1962 Chevrolet Biscayne

Description

For those of you around during the early horsepower wars, cars like this 1962 Chevrolet Biscayne 2-door sedan are the stuff of dreams (or nightmares, depending on what you were driving). This is a genuine California V8 car, but it's been rebuilt and restored to emulate the nasty factory-type hardware that was prowling the streets in 1962, and with 458 horsepower on tap, even today's performance cars should be looking over their shoulders.

Ermine White is about as low-profile as it gets, and it's easy to imagine walking into your local Chevy dealer and pickup up a stripper like this. Check the right boxes and you have a factory-built race car that takes no prisoners on the street, all wrapped in an unassuming wrapper that's perfect for catching the other guy asleep at the wheel. Following a complete restoration several years ago, it's been driven only about 1000 miles, and the thundering 409 (more on that in a moment) has less than 300, so it's really fresh. The bodywork is excellent, showing off its California heritage to great effect with super straight panels and even gaps that are critical on a white car. The chrome was refinished to look right, not too shiny and perfect, and other than those subtle crossed-flag emblems with a little '409' underneath, this is one heck of a sleeper.

The blue plaid interior is correct for this particular car, and is pretty much what you'd get after spending every extra penny on the hardware up front. It's nicely finished and has that kitschy look that makes the performance so entertaining. There's a proper Hurst for the 4-speed and an accessory tachometer strapped to the steering column, so the performance hardware is in place but not screaming about it, and with radio and heater delete, it's exactly the way it would have been delivered from the factory. The steering wheel is beautiful, the gauges look bright and crisp, and just about everything inside is as it should be and in great shape. Spatter-finish paint in the trunk, plus correct mats and even a bias-ply spare on a steel wheel complete the package. If you bought Chevy horsepower off the showroom floor, this is pretty much what it would have looked like inside.

Now, about that engine. This isn't a real 409 car, but that doesn't matter. What does matter is that this period 409 has been punched out to 481 cubes and makes a dyno-verified 458 horsepower at 5500 RPM. The engine has less than 300 miles on the build, which features a lopey Isky cam, Ross forged aluminum pistons, and a pump-gas-friendly 9.6:1 compression ratio. Detailed for show, it hides in plain sight with a stock air cleaner and those wild valve covers, complete with '409 horsepower' right on their faces. Heck, this one still runs a generator and you know there's no power steering or brakes to hurt performance. A T10 4-speed feeds a beefy stock rear end, which has surprisingly mild 3.55 gears inside. The undercarriage is detailed like it was just built, although that exhaust system doesn't quite manage to damp the muscular engine's voice. Plain white wheels with poverty caps and 7.50R14 blackwalls complete the sleeper look.

This car is simply amazing to look at, but it isn't until you drive it that you realize just what a beast it truly is. If you like the early industrial-strength hardware, not many can compete with this Biscayne. Call today!