I wasn’t going to start with a posting like this one, but after looking at these Legendary 1962 Chevrolet vehicles, all equipped with the legendary 409 C.I.D V-8 that was made famous (or infamous by some accounts) in the early 60s, I really have to evaluate my opinion on these cars.

It is not the first time I have done so, once questioning the values of the Legendary 1969 Dodge Daytona Winged Monsters. The prices on the Daytonas were approaching $500,000, with one being sold for a hair under $600,000. Most of you agreed that the Daytonas, while awesome in their own right, are not worth the stupid money the dealers were asking for them. While these Chevys are not quite in that range, they are still expensive, with asking prices between $50,000 and $65,000. So take a look at these 409 equipped monsters, and tell me if any 1962 Chevrolet is worth these asking prices.

The first of these Chevy Titans is this Roman Red 1962 Chevrolet Impala SS Sport Coupe. I have to tell you all, this is a very nice looking ride, with the SS Aluminum Rear Panel, the new for 62 roofline, upgraded later model sports wheels, and a very red but pleasingly handsome interior with a couple of upgrades. The car has been converted to an all disc braking system with a dual master cylinder, so the car can now stop as well as it goes. I’m not a fan of the aftermarket air cleaners, the raised hood, or the tachometer tacked on to the steering column, and all of these things actually subtract from the value. The auction has closed on this one with a top bid of $23,800, with an unmet reserve. This car will not realize the true value of an actual 409 car because of the cosmetic and mechanical upgrades, but what do you think the true value of this car is? See the listing here, and tell me what you think.

Here is an Ermine White 1962 Chevrolet Impala SS Sport Coupe, and this one is is a bit more pure than the above Impala. This car still has the single stage brake master cylinder, and I bet the braking system is an all drum setup. Instead of late model rims, this has period correct 1962 Spinner Wheel Covers, on Bias Ply White Stripe tires. The seller is so careful that he has booties on the brake, and clutch pedal pads, and has wrapped the shift lever in plastic. This interior looks authentic, with the correct factory tachometer, and a proper trim plate for the floor mounted shifter. The engine room, and trunk are perfect, like it just came off the showroom floor. With about 4 hours to go, there isn’t a bid yet, but the Buy-It-Now price is an astonishing $65,000. Take a look at the listing, and tell me if this particular Impala SS with the 409 is really worth that kind of money.

This is another Roman Red Chevrolet Impala SS, only this time it’s a Convertible Coupe. Very authentic restoration with this one, with the exception of the Mufflers chosen with the new exhaust system. As with the white one above, this car still has the original single master cylinder braking system, and you can bet they are all drums under those very pretty wheelcovers. Bias Ply Tires round out the rolling stock, and a refreshed interior completes the package. The white convertible top looks new, and everything else seems to be in top notch condition. The bidding has ended for this car, and convertibles seem to command a premium over their hardtop brethren, but this car failed to even land the $50,000 initial bid, and I’m not sure what the reserve was. See the listing here, and tell me if this car was worth at least the opening bid.

From the same seller as the above convertible comes this restored Impala SS Sport Coupe that was originally built in California. This car is not equipped with period correct wheels, but with later model Sport Rims, riding on Radial Tires. The original rims and covers do come with the car though. It does have a Bench Seat interior though, and it has the proper 4-speed manual. Apparently a large number of OEM New Old Stock (NOS) parts were located and used in the restoration of this Ermine White Coupe. It looks alost perfect, and comes with the California only single piece bumpers. This auction has ended as well, without an opening bid. The initial bid was $45,000, and apparently I’m not the only one who thinks this car is just slightly overpriced. See the listing here and tell me what you think.

Those cars were originally 409 equipped cars (or so the sellers state), and they were pretty expensive. But what about a recreation? This is a Roman Red 1962 Chevrolet Biscayne 2-door Post Sedan that was originally a Tuxedo Black 6-cylinder car that was brought north from Georgia with the purpose of building a 409 equipped stealth bomber. All the body panels are original to the car, but it was thoroughly prepped for a new DuPont finish. The engine is actually one that dates from 1963, along with a 1963 4-speed Muncie M21 Manual (The engine dynos at 429HP currently). A completely restored interior finishes the package. There is one day to go in this auction with a Buy-it-Now price of $64,900. Holy mother of god! Is this recreation really worth that amount of coin? See the listing, and you be the judge.

RK Motors also has another Biscayne 409, only this one has the correct 1962 date coded engine under the hood, and a Borg Warner T10 4-speed manual displaying the correct early casting numbers. This car was originally Tuxedo Black, and remains that way today, with a frame off restoration that is just a little more authentic than the red car. That’s not to say it wasn’t over restored, with the chrome valve covers, and the red-stripe bias plys, but still it was a very good restoration. But is it worth it? With one day to go, the Buy-it-Now price is $64,900, the same price as the red reproduction above. Are you kidding? Are either of these cars worth the bread, the lettuce, the green? See the listing, and let me know what you think.

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