A radical redesign occurred for the Impala, Caprice, and Biscayne in 1965. For starters, Chevrolet discontinued use of the X-frame, in favor of a perimeter frame with a coil spring suspension, which was not only stronger, but provided a quieter and more comfortable ride. The newly-redesigned body included not so noticeable changes like curved, frameless side glass on coupe models, a more angled windshield, and newly reshaped vent windows.
In 1965 Chevrolet introduced the four-door hardtop Impala Caprice, which received tufted upholstery, wood grained accents on the dashboard, and spinner-style wheel covers from the Impala SS, with the SS-badged centers replaced by a Bow Tie emblem. The Super Sport’s blackout rear trim strip below the triple taillights was also used, with the “Impala SS” emblem deleted.
When it came to motivational duties, buyers had to choose from one of ten engine choices, which included the 230 cubic-inch inline six-cylinder Turbo Thrift. With 140 horsepower, it wasn’t the choice of performance-minded enthusiasts. Next on the list were the three available versions of the small-block engine. First was the 195 horsepower, 283 cubic-inch engine, followed by two four-barrel equipped 327 cubic-inch engines – one with 250 horsepower and another with 300 horsepower. The 250 horse engine had A Carter WCFB carburetor, and the 300 horsepower engine used an AFB carburetor.
New this year was the big-block 396 cubic-inch Turbo-Jet. The new 396 cubic-inch engine was available as a 325-horsepower version with 10.25:1 compression ratio with a hydraulic-lifter camshaft, or a high-performance version with an 11.0:1 compression ratio, and a solid-lifter camshaft, delivering 375 horsepower.
The 396 cubic-inch engine was introduced in February, to replace the outdated 409 cubic-inch engine, which was only available in 340 and 400 horsepower versions this year — the Tri-Power was gone. By mid-year 1965, the W-series engine would be a thing of the past. During the final year of 409 cubic-inch engine availability, just 742 of the 400 horsepower versions were sold, and 2,086 of the 340 horsepower engines found their way into 1965 Impalas.