Here's the story:
Last year, we were on the Spoon River Cruise, and there was a 1969
Chevelle for sale in Lewistown or Cuba, Illinois. It wasn't anything
special - just a daily driver that was modified slightly. It had the
usual hot-rod modifications like chrome air cleaner, headers,
aftermarket intake manifold and carburator, jacked-up rear end with big
tires and of course the "racing" steering wheel. The guy wanted $7500
for it. I looked it over, noticed it needed some body work and interior
work and took his phone number but never called him
back. It definitely needed some work, but I really wanted a '68, not a
'69.
We agreed (the wife and I) that when it was time for a new car, I could
spend $20K, so if I wanted to, I could buy a Chevelle and fix it up and
also buy a low priced econo-box; so long as both didn't go over the
maximum. I kept looking on the Internet but most of the ones out there
are fairly expensive; $20K to $26K for restored Chevelles. Not within
my budget. One day, I saw one for $2K. I checked into it and found out
that it was '68 Chevelle that was stripped down for a frame-off
restoration, and it was in southern Illinois. The guy (name withheld)
said it didn't have an engine, transmission, or wheels. It had a 10
bolt "posi", and he could sell me a 4-speed Munci out of his truck for
an extra $600. I took a day off a few days later and went down to Anna,
Illinois to take a closer look. When I got there, it was sitting in his
yard, covered with a decrepid tarp and weeds growing all around it. It
was really worse than I thought, but hey, it was going to be a project
car anyway. It basically had more rust than the pictures showed.
Definitely needed a bunch of sheetmetal work, and some welding. He had
a lot of parts in storage above his garage as well; bucket seats,
center console, wiring harnesses (a couple of them), assorted interior
parts. The doors, fenders, hoods (yeah, hoods - an SS hood, and other
stock hoods), grilles, etc., were in the back of his garage. He had
some new stuff as well; body mount bushings, suspension bushings,
center console shifter plates, firewall insulation pad, and some other
stuff. He also had the clutch and brake pedals for a manual
transmission. It was really tough to decide wheither or not to go for
it. After mulling it over for a while, I decided to go for it. I
still, to this day, don't know if it was a really good decision, but I
really wanted a Chevelle.
He also offered to have his brother-in-law tow all the stuff up to my
house for $300, so I took him up on that deal as well. So I ended up
forking over $2600 for the car and transmission, and $150 'deposit' for
delivery and a promise to pay the additional $150 upon delivery.
That Saturday, they showed up around 11:00 I think, and unloaded the
"junk" in my yard. You should have seen the trailer they brought it in
on. Piled high with stuff. (See the pictures of the unloaded stuff.)
Well, I now have a Chevelle. I put the body and frame into the garage,
and the rest of the stuff in the shed or behind it in the back yard.
Because we were planning to go to Europe in '05, I agreed not to
spend any money working on it until afterwards. I have been keeping my
eye out for Chevelles to compare prices, and because I'm a dreamer. We
were at the Super Wal-Mart on Dirksen Pkwy on Oct. 16 and I picked up
the Springfield Shopper from October 14, 2004. I took it home and
flipped to the automotive section.
There was this ad:
1968 Chevy Chevelle original, 528-xxxx
(phone number withheld for respect of privacy)
Being the procrastinator I am, I waited until the next day. I may have
waited because I was reluctant to buy another Chevelle because I
already had one in the garage (albeit a major project).
I called on Oct. 17
I got a return call on Oct. 18
(Name withheld) said it was an original 1968 Chevelle, red with black
vinyl roof, show-room condition, slotted mags,
with a crate 307 with just a few miles on it, selling it for $10,000
(emphisized show car to dissuade bargain hunters).
He needed to (wanted to) clean it up to show so he was reluctant to
show it that day. He also said it needed to be charged up or a new
battery installed before he showed it. He also said "The doors are
solid, drives
really nice". It sounded like a pretty nice car.
I went to see it for the first time on Oct. 23, early in the morning
with
Colleen.
Of course, it was love at first sight (if you can love an inanimate
object). It looked almost off the show-room floor, except that it had
polished aluminum "mag" wheels; similar to the Centerline style I had
on my old Chevelle except no rivets nor center "spinner" caps. It was
red with black vinyl just as he described it. The doors were solid
too. It wasn't driveable and still sitting in the corner of the garage
because the battery was not charged up. The
tires were under-inflated as well. So, no test-drive today. I told him
it wasn't a big concern with me (justified by what I considered a well
maintained vehicle). It was a little dusty. The vinyl roof was in
really good shape. I looked under the
hood an discovered that a mouse had made a nest on the intake manifold
just under the air cleaner bonnet. There were some blue feathers and
what looked like bird seed shells so I initially thought it might have
been a bird's nest. Removing the air cleaner cover revealed the true
story - acorns all over the inside. Everything under the hood except
the mouse evidence looked original. Inside, the only thing not original
was the stereo which was installed in place of the original radio. The
Chevelle turns out to be the Concours model - the luxury version of
Chevelles, including the following features:
*Split beach seat with fold down arm rest
*6 bow headliner
*longer than normal arm rests
*simulated wood grain dash emblem (above the glove box door)
*extra thick carpeting with heavy jute padding
*carpeted lower front door panels
*extended back seat door panel arm rests with built-in chrome ashtray
(mostly found in convertables)
*Concours fender emblems
*Deluxe seatbelts (I'm not sure what that means)
*Approximately 8000 produced
What some (but not all) Concours models might have had, but this one
doesn't:
*2-3 inch wide chrome strip running between rear tail lights
*Concours front header emblem and rear trunk emblem
He told us his story behind the Chevelle.
