This 1965 Chevelle is a real-world example of a great project... we're going through the suspension, body, interior, and paint without a zillion dollar budget. Follow the build here!
Our 1965 Chevelle is designed to be a comfortable driver, so we're installing a load of things to make it a nice driver. In this video, we're installing a new floor shifter from OPGI into the original GM console we scored on eBay, followed by some slick Stewart Warner Performance Green Line gauges in a custom housing. Then it's a new Ididit tilt steering column, followed by a Detroit Speed power steering line set. Then a Detroit Speed delay wiper kit goes in, followed by a new OPGI Dash gauge surround and reproduction factory style tachometer. Then, we added some Hushmat sound and heat shielding to keep the noise down, and installed a Vintage Air A/C system to keep it cool in the car.
Our 1965 Chevelle project arrived in our shop with a front disc conversion, but we wanted the fade-free stopping power of 4-wheel disc brakes, so we added a rear disc brake kit from OPGI. This kit utilizes late-model GM calipers with integrated emergency brakes for a simple install, and it also comes with the matching combination valve and pre-bent hardlines and hoses.
Muscle cars need free-flowing exhaust to make power, but that does not mean the have to be obnoxiously loud. However, we all like that sweet rumble from a healthy engine, but not droning in the cabin. What to do? Check out this install video of a MagnaFlow stainless exhaust system with its flow-through mufflers and True-X crossover tubes. Not only does it look slick, but it installs easy, does not rob power, and sounds great at all the right times.
Wheels and tires can make or break a car's looks and performance, and we wanted to choose our wheel and tire combination carefully. We wanted to equip our 1965 Chevelle with wheels that will look good forever, without being too trendy. We also wanted tires that offered great performance without sacrificing ride and comfort. After carefully measuring the Chevelle with a Percy's Wheel Rite tool, we selected a set of Vintage Wheel Works V40 straight-spoke wheels measuring 17x8" with 4 3/4" of backspace. These wheels are practically made for the car, with their crisp, timeless, and aggressive styling. For tires, we chose a set of BF Goodrich g-Force Super Sport A/S tires in 245/45R17 rear and 225/45R17X/L front sizes. The g-Force Super Sports offer aggressive looks, great all-season traction, and construction stiff enough to handle the autocross without sacrificing comfort.
All the sanding and preparation work is finally complete, and we were ready to spray the DuPont BMW Estoril Blue on our 1965 Chevelle. After all the primer was wetsanded to a 600 grit finish, body technician Nathan Newberry wiped the surface down with wax & grease remover and sprayed the body with DuPont Hot Seal sealer to create a barrier between the basecoat color and the primer. Next came the DuPont Chroma Premiere basecoat. Nathan sprayed several coats to completely cover the body shell, then we masked the outside surfaces and sprayed clear on the door jambs and areas that could not be cleared once the car is reassembled. Next up were the doors, fenders, hood, deck lid, hinges, etc. All were checked with the 3M SunGun for accuracy. We're going to assemble the car in basecoat and clear it assembled... stay tuned for that one!
Once the Standox Sprayable Polyester was block sanded to a 220 grit surface, body tech John Blandford prepped our 1965 Chevelle's body for a couple coats of DuPont Hot Prime primer. The Hot Prime is part of the Hot Hues line, and provides the last sandable layer before final sealer and then color. John sprayed the primer using a SATA KLC spraygun and the 3M PPS cup system. The KLC HVLP low overspray primer and filler gun for its ability to finely atomize heavier materials reducing the amount of sanding needed for a flat surface, and the PPS cup system makes clean-up simple with less solvent waste. The next chapter in the '65 Chevelle story... spraying the color!
After the body filler work was completed, we sprayed the body of our 1965 Chevelle with a high-build polyester filler from Standox . The sprayable polyester will fill all the minor sanding scratches and any pinholes in the body filler below. The polyester will also allow body technician John to refine the car's final shape, making the panels glass-straight and the body lines crisp.
Our 1965 Chevelle is going to have a Vintage Air A/C system installed, so we decided to use their FrontRunner serpentine accessory drive system on the engine. This system not only provides a mount for the air conditioning compressor, but it is also a slick mount for the alternator and power steering pump with a new-style serpentine belt for more efficient operation. The main truss mounts to the block and not the heads or intake, so all the belt driven parts line up perfectly. Here's how the system installs.
We've been doing a lot of work on the '65 Chevelle, and while we have hours of "real" video, we thought a quick iPhone update was in order. Here we're working on the OPGI reproduction shifter, and Kelle shows us some of the installed front sheet metal. More to come!
Here's a quick look at
our MagnaFlow dual 2.5" exhaust system on our '65 Chevelle... these
systems install really easily, are good for power, and sound great. We
like 'em. Complete install video to come!
In this update, we're rounding turn 3 on the '65 Chevelle, and we decided to blow the chassis apart for another coat of paint and to clean up some details. Here, we're putting the suspension and engine in for the last time! The body is in basecoat, and we'll complete the clear when it's installed on the chassis.
We've been waiting for the opportunity to break-in our new Comp Cam and Holley / Weiand upper engine parts we installed on our 1965 Chevelle's 350, and that day finally arrived. To make it go smoothly, we filled the oilpan with Royal Purple Break-In Oil to ensure that the Comp flat-tapped camshaft would break in properly and safely. We then installed the engine and driveline onto the Chevelle's chassis and wired it up so we could use the chassis as a test stand to break in the engine. Here's the video of what happened!
Check out how nice the DuPont Chroma Premier Estoril Blue lights up on our 1965 Chevelle's door jambs using the 3M Sun Gun! Can't wait to clear the whole car!
Our '65 Turns Blue! Here, painter Nathan Newberry just shot the body and has masked off the jambs for clear. Nathan is spraying DuPont Chroma Premier color on this one.. it's a BMW M-series color called Estoril Blue. Wait until you see this one in sunlight!
Here's a quick update on the 1965 Chevelle project.. the body has been blocked and we're in primer! We've also shot the bottom of the hood in DuPont's Hot Hues Hot Rod Black for a durable, satin paint finish. We really like the stuff!
All the body filler on our 1965 Chevelle project has been block-sanded straight, bringing the car one step closer to paint application. The next step is to apply several coats of Standox Sprayable Polyester .. a high-build sprayable body filler intended to fill any pinholes or sanding scratches in the body filler layer below. Tiny pinholes and sanding scratches can be barely detectable in filler, but they become magnified under the shiny paint and clear coat of final paint, so it's crucial to take whatever steps you can to eliminate them from the car's surface before spraying paint. We applied several coats of the Standox product, which leaves a highly textured surface when hardened, which might appear to be a step backwards in the straightening process. However, most of what you see here will all be block-sanded off, leaving a solid white layer of perfectly smooth substrate ready for the final application of primer before paint. When properly sanded, the poly leaves no traces of pinholes or spreader marks, and it sands smoothly with minimal effort. But you'll see the whole block sanding process in the next chapter of our '65 Chevelle.
