'64 Impala SS 409

sjt409

Member
Hello,
Just registered after viewing for about 2 years. Live in Forest, VA.

Got the 409 bug a few years ago and had 409 QA built by Lamar Walden Automotive in Doraville, GA, dyno'd up to 520+ HP. Not in my '64 Impala SS. Need to restore car. Car was built in Doraville, GA! Rotted frame but original SS 409 with bucket seats. Appears to have been painted three times. Original Black with black interior. Had tilt wheel!

Struggling to figure what rear end setup to go with: Pontiac/Olds, 12-bolt Chevy, Ford 9" (boo!), or a quick change setup Franklin, etc.????

Also, could use a good body guy. I don't mind doing all the mechanical stuff but not a body guy or painter (yet).

Any help appreciated.

When a kid I had 63 Chevy with small block engines (3-283,292,327) and never 409. This time around I got the 409 bug and always wanted a '64 Impala!

Pictures of my old '63 attached. Crazy kid, I ran a gasser as a street car!! Straight axle, tunnel ram, 15x10 Keystone, etc. But gas was <25 cents a gallon back then!!

And the craziest part was I took a tri-five frame and cut it to make a modified frame retaining the "weak" 10 bolt just thinking the leaf spring suspension would prevent rear end breakage! Needless to say it did not work, twisted axles, blown rear ends continued.

Knowing what I know now I would have got a Ponitac-Olds rear end under that thing!!
 

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sjt409

Member
Was it set up with leaf rear springs???

Oh welcome aboard.
Yes, rear section of frame was from 55-57 Chevy and cut near front before X section and welded together. Leaf spring rear section with Lakewood traction bars and air shocks of the day (Hurst?). I had to cut the rear floor pans similar to the very expensive frames you can buy today and it eliminated the "X" section all together. It had a one-piece drivesahft similar to a tri-five setup. Only if I would have just knew to put an Olds/Pontiac rear end in the thing I would have had an indestructible rear! Interesting that the rear section frame of the tri-five aligned with the body mounts of the 63 from what I remember.
 

skipxt4

Well Seasoned Member
Supporting Member 18
Very Nice 63, sjt409.:clap I was a Keystone Wheel person, also. :applYou are very right, about the Chevy 10 bolt rears.:doh Anything bigger than a 6 cylinder, would ruin them. I also had a collection, of broken parts.:cry1 Good Luck, with your 64 SS.:good
 

Tom Kochtanek

Well Known Member
Supporting Member 12
Welcome aboard! My vote is to keep it all GM and go with the BOP rear end. Lots of sources for those, just ask :).

Cheers! TomK
 

409gang

Well Known Member
Supporting Member 1
Very Nice 63, sjt409.:clap I was a Keystone Wheel person, also. :applYou are very right, about the Chevy 10 bolt rears.:doh Anything bigger than a 6 cylinder, would ruin them. I also had a collection, of broken parts.:cry1 Good Luck, with your 64 SS.:good
Ha, after the passing of both my parents we cleaned out the garage in order to sell the house and found all kind of broken parts left around from back in the day.
 

409gang

Well Known Member
Supporting Member 1
skipxt4: I didn't have to many rear ends parts lying around as I just threw them out until I put a BOP rear end in, then I broke 4 speeds and drive shafts. I use to rebuild the 4 speeds and had all kinds of broken gears and cases left, they make good paper weights. Also had drive shaft sections lying around, I brought those home after 40 years.
 

sjt409

Member
Yes, thanks for the posts. I remember blowing a rear end about every weekend. Go to the local junyard and pull one out for about $10-$25. $25 if it was a posi unit. Blew them too. Nothing lasted very long when "stressed" even with a small block engine (283 bored to 292). At one time had 12.5 TRW pistons in that engine. Lots of fond memories and broken parts!

I acquired a "crash box" Borg-Warner T-10. After getting the car back together I backed out of my parents garage and driveway onto the country road and gave it a full rev dump hoping for a burnout. I twisted the mainshaft off the transmission. Probably the one and only time the rear end and/or driveshaft did not break! Maybe the crash box shaft was already stressed to break but that was the shortest time ever with a repair job! back into the garage I went...

But then when you are only 18 you are a bit wild and crazy!
 
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