This was one of our more challenging builds. We started out with a badly damaged body and a lot of missing parts. The car had been through a couple of shops before it came to us and each stop along he way seemed to take the project backwards. Before it went to the first shop it was a complete, running driving car. What you see below is all that was left. By the time it came to us it was just damaged remnants of the original classic.
The ’67 has a lot of “one year only” parts. There isn’t enough volume to encourage the parts companies to make reproductions. Keep this in mind if you’re planning to restore a ’67. The lack of used or reproduction parts for these cars and the custom features the owner requested really added to the challenge for our shop.
Here’s what we started with. The chassis had been upgraded and there was an engine and transmission just sitting on the cross members.
There was a significant amount of damage that was made worse by the primitive techniques the previous shops used when working on it. This type of damage was prevalent on every body panel.
We basically had to start from scratch with the repairs. We cut out the damaged areas then fabricated new steel replacement sections. This type of work was repeated many times over the entire body
One of the previous shops just randomly cut metal away from the floor to fit a different transmission, We repaired the damage and fabricated a nice smooth tunnel.
The owner’s vision for this car was a one-off custom. This meant custom paint, interior, engine compartment and drive train. After we got the body structurally sound and rust-free, we put it on a rotisserie so we could start the custom work. We did a full cosmetic restoration on the chassis and properly installed the custom drivetrain components. Modifications were needed every step of the way as virtually nothing was stock to the car.
The owner selected a custom color scheme with the additional request that the underside of the car look as good as the top. A stock hood would not fit over this monster motor so we went with a steel cowl design. Stripes were added in satin black. A red pin strip accent along the stripe edges was added in the last step.
He also wanted the engine compartment to look un-cluttered. To meet this goal, we routed the majority of the hoses and wiring out of sight. No one makes an aftermarket AC system for this car so we put together a custom design and hid everything but the compressor.
The interior received a host of custom touches. The owner wanted the dash to be a blend of original and modern so we put together a custom instrument cluster and other mods. The car was originally a column shifted automatic with a bench seat. For the new version we added new pedal assemblies, a new tilt column, a classic Chevelle console, custom seats, modern 3-point seat belts along with new carpet, headliner and door panels.
Here are some images of the final product. There is custom work everywhere you look. The roof and drip rail had major damage when we got the car. The owner liked the smooth look so we just eliminated the drip rail and modified the lines going into the C-pillar as part of the repair. We also converted the old style vent window glass to a single piece side glass system with power windows. This really cleaned up the exterior look.
No bed liner for this car !
