I'm looking at getting a classic car soon to replace my ailing Ford pickup, and wanted to ask a couple of questions about the '70-ish Chevelles - they're in my price range, and I love the looks/power/style. (At the risk of being flamed, my other choice is a '64.5-'68 Mustang
)
I turn 18 next month, so this is probably going to be my college car - and there's a good chance I'm heading for either Boston or Portland, OR - is the Chevelle wholly inappropriate for heavy rain/snow? (Couldn't be any worse than my truck...) The other option is staying home for college which means tons of money for car toys.
Now for the tech questions - how expensive is it to update some of the suspension/steering/brake tech? I'd really like to go for the handling aspect - how far would lowering springs, 16 or 17-inch wheels, and polygraphite bushes go toward this? Is it possible to put in power steering/power brakes if the original isn't equipped with them (I also plan to convert to disc brakes soon after acquiring the Chevelle)?
I really like the 17" Torq-Thrust II wheels - they're a five-lug pattern, but I can't remember their other info - does anyone know if they'll fit a '70-'72?
Engine/Transmission stuff -
First, did any Chevelles come with manual transmissions? I'd really kind of like a manual, but that's not that high on the list...
Is the 307 a decent engine to modify? I've seen several for sale in the paper with these, but even their gross horsepower was only 200bhp - which seems kind of weak to push around 3800#.
If possible, I'd like to get one with a 350 (I understand they're easier to work on and modify than almost anything out there), but if that's not in the cards - how expensive is it to buy a used (but not abused) 350 and put it in a 307 car?
Final question - I have some questions about interior and sound system stuff - where's the best place to find that kind of info out?
------------------
"Imagination is more important than knowledge" - Albert Einstein
I turn 18 next month, so this is probably going to be my college car - and there's a good chance I'm heading for either Boston or Portland, OR - is the Chevelle wholly inappropriate for heavy rain/snow? (Couldn't be any worse than my truck...) The other option is staying home for college which means tons of money for car toys.
Now for the tech questions - how expensive is it to update some of the suspension/steering/brake tech? I'd really like to go for the handling aspect - how far would lowering springs, 16 or 17-inch wheels, and polygraphite bushes go toward this? Is it possible to put in power steering/power brakes if the original isn't equipped with them (I also plan to convert to disc brakes soon after acquiring the Chevelle)?
I really like the 17" Torq-Thrust II wheels - they're a five-lug pattern, but I can't remember their other info - does anyone know if they'll fit a '70-'72?
Engine/Transmission stuff -
First, did any Chevelles come with manual transmissions? I'd really kind of like a manual, but that's not that high on the list...
Is the 307 a decent engine to modify? I've seen several for sale in the paper with these, but even their gross horsepower was only 200bhp - which seems kind of weak to push around 3800#.
If possible, I'd like to get one with a 350 (I understand they're easier to work on and modify than almost anything out there), but if that's not in the cards - how expensive is it to buy a used (but not abused) 350 and put it in a 307 car?
Final question - I have some questions about interior and sound system stuff - where's the best place to find that kind of info out?
------------------
"Imagination is more important than knowledge" - Albert Einstein