1965 Chevrolet Biscayne two-door Sedan
• 350 CID V-8 engine with mild cam, 4-barrel carb and headers
• Four-speed manual transmission
• Black exterior and black interior with red trim
• Power steering and power brakes
• Modern, red line radials with dog dish caps
• Retrosound AM/FM stereo
Starting in 1965, Chevrolet’s sedan range was topped off with the new Caprice. Slotting below it was the Impala, followed by the Bel-Air and the Biscayne.
While the lower two models could not be found with many of the power accessories available on the Impala and Caprice, customers could buy a Biscayne with any of Chevrolet’s high-output, big-block V-8 engine and performance-oriented transmissions, including the floor-mounted four-speed manual transmission. Biscaynes with high-performance equipment were often nicknamed “Bisquick” by enthusiasts.
This particular example is finished in black and the paint and trim are in overall excellent order. The bodywork is straight and solid and the chrome bumpers fit tightly to the body. The engine bay is tidy.
This Biscayne rolls on generic red line radials. Each one is mounted on a black, vented steel wheel with “dog dish” wheel covers. The wheels and tires are all in very good order.
Under the counterbalanced hood is a modern Chevrolet 350 V-8 engine with a mild cam, a four-barrel carburetor and headers. Backing this motor is a four-speed manual transmission. Driver convenience features include power steering and power brakes.
Inside, the car is finished in black vinyl upholstery with red cloth trim. The front and rear bench seats are in overall good order while the inner door panels echo the seats’ color, style and condition. The black instrument panel, with its ribbon-style speedometer and mounted ignition switch, looks good and has three aftermarket oil, coolant and amp gauges mounted underneath. There is a two-spoke steering wheel from an Impala facing the driver, a modern Retrosound AM/FM stereo and a floor-mounted, four-speed manual transmission.
The all-new 1965 Biscayne was larger yet, and offered an even wider range of engines, including a new, larger 250 CID inline-six. For 1965, the full-size Chevrolet was totally restyled, and the cars were stretched to 213.3 in (5,420 mm) overall, even though the wheelbase remained the same. The new stamped grille had a lower extension below the bumper which was slightly vee’d. Curved window glass and round taillights mounted high characterized the new styling. The interiors were also redesigned and a very attractive dash resulted.
Biscaynes were produced primarily for the fleet market, though they were also available to the general public — particularly to those who wanted low-cost, no-frills transportation with the convenience, room and power of a full-size automobile.
Like the slightly upscale Bel-Airs, Biscaynes are easily identified by the use of two taillights per side; the only exceptions to this were in 1959 and 1972. The more expensive Impalas (and later Caprices) have three taillights per side. The Biscayne was largely devoid of exterior chrome trim and was normally fitted with small hubcaps, though several exterior trim pieces and upgraded wheel covers were available at extra cost. Interior trim was spartan, with lower-grade cloth and vinyl or all-vinyl upholstery trim, a standard steering wheel with center horn button, and rubber floor mats. Slight upgrades were made throughout the life of the series — for instance, the 1964 models came standard with deluxe steering wheels with horn rings, deep-twist carpeting and foam-cushioned front seats.
Competition to this Chevrolet in 1965 included Dodge’s Coronet, Ford’s Custom 500, Plymouth’s Belvedere and Rambler’s Ambassador 6 990.
If you’re looking for a classic ‘60s full-size Chevrolet that is not a Caprice or an Impala, we have a possible answer for you in this Biscayne. Stop by Mission Classics today to check out this Bisquick for yourself.
VIN: 1531