[sbrady73]

I know this is a long shot but I m hoping someone might be able to help me obtain some information.

I own a 1964 impala ss and have recently had it restored, my plan was to put an ls3 in the car but recently I have come across some information that has me wondering.

Apparently my car has an aluminum hood. After doing a lot of research I see that in 63 they made I think 59 impala ss with full aluminum front clips marketed to nascar as z11. Then in 62 they made I think 11 called “lightweight”. I cannot however find any information on any made in 64 which has me wondering if I have a one off or something odd all together.

The previous owner of my car said when he purchased the car it came with a 63 owners manual, long gone now.

I tried checking with the GM heritage website but they stopped giving out build sheets in nov of 21 from what they told me.

I was hoping that someone here might have some friends at GM that could possible find the original build sheet for me to see if my car was a custom order or if its just a weird fluke that they had an extra hood left over from the z11 and put it on my car or what it is?

I understand this is a long shot but I have exhausted all my resources to find what I need. The vin number is 41447L138319 which from all the research I can find tells me it is a 64, SS with a v8 built in Los Angeles.

Since the car was recently restored all the original build sheets that might have been in the car have been removed and are in the trash I am sure, when I sent the car for restoration I wasn’t thinking it might be different from any other 64 SS so I never thought to ask them to save anything.

I appreciate your time and hope you have a wonderful day.

Yours truly,

Sean Brady

 

[65_&_67_Impala]

well, AFAIK, they haven't stopped "giving out" build sheets. for the last several years people have been able to pay $50 and buy them. you may want to doublecheck on that

as for an aluminum hood, assuming it is original, it may have been a special COPO order for racing. you'd need to verify that with some of our more knowledgeable members like @BA. and @62BillT

as for the 63 vs 64 hood, they are notated in the Hollander cross-reference as completely different, so unless they swapped fenders, bumpers, and everything else that would have been needed to be swapped....conclusion is... it's either COPO, a 'one-off' as you suggested, or an aftermarket

so I don't see how a long gone '63 owners manual will help us out here

 

[sbrady73]

well, AFAIK, they haven't stopped "giving out" build sheets. for the last several years people have been able to pay $50 and buy them. you may want to doublecheck on that

as for an aluminum hood, assuming it is original, it may have been a special COPO order for racing. you'd need to verify that with some of our more knowledgeable members like @BA. and @62BillT

as for the 63 vs 64 hood, they are notated in the Hollander cross-reference as completely different, so unless they swapped fenders, bumpers, and everything else that would have been needed to be swapped....conclusion is... it's either COPO, a 'one-off' as you suggested, or an aftermarket

so I don't see how a long gone '63 owners manual will help us out here

ya I dont know about the owners manual either other than maybe it was a middle year like a 64 built in mid 63 that used some 63 parts but i wasnt aware of the hood being different.

 

[62BillT]

Someone mentioned a '64 Aluminum Hood a few months back and after a few of us responded, and if I remember correctly, we never heard anything back. Correct on the '62 and '63 Hoods but myself and many others out there have never heard of a '64 Aluminum Hood, from the factory anyway. A '63 leftover could not be as the Hoods are very different from each other. I'm not doubting your word, but just curious if you put a magnet to it?

 

[BA.]

I was curious on the magnet verification as well, but wow, if it's really aluminum that would seem to be a pretty rare piece.

Unfortunately that ones' a little bit before my time and I just don't know much of the history on those or those lightweight Z11's. Where's Dyno Don and Grumpy Jenkins when you need them?

 

[65_&_67_Impala]

I was curious on the magnet verification as well, but wow, if it's really aluminum that would seem to be a pretty rare piece.

Unfortunately that ones' a little bit before my time and I just don't know much of the history on those or those lightweight Z11's. Where's Dyno Don and Grumpy Jenkins when you need them?

well, we got Big Dave somewhere

 

[sbrady73]

Someone mentioned a '64 Aluminum Hood a few months back and after a few of us responded, and if I remember correctly, we never heard anything back. Correct on the '62 and '63 Hoods but myself and many others out there have never heard of a '64 Aluminum Hood, from the factory anyway. A '63 leftover could not be as the Hoods are very different from each other. I'm not doubting your word, but just curious if you put a magnet to it?

ya we have put a magnet on it to verify, this all came about in a weird way.

the car is at a friends shop waiting to get the new motor and trans installed and a guy walked in and walked right to the car and told my friend that he was told to come look at the car by a friend. My buddy runs a motorcycle repair and custom shop so its not strange to have people coming and going all the time.

anyway the gentleman that came to look at the car apparently is known locally as a guy who puts cars in like the Mecum and Barrett Jackson auctions. He looked at the car and told my friend he wanted to buy it and to get a price from the owner.

that's how this all came about.

 

[62BillT]

Only if you would agree to it, but if you post your Cowl Tag we may be able to tell a little more on why that person was so interested in it.

 

[sbrady73]

Only if you would agree to it, but if you post your Cowl Tag we may be able to tell a little more on why that person was so interested in it.

I will get my buddy to take a pic and send it to me. like i said from the vin I can tell it was a 64 made in los angeles it is an SS and it came with a v8 thats it

 

[62BillT]

What Engine is in the car now?

 

[sbrady73]

I will get my buddy to take a pic and send it to me. like i said from the vin I can tell it was a 64 made in los angeles it is an SS and it came with a v8 thats it

 

[sbrady73]

What Engine is in the car now?

Nothing currently, waiting to put the ls3 in it still have the 327 that came out of it of course with power glide trans

 

[62BillT]

I'll leave it up to the Cowl Tag experts to decipher it for you, but I have also noticed that it is no longer attached. Just wondering if you are sure that it is the one that came with the car.

 

[65_&_67_Impala]

yeah, as @62BillT pointed out, you'll definitely want to get that re-attached if that is authentic, and you'll need the correct rivets too.

Bill, did they also put a hidden VIN stamped on the frame somewhere too?

 

[62BillT]

Bill, did they also put a hidden VIN stamped on the frame somewhere too?

Yes, it is on the Frame in one or two different places.

 

[62BillT]

It would also be ideal if you could show us a picture of the Hood itself. If it's possible some good pictures of the underside as well.

 

[sbrady73]

yeah, as @62BillT pointed out, you'll definitely want to get that re-attached if that is authentic, and you'll need the correct rivets too.

Bill, did they also put a hidden VIN stamped on the frame somewhere too?

Ya the place that did the resto removed it

 

[sbrady73]

I'll leave it up to the Cowl Tag experts to decipher it for you, but I have also noticed that it is no longer attached. Just wondering if you are sure that it is the one that came with the car.

Yes I called my buddy to get the picture and it was in the truck with other posts from the restoration place, the spot inside the hood was empty I imagine they removed it to do their work

 

[sbrady73]

yeah, as @62BillT pointed out, you'll definitely want to get that re-attached if that is authentic, and you'll need the correct rivets too.

Bill, did they also put a hidden VIN stamped on the frame somewhere too?

where would i find the correct rivets? When I was first starting this project i was not planning on making this a factory correct resto or anything just wanted to make it a nice everyday driver maybe like a resto mod with the ls engine and also i had no information that it might be a rare vehicle other than being a 64 ss

 

[62BillT]

where would i find the correct rivets? When I was first starting this project i was not planning on making this a factory correct resto or anything just wanted to make it a nice everyday driver maybe like a resto mod with the ls engine and also i had no information that it might be a rare vehicle other than being a 64 ss

Be sure to hold onto that 327, especially if it was original to the car.