New here, I hope I'm posting in the right spot. My neighbor has a 1965 Chevelle (a small 6 cylinder) in fair condition. The car is solid and he is the original owner with 60,000 miles on it. It needs a little TLC but it runs and drives really good.

He wants $700 for it.

I would like to fix it up a little and then possibly put in a crate motor and make it just a fast fun car to drive. Nothing that will go to a show or anything. Does this sound like a good value? I know with some cars there is a "better year" for doing conversions like that.

Any input would be greatly appreciated.

Sounds reasonable to me. I like the '65s best of all Chevelles (had my own EC since '67). Where is the car located in case you decide against it?

My $0.02

Thanks for the reply. The car is in Connecticut. Another question for ya, I know this one is completely subjective with any number of answers but here goes...

If I wanted to take out the 6 cylinder and say put in a 350 (or some other 8 cylinder like that) to make it more a "muscle car" would everything have to be replaced like the transmition, rear and front end?

What would you ballpark a dollar figure range to do something like that if I do all the labor? I know that one is very subjective but just looking for an idea.

The transmission would most likely have to be replaced. The rear end might have to be replaced, or have suitable upgrades at the very least - which might make a replacement and easier job.

The front end would only need new springs, but if you like your ride low in the front, then you could always just leave it that way. Some dude who had our car before us thought it was cool to sit high in the front, so he put big block spec springs in our small block car. Wierd, but he liked it that way, and we haven't bothered to change it.

The price for rear and tranny change could go all over the place. It depends largely on what sort of parts you want to replace them with. It would not be astronomical. Is the car an automatic or manual transmission?

Thanks- The car is an automatic. I would love to do most of the work myself. I've never done it before, but I'm pretty mechanically inclined. Sometime I don't know weather to buy the $700 one and put some money into it, and learn how to do it. Or spend $5000 and have one semi aleady done.

Well... I know the answer, I want to do it myself, I just want to make sure I'm not getting in over my head so to speak.

Speed costs money, how fast do you wanna go? a good crate 350 can cost anywhere from $3000-helluvalot. I got my th350 tranny for $350 with an exchange from checker plus a $20 shift kit. I rebuilt my 355 (see signature) for about $2500 with all of the machine work. my car has added up to about $10,000 over the 3 yrs I've had it and it's not a show car, my daily driver, but it gets me anywhere. you'll have to change out the front springs for the bigger motor. I'm sure you can always find something useful on this site, all together we know everything tongue.gif
f you buy it please post some pictures too

Thanks, good info! - Dare I say I used to be a Mustang guy... owned an 89 GT with a 9# Procharger and a 91 LX convertible. Sold those both to help with downpayment on house, and now have the major muscle car bug again.

As long as I know the 65 Chevelle with the 6 cylinder (currently) is a good candidate for an engine swap than I think I'm okay.

Maybe I should add that I don't know how to weld. But I'll have to learn or maybe hire someone to do some of the work for me.

If it is a two-door and the body is fairly solid it is well worth the price. A small block swap is pretty straightforward, a big block install is a bit more work but certainly not impossible. Along with the recommended transmission, suspension and rear end upgrades mentioned above, don't forget you will also need to buy pulleys and brackets for your choice of new engine as the 6-cylinder items will not transfer over.

If you snag the car, please consider sharing pictures!

If you decide to pass on the car, and its a 2 door, email me his address/phone number!!

Greenblud1@aol.com

I've always liked the 65 Chevelle, but have never owned one.

One of the nice things about Chevelles is that they will accept any production car engine GM ever made.
They have a great deal of aftermarket support.

Starting with a 700 dollar car leave the door open to all kinds of creative approaches.

First thing I'd consider is a disc brake upgrade.

The engine is up to you, from a stock small block all the way up to superchargers, turbos, and huge displacement big blocks.

A mild small block with your choice of TH-350, TH-400, latter overdrive automatic, 4 speed, 5 speed or 6 speed, are all nice options for a driver.

For 2 grand you could have a fun driver if you try to be cheap.
For a hundred grand you could build a car like the one on the cover of this months Popular Hotrodding magazine.

$ 700 for a complete running car is a bargin, unless its a rust bucket.

