 |
Let me introduce myself, I'm fellow ACES member Mike Crown and this is my Marina Blue '66 Chevelle SS which I purchased in August 1994.I got this car near Baton Rouge, LA and I am the sixth owner. I have had the privilege of contacting all five previous owners and subsequently know just about everything there is to know about this Chevelle.
This is an early April Atlanta car which originally came with the 396/375 hp engine and M-22. It was ordered with 4:56 rear, but when it arrived at the B&L Chevrolet dealership in Hillsville, VA it had a 4:10 rear (still decodes that way on rear axle KK), which didn't sit well with the owner because this car wasn't going back and forth to work.....it was strictly for the track. He refused to accept the car without the 4:56 rear, and so the squeaky wheel gets the grease or in this case the rear, and it was done. Another and even more interesting item the car came with was a cowl plenum breather. The original owner told me that it came in the trunk and the dealership cut the hole in the firewall for the system to be installed later. The car also came with Heavy Duty Suspension and Radiator, as well as the sometimes debated Blackened Out rear tail light panel.
The first three years of it's life was spent primarily breaking many track records and even winning the 1968 spring Nats. at Bristol!
The car was raced under the name of "Pop's Mystery Chevelle," (as seen in the B&W photo)
The Mystery Chevelle was retired in 1970 and the engine was replaced with a 327 Corvette engine and automatic Tranny so that the Mrs. could use it as a daily drive to work. The car first changed hands around 1982 when the next door neighbor bought the car after wanting it from the day it first came home from the dealership in 1966. It only stayed in this little town of Independence, VA for another 2-3 years before making it to North Carolina and then on to Louisiana for it's 1st partial restoration. It was at this time that the car got treated to some of it's original power. A 396/325 hp from an identical appearing '66 was put under the hood as well as the matching M-21 from that car and a set of 3:73's.
This 396/325 hp was built by the "Woods Brothers" of the race circuit, so that's why it got some of it's original power back.....if you know what I mean.
That identical car was scrapped, but the P.O.P and both vin plates were held on to as well as it's original NC title (I have all). My car's original power plant and Tranny are out there somewhere, but I have not had the good fortune to get them back. The car changed hands one more time in LA. and then found it's new and hopefully last home here in the great northeast of Pennsylvania!
When I got this car it had only 67,000 miles on it (72,000 now) and was pretty much as you see it here,
though I have done my best to return it to stock condition in the engine compartment (hope to get a plenum breather some day), the interior is almost all original, and I have the undercarriage looking as nice as the top! I show the car throughout the summer and enjoy it more and more every year.
Places you might see my car:
- August 1998 "Chevelle World"
- September 1998 "Super Chevy Magazine" feature
- March 1999 special spring issue Super Chevy: "Chevy Classic's and Muscle Machines"
- June 1999 Nashville, TN "Chevelle~Abration"
Photo Backgrounds of Mike / Dan's excellent 66 are available HERE.
