the Glide. By 69 that transmission was giving him nothing but trouble, and he traded it in on a LOADED Plymouth Fury III sedan with a 383 2bbl. He never told my grandmother he was buying it. When she found out what it cost, he said she chased him around the house with a rolling pin, like something out of a cartoon. She hated that car right up to her death in 1991. Papa kept the car until 1994. It had just 77k on it. My dad learned to drive in a 39 ford, but the 62 and 65 chevys were his favorites. I'm no Chevy guy but I like the 65-66 Chevys.
My family had a 65 super sport 283 with the 2 speed power glide. I drove it a lot as a freshly licensed teenager from about 76 - 77. We never had any problems with it, and at that point it had 100k miles on it. It was starting to rust pretty badly around the rear wheel wells area, being a daily driver in Michigan winters with road salt. Funny thing is I don't remember exactly when we got rid of it, or to who. But I'm pretty sure it was gone when I got my first car all my own in 77, a SS396 Chevelle....perfect car for a 17 year old....LOL.
@@johnstudd4245 LOL. What a nice and durable car! If you have a modern-day Chevrolet, I bet it wouldn’t last from a single malfunction in its electronics! Nice story! 😎👍💪
@@matthewpaanotorres7309 Yeah, don't even get me started on modern cars, cost and complexity. I can appreciate some safety features like air bags, crumple zone exterior and interior parts and what not. But aside from that....I would GLADLY go back to driving a 1965 car or pickup. With some common sense applied we should be able to have the best of both worlds. But thanks to Govt fuel economy mandates and automaker greed, buying and owning a modern car can be a nightmare. Now with electric vehicles thrown in the mix also, lower income people are just about priced out of the ability to to have some sort of basic transportation. And that is by plan. It used to be automakers gave the consumers what we wanted and we had plenty of good choices, now its we take what they have to offer with few if any decent choices whether we like it or not.
I saw a guy in a boat leaving in a hurry in the background. I think he had one of the wheel covers under his arm. Also there is no accounting for taste it would seem. I loved the look of this '65 since the first time I saw it BUT, I equally loved the '64. You say plain I say understated.
I loved the 64 as well with the lines in the top. 64 and 65 are different but I love both. The 64 was understated but attractive.
Well, the car did not get washed away but the wheelcover sure did!
I think that the 65 Chevrolet full size car was one of the prettiest that they ever made.
Two '65 Impala SS Hardtops are memorable to me when I was 11 years old. One of my aunts bought a new SS at the end of the model year. It was silver with a black painted roof and blue bucket seats, quite a unique color combination. It had the small V8. She took my Mom & I for a ride in it after she bought it. It had a wonderful "jet-smooth" ride and was very quiet. I was fascinated by the Vacuum Gauge on the dash. She had it for 13 years then bought a new loaded '78 Monte Carlo Landau, white with red velour seats and wire wheel covers.
Then earlier that year while my Dad and I were parked one evening in front of the local A&P grocery store waiting for my Mom to finish the shopping, next door was the Chevy dealer, and this beautiful SS Hardtop pulls into the lot. It was the rare Evening Orchid with a black vinyl roof, white bucket seats and factory wire wheel covers. This beautiful blond haired woman was driving it and gets out wearing a fur coat. We figured she was the dealer's wife as the SS had dealer plates on it. I never saw that SS again.
As a boy I rode a lot in a 1965 green four door belong to a friend's parents. What I remember was the beautiful upholstery and especially the great a/c like my parents' Bonneville. Great video!
Awesome commercial! Once again, kudos on your great channel, Adam! Great back story as well.
65, 66 and 67 in my opinion are the nicest Impalas, they had all the best engines as well. The 65 SS 409 4-Speed is slightly out of my price range but that would be my pick as the best one.
That commercial at the end 😆 so many questions. Love my 68 impala 4 door. Absolute stunner of a car. I daily drive it, turned the big journal 327 into a 383 with lots of goodies. People always trying to buy it. Easy classic car to make a daily.