He purchased it from a consignment car lot in Springfield 05/06/99
(found a
registration sticker with "<<fill-in>>" as the dealer) for
a wedding present to each other, it was rarely driven because they
considered it to be more of an investment than a daily driver. It was
parked in the garage (which had the windows boarded up to prevent
sunlight and tornados from getting in) and only ocassionally driven (he
was paranoid
of tail-gaters, throwing rocks up, the rain - you name it). He said
never waxed it but it looked like it was just waxed.
So on Oct. 26 I delivered a cashier's check for $10,000 (which Colleen
was so graciously went to the bank to get for me) and picked the car
up.
It was raining just a little bit. I took it out for a test drive (the
battery was charged up by then). The brakes on it were really touchy -
kind of like my old '68 Chevelle. I drove it home very carefully. I
didn't have room in the garage, so I parked it outside, in the rain. So
sad.
Oct 30: Gave it a sponge-bath because it was parked outside for a few
days and it had been raining, and the cats had put muddy paw prints all
over the place; hand washed a little spot at a time, then dryed, waxed
and buffed. Put Armor-All on the vinyl top, dash pad and door panels,
tire gel on the tires, and semi-chromed the aluminum mag wheels. With
the left over Armor-All still on the rag, I shined up the radiator
hoses, heater hoses, and power steering hoses. Looks like I need to
take stuff off the engine and spruce it up a bit. The Chevy orange is
burned on the center intake manifold and looks bad. The exhaust
manifolds still have a little color in them, but have a lot of rust
spots on them. The battery tray is rusty in some spots and needs to be
cleaned up a bit. Everything under the hood looks in good shape, but
needs a little cleaning and some painting to get it into show
condition. Maybe a winter project for me.
Oct 31: Went to (Name withheld)'s house to get the stock wheels - no
trim rings
though. GM 14x7 Trim Rings are $68-$75 each - repros are $70-$89 for
set of 4. Luckly, I got the Rally center caps - ($80.50 each on the
web).
Nov 1st?: Drove it to work to show it to the guys at the office. Drove
it to State Farm office after work so they could take pictures of it
for insurance purposes.
Nov. 5: Drove
it to Family Video (around 10 p.m.) to return a DVD. On
the way back, stepped on the accellerator to see what it could do.
Accellerates nicely, but not as much as I'd like. What do you expect
from a stock 307? Got it up to around 60mph on the black-top and
then had to slow down before the sharp 90° turn just before
reaching my house. Applied the brakes pretty hard (just to see how well
they perform). The car slowed down pretty good - up to a point - then
they started to fade. I made it to the corner, but was still not
stopping as fast as I would have liked. I took the turn at around 10mph
which is not life-threatening, but knowing that the brakes had just
faded to almost nothing, I considered myself lucky there was any brakes
at all. I got home OK, but pulled into the driveway very slowly and
proceeded to park the car in the garage until I could look at the
brakes to figure out what went wrong.
Other stuff I'm finding out after I started cleaning it up:
There is a small bump under the vinyl roof that may be the start of
some rust.
The rear window has been silicone sealed, apparently to stop leaking.
The rear package tray has some very minor water damage - the paint is a
little flaky in what appears to be a water stain.
The windshield wiper fluid jet sprayers are missing ($26.00 for
replacements - maybe I can find ones from the parts boxes) - the hoses
just empty into the cowl with nothing connected to them. There are a
few areas in the paint that have small holes - look like bubbles of
paint that broke exposing the paint underneath - one on the hood, one
on the lower right rear - blue paint is showing through. Apparently the
car was a light metallic blue originally. There is evidence of being
re-painted all over the car. Over-spray on the rear bumper and some
rubber around the windows, "orange peel" in the door jambs where not
enough paint was sprayed; overall, the paint job was done very nicely -
you can hardly tell it was blue before.
The glove box is in need of replacement - it still is in pretty good
shape, but is duct-taped in one spot where it is a little crinkled.
Also needs the chrome knob to push the front seat back forward
(latching mechanism) P/N C-11588-1B from NPD $5.95
Specs:
200-HP TURBO-FIRE 307 V8.
This is a brand-new engine that's engineered to
provide more power while retaining Chevelle's traditional economy of
operation. Standard for all Chevelle V8 models except SS 396 series.
