“Muscle Car Upgrade” by MetalWorks Classics
Photos and text by Chadly Johnson
Take a good look at this 67 Chevelle…pretty nice huh? One would assume this beauty would be leaving a restoration shop, not arriving at one...but this is exactly how the 67 appeared when it arrived at MetalWorks Classics in Eugene, Oregon for a radical transformation. You may be a bit confused, as was I when the sharp looking Chevelle arrived, but after a conversion with owner Jerry and the crew at Metalworks I got a good understanding of what lay ahead for the convertible, and why.
My first question was “what” would be getting changed on the Chevelle as it was obviously not in dire need of anything cosmetically, and its small block purred like a kitten when it drove into the shop. The answer was a laundry list of dream components: a brand new GM Performance LS3 with MSD atomic fuel injection and a Wegner front runner drive kit, 4L65 transmission with a MSD TCM transmission controller, a Currie 9” rear end, Heidts front and rear suspension, Wilwood 12.19” brakes, Budnik V2 wheels, Vintage Air, and Dakota Digital gauges. Now, the next question was “why tear into an already beautiful, and nice performing car?” For this answer we need to dig a bit into Jerry’s past and thought process.
Jerry has always had a passion for classic cars, and designing…in fact in high school he completely went through a 65 mustang along with his Father, even designing and building his own custom console for it. The thought of another classic had always been on Jerry’s bucket list. After 25 years of dreaming about it, the timing was right, so Jerry began putting out feelers for the right car. In fact Jerry spent the next 2 years shopping for the perfect car, and actually purchased one at one point. Jerry thought another 65 mustang would be very cool and nostalgic, and located one at a classic car dealer, but the day the mustang was set to be shipped his way a salvaged title came into the equation…so Jerry decided to pass.
About this time Jerry had began to talk with Matt Powell at MetalWorks, and was also introduced to shop owner Jon Mannila. After a number of discussions, Jerry was sold on the idea of a chevelle due to a number of reasons, but a full frame being a large factor. Jerry recalled test driving the 65 mustang, and even though it was very cool, and even smelled like his high school car the uni-body design was now less appealing, and the overall comfort and drivability of the chevelle felt like the right direction for his ultimate goal. Another 4 months were spent with everyone keeping an eye out for the right car until the beauty you see before you came into Jerry’s life.
Once the chevelle was in Jerry’s garage Matt encouraged him to get out and drive it to find out what he really liked about it, and what he felt could be improved, or altered. Jerry spent the next 6 months enjoying the convertible, and received tons of compliments on it everywhere he went. Jerry contemplated how he could keep that feeling, but make the chevelle better regarding everything from not needing to run premium gas, to gauges that worked properly and accurately, to being reliable enough that his wife or kids could take it for long trips without a second thought of its dependability. In the end Jerry brought spreadsheets of information to MetalWorks and collaborated with Matt and Jon to arrive a plan that would bring the chevelle to the next level.
Jerry has always loved the design aspect of things, and enjoys the fact he has been able to work side by side with the crew at MetalWorks to arrive at a plan of action, and is looking forward to contributing and learning from the build as it unfolds. “If MetalWorks was a drop your car off, and pick it up when it’s done without any involvement…I would not have chose them for the build” Jerry stated. Jerry and the guys at MetalWorks are excited to watch the chevelle’s transformation which will start with a suspension upgrade, along with a rear end swap. Stop back often to keep tabs on this great project, and see what Jerry and the team at MetalWorks do to take this classic into the modern era.