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-   -   New to the Forum - 72 Pro Touring Chevelle (http://chevelleforum.net/showthread.php?t=4081)

Rinkys 02-04-2014 06:04 PM

New to the Forum - 72 Pro Touring Chevelle
 
3 Attachment(s)
Okay. I have been kicking around doing my thread on my build for some time now, and am finally getting around to it. I have had some pics and another build thread on Google+, but thought I would post it here. The story begins like this. The Chevelle was my sisters car in high school, and she had been driving it since about 1981 or so. She was quite popular – and all popular girls have lots of friends, but many more enemies. One of them decided to key up the original spring green paint (at least we thought it was original – more later) and cut up the original black vinyl top.
That is when the car was changed from spring green to Corvette yellow. She drove it for a few more years and even took it to college. Then she decided to “upgrade” to a 1984 Mustang while in college, and I received the Chevelle around March of 1987, a few months before my 16th birthday. I agreed to pay $1200, but only got to $600 in payments when the engine started knocking. We agreed that $600 was enough. I made what improvements I could (new engine, bucket seats, console, new coat of yellow piant with racing stripes, etc.). When I joined the Air Force after college (1996), I parked the car under my father’s deck and was going to return to get it later in the summer. Well, long story short, and I am sure this sounds familiar – that never happened. New wife (not insinuating it was her fault at all), new job, living in Virginia, moving from California – it was all a little much to handle. That, and I could not afford a house with a garage. A timely PCS (Permanent Change of Station) to California in 2006, and enough cash to rent a house with a 3-car garage, meant that the build was on.
I have built a fairly complete, pro touring style car with modern bolt-on suspension pieces, 4-wheel disks, LS3 engine with T56 transmission, painted PK3 Very Viper Orange Pearl with black stripes. Since all of the above has already happened, I can show the story start to finish here. Because I have LOTS and LOTS of pictures, I have uploaded them to Google+ (link in signature and below post). I heard a few guys on another forum say it is the best build documentary they had ever seen – so I thought I would share. Here is a few pics to start it off….

https://plus.google.com/photos/10705...97347779304417

Ken Hayes 02-04-2014 06:14 PM

Welcome and ya got a very beautiful Chevelle.

flash 02-04-2014 08:32 PM

Very nice .

flash 02-04-2014 08:33 PM

And WELCOME .

shadowgray396 02-04-2014 10:09 PM

Never know that is the say car from your orginal pictures. Welcome to the site, great story and a very nice looking car. Really like the interior.

caljon88 02-05-2014 07:30 AM

Man that's a sweet car!

Sent from my Nexus 7 using Tapatalk

Rinkys 02-05-2014 09:42 PM

Thanks guys. This car means a ton to me and my wife - who if you read the story, I dated in this car in high school. She loves it as much as I do, so I pretty much had the green light to not hold back. For many years I did not have the time, nor could I afford to do right by this car. Everything was a compromise. There are still some compromises here and there - but they are all things I can live with. And they are all things I can change when the time comes. Tonight, I replaced the mismatch (body shop lost one of the originals) door strikers with a nice set from Totally Stainless. I can now report that the passenger door closes much better then it did yesterday. I will keep plugging away and someday perhaps I won't be tempted to keep messing with it. I still have to install the inner fender dust shields, get the exhaust all the way out the back, trim up the rear wheelwells so I don't F up my tires, figure out what I am going to do for a windshield washer bottle, and reroute the parking brake cable slightly so there is no chance of it coming in contact with the tranny slip yoke, and get it to a few shows this summer. Planning on getting to the Super Chevy show at Madison Illinois and the Street Machine Nationals in DuQuoin Illinois. I might even crash the Hot Rod Power tour when it goes through Ohio, Indiana and Illinois. We will see.
TJ

shadowgray396 02-05-2014 09:51 PM

These cars are never done, so there will always be something to change or improve. Lol
Have fun with it and enjoy it.

SS Shaun 02-06-2014 10:36 AM

nothing but great looking pictures! i am in the middle of doing a center console just like that man. It looks great welcome to the site! what did you use for an oil pan for the ls3?

Ms Grumpy 02-06-2014 05:13 PM

Welcome Rinkys what a great story thanks for sharing. I have always thought that a big part of the appeal of a car is the story that goes along with it. And having it in your family for many years makes it that much better. I bet your sister wants to drive it now. :) Have you considered going to the NOCC show the first week in August. Some of the members here go and we have a blast. I would love to see your car in person.


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