Words: Tommy Parry Images: Steve
When Steve grabbed this ‘65 Chevelle, he was thrilled with its 327 and a decent Powerglide – but had to worry about the car’s long Bostonian past. Would the harsh Northwestern climate have soured the A-body? Fortunately, it has an unrestored body and since it’s fairly original, he could do exactly what he wanted.
With his project Camaro sold off to grab some new goodies, Steve ordered a few new parts. The short list of high-end components included DSE suspension, Baer 6-piston brakes, Moser 9″, Budnik Pivot wheels measuring 18 x 8” in front and 18 x 9” in the rear, Scavenger Elite headers, an American Thunder exhaust kit and a G-Force crossmember which cleared the exhaust.
With the rear end – consisting of Moser Engineering 9″ with 3.70 gears and an Eaton-Detroit True Trac differential – settled, Steve began installing the complicated Detroit Speed rear end. Unfortunately, the rear axle only drops so far with the coilovers in the position they are, so the rear wheels wouldn’t go on because they hit the brakes and rear quarter panels. Therefore, he had to disconnect the shocks every time he needed to take the wheels on or off! Inconvenient, sure, but it’s a small price to pay for this sight:
With the footwork and exterior taken care of, he started on a new project: the interior. It wasn’t too glamorous; new carpet, kick panels, sill plates, door panels and rear quarter trim panels made up most of the list. VHX gauges added a little glitz without making the cabin gaudy, and a Ringbrothers shifter provided that subtle athletic touch.
The engine wouldn’t be too extensively modified, as he would just add a set of dual snorkel air cleaners and PML valve covers. However, Steve decided to replace the Powerglide with a Tremek T56 six-speed to handle sending the 327 ci’s power to the Moser rear, courtesy of a McLeod hydraulic clutch conversion kit.
This build is not quite finished, but once this cerulean blue beauty hits the streets, you can rest assured it’ll surprise young upstarts at stoplights just as easily as it’ll impress the old guard.
