ProductExpertsAvailable
This 1969 Chevelle Malibu has certainly seen better days. With the 350 cube, 2-bbl. V8, this car originally came with a single exhaust system. Passable (but just barely) performance wasn’t good enough, so we elected to install a full dual exhaust system. This would not only help the engine breath easier, it would give us a nice, mellow muscle car sound.
You’ve been preparing for this show all year. Your hotel reservations have been made for months and you and your buddies came out a day early to make sure you’d get to the show early to secure the best spots. You haven’t been working on her all year to park her in the back row. Waking up this morning wasn’t hard, even though falling asleep last night was. You quickly scan the hotel room to make sure you have everything you need. Polish– check. Favorite cloth– check. Keys– check. You’re all set. You grab a coffee and a Danish from the lobby and you and the boys are on your way. As you leave, everyone teases you about winning best in show, but you know it’s yours. You get out to the parking lot and everyone disperses to their rightful vehicles. You look at the spot where you’d left her the night before. It’s empty. You stop dead in your tracks and blink in disbelief, quickly convincing yourself that you must have forgotten about moving her. Panic starts to set in. Your heart is racing, palms sweating. You frantically scan the parking lot and she’s nowhere in sight. This cannot be happening.
Time: 1 hour
Tools: standard socket set, standard wrenches
Cost: Fabrication costs will vary, but expect to pay around $20-$30 to have them made. If you purchase your own material ahead of time, factor in about another $10.
Tinware: A small plate of aluminum stock- 6061 aircraft alloy is the most common and the least expensive.
Tip: You can save some money by making the shims yourself if you have a wide assortment of hole saws or a knockout punch. They may not produce the cleanest results, but will work nonetheless.
Performance gains: none, just the peace of mind knowing your car is sitting level and straight
It seems that all our old cars have a “Story”, and my ’65 El Camino story really starts back in 1964. Fresh out of high school, I had read in the September ’64 issue of Motor Trend that the Malibu was to be made available with the optional L79 327 Corvette engine, 12 bolt rear end and a 4-speed. I took the plunge, borrowed some money and ordered a Danube Blue ’65 Malibu with those aforementioned options. I had it by Thanksgiving. I had to sell that car a year later for cash to start college and have regretted losing it ever since– even though it was the certainly the right thing to do at the time.
Russ Almand built this class-winning ’67 El Camino his way, by himself
My El Camino was purchased in March, 2008 as a project truck for $2700. The guy that I bought it from had shipped it from California but had lost his job and had to sell it. It had been built in the Fremont, CA plant.
My infatuation with El Caminos and the concept of a car-truck hybrid design started at a very young age of probably 7-8 years old. I can remember my next door neighbor in the early ’60s, who worked for the phone company, had a “work truck” 1957 Ranchero that I always loved. And then in my Hot Wheels collection as a kid, my favorite car was the burnt orange “Custom Fleetside” that appeared to be an El Camino, but was actually designed after a ’67-’68 Chevy truck front clip with an El Camino style roof line and bed.
My 1970 El Camino started life in Thomaston, GA. The first owner had the local swimming pool business, and he kept the car up to the mid-to-late ’80s when the family traded it off. About six different people have owned this Chevy over time. One was a tool salesman who got the car for his business and had it painted red with white stripes on the hood. I even sold him the hood off my first El Camino and now I have it again! He also rebuilt the motor and transmission. He used her for a while, got out of the tool business and sold it to a fellow that I bought it from on the last day of 1999.
Time: Approximately 3 hours
Tools: Phillips screwdriver, impact driver (optional), hammer, socket wrenches, open-ended wrenches, window crank removal tool, white lithium grease, flashlight and small inspection mirror, window crank removal tool
Cost: Window regulator assemblies approximately $100 each, door latch assemblies approximately $100 each
Tinware: Window regulator assemblies and door latch assemblies are both available for your Chevy on any of Eckler’s brand websites. www.ecklersautomotive.com
Performance gains: obviously nothing in terms of dragstrip performance, but a whole lot of piece of mind when it comes to smooth door latch and window operation.
This Fairlane was my first car and I have owned it for 22 years. Here is a short description of the car:
The 1966 425hp, 427ci Chevrolet Biscayne two-door cars are the big, beautiful and powerful cars that I first experienced on the streets of Duluth, MN when I was only 18 years old. They made a big impression on me at the time (and still do today) so I guess you could say I have a passion for these particular cars. My first car as a teenager was a 1965 Chevelle SS with a 300hp 327ci motor that I occasionally street raced. I could usually beat the 325hp/396ci Chevys around town, but not the 360hp models that came out in ’66.
