1977 Chevrolet Impala

305 V8 and 23k miles. Extremely low option. No a/c and radio delete.

http://www.ebay.com/itm/Chevrolet-I...3c25ca289&item=291023659657&pt=US_Cars_Trucks

 

Wow, that is a beauty! I am normally not a fan of the non-wood-grain wagons, but this color on this car makes it a real beauty. Too bad it is so low optioned, or should I say, NO optioned?

Back in the mid 1990s, one of our local Honda dealerships had one of these on the used car wholesale lot. It was also a '77 Impala wagon model and was the exact same color as this car inside and out. It was even in about the same condition (the car was really not that old then), but the one that was for sale here was a little better optioned. It had A/C, 3rd seat, tilt wheel and AM-FM radio.

 

Great looking wagon! Don't think I've seen one that solid in a long time!

 

I totally agree, 72. I generally prefer wood-grained wagons, but this blue is an eye-catcher. The first wagon I remember my dad having was a '71 clamshell in this same color (I can't remember the interior color). I hope it finds a caring home!

 

Even better looking and much better optioned.

http://salem.craigslist.org/cto/4103163096.html

 

Yeah, definitely a color I would not mind having on a non-wood-grain wagon, but this color would be spectacular with wood-grain. I also know that color you mention on the 71-72 clamshells. There was a member on here that posted on that belonged to a family member. Very nice and fresh looking color.

Nice and much better optioned! It appears to have A/C, tilt, AM radio. I like the blue color better though. Too bad the blue one wasn't as nicely optioned, but I don't have the money to buy it, so it doesn't matter I don't guess. LOL.

 

Wow! $4050 with reserve still not met? That seems quite high for such a very low option wagon, not matter how nice.

 

By the way, it is not a radio delete. No radio was standard equipment, so you could not delete for credit. Base equipment included a radio blanking plate covering the hole the optional sound system would have occupied. There were no provisions for easy installation of an after market unit. No power or speaker wires, even. In 84, an Am radio was a $125 option over base price.

 

When we were growing up, the car that brought me home from the hospital when I was born, and the one that brought us here, was a 1951 Mercury coupe with a radio and heater. The used 1957 Chevy 210 2 door that replaced it didn't even have those! Then the 1962 Chevy II 100 2 door with a four cylinder, strangely, only had two inch whitewalls, and they stayed on the car as long as Daddy owned it. Then, the brand new Corvair bottom line two door only had a heater on it. Then it was back to used cars, a 1970 Pontiac Le Mans 4 door sedan with auto, radio, heater, ps, pb, air, whitewalls, the first car in the family owned car that well optioned. What I'm getting to, is that zero optioned cars don't bother me any more, except I would have to have automatic transmission. But my 2000 Xterra and 1990 Olds CC are loaded by comparison, they weren't sought out that way.

 

When Ma went car shopping in June, 1972, she walked into Westend Chrysler Dodge in Toronto, looked the salesman in the eye, and told him "72 Dart sedan, base, auto, blue or green. What have you got?" The had a blue, but it had white walls and wheel covers, side moldings, bumper over riders, and the optional 225 slant 6. She took "Blue Boy", but only after the whitewalls and wheel covers were changed out for blackwalls and dog dishes! $3,159 on the road.

 

Low optioned cars aren't really a turn off to me though I know they are to a lot of people. I think they're just as much a statement of the times as the loaded ones. Some people could barely afford a new car so they'd get just the bare minimum but still have the pride of knowing they bought it new.
I remember a girl, Moira Cook, who's parents owned a '60 Falcon and his dad and mom decided to bite the bullet and get a second car. That was kind of a big deal back in '65 to have two cars. Anyway, I recall Moira telling me her dad was in a quandary because he could afford either a Mustang hardtop or a strippy Falcon convertible. He decided on the Falcon and factory ordered a red one with zero options; no radio, black wall tire and little hubcaps, no ps, no pb and a three on the tree, but the white roof came down and he felt that was more important than having a more stylish Mustang. I've often wondered what ever happened to that car.

 

Now up to $4242 with reserve still not met. I understand some do not care about low option cars, but I do. I now am feeling especially good about the 1989 Chevy Caprice Estate I bought this summer with 100k miles but also with every factory option available for $3200.

 

The reserve is almost double what it's at right now... same car was on CL a few months back too.

 

That seems to be going on quite a bit recently. Are speculators jumping on other types of cars as well? I would think the performancy/luxury coupe category might be ripe for pickin' - cars like the Thunderbird, Grand Prix, Riviera, etc.

 

I like stripper cars. I had a really straight '67 Biscayne four-door back in 1979. I paid $300 for it. The car had carpeting, a non-push-button AM radio, full wheel covers, heater, 283 2-bbl, and a PowerGlide trans. Nothing else. It had that off-brown interior with green exterior. Up to that time, it was the most dependable car I'd ever owned! I sold it after I went in the military, but really wished I'd kept it.