TARussell
Sep 20th, 05, 4:31 PM
Need input from the experts , please.
I need some help from the true enthusiest's(sp) on questions that I have about a car that I am interested in. I have decided to purchase my first "Muscle Car" so I have been doing an amazing amount of reading and adding to my automotive book collection along with joining this forum to learn all that I can before I put down hard earned money.
So , a long term friend of mine hears that I am starting to look for a 1966 Chevelle SS396 and calls me up to let me know of a car he has known about for the past twenty-three years that the owner has mention selling off and on over the years - long story short , after a phone call the owner agree's to let me come and see the car and spend some time talking with him about it eventhough he has not made up his mind if he will actually sell it at this point.
A little car history:
The car is a SS396 model with a 396 ( not original ) that was replaced many years ago when it threw a rod at the track. The motor originally came with a Q-Jet so I assume it was a 325 HP motor car.
It came with a wide ratio 4-spd and 3.08 open diff 12 bolt . Manual steering , no A/C or power brakes. Today it has 4.10's & posi and a close ratio 4-spd.
Obviously this is not a numbers matching car but I am not after such a car . I want a cruiser and a driver that is somewhat period correct. The car is as clean as I can recall seeing any street driven car so we start talking about how he has maintained it and kept it in such great shape.
The car has been garage kept since 1982 when it was "restored" by him and his family & friends. Now here is where my questions comes into play. The body on this car had the usual rust in the rear quaters , back deck and various spots on the floor pan. His brothers car ( also a 1966 SS396 ) was smacked HARD in the front but had a beautiful body on it. At that time period replacement parts were not as accessable and they decided the best way to make this car as clean and nice as possible was to swap the body of the wrecked car onto the rusted car.
So , the body has been swapped back in 1982 and the car has been a garage queen ever since. While he was telling me about the body swap my heart was sinking because my first thoughts were it was not an original body to that frame and the car will never have the "cool original SS" factor to it beacuse folks would question the body swap.
With my limited knowledge I started looking for signs that I knew were SS things only. The car did have a 138 at the beginning of the VIN. It had a oddly placed curv in the passenger side front brake line just like pictures thta I have seen. He replaced the fuel tank and told me that it he had to send the first one back due to a fuel line difference in size - I am assuming that the 3/8" SS fuel line tube was the problem. As I was underneath the car I could see the extra braces that go from the bottom control arms to the top arms on the rear suspension which I believe is an SS thing only.
I was so wrapped up in looking at the true signs of an SS I did not look real hard at the VIN tag rivits - If this car has had the rusted out cars tags on it ( He said something about proving the body swap to the DMV durring the body swap ) does that kill the cars clout as a true SS ?
The other cars drivetrain was sold off through the years and all parts of the owners story indicate that it was an SS - so to me the body is still as it should be. The car is a fine example of what I am looking for but I am curious as to how Ya'll feel about the body swap ???
I am not concerned about resale value - I am keeping what ever I get. I just want the car not to be questioned of its SS status because of the tub swap .....
Please help with comments and question because I am confused , concerned , and full of questions in my search for the muscle car of my dreams.
Thanks , Tom
I need some help from the true enthusiest's(sp) on questions that I have about a car that I am interested in. I have decided to purchase my first "Muscle Car" so I have been doing an amazing amount of reading and adding to my automotive book collection along with joining this forum to learn all that I can before I put down hard earned money.
So , a long term friend of mine hears that I am starting to look for a 1966 Chevelle SS396 and calls me up to let me know of a car he has known about for the past twenty-three years that the owner has mention selling off and on over the years - long story short , after a phone call the owner agree's to let me come and see the car and spend some time talking with him about it eventhough he has not made up his mind if he will actually sell it at this point.
A little car history:
The car is a SS396 model with a 396 ( not original ) that was replaced many years ago when it threw a rod at the track. The motor originally came with a Q-Jet so I assume it was a 325 HP motor car.
It came with a wide ratio 4-spd and 3.08 open diff 12 bolt . Manual steering , no A/C or power brakes. Today it has 4.10's & posi and a close ratio 4-spd.
Obviously this is not a numbers matching car but I am not after such a car . I want a cruiser and a driver that is somewhat period correct. The car is as clean as I can recall seeing any street driven car so we start talking about how he has maintained it and kept it in such great shape.
The car has been garage kept since 1982 when it was "restored" by him and his family & friends. Now here is where my questions comes into play. The body on this car had the usual rust in the rear quaters , back deck and various spots on the floor pan. His brothers car ( also a 1966 SS396 ) was smacked HARD in the front but had a beautiful body on it. At that time period replacement parts were not as accessable and they decided the best way to make this car as clean and nice as possible was to swap the body of the wrecked car onto the rusted car.
So , the body has been swapped back in 1982 and the car has been a garage queen ever since. While he was telling me about the body swap my heart was sinking because my first thoughts were it was not an original body to that frame and the car will never have the "cool original SS" factor to it beacuse folks would question the body swap.
With my limited knowledge I started looking for signs that I knew were SS things only. The car did have a 138 at the beginning of the VIN. It had a oddly placed curv in the passenger side front brake line just like pictures thta I have seen. He replaced the fuel tank and told me that it he had to send the first one back due to a fuel line difference in size - I am assuming that the 3/8" SS fuel line tube was the problem. As I was underneath the car I could see the extra braces that go from the bottom control arms to the top arms on the rear suspension which I believe is an SS thing only.
I was so wrapped up in looking at the true signs of an SS I did not look real hard at the VIN tag rivits - If this car has had the rusted out cars tags on it ( He said something about proving the body swap to the DMV durring the body swap ) does that kill the cars clout as a true SS ?
The other cars drivetrain was sold off through the years and all parts of the owners story indicate that it was an SS - so to me the body is still as it should be. The car is a fine example of what I am looking for but I am curious as to how Ya'll feel about the body swap ???
I am not concerned about resale value - I am keeping what ever I get. I just want the car not to be questioned of its SS status because of the tub swap .....
Please help with comments and question because I am confused , concerned , and full of questions in my search for the muscle car of my dreams.
Thanks , Tom