Another Great video, thank you my friend. ... OH & as for the final commercial ( the back hubcap is missing - probably washed away w/ the tumultuous waves) 😊
There we go!. My father bought a new 65 impala from Berger Chevrolet. Car was ordered with the 396 425hp Muncie M22 and 4:10 12 bolt posi. Would beat anything on the streets at that time.
My dad had a midnight blue 65 Impala ss with the same specifications. You're absolutely correct. He never got passed unless he allowed it!
The 1965 Chevy Impala SS was the best looking year!!! I had a Red one with a fine 409 & it was an Awesome car!!! Only the 62's & 63's were comparable in styling!!!
When I was a kid the parents of one of my friends bought a new 1965 Impala SS 2 door hardtop. I remember that it was Evening Orchid with a white interior and a black vinyl top. They drove that car forever. It replaced a 1957 Imperial and a 1973 Cadillac replaced it.
Great design that all came together beautifully. The thing in the upper middle back seat is a cool design.
The rear seat speaker.
@@mammothscott1455 Ah, never realized that thx.
I had a 65 impala SS. Loved it.
My grandmother had one. An SS, no less, with the goal post shifter. Shocked the heck out of 12 year old me. Drove in from Chicago for the NY world’s fair .
Great video. I owned a '65 Impala for awhile and its the year I was born lol. Thanks Adam!
I had several 60s Chevy's in my early driving years, my dad was very familiar with them and wanted me to drive also, he could help repair and rebuild the drivetrain, but those issues never happened! Rode and drove very nice, I would still daily my Chevelle, Impala or Caprice! 😊
Thanks for this video Adam. I own a 65 and love it. Driving around I get all kinds of thumbs up from other drivers on the road. Sadly my original 327 bit the dust so I now have a 350 GM crate engine on her. Love the reliability.
I love both the 64 and 65. They are each two kinds of great.
I have one of these wonderful cars sitting in my garage. I absolutely love it!
Great video! In spring 1965 my dad piled the family into our well-used '57 Ford wagon and drove to the Chevy dealer intent on buying a leftover '64 Impala. Instead we drove home in a black vinyl over white 1965 Impala 396 coupe. It wasn't the SS and weirdly it had a powerglide automatic, along with positraction and a tilt wheel. It was wicked fast and one time when dad had to take my sister to the emergency room he left a pair of burnout marks down our driveway, through a 90-degree left and down the street, tires still smoking. He sold it before my 16th birthday because he said it was too much power for me to drive. He was probably right but at the time I wasn't happy about it.
Great memories nonetheless.
My dad had a 1965 impala ss 396 turbo 400 back, dark blue with light blue interior. I always thought the vacuum gauge was cool, around 1972. I would sit in it at night anf listen to Elvis 8 track and talk on cb radio. Great memories.
My grandpa had exactly this as a taxi here in Finland.
Black on black V8 car.
It was awesome.
I saw the hubcap was missing! Probably the water took it away...
One design element I think you missed was that this was the first year curved side glass was used on full size cars like the Impala/Bel Air/Biscayne. This design feature was previously introduced on the intermediate-sized cars in 1964. Let me know if I have that right. Adam. Great videos lately on specific topics. All very interesting. I love the behind the scenes information you provide! Anthony
Very well-done video. Thank you for your fine attention to the details. This 1965 SS is one of the finest Impalas to come off of the Chevrolet lines. An absolutely beautiful piece of machinery.
To my eye, the 1965 restyle of Chevrolet, Pontiac, and Cadillac were the absolute best that any of them would ever achieve!
Love the '65 Bonneville with its walnut veneer dash and steering wheel. On a Pontiac!
That yellow Impala was instant junk with all that saltwater pouring over it.
