Iam gearing up for a new project car and thinking of doing some customizing to this car.
http://briefcase.yahoo.com/bc/sevt_chevelles/vwp?.dir=/My+Other+Cars&.dnm=Next+project+chevelle+pic2.jpg&.src=bc&.view=l&.done=http%
3a//briefcase.yahoo.com/bc/sevt_chevelles/lst%3f%26.dir=/My%2bOther%2bCars%26.src=bc%26.view=l

I want to know what tricks or mods you guys like??
Basically am thinking of shaving the handles, drip rail, bumper bolts. Thanks to Martin I got the itch for a frenched antenna smile.gif Even thought of dropping the lid on her but after seeing some pics of 70-72 the chopped top look on a 70 just doesnt look right. Not counting the chop out if someone has a few good pics of a chopped 70-72. How about channeling the body or known as body dropping over the frame? Would someone even notice that to make the time and effort worth it?

God I got tons of ideas floating around in my head, any thoughts on good ones??...Eric

Originally posted by sevt_chevelle:
Thanks to Martin I got the itch for a frenched antenna smile.gif
...Eric Now isn't that called a freedomed antenna now? :D ;) No seriuosly, what is it? Help me out there. I personally do like customs and prostreets, but i wouldn't go so far to chop a Chevelle, it has one of the most beautiful roof lines from the factory, chopping it would definitely not improve it IMHO. Big rims, a low stance, custom paintjob and interior and shaving door handles would be the maximum i would do. No other body work. Mine will only get the first two things though.

Olli

Don't do a chop. Depending on how you channel, you could lose lots of interior room, or have to do some tricks with the seats so you're not banging your head into the roof.

You could round off the hood (and decklid); where you take the front corners of the hood near the lights and radius them, while adding metal to the fender and extension to follow the curve. Shave all the stuff you metioned; what about flaring out the rear quarters?

My 0.02 cents!

Crankshaft

A cool way to french your antenna would be to mount an electric one inside your trunk with the top of it coming down flush to your quarter panel so that all you see with it down is a small circle.

Of course if it's a French antenna you'd have to paint it yellow and hang a white flag on it... and nobody would see it because it would always be retracting. :D

You saw my Le Sabre mirrors on my Malibu in person. If you can find a similar mirror that fits the contour of a '70 or modify ones like mine to fit, they'd look great.

I wonder what benefits you'd gain by channeling it... The rocker panels are already about even with the bottom of the frame.

How 'bout a body lift and some 4x4 blazer axles? ;)

Olli, this is what a frenced antenna is. Even tho this pic was taken off a 56 Ford F100, its pretty trick graemlins/thumbsup.gif
http://www.chevelles.com/showroom/frenced.jpg

You are also right on the money about the 70 chevelle having one of the best rooflines, it makes the car. Ive seen a few chopped 70-72 chevelles and they dont look good, you guys are right on that. My idea on the chop would be more like taking out a 1 or so in the front post and laying back the glass, making for more aero look. I have pics of this done to a 98 grad prix somewhere and man that thing looks SWEET. It gives more a of swoopy look I guess.

Crankshaft, I have thought of rounding off the corners on the decklid, Ill look over the car and see how the hood/fender/ext would look rounded.
The one thing that I really want to do to this is have the hood forward tilt, similiar to 87-91 buicks. I think that one would make people stop and look.

I guess it all boils down to is am tried of owning stock looking cars. Iv owned 4 70 chevelles and all of them are stock looking minus paint color and rims and one buick 455 :D

Do the body mods to your krusty midwest car, and leave the solid california sheetmetal alone!

I'm still likin' the 4x4 blazer axles :D
There's a '79 4x4 camaro with a snowplow down the road from me... a classic that's functional in Midwest winters too ;)

I don't know Eric, I think I am with the other guys on this one. The Chevelle is a very hard car to customize. The best things to do are more like detailing than out and out in your face customizing. Shaving the bumpers (with FLAWLESS chrome work after), some '71 Buick Riviera flip out door handles , SUPER panel fit and some 20" billit wheels are about all I could imagine. Some real mild grille change like a custom aluminum with about twenty or so 1/8" thick flat stock running from fender to fender with only the headlamps to break up the lines.

