If you want power in a classic then go for an ex-police car. A base level Chevrolet with a big engine, this retired patrol car looks great fun. It’s a 1959 Chevrolet Biscayne Pursuit Car built to specs by Zora Arkus Duntov (a GM performance engineer that was associated with the Corvette) and has a special order 348 cubic inch Turbo Thrust V8. There were only about 40 of these cars produced – so it is a pretty rare beast.
The car left the factory in a Deep Blue metallic (the requirement for Oregon State Patrol) and still has that color today. The interior is a coordinated blue and gray vinyl combination. Obviously it has no where neat the trim levels of an Impala but that’s what makes this car look so much more mean and moody.
This car was about chasing criminals and not all about chrome, glitz and options. What we have here is manual steering, manual brakes, manual windows and a 3-on-a-tree manual transmission.
Great story Richard – thanks for sharing
I purchased a 1959 Chevrolet biscayne new August 1959. 335 hp with factory 4 speed 220 first gear 361 (?)rear end. The old 348 would turn 7500 rps out of the box. I have timing slips from NHRA NATIONALS IN DETROIT 93 MPH IN 1/4 in 2 gear. Does anyone have any idea if this car might have come through a special GM shop. The car with a 4:89 gear would turn 100. In the 1/4.
I was born in ’59. The 1959 models are rare, I have’nt many of them!
My parents owned a 59 Biscayne station wagon in a copper color. I’ve never seen another Biscayne since then. Ours was purchased in Montreal and I assumed that the Biscayne was a Canadian only model. Guess not…
I ordered a 1959 Biscayne 2 door new in 1959. It had a 335 hp 348 tri power solid lifter engine, 4 speed manual transmission, and over size 800×14 blackwell tires. It was ordered thru and delivered to the dealer in Freeport, Illinois.
With the exception of the straight six, the 348 and 409’s were the easiest Chevy engines ever to change spark plugs. Way easier than the small block 265, 283 and 327’s that made you reach under the exhaust manifold to change plugs.
I had a 1960 Biscayne 2 door with the 335 H.P. solid lifter, 3 duece set up. . I put a 4 speed and a 4:11 rear in it and it really ran.
I love the sound of that engine.
Car has microphone and whip antenna, never saw trunk mounted police radio.
Virtually all police radios were trunk mounted in those days, with just the control head mounted under the dash with a volume control, squelch control and usually a toggle switch or two to change frequencies or channels. Most were Motorolas, with some GE radios gaining popularity in the 1970’s, and they were all trunk mounted also, with small control heads similar to the Motorola units. The long whip meant they were VHF low-band radios, primarily used by Highway Patrol or Sheriffs units, rather than city police.
Had one that looked almost identical …was dark blue but not metallic…The video was a trip down memory lane for me . The only flaw in the body design on these were the back fins , when you got it up to about 90 -100 the back end would start to lift off the ground !….not good going into a curve on the highway ! Thanks for the great video .
Two years later, in 1961, the 348’s block became the basis for the legendary 409, making it’s biggest impact with the 1962, 1963 and 1964 Chevys.
In July 1959 I purchased a new white 1959 Chevy Impala 2-door hardtop with red interior, 335HP engine and 3 speed standard transmission. The car shown here has after market exhaust and muffler system on it. My car was much quieter thru the exhaust. But I loved that car. Had a lot of problems with the rocker arms staying on the studs. Sure wish I still had that car.