Chevelle update: Inspected! Photos in the sun!

[mckitterick]

Just got back from the Highway Patrol VIN inspection: It passed and is ready for a new title!

Also took it by the local tire & suspension place for an inspection, and they said it looks solid - even has modernized (and new) bushings and other suspension parts that are grease-able. Good news!

About the way the mufflers are hung (straight-through glasspacks that dump in front of the rear axle), he said, "This is cute, but I've seen worse." They just kind of dangle from straps. They won't fall off or anything, but clearly making it high-tech was not on the prior owner's mind ;-)

He suspects the loose handling is due to the rear end being jacked up and having big tires out back and small ones out front. He said the springs could be replaced, but they don't look shot, and that just putting on reasonable tires will go a long way toward making it drive better. Needs front wheel bearings, but that's about it.

Woohoo!

And now: New photos!


I am in love with this angle. I mean, LOOK AT THE SHAPE OF THIS THING! A timeless and beautiful design.


This car has no bad angles. Look at that great ass!


In front of the house (the blue one on the right).


Love interior design from the 60s!


ROAR! Here dwells the 396 big-block Chevy engine, now a 408 with beefy cam driven by gears (instead of chain), ported & polished heads, high-performance exhaust headers, and lots of other goodies. About 450 rear-wheel horsepower.


Front end closeup. LOVE that nose!

I'm in love.

Chris

Comments

[clevermanka.livejournal.com]

Unf.

[mckitterick.livejournal.com]

yup.

[zitronenhai.livejournal.com]

Take me.

[etcet.livejournal.com]

... ALL THE WAY TO THE GAS STATION.

(I don't care that my commute is nearly 40 miles round trip, I would totally want this thing as a daily driver.)

[mckitterick.livejournal.com]

I'm going to do my best to increase the efficiency, as it were: First up, a 6-speed tranny to reduce high-speed RPMs. Next, fuel injection. I'm hoping to reach (dare I dream?) 20mpg.

But, yeah, I didn't buy it for its gas mileage. And I don't feel guilty, because keeping an old car on the road = way less emissions than building a new, high-efficiency car _and_ buying fuel for it.

[saffronhare.livejournal.com]

I'm not even a Car Person and I love the look of that car! Glad there were no immediate surprises.

[curieuse.livejournal.com]

Same!

[mckitterick.livejournal.com]

Love it! *sigh*

[mckitterick.livejournal.com]

Thanks! It really has a perfect design.

[silverfae.livejournal.com]

Verrrry nice. You got a good deal on that baby.

Nice to hear that all is well, and heck, the rest of it is minor.

Kickass.

[mckitterick.livejournal.com]

Aw, yeah!

[zitronenhai.livejournal.com]

You know, I get a little misty looking at these pics. I can't remember the exact year and model of Old Betsy, my Grammie's Chevelle... Old Betsy had very, VERY similar body styling to your new Chevelle, but was not an SS. Ugh, I wish I could remember!

Same almost everything. No hood vent thingie (what is that called?). Grammie's Chevelle was metallic grey (with a greenish cast, she'd hasten to tell you). Same headlights and tail lights, same basic profile. When I was far too young, she would let me sit in her lap and steer.

[mckitterick.livejournal.com]

Thanks for sharing such a wonderful memory!

This one has a special aftermarket hood to make room for engine mods (it's called a cowl-induction) and uses clip-downs instead of a lever-release. The standard car had a pretty much smooth hood, the SS had a pair of raised "power bulges" with vents near the windshield, and the super-special wow-mobile version could be gotten with a similar cowl-induction setup.

[zitronenhai.livejournal.com]

When I get to go for a ride in this car, I will make sure my Grammie's ghost can come along. All of my Grammie's bones were travelin' bones. I spent many a mile in the passenger seat, road tripping all over hell and gone. Every highway makes me think of her.

[mckitterick.livejournal.com]

*like*

[sartorias.livejournal.com]

I've got testosterone poisoning! *g*

[mckitterick.livejournal.com]

I think it has that effect, even at great distance. Yesterday on the way to the DMV, a Jeep several cars ahead tossed me the Devil Horns gesture out his window and shouted to show appreciation. ;-D

[sartorias.livejournal.com]

Heh! I used to get that when I was driving my '65 Mustang with the top down. (I had to get that thing tuned every couple of months, and it ate gas like a camel sucks water, but damn it was fast, and handled well.)

[mckitterick.livejournal.com]

Everyone loves classic style! Plus it's fun to see these living museums rolling around town. I've always loved that and enjoy adding a little fun to everyone's dreary commute.

Over the next few months, I intend to install an updated transmission (preferably a double-overdrive 6-speed) rather than repair the old 4-speed, which ought to improve gas mileage by immense amounts. Then maybe fuel-injection, as well, to bump it up even more. If I could get this puppy over 20mpg - nay, even more - that would ROCK, and the savings alone would soon pay for the parts.

[sartorias.livejournal.com]

That is a great idea!

[tully01.livejournal.com]

You sure they were using both fingers, and you weren't just seeing double? ;-)

[mckitterick.livejournal.com]

Ha! Yeah, he had a pretty big smile, too ;-)

[lanerobins.livejournal.com]

Pretty damn spiffy. :)

[mckitterick.livejournal.com]

Innit it, though?

[woadwarrior.livejournal.com]

That is a sweet car. It looks like it has been raised on both ends. Getting the stock suspension geometry restored would make it handle like a 70's muscle car again. Which of course is mediocre at best. But turning isn't what they do best is it?

Have fun with that beauty.

[mckitterick.livejournal.com]

Yeah, going to stock-height springs - actually I'm planning on getting dropped ones - will make a huge difference in the sort of uncertain feel of it now. Also probably going with drop spindles up front. It's pretty tight as far as front-end response goes, but it feels like (surprise!) its ass is up in the air!

What it does best, I just discovered this morning: explode off the line! Holy cow. A couple of friends were watching me pull out of their driveway, so I figured I'd give 'em a little show by revving it a bit and dropping the clutch. WHAM! The rears bit in, launched it, the tires slipped a bit, launched again, BAM BAM BAM like being hit with a rapid-fire cannon! It even made a bunch of tire smoke. WOW! It was so violent that one of the wheel beauty-rings shot free of one of the wheels.

WOOOHOO!

[etcet.livejournal.com]

I don't suppose you could be talked into a brief video where you sit in the driveway and gently rev the engine, for those of us into V8 audio porn?

[mckitterick.livejournal.com]

"Gently"? Surely you jest ;-D

Good idea! I'll bring my camera along today and get a vid or two.

[etcet.livejournal.com]

Well, the guys across the street from me fail to realize that their car stereo tests are quite audible inside my house until I remind them, and I don't want to encourage any kind of neighbor-annoying behavior.

[mckitterick.livejournal.com]

I never got a chance to record any hard acceleration, but soon!

My neighbors LOVE me re: the rumpety-rumpety of the Newport. This is marginally quieter due to bigger "mufflers."

[purpledumbass.livejournal.com]

I'm so glad that this has been a positive buying experience for you! There's a bit of work to do-- but that's what you wanted!! Still, you have an awesome basis to start that work from... I wish the best of luck when you and chernobylred delve under the hood!

[mckitterick.livejournal.com]

So true - thanks!