Awesome video Adam. I always look forward to your latest downloads and never miss one. I have learned more from you than any other channel about the finer aspects of design, budgets, engineering, sales strategies, etc. You truly are an automotive treasure. I think I speak for many in saying thanks for all your hard work although I think you quite enjoy it. Maybe it’s time for you to write a book. Just a thought
Spot on again. My favorite is a toss up between the coupes of 65 & 68 hideaway headlights, 427, lightning bolt hood. As a ten year old, I was fascinated by these commercials, and as soon as you mentioned the Swept Away ad; I remembered the rear hubcaps were, 'swept away'! There was a documentary on these commercials showing how they chained down, helicoptered in and I believe Swept Away was ramped, chained down and secured at low tide. And things went wrong when the force of the late day waves were under estimated.👍🏾🇺🇸🏁
I had a two door '65 Impala with a 283 2 bbl, Powerglide that I sold so I could afford to go back to college many years ago. That engine was so smooth and quiet, when I pulled up to a stoplight you could not tell if it was running or not. Miss that car.
The tie-downs and missing wheel cover shown in that ad would have been nearly impossible to spot on the analog, low resolution TVs of 1965, particularly if one’s rabbit ears antenna was not in the perfect position. 😉 My first car was a ‘65 Impala Super Sport. Had the 283 2-barrel with the 2-speed PowerGlide. No speed demon, but plenty of torque and very smooth. The blue Super Sport shown at the end of this video is gorgeous. (Mine was burgundy).
My first car was a 1965 Impala hardtop sedan. With a 327 and Powerglide.
Adam, the styling of the big Chevy had many things in common with the new 1965 Corvair. Those cars really set a trend for the whole Chevy line up thru 1970. I can only add that the 1965 trapped hood was trapped on four sides until they introduced the cowl with the wipers under the rear of the hood. That was a few years later. (1968?)
In our neck of the woods, it was an "Im-pal-a" not "Im-paul-a" from 58 on. Nice article, well researched and presented.
Thanks, again for a great video. Like you said, the 64 Impala was a pretty plain looking car. I thought it was a poor restyle of the new 63 model. The 63 Impala was a much nicer design in my opinion. I also didn't like the flat grille and heavy rear end design of the 64.
But the 65 Chevy Impala was a real knockout and beautiful car that was so much better than it's competition from Ford and Plymouth that year.
Thanks, again.
The 1964 facelift looked mailed in.
I can agree that nothing from Ma Mopar looked good in 65, even if the 62s were their serious low point. Same with Ford if you set the Mustang aside. GM really had some great looking cars in 65. If I were an adult new car shopper w/o a budget, IDK with 65 GM I would've chosen. Cars were so unique back then. Not like the cookie cutter SUVs and crossovers we have today with shared drivetrains. Infinitely boring.
I had been gone during summer. When it came time to go home, I got a big surprise. Parents had bought a new 1965 Impala Super Sport convertible, yellow with black top and interior. 4 sp, 396. I was stoked. It was dirty so I washed it. When I got done mom said thanks, we are taking it back! I didn’t even get to drive the thing. I was 15 I think.
Those 1965's were beautiful. Wish I still had the one I owned in the early 1980's. 2 door coupe, 283 powerglide.
In 1976, my first car as a high schooler was a 65 Impala. The only good thing about that car was the large back seat!
In my opinion the 65-67 full size Chevy was perhaps the best car available at the time. If not the best, certainly a world leading car in terms of design, manufacture, drivability, quality and value.
‘65 Wildcat
My brother in law had a brand new 1965 Chevrolet Impala SuperSport. Same light yellow color with black interior and a hard top. It was so much sportier when compared to my parents 63 Dodge Dart station wagon. Bucket seats were cool so was being a two door. I think the 65 was the best looking Impala Chevrolet ever produced. Thanks.
My first car, inherited from my Dad was a 1965 Impala SS convertible, with a 396 V8. I've never owned a more beautiful automobile. Yes, the motor mounts had to be replaced. It had an automatic transmission, so the tachometer was replaced with a manifold vacuum gauge. I never quite knew what it was all about, just that I should keep the car's performance out of the blue range. Thanks so much for this documentary.