Hey, hot damn, there is some room for customizing! http://www.buicks.net/forum/graemlins/banana.gif

Ok, in the rear, how about some Buick GS thru the bumper tips? Flush mounted windows with only a little rubber moulding like a late eighties S-10 used? Remove the gutters and just have a little tiny one made from quarter inch rod and moulded in.

All I know is they would be very subtle, the kind of thing that would leave people wondering what in the heck is different? I think that is only way you could do it without over doing it and leaving people wondering, why in the heck did he do that? graemlins/beers.gif

http://members.aol.com/smartasreality/page01.html
here is my chopped chevelle. i have not finished it. dont know if or when i will.

I like the mods you don't notice right away.

The coolest Kustom comment is, "Ok, what did you do to it?"

Chip foose Pics (http://www.prowleronline.com/ubb/Forum3/HTML/000525.html)

Eric, how about hide away headlight/machineguns go for the Bond/Powers/XXX design. Do something like that and have fun with it.

Eric--- Didn't know things were THAT boring in Iowa. If you really-really need another project, drive up to Lakeville, every weekend, finish my Elky. Gratis! :D

Think of all the quality windshield time you would have to plan your next effort. smile.gif

By the time my Elky is done you will have talked yourself out of any MAJOR future mods to the Bu.
graemlins/beers.gif graemlins/clonk.gif

Karl

Karl, you have NO idea how bored I am down here in Iowa smile.gif

We can work something out on the Elky, hell I do my best thinking behind the wheel. Just keep the frig stocked up with pepsi so you can keep me doped up on caffine, and we'll have that thing painted in no time graemlins/thumbsup.gif If you sweet talk me I might even bring up those trick block sanders, got a order out for the 3 ft model, it'll get those quarters knocked out in no time. smile.gif

Some real mild grille change like a custom aluminum with about twenty or so 1/8" thick flat stock running from fender to fender with only the headlamps to break up the lines.
Martin thats what am talking about graemlins/thumbsup.gif Did see those GS exhaust tips they look pretty cool, wouldnt look to bad flush mounted in the rear valance.

One thing that I did think of today was molding the rear corner light bezel to the quarter. Custom fab a piece of metal to resemble the marker light bezel then weld it to the quarter, that way the quarter is smooth and wont have the marker light bezel sticking out...Eric

hey sevt Ive been thinking about doing a customized chevelle for some time. It's going to have to wait thu until I finish the 66. Give me a alittle time and I might be able to come up with some stuff for you. I think it would look great. What is your body working and fabricating skills. I assume pretty good since you discussed doing a chopped top.

Todd

Here are some quick ideas.

Make the back bumper part of the car and not an attachment. But do it more than just molding it in if you know what I mean.

I don't remember how the back window is on that year model. If remember correctly its a flat recessed piece. How about getting a four door model ( I think they have some curvature) and putting it in and redoing the back of the roof to mold it in. I would love to do that to a 66 to get rid of the recessed section plus it would be more aerodynamic hehe.

The tops of the fenders where the top and and sides meet. you could cut them down alittle and put some radius action in there to reduce the peakyness of the fender.

Personally I think it would look cool making it look more modern to give a possible version of what one could look like if it was designed today. Kind of like retro look or something.

There was someone that did some cool drawings I wished I had them or could see them again. Id love to have them as wallpaper on the pc.

Todd

Todd the rear bumper idea did come to mind, but then I recall a 37 ford that had the rear fenders molded and then later involved in a collision. Not something if you plan on driving, I cant imagine having to cut out that rear bumper graemlins/angry.gif

Right now the whats floating around is shaving the drip rails, bumpers and maybe doing something with the handles. Iam not shaving them off, my boss at work drives a 46 ford covert with shaved handles and that thing is a friggin joke to get in and out of :rolleyes: , its changed my view on shaved handles.

If I do a retro look Ill probably change the dash. This winter I built a 02 Chrylser Concorde for myself, changed the dash and whatnot. Anyway I like the looks of that dash and somewhat fitted it to my chevelle. I need to trim some out in the front to suck it in at the windshield, but the width is pretty damn close. If I do the dash swap Ill use one out a 98-04 LHS or 300-M. Its the same basic dash but abit sportier looking

Originally posted by sevt_chevelle:
...I recall a 37 ford that had the rear fenders molded and then later involved in a collision...What kind of person would crash into a classic chevelle? ;) tongue.gif

I still owe you for that one graemlins/sad.gif