Matching-numbers L34 396/350, 4-speed, factory A/C. Excellent pedigree with two build sheets, Protect-O-Plate, and restoration receipts. Original colors and options.
White doesn’t seem exciting until you’ve seen it, and with the black stripes and interior, this car is striking. The extensive restoration was completed in 2006 and when they had it apart they could have painted it any color the owner wanted. But he wisely chose to stick with the factory recipe, something that you’ll see happened throughout the project, and they went with code 10 White paint. While it’s about 10 years old now, the restoration is holding up beautifully thanks to a combination of great craftsmanship and careful ownership since it was completed. The doors open and close easily, the hood fits right and snugs down with fresh hood pins, and there’s still a fantastic gloss to the finish. White hides a lot of sins, but shiny paint doesn’t so look down the sides of this SS and you’ll see that they spent a lot of time blocking and sanding it to get it right—no waves, no ripples, no dents. Much of the chrome and stainless trim is new, a several thousand dollar line item on the restoration invoice, and fresh emblems make it looks crisp and bright everywhere you look. New lenses, a correct SS grille, and a few other items all add up to a car that’s very sharp in every way.
Inside, they probably could have changed things and nobody would have noticed, but that’s not the guy who owned this car. In the same way he could have changed the color, he could have swapped to bucket seats and a console, but instead chose to keep the original code 752 black vinyl bench and floor-mounted Hurst 4-speed. The original seats got reproduction seat covers, there are correct carpets on the floor, and fresh door panels with SS insignias. The round gauges were unique to the SS and this one carries a factory tach with correct L34-spec 5500 RPM redline, and they all work except the clock (typical). Note on the HVAC controls that this is a factory air-conditioned car, and the system is fully operational with a recent service and fresh R134a refrigerant. There’s also a custom AM/FM stereo radio that slips into the original radio’s slot and blends in well enough that most folks won’t even notice. A set of auxiliary gauges was added under the dash in the usual fashion and that’s always a good idea for a car that’s going to be driven—the factory dials work, but these are surely more accurate. The only real deviation from stock is in the trunk, where they’ve used matching black carpets on the floor, sides, and spare tire, giving it a more finished look than the original mats.
The engine is the original, numbers-matching L34 396 with 350 horsepower. It was rebuilt to stock specs during the restoration, dully detailed in Chevy Orange, and dropped back into the restored engine bay. The list of new parts is about ten pages long, so suffice to say, most of it is fresh. The only real deviation from stock are those beautiful ceramic-coated long-tube headers, which really fatten up the torque curve, but if they’re not your thing, the original cast iron manifolds are included with the car.
Turn the key and the engine barks to life easily and idles well after a few seconds of warming up. The flap on the cowl induction snaps closed as soon as the engine fires and it works correctly—it’s a lot of fun to watch it do its thing while you drive. The Muncie M20 4-speed manual transmission and heavy-duty 12-bolt rear end were both rebuilt (it’s in the receipts) at the same time and there are comfortable 3.31 gears in the pumpkin, so this is a car you can drive just about anywhere without getting tired (especially with the A/C!). The undercarriage is solid and clean, but not detailed for show and does have a few signs of having been driven over the past few years. There’s a rumbling Flowmaster exhaust system that ends in correct oval tips under the rear bumper, a new gas tank, fresh shocks, rebuilt brakes, and brand new 15-inch SS-style wheels that aren’t quite stock but sure look awesome.
Documentation on this Chevelle is impressive. We have not one but TWO build sheets, one that’s very legible and one that’s less so. We also have a ton of factory paperwork, including the original delivery checklist sheet, warranty booklet with Protect-O-Plate, and the original owner’s manual. And there’s that big binder full of restoration receipts.
This is an easy car to like. It’s very true to its original spec, runs great, looks awesome, and has a bulletproof pedigree. It’s fast, it’s comfortable, and it’s a smart place to park some money for a while. Don’t hesitate, call today!
For more details and photos, please visit www.HarwoodMotors.com