My Grandfather (Mom's Dad) bought a new '65 white coupe with a black interior. Mom liked driving it...
I believe the '65 Chevys were the first cars available with FM stereo, with the separate multiplex unit. Dad told me of a friend who had it, and they'd lay into him about how the FM radio stations turned off early for the night, etc., but that it was really impressive for its time.
My favorite Chevy of all time. Love it. And I’m not a Chevy person. So classy.
Beautiful color combo with vinyl roof
My first car was a white 1965 Chevy Impala 4 door with a 283 and Power glide. I was just out of high school...(1974)...bought it for $500 with 72k miles. I drove that car for 5 years and sold it with 126k miles. It had the infamous broken motor mount/sticking throttle issue (happened if the wheels were cramped to the left and you accelerated too hard) and the brakes ALWAYS pulled to the right. Over time the upholstery split (which I "fixed" with a cheap nylon seat cover), it rusted some and developed a lot of squeaks and rattles. I drove that car everywhere...a trip to Texas (from Michigan) several trips to Omaha and all over the Midwest. Through it all the car was dead reliable. The only time it failed me was when the fuel pump quit on the way to work. I did do frequent oil changes and replaced the brake pads a couple of times along with some replacement exhaust/muffler components but I was always broke at that time and maintenance was minimal. It was my favorite car of all time (I'm 68 now) and this video brings back the memories...thanks for that.
@9:43 Pretty sure they also made a 2dr. Caprice in '66.
They did. Car and Driver tested a 66 Caprice against a 66 LTD.
@@61rampy65 Thanks Mr. Rampy!
I could be wrong, but wasn't the Caprice 2dr. only just for introductory yr 1966? Maybe not...
Yes...my grandparents had a 1966 2dr. Caprice. Wonderful car.
We had a 66 Caprice 396...69 Impala Coupe...69 Impala 4 door with 350's...69 Kingswood Estate 350/4 barrel...71 Impala Coupe 350/4 barrel... 73 Monte Carlo 350/4barrel...74 Impala 4 door 350/4 barrel...74 Chevelle Laguna 350/4 barrel...77 Monte Carlo 350/4 barrel. You could say we liked new Chevies!
I had a friend in high school whos' mom had one of these, 283 and a 'glide had plenty of go! Car had one of those funky "economy/power" vacuum gauges.
Stunning vehicles. These mid to late '60s Chevys are jewels.
i was a car crazy 5 year old when Caprice was introduced. From then on all i wanted was a 65 1/2 Caprice. Fast forward 25 years. Found 1 (pre internet) in New Jersey Had it sent by ship to my home in East Coast Canada Looked like an Impala with a Cadillac interior. White and blue combo... 3 years later I bought my first home.......guess what happened next......(who knew there would be closing costs Lol)......loved that car and have had a couple of other vintage cars since.....Thanks for the video
My parents bought the exact Caprice color combo that you purchased from New Jersey. I live in Ohio though, so probably not the same one, but you never know . I loved the looks and comfort of the 65 Caprice especially with the spinner hubcaps like the Impala SS and the black strip below the taillights, also like the SS. That was a great car. Ours had the 327 motor, but not sure if it had the power glide or the turbo hydromatic in it.
My first car was a white 65 Chevy Impala wagon handed down to me by my parents. I put down the back seat, laid down 4 inches of foam topped with a carpet cut to size (shag carpet of course) giving me a bed that was well longer than my 6'2 height. perfect for the drive-in movies! The dashboard was a killer tightly curve edged metal dash (deadly to a passenger in front wearing a lap belt). It also was the first of four cars that I have totalled in a collision in my lifetime (a head on collision... not my fault!!!). Making a right turn at an intersection I could floor it while turning the wheel hard right, and do a 180 completely under control ending two lanes over LOL little did my parents know.
My best friend had the 63 Chevy Impala, a favorite of the low riders at the time.