'Bandoned Biscayne

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Wandering through so many swap meets, do you ever think that there is just not that much more cool stuff that hasn't been discovered? Perhaps that was on Joe Hickenbottom's mind until he came upon this abandoned project during just one more foray to the Swaps at Pleasanton. "The original owner must have purchased the car new with the complete factory Police Cruiser package," explains Joe. "As a lighter-weight Biscayne body, factory ordered with the big 348 cubic inch engine, a four-speed Muncie, and Positraction rear end, the purchaser knew exactly what he was after to compete in Street Stock class." Later, the car was upgraded and converted to race in Super Stock; S/S cars could be modified with multi-carbs, a cam change, and street slicks. Around 1968, the racing took its toll, with the big Chevy put away with a damaged engine.

A second owner bought the car out of a barn with the still untouched cracked block, intent on putting the car on the road as a father-son project. Luckily for Joe, interest in the Biscayne project quickly waned, and it sat again until it was hauled down to Pleasanton two years ago, where he was able to make the purchase.

Read the rest of this article in ISSUE 23: Citric Acid