Vehicle Description
This 1966 Chevrolet Chevelle hardtop can be best described as
elegant yet tough, which nails the Chevelle's mission. The early
Chevelle was a clean design, free of many of the styling gimmicks
of the era, and was based on some very sturdy hardware that ran for
years with only cursory maintenance. This one sports a
strong-running 350 V8 backed by a list of upgrades to make it
comfortable, and is dressed in classic black on black. In short,
it's a great cruiser that will look good no matter where you
go.
Nicely finished, this Chevelle has all the hallmarks of a car that
has been restored as needed over the course of its life, which is a
good thing. That means is has always been on the road and never
needed extensive repairs. Bodywork is good, with a uniform look to
the sheetmetal, and decent prep under the paint, which shows some
wear but nothing that should stop you from getting in and having
fun. Gaps show that someone cared when putting it back together so
the doors open and close properly and the hood and trunk don't need
heavy slams to seal. The cowl induction hood is always an excellent
choice and accentuates the clean, uncluttered lines of the early
Chevelle. Stainless trim has been polished, and Super Sport badges
were installed on the rear quarters, mostly because they look cool
and provide a bit of a warning to other predators. It proudly wears
a correct SS grille up front, along with a pair of crossed-flag
emblems on the front fenders, although the 396 badges aren't quite
telling the truth. Bumpers and door handles show nice chrome that
sparkles against the black paint.
Black upholstery is the only way to fly on a car like this, and the
factory bench seats present in good condition with only slight
signs of usage. There are no rips or tears in the seat covers, the
foam underneath is still firm and supportive, and the back seat
almost looks showroom fresh. The dash is plain and simple, like the
rest of the car, and the stock gauges are augmented by a set of
auxiliary gauges mounted low. There is no console, so a
column-mounted shifter manages the TH350 3-speed automatic
transmission that lives under the car. An upgraded AM/FM/iPod/USB
stereo from RetroSound has been fitted in the original location and
it's backed by four Rockford-Fosgate speakers and two tweeters in
the rear deck. There's a new chevrolet steering wheel that is a
little thicker than the original to provide that perfect feel, and
this car originally had factory A/C, which is now powered by modern
components from Vintage Air. The trunk is massive and has nothing
to hide under the new mat and includes a full-sized spare with jack
assembly, just in case.
The engine bay is beautifully detailed, with a non-matching 350
cubic inch V8 making the horsepower. Thanks to a high-rise aluminum
intake manifold, a 4-barrel carburetor, HEI ignition, and a set of
beautiful ceramic-coated headers, it's quite a bit more robust than
it was originally. All that chrome gives it a show field look, but
the rest of the hardware is vintage 1966 so it looks right at home
here. Those headers feed a Flowmaster dual exhaust system, there's
a rugged 12-bolt rear end, and the suspension is stock, so it rides
and handles nicely. It rolls on a set of Rally wheels wearing
215/65/15 front and 255/60/15 rear white-letter radials.
This is a very nice car that can be driven and enjoyed immediately,
and it's heavily documented with ownership history, manuals, and
restoration photos. Call today!