I'd go for it. You can start small. A 350 engine will drop right in. You can run the existing powerglide and rear end until you want or need to change them. My 67 El Camino was originally a 6 cyl, three speed. It now has a 350 SB and a TH350 trans, easy conversion. I ran the original 3.36 gears for a couple seasons then added a locker and 4.56 gears. There is no difference between rear ends except for some 12 bolts in a few of these cars. Your's will be a 10 bolt 8.2". Plenty strong until you hammer it hard. I found the lower control arms were not boxed or drilled for a sway bar. Easy to fix. With the 6 cyl front springs, the front will set lower. You'll have to decide if you want this or not. Take a look at my site in my sig. You can see both my Elkys. the 66 has TRW SB front spring with 1 coil cut. The 67 has Moroso Trick Springs and sets quite low (the front is lightened up a bunch).

I'm not sure I would buy anyone elses project car. My 67 was pretty far along when I got it but I had to redo a bunch of things. It's more money to start from scratch but it will be the way you want it. A $5000 car will probably still need a bunch of work to get it the way you want it.

Well here it is My new 1965 Chevelle (http://ourphotos.org/chevelle/index.html)

It ended up, after pulling it out of the woods, that it had a LOT more rust than I thought, but I got it for $300. But it started right up, and I drove it home.

(I posted this question in the body shop forum so I don't want to double post)

But I'm not sure where to start now. I think my first goal should be to fix the rust in the trunk and under the seats. Then maybe put new bushings in the front end to tighten it up.

I like it, Not many 2dr post left.

Love the 2 dr post graemlins/thumbsup.gif
Have fun

Is having the post a good thing or bad thing?

Yeah, its terrible. Give me the directions, and I'll come get it out of your hair!

(Good score, congrats!!!!)

GOOD!

Good score, $300 is almost free.

Post is Good and No post is good. The post Chevelles made such good race cars, Thats where most ended there life in the 70's.
My favorite 65 post Chevelle.
http://nor-cal.chevelles.net/nc_c_0401.html
No Post,
http://www.chevelles.com/showroom/Robbie/Prin8.JPG
:D
JMOP, Bob J.

Is having the post a good thing or bad thing? Good thing... it will hold the car together with all that rust :D Just kidding. I figure anything that your drove home for $300 you pretty much stole! Have fun, as mentioned above, you have your work set out for you. Welcome to the '65 club graemlins/beers.gif

Start with the mechanicals, steering, brakes, suspension and drivetrain to make it safe to drive and then do the cosmetics. Just my 0.02.

WELCOME to the BEST site on the net.

csilkman, That car isn't exceptionally rusty for one that spent its life up north. I've many in Michigan that were worse than that after only 5-6 years and your new one almost 40. Good luck on an unusual find and all the glass and bumpers appear to be good.

Congrats on the new purchase!
I'm also a huge fan of 2 dr post chevelles. I have a 64 myself. Enjoy!

Do yourself a favor and buy the lower quarter replacement panels to repair the rust - don't buy complete quarters. They're not good quality.

your best purchase wouold be the suspension parts, and safty must have's like brakes and such. Then get a lincoln arc welder, wire feed. Learn how to weld so you can get the cancer out of the car. Make it look respectable. Then primer the whole damn thing black or grey. Get the wheels you want and run those. Then do the drive train how you want it. Then intirior. Then lastly do the body work and paint it. too many people get caught up in looking good before running good when it should be the other way around. Plus who wants to swap motors/tranny's around perfect paint!! I say for 300 bucks you scored a good one.

If you really want it to be a spectactular car start taking it apart, and begin with the body work.

Brian why would you do the final body work first? If the car will never see the road till its finished thats one thing, but if your going to drive it you should do the body work last so when you tear stuff apart and out theres no worry of scratching or dinging. Just for the present, get all the holes welded up and smoothed out and primer the thing so it looks respectable with no rust. Then later on when you get serious about looks, hang some new quarters, and replace whats needed.

so that you can paint parts of the car that will later be covered with stuff like carpet, and other parts.

i would leave the top coat on the exterior until the car was nearly assembled, to avoid messing it up, but while the front end sheetmetal is still off the car.

I would think it would be easier then to dissamble/reassable a bunch of times, as you know to paint alot of the front end parts then need to be removed.

But then again, it wouldnt see the road until it was completely finished.


Dont get overwhelmed by the project as a whole. I found it easier on me, mentally, if i was "task specific". I created a very specific list of the small and large tasks i had to complete, and just worked on them one at a time.
I'm now very close to being done with the current project.

That's a cool car! I'd advise that if you don't have several thousand $$$ on hand, DONT take the car apart yet. Try to get it in safe running condition and enjoy driving it until you save up money to really get into a restoration. Like others said, buy a welder and learn to use it... my Millermatic 175 was a great investment that I made last year, I wish I'd bought it sooner!

I'd say do the minimum to get the car running well right now, and do some planning and saving before you go right into a full-on restoration project.