Base model Bowtie: The plain-Jane beauty of a 1964 Chevrolet Chevelle 300

Posted on Mar 21, 2020 in Featured | 2 comments

Rick Finney’s 1966 Chevrolet Chevelle 300.

With so much interest shown towards the Studebaker Scotsman, we thought you would also be interested in seeing a stripped-down Chevrolet. While it may not be as bare-bones as that Scotsman, this 1964 Chevelle 300 four-door sedan comes fairly close.

From the outside, there is just a single thin strip of chrome trim down the side; even the rocker panels are devoid of any brightwork. And stamped-steel wheels are painted to match the exterior body color, and fitted with a small hubcap, better known as a poverty cap.

The cabin is equally austere, with rubber floor mats in place of carpeting, and a single bench seat covered in GM’s famously hard-wearing vinyl. There is no air conditioning or tinted glass, but it did come equipped with a heater, and not much else. Although, unlike the Scotsman, armrests on the two front doors were standard. However, rear armrests were optional at $10 for the pair, and an extra $48 was required to get a manual radio with a single speaker; if the buyer wanted the pushbutton radio, well, that would have cost $57, although that did come with an antenna.

Mechanically, the A-body Chevy is as base a model as they come: It’s powered by a 194-cubic-inch overhead-valve straight-six engine that puts out a mean 120 horsepower and a very usable 177-lb.ft. of torque. While it may not be enough power to run 13-second quarter-mile passes, it’s plenty sufficient, considering the Chevelle only weighs 2,850 pounds. Other base-model equipment includes manual four-wheel drum brakes and manual steering. Imagine, for power assist brakes the extra cost was just $3! Other cheap options were a padded dash ($16); front seat belts ($19); tinted windshield ($13); grille guard ($15); and full wheel covers ($13).

With a base price of $2,268, the four-door model was a mere $37 more than the two-door 300 sedan. No wonder Chevrolet sold 113,816 four-door sedans, and 134,670 examples of the sportier two-door model – those production figures include both straight-six and V-8 versions.

Our feature car belongs to Rick Finney of Stephentown, New York, who purchased this all-original beauty from its second owner. Rick told us, “It’s a lightly powered engine, sure, but it has plenty of compression, and makes for a nice cruiser. I did have to tighten up the manual steering box, but once I did, I could get out on the road, put one hand on the wheel and hang my arm on the open window.”

As to maintaining such a bare-bones car, Rick said, “I could keep a screwdriver and pair of pliers in the glovebox and fix whatever I need to fix on the road. It starts every time, so why do I need to go messing with it?” As to the Chevelle’s lack of options, Rick proudly told us, “It has an ashtray, that’s about it. Although I did find the radio delete plate in the glovebox.”