My 454 Chevelle (with some other junk added now)

[Raceman]

It's been a long time. I bought this car in Nov. of 1981 a self indulgent birthday present, fairly late into a night of celebrating. I saw it sitting in a grocery store parking lot and went in and found the bag boy that owned it. Since the car had SS 454 emblems on it, I asked him if it was 450 horsepower. He said that it was, but the original engine had been removed and replaced with a 350. He said he would sell the car, but didn't want to sell the 350 (and I didn't want it, so it worked out well). He said that his buddy had the ORIGINAL LS6 454 from the car and wanted to sell it. I bought the car on the spot, agreeing to remove and return his engine the next day. The next morning I woke up and called his friend to inquire about the engine. I was told it was NOT for sale. About 3 years and a dozen phone calls later, I finally bought the original engine. The chassis was removed from the car some time in the late 80's, restored and had the original drive train re installed. I was shown at several local shows as a rolling chassis with engine, etc, but never re united with the car, which needed a total restoration also. About 4 years ago I got the car out of the warehouse and sent it to a local body shop to be painted. I'd stripped the original paint that was on it when I bought it several years previously, so it was basically a prime, block and paint project. After several months of my pickiness and demand for addressing small details, the body shop and I parted company with me paying them for work done, and picking the car up at the stage it was in.

I took it directly to another body shop who'd painted 3 of my cars previously, and was my first choice, but had been unwilling to take it, since they already had a 442 belonging to me which they'd been working on between collision jobs for about 2 years. The car has been there now for well over 2 years itself, with casual sanding and blocking in slow times, but for some reason the owner of the shop decided to put 2 guys on it mostly full time about 3 weeks ago. It came out of the paint booth last week, and it turned out so good that I decided to scatter the chassis again and do it over also. I took the same body shop the bare chassis last Thursday. They cleaned, scuffed and repainted it on Friday & Saturday and I put it back on wheels Monday and Tuesday.

The pictures are where we are now. The car is back on the frame with new body mounts, and the deck lid, and both doors are back on, and today we put the radiator core support and left front fender on, although that's not in the pictures. I'm hopeful that by the end of next week all the sheet metal will be on and fitted, and maybe the white SS stripes back on. After 28 years I may FINALLY get to ride in this car THIS YEAR.

[dorton]

Congrats, looks like its gonna be a good looking ride.

[JP Love]

Hé! Raceman where the pics????????? I like to see JP Love

[mr.clean]

Nice It does my heart good to see 40yo muscle brought back to life with respect for original detail.

[racerx]

Looks real good raceman,why didnt they paint the under carriage before the put it back down on the frame? Just think you are gonna have somthing new to detail..

[Raceman]

Actually the undercarriage detail is something we've been struggling with. The car had splotches of black under the floor pans, but some of the national judges said it should be grey primer OR red primer. I scrubbed the black in places with scotch brite and laquer thinner until I found some patches of grey with a redish tint, so that's the color we did the floor plan. (this was an Atlanta built car) As far as the chassis itself, it was done Friday was a week ago BEFORE these pics were taken. It just looks dusty from the environment of the body shop for a week. All of the interior floors in the car were painted semi gloss black as original also, but they show as the same dirt/dust in the pics. All of this wipes off. The rear and front suspension is still in it's state of being done about 15 years ago and stored, but I threw it back in to get the car back on 4 wheels, so when it gets back to my shop, hopefully in a couple of weeks I'll drop both of them out and detail em also. Engine and transmission are ready to go back in.

[qctracing]

That's awesome! That is my favorite car of all time. My dad had a 70 ss 454 4 speed car when I was young. Dark blue with white stripes. I just bought a tubbed 70 4link car that needs a lot of work but will be a nice prostreet car someday

[Raceman]

Here's the LS6 El Camino that'll be the mate to the Chevelle in the garage and HOPEFULLY finished this year also to play with along side it at car shows. Both cars are Fathom Blue (originally) with white stripes, but the Chevelle is black interior and the El Camino is blue. Both are LS6 (original engines) and M22 Muncies. Chevelle is 3.31 gears and El Camino is 4.10.

[patchesII]

i like that el camino. how many original miles are on those cars

[dorton]

I like the boat in the background, do you have more pics of it?

[Raceman]

Chevelle mileage is in the 40's and El Camino in the 80's. Both have been local cars since 1970. Chevelle sold new here by local dealer and Chevelle brought here from out of town when 6 mos. old. Both engines are standard bore. I'm sure of the mileage on the Chevelle because of the history (History from original owner. Second owner only had it about a year and I'm the 3rd) and believe it's correct on El Camino also.

[Raceman]

I like the boat in the background, do you have more pics of it?

Here's the only one I have stored in the computer. I've got some others of it running somewhere. I sold it to a collector/vintage racer in Florida a couple of years ago and he's restoring it to run vintage events with.

[MTOLLEY]

nice cars! i need two of those engines for a 18' jones project. mt

[Talon2.5]

SWEET!!!

you coming to the shows this year?

i got both full rear quarters for the stang and a few other things but havent started on it yet

[RedAllison]

FANTASTIC Rman!!!

LS6s RULE for sure. Glad you got another REAL one coming back into the world. I'm so sick and tired of clones aka FAKES it's sickening.

My 72 454 is a real one as well. (5th digit in VIN is a W) But obviously the only 454s available then were LS-5s. My car was built in Arlington, TX, sold new in the San Antonio area and stayed in south TX all it's life until it was sold in 06 at the Leake/Mecum Auction in Tulsa which is where my dad bought it. 85k actual miles and because it was such a "dry" car it didn't need a frame off to make it a nice driver, just a heavy cosmetic inside and out. BTW the orginal finish on the underside of the floor pan is tanish/grayish primer but I realize that color varied by year and plant of build.

My TH400 and 12 bolt are original but the block isn't however it is a date coded 03/72 and the car itself was built 3rd week of June 1972. Mine will never be a concours car because of that but I drive it at least once a week and enjoy with the family anyway so I doubt I'll ever give it a frame off. Just a much nicer than average driver which is what I wanted. Being it was my dads' is most special. I enjoy it with my sons and one day they'll end up with their pap paws 454!

The car has original colors in and out, tilt SS wheel, console shifter, A/C, AM/FM, ZL2 Cowl Induction hood, stamped "thrust" wheels, etc... Only thing not restored too like new was a white vinyl top, the codes are on the trim tag but I'm kinda glad they didn't put one back on it. Link too pics in my siggy.

LONG LIVE THE BIG BLOCK VELLES,
RA