1964 Chevy SS Owner Seeks Information by Greg Zyla

Q: Greg, I have a 1964 Chevy SS, and wonder if you could give me a ballpark figure on its worth. It has a 350-V8 (not original) motor with air conditioning, automatic transmission, fairly good burgundy paint job with a few "spider webs," no rust, original SS Spinner hubcaps, good chrome, original radio, and good glass. The interior is also in very good condition. Also, if it were a 4-speed, how much more would it be worth? Thanks. Don Gant, Gas City, Indiana.

A: Don, although you don't mention if your SS is a Nova, Chevelle or an Impala, I'm going to give you the prices for the Impala, as I believe you would have brought to my attention if it were not a full-size Chevy.

First, just because you SS isn't a 100-percent original car, it still attracts a pretty good dollar. The 350-V8 is a great engine, and a popular replacement for the original 327-V8 as both are similar in design and performance. You mention the 4-speed, and I'll admit it might be worth a little more with the stick, but not as much as you might think. Today, automatics are not looked on negatively like they used to be, so I'd say the 4-speed is worth maybe another $800 or so, tops. If we're talking 100-percent original, then perhaps a 10-percent increase would be justified, but that's another story.

As for value, I'd say anything in the neighborhood of a high of $10,000 to $13,000 would be close, with a low, quick sale figure of $8,500 to $9,000. If the car were original, it might fetch $13,450 to $21,000 in its current form, but again, that's another story. Also, if you catch a collector that doesn't care about 100-percent originality, you might easily get $13,000 for it, maybe more. Finally, remember what I tell other readers in your situation that prices listed in guides or in books aren't necessarily what a person receives for what's sitting in their garage.

Good luck, and thanks for your question.

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