VCCA Home Forums TECHNICAL - 1945 AND NEWER 1961-1964 409 experiance's

Well I am getting a little board and wanted to see some action on this page,so if any of you guys and gals have some interesting "09" stories lets start with them and see if we can get something going. Here is a question; What was the srtangest combination as far as body style/color any of you have ever seen on an original 409 car back in the day? Or even now?
John 348/340 HP
(also 409/409Hp)

You say back in the day and I think back and I worked on them new at a dealer in Ames Iowa I remember the first one we took for spin a black 2dr HT 409HP 4 speed posi brand new and we beat it for about 1/2 hr and it was the fastes thing you could ever think of it would push you back in the seat and hold you there and the sound of the dual fours at wide open throttle you thought the hood would get sucked in..A lot of the 409,s bought out of dealer stock had 308 gears in the diff which made them slow thru the gears but top end was !!!!!If you need more I can provide..doc

Cool Doc! Was it an SS or a bench seat car?
John

John..if I remember right it was an SS black on black and I think the sticker was less than $3000, at the time I had a 58 Imp conv,t red with white top 348 with a close ratio 3 speed would run 70 in 1st and 105 in 2nd and only about 110 in 3rd but I traded it for a 66 SS 4 speed 396 B seats and all..later doc

John,
I went down to the dealer prepaired to buy a new 1962 409. It was a beautiful Blue SS with a four speed. After checking it over we discovered that it had an oil leak. I let the salesman talk me out of buying it. I bought the Red SS 300 hP. 327 setting next to it. I have always wondered if I made the right decision. The vehicle that I traded in was a solid red 1956 2dr. HT. It was a three speed with the dual four barrel carbs. 225 HP. I don't have to wonder about the trade in, I know that was a mistake.

DANDYD

I have a silver blue 409/409 car now that I have had for about 20 years. I am just starting the restoration now. I wish mine was an SS, but I have a rare bench seat Impala. It also has the radio/heater deleate. It is a rare one, and a late production car second week of July of 62. It also has all of the 425 HP service package. I built the engine, and pretty much stalled with it. I want to finish a small block 62 first! Just imagine if you had the 2X4 56 today that would be neat!!!!!!!!

All you guys know now that if we had held on tto the cars we tore up or sold for little of nothing or traded but they were not worth nothing then just something to have fun with like the 56 with 2 4,s man think how much fun it would be to drive and show that today and a 62 409 you would have to sell tickets to get close to it today let alone drive it and hear those carb,s moan..I had a 56 power pack stick in 62 or 63 and it was still pretty quick and fun to drive.I remember in 57 every one that was out of school and had a job bought 57 chevy HT,s with the 220HP 3 speed only one guy had the 2 4,s 270HP it was fast...later doc

Doc, The funny part is I think there are more of these 2X4 cars running around now then when they were new The funny part is they are all matching numbers, or made to be :confused: Either way if they are done well with the right stuff they are real neat to see. I hope to sell tickets to see my 09 when i get done with it
John 348/340HP