Like all '68 Chevelle engines, features new exhaust emission control
systems. Has 307-cu-in. displacement, hydralic valve lifters,
two-barrel carburetor, short-stroke design, automatic choke, 9.00:1
compression ratio, pressure lubrication system with full-flow oil
filter.
-----------------------------------------------
AUTOMATIC POWERGLIDE.
Available with all models except those equipped with
325-hp Turbo-fire 327 V8. The most popular Chevelle transmission.
Smooth operating, fully automatic. Features positive "Park" locking.
Selector is standard Park R-N-D-L. At moderate speeds, low gear can be
engaged for passing by pressing accelerator. Console can be ordered
with bucket seats, and features stirrup-type straight-line control.
Three-element torque converter with coordinated 2-speed planetary
gears.
------------------------------------------------ CHEVELLE EASY-CARE FEATURES AND ENGINEERING DETAILS Body
MAGIC-MIRROR FINISH. Luxurious deep acrylic lacquer colors with the
look of had rubbed quality. Easy to care for, resistant to fading and
chipping.
INNER STEEL FENDERS. Help protect body surfaces from harmful corrosion.
FLUSH-AND-DRY ROCKER PANELS. By utilizing water and air entering
ventitlation system, rocker panels are washed and dried to protect body
surfaces from rust.
BODY BY FISHER. Depenable lasting quality is traditionally reserved for
Fisher Body craftsmanship. Every detail of construction is carefully
engineerd to provide years fo satisfying use. Rugged, sturdy
throughout--that's Body by Fisher. Unisteel construction welds roof,
sides, floor and pillars into a single solid structure. Heavy gauge
steel, heavily ribbed underbody, extra-strength door hinges, special
weathersealing are all part of the fine coachwork of Body by Fisher.
CURVED SIDE WINDOWS. Not only provide a contemporary rakish look to
Chevelle's outside styling, but also contribute to inside roominess.
SPACIOUS LUGGAGE CAPACITY. The rear panel still is low, permitting easy
loading and unloading. Features counter-balanced deck lid. The spare
tire is tucked off out of the way so that loading space is accessible
as well as ample.
Chassis/Suspension
LONG-LIFE EXHAUST SYSTEM. Engineered for rugged wear, aluminized in
citical areas. Dual systems feature use of stainless and/or heavy gauge
steel.
SELF-ADJUSTING SAFETY-MASTER BRAKES. They adjust automatically through
ordinary backing and braking pressure. New finned front brake drums and
new linings front and rear on all SS 396's and other models with some
optional power teams.
PERIMETER-TYPE FRAME.Tailored to each body style. Features rugged
three-crossmember construction with an especially sturdy front
crossmember. Passenger compartment is surrounded by all-welded steel
unit. Built-in supporting structures for front and rear suspensions.
BALL-RACE STEERING. Precision control with minimal effort is achieved
through carefully engineered ball-nut steering gear. Parallel linkage
mounted ahead of the front wheels. Manual overalll ratio is 28.0:1,
with power steering it's 20.4:1
CLUTCH. Single disc dry clutch, with positive action diaphragm springs,
matched to specific engine. Assures smooth shifting and durability.
With 307 V8 with an 4-speed transmission, as well as all 327 and 396
V8's, there's a centrifugal assist.
WHEELS AND TIRES. Standard wheel diameter for all Chevelle's is 14".
All wheels and tires balanced at the factory. Your Chevrolet dealer can
give you details on tire sizes, appearance features and availability.
FULL COIL SUSPENSION. At each wheel there's a husky deep coil spring to
keep you on the level--over bumps, cornering,starting, stopping.
Features anti-dive front suspension members, double-acting hydraulic
shock absorbers and rubber-insulated suspension members. Front also has
stabilizer bar to assist all-round levelizer action. Softer body mounts
plus rubber cushions at strategic points increase sound isolation and
freedom-from-vibration efficiency. Refinements in rear suspension
linkage contribute to smooth, quiet performance under varying road
conditions. SAFETY FEATURES FOR 1968.
Energy-absorbing steering column * Seat belts
with pushbutton buckles for all passenger positions * Shoulder belts
for driver and right front passenger with pushbutton buckles and
convenient stowage provision on all models except convertibles *
Passenger-guard door locks with deflecting lock buttons--all doors *
Four-way hazard warning flasher *Dual master cylinder brake system with
warning light and corrosion-resistant brake lines * Latches on folding
front seat backs * Dual speed windshield wipers and washer * Outside
rearview mirror * Back-up lights * New front side marker lights and
parking lights that illuminate with headlights * Padded instrument
panel, sun visors, windshield pillars * Reduced-glare instrument panel
top, inside windshield moldings, horn button, steering wheel hub, and
windshield wiper arms and blades * Inside day-night mirror with
deflecting base * Lane-change feature in direction signal control *
Safety armrests * Thick-laminate winshield * Soft, low-profile window
control knobs and coat hooks. * Energy -absorbing instrument panel with
smooth contoured knobs and levers * Tire safety rim * Safety door
latches and hinges * Uniform shift quadrant * Snag-resistant steering
wheel hardware * Fuel tank and filler pipe security.
