“She’s Real Fine… My 409”
by
Bill Kesgard
When I was a teenager growing up in
Boise, Idaho I became very interested in muscle cars. One of my fondest
memories is watching my close friend drive his 1964 Impala 409/425 car.
The car had so much power that it literally shook the ground with the
rumble of that big block motor. He could smoke the tires through three
gears, and very seldom lost a race. I always dreamed of one day owning
one of these cars. At 18 years of age and working in a gas station for
$1.25 per hour, that seemed like a dream.
Working and raising a family took the better part of the next 30 years,
but my love for a 409 never diminished. My dream came true in the winter
of 2003. I located a black/black 1964 Impala SS equipped with the
425/409. The car was located about 4 hours away in Seattle. The car had
undergone an extensive body off frame restoration and the current owner
had lost interest in finishing the restoration. The drive train had been
completely rebuilt, along with new interior and glass. The transmission
is a Muncie M-21 4-speed and the rear end is a correct 10-bolt “P” case
with 4:11 gears. The car needed paint, exterior trim and a lot of TLC in
finishing up the little details.
A friend in Seattle verified the condition of the car, date codes and
numbers. The block stamp pad indicated this was a Tonnawanda QB block
with the VIN number and date code matching that of the car. This car had
no power steering or power brakes, and the only options were a heater
and a radio. This was truly a very rare car.
This car was actually being sold at an auction on the internet. There
was no reserve price on the car and the owner was selling the car two
weeks before Christmas, (not the best time to sell a car). Having
thoroughly researched the car I was very comfortable in purchasing it.
At the conclusion of the auction I was the high bidder.
In January 2004, the exterior of the car was stripped to bare metal and
refinished in the original Tuxedo black finish, in a base/clear coat.
The body panels are perfectly straight and as we all know black is a
very unforgiving color.
In the spring of 2004 the car was finished. I have shown the car at
numerous local car shows. It has won many awards and always draws a
crowd to look at the legendary 409. Driving this car is a pure
pleasure and the power is unbelievable. It is not hard to understand why
the Beach Boys wrote a song about this car. “She’s real fine… my 409.”
I have tried to document the history of the car and was able to go back
24 years and two owners. What is important now is that a piece of muscle
car history has been brought back to life for all to enjoy. I would like
to thank my wife, Marnie for her support on this project.
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From our youth we are introduced to items in our life that make us feel free. Old cars, old trains, old buildings. Hillyard has all of these. For example, Hillyard's own Jim Hedley has an extensive collection of old cars as do many other people in and around Hillyard. We would like to start telling those stories. From automobile memorabilia to trains, to buildings to people to whatever is Hillyard. We are looking for those who choose to tell their story. Like an artist, once they have the canvas to paint on their expression begins. May we offer that electronic canvas for all to enjoy. Are you a collector? Do you have an item with some historical value or other interesting information? Or maybe you just want to show off your collection. It's easy! Just drop us a note at Articles@Historic-Hillyard.com. |
| Vol. 2, Issue 12 |
June 20, 2005 |