Hi All !

In Sep 2007 i bought a red 69 Chevelle that allways paint a a smile in my face... i enjoy even sit in front and look on it... anyway... the point is the car needs total restoration. But can't affort to do it in one single step.
So, my plans for Dec 2009 (yes, 2009) ..is to be with the car with total body restoration + frame + damn pretty painted... and not even touch suspension / engine / whatever...

My plans are :
* show quality body / paint + frame

... and sit over the old mechanical stuff...enjoy the small 307...
enjoy it at least the half of 2010....

Is it too risky for the body to do it in that order ?

What do you think on :
* 1st task : frame of disasemble
* 2nd task : frame restoration : boxed & smooth
* 3rd task : full body restoration + paint : nothing less than show quality
* 4rd task : ... assemble, don't even look the engine / suspension / nothing... ok maybe a radiator.. but cheap !

please note that full body restoration includes for me to get the car even with the dynamat over the floor, so the electrical stuff must be included too.

* 5th : ...enjoy the preety and poor performance car :-)
* 6th : no more frame off -> just do mecanics on demand while have the money

Arturo,

(you can see it in http://200.119.244.196/chevelle/index.html)

If you do all the body work and paint first, you will need to be extremely careful when you get around to the mechanical repairs.
After seeing the pictures of your car, it looks MUCH better than many others on the board. IF it were mine, I would concentrate on rebuilding/replacing/upgrading the mechanicals first and enjoy that rustfree body for a few more years........:D

I would also wait to do the body work. No matter how careful you are you will certainly scratch or dent the body trying to do mechanicals. I have chosen to do the body to the point that it is primed, then will do the mechanicals. That way any accidents can be taken care of before final paint. I think final paint should always be last. JMO

Don't do it.

The paint will take a beating if you do it first and you'll take a beating worrying about it. There is no way you'll be able to keep it from harm through all of the mechanical work. I put mine in prime first and even the primer looks rough after all of the mechanical work. I can't imagine trying to protect paint.

Tom

Yep, mechanical first. Too easy to really cause some heartache by damaging that show quality paint job trying to do even simple mechanical work, much less an engine swap. Suggestion...have the frame checked to be sure it is straight before you get too far along on either mechanical work or paint preparation. I finished the paint and body on a '55 2dr sedan one time before replacing the front and rear springs, which I thought were "tired" and sagging. Turned out to be a bent frame. Big headache at that point.

Arturo,
Welocme to Team Chevelle from Seattle!!
I am very curious how you came to own your Chevelle. It looks quite well cared for.
Can you tell us what info is on the "Cowl Tag"? It's attached to the body on the top area of the driver's side cowl in front of the wiper arm location.
Do you know the history of your car?
As others have stated, you will be much happier if you first take care of the mechanical work. If you were here, I would suggest investing in a second frame and suspension that could be fully brought up to your standards, then building the engine of your dreams to mount into that frame. Meanwhile you are enjoying driving your Chevelle on occasion. When you are nearing completion of the frame, then you can send the car out for a show quality body restoration, having meanwhile obtained all the many parts you will need to complete the car when it is done.
Your pictures show but a fraction of what it will take to make a true "show car".
Nice ride, though, I bet you have the only one on your block!! Or city for that matter!!
Are you in Santiago?

Dan

do the mech. stuff first. once you have it pretty you may be reluctant to do the mech. work, then you might be worried about driving it for fear of it dying somewhere far from home. not to mention the added stress of buggerin' up a nice paint job!

Hi,

Thanks a lot for your replys. And i think, after think on it, and read your posts.. you are right.... it makes more sense to do mechanics first, body after. ...
I'm just scare about Mr money, because of great mechanics are more expensive than body.

How do i got my Chevelle ?... well ... here in Chile they basically doesn't exist... i mean, they are so few that in my entire life i have never seen one in the streets. Maybe one, twenty years ago ?.. who knows... in Chile we have Beaumonts. And my father has one Beaumont that was allways my dream car. We did long long travels on that car, travelling from the north of south of Chile ...ok ok... Chile is so thin that we just have north and south :) ... that car was abandon in my father's garden, many years, until the year 2006... when i said ...enough... So i started looking for pieces to the Beaumont restoration. The Beaumont is a basic car, is a 6 in line, not a V8, at least here. Seeking for replacement parts i visted every beaumont i could. And in eBay research, seeking by beaumont it appears the Chevelle... what is that ? what is a Chevelle ? i saw the same car of my dad with a different face and that was my first approach to a Chevelle. That was year 2006. Finally, in a local internet group devoted to the muscle cars there was a guy who was restoring a Chevelle. He helped me a lot and finally i knew almost every chevelle we have here. I can't count more than 5 or 6 chevelles from 69, plus we can't import old cars by law, so that is. Mine was in another city, that is called Concepción, stored under a covered place. After i got the address i visited the car, felt in love instantly... but it was out of my pockets. US$10000 ... i thought and thought and thought... i changed job (now I work in Experian) ...and ok... i took my daily car, drove it for 6 hours, and said "hey i'm here to buy the Chevelle"... but someone else found it first. The owner of the car left the country... and his mother sold the car !... but i found the new owner... and told him i want the car... finally almost a year after i convince him to sell it to me (plus he has another fetishe what is his 67 camaro)... and now is here in my garden.
I don't really know the history of my car but i already found the original guy who placed the Chevelles in Chile. I'll visit him some day.
Is a 69 Malibu, it cames with front disk brakes, the original V8 307 that sounds great, floor shifter (4 shifts). It has a rear defogger. Hidraulic assistance, electric windows, air conditioner, ... two horrible holes in the door panels to put stereo speakers...
I think is Canadian since the antena is in the back and not in the front.
Previous owner wanted the steering wheel for his Camaro and during his testing the original hub cap was broken.
The shifter says MUNCIE but i noticed the real muncie is not there. Can't said nothing on this, i trust no bad intention.

Thanks a lot for your patience and time.-
Thanks for the welcome too.-

p.s. i'm in Santiago

Arturo.-

Mechanics first. Don't be in such as hurry. I know it's hard not to want and drive a mint ride- we all want that. But everything all at once is a headache! Think of it this way: You ever went to do some routine repair and/or maintenence- and even after planning it to a T, things don't go always as you plan.

Years ago, I went to put in new carpet in my 69 Malibu. I figured a day would be more than enough. Took a whole weekend- frustrating, but at least it was done right. My scuff plates looked just that, scuffed. My pedals looked... stomped on. and my steering wheel now looked scratched and old. i replaced many more components than I thought.

Driving is the fun part. After a new paint job, you'll be paronoid until the next year when there's a few chips and scratches. Then you'll relax and just enjoy it for what it is: a driver to have fun with.