In August, 1968 I ordered my first brand new car; a 1969 Chevelle SS396.  I like blue cars so I ordered a Lemans Blue with a black vinyl top (I like vinyl tops too).  It had the L78 396ci/375hp engine. This engine was introduced in 1965 as a 396ci/425hp engine at 6500 rpm. My engine was basically the same except with larger intake and exhaust valves and 375hp@5600 rpm. 

My dad worked with a gentleman whose son was into racing and worked as a salesman at Carl Schmidt Chevrolet in Perrysburg, OH.  So when I was ready to order this car the salesman and a parts counterman sat down with me and we poured over the RPO lists. The first was the RPO L78. Next came RPO L89 (aluminum heads). Then RPO M22 HD Muncie 4-speed, RPO G80 Positraction with RPO G84 4:10 Rear Axle Ratio and the last of the performance equipment was RPO NC8 Chambered Exhaust. With the performance equipment completed I wanted some options that looked cool so I added RPO A01 Tinted Glass all windows, then A51 Strato Type Front Bucket Seats, next RPO D55 Front Compartment Floor Console, then RPO C08 exterior Soft Trim Roof Cover. Every car I owned previously had power steering so I added RPO N40.

After waiting an anguishing 8 weeks it finally arrived at Carl Schmidt Chevrolet. I met with the saleman and we talked about the features on the car. We discussed the waranty and the brea in period.  Finally it was time to take delivery. The salesman took me out to the parking lot and with no one around he asked me this question: “Do you want this machine to run fast, I mean very fast?” I quickly answered YES. He then told me to wait until I was away from the dealership, stop the car and run it through the gears shifting at 7000 RPM and winding it out in fourth to 7000 rpm. He said it would either blow or GO and it was still under warranty. Well I did and it ran.  It ran so good that I was never beaten in a drag race; street or strip.

I had a friend that raced a “B” stock 1958 Chevrolet that went all the way to the nationals in Pomona, CA. We investigated my car for power to weight ratio and it fell right at the top of “B” stock. So we began to modify the car for NHRA “B” stock. In those days the only thing you could do to the engine was to improve the clearances, cc the heads, re-jet the carburetor, add an advance curve kit to the distributor, add headers, add a cool can, change the spark plugs to a cooler plug, change the spark plug wires.  We did all that except we never took the engine apart, it ran so blasted good from the factory that we did not want to fool with it. We also added a set of bolt on traction bars and some M&H 7″ slicks. Finally spring came around and we took it to the drags at Milan Drag-way in Milan, MI. At that time Milan was the premier NHRA drag strip. We went through tech inspection with just a cursorycheck. Well I was the driver and may I say I was pretty good at power shifting. The car ran high 12’s to low 13 second quarter mile times and won “B” stock class. We lost the top stock eliminator to a 1956 283 Chevy that was the national record holder for his class, I believe if was like “N” stock of some ridiculousslow class. I had to spot him the difference between the national record for “B” stock and his class. I could never beat him,oops I said eailer I was never beat, guess I forgot about that slow poke 283.

The next week we showed up at Milan and had a crew of 6 tech inspectors going over the vehicle. They said we we illegal with aluminum heads and chambered exhaust, but we were ready for them with all the RPO listings available. Then the bad news came somehow our tires managed to grow wider by 1/16″, which made us illegal again. Then one of the tech inspectors said that the chief tech inspector had a brother running “B” stock and we were to be found illegal. He said we need to jack up the car and take a pocket knife and shave off 1/16″ of tread. We did and he passed us to run. We again won our class and with times of 12.7 seconds in the quarter mile and speeds around 104 mph. This went on all summer and I got a reputation of being the car to beat in the Toledo area. I raced every Friday and Saturday night on the street, making enough money to keep my Sunday drag racing going.

One day we decided to race IHRA at NorwalkDrag Way. I bought some Firestone 12″ slicks, but soon found out they rubbed the outer fender lip. No problem, that is what ball peen hammers were invented for. We pounded the rear lips flush and gained another 1″ clearance. Technology, how I love it. I was crusing through my stock class when it came time for top eliminator. I pulled up next to a 1967 Camaro that was reving up so hogh that it drowned out my Big Block. I was in awe of this car, so much that when the light turned I watched his hole shot. I then realized I was about to get my #%#@* beat so I launched that Chevelle a 7000 RPM’s and shifted every gear at 7000 RPM. I caught the Camaro as I shifted into 3rd gear and beat him by a car length.  I know I’m going to piss off some small blocks guys, but “there is no substitution for cubic inches”.

More drag racing stories from the 60’s & 70’s to come!

After I sold my 1962 Ford Galaxie 500 Sunliner Convertible. I bought a 1966 Dodge Charger. This car was awesome! It was a pale yellow with black bucket seats in both the front and rear passenger compartment. Since it was yellow and was plenty fast it got dubbed “The Hairy Canary”. The engine was a 383 Magnum and was backed up with a 4-speed. The console extended from the front to the rear. The dash, steering wheel and console top panel was real teak wood. You could fold the rear seats, rear console and rear divider panel down to have a complete carpeted floor. The sleek exterior made the car look fast just sitting there. I did some street racing with it and it was fast, but not fast enough. In the garage it went and dual quads, headers and slicks were added. That helped the performance, but not quite enough, so back into the garage for a new performance cam and rear gears. Now I was starting to blow the doors off the GTO’s. However, I could never beat the SS396 Chevelles. So if you can’t beat them join them. I traded the Charger in for a 1969 Chevelle SS396. More to come.

My 1966 Dodge Charger - "The Hairy Canary"

My first car I owned was a 1962 Ford Galaxie 500 Sunliner Convertible. It was the summer of 1965 when I fell in love with this car when I saw it on the used car lot in my home town of Perrysburg, OH. 

It was all black with a black convertible top, red bench seat interior, a 390 ci. engine backed by a 3-speed on the tree manual transmission. It was so cool.

I was 17 at the time and working as a lot boy at Carl Schmidt Oldsmobile on Illinois Ave. in Maumee, OH and still delivering papers after school. The price tag was $1000 and I had been saving almost all of my paper route money for the last 7 years and with my lot boy job money I had enough to buy this beauty.

The day finally came when I was to pick this beauty up. It was warm summer day when my dad and I took delivery and we immediately put the top down and drove it home.  Of course I dumped my dad and headed to my friend Dale’s house to show this car off. We went out cruising that night at all the cruise spots; Byrne Rd. Mcdonalds, Secor Hut, Lockwood Hut and finally the Woodville Rd. Frisch’s then home.

On one occasion a conversation came up about smoking the tires and I boasted my car could smoke the tires for a full quarter mile. Well you guessed it, I was challenged to prove it. I talked with my buddies and we decided on a road, which I can’t remember the name, but it was just freshly tarred. We all went out there and I popped the clutch and smoked that right rear tire for the full quarter mile. I won nothing but bragging rights.

Later that same year I  removed the 3 on the tree and replaced it for a 4 on the floor. A 4 speed was incredible especially with a Hurst shifter. No more missed shifts. 

Next I decided the 390 engine needed to be replaced with a 427ci dual quad engine. I found one but never got around to assembling it because a 1966 Dodge Charger had caught my eye. I sold the Ford and the engine and bought the Charger.

In my 45 years of washing, polishing and waxing my automobiles I have used just about every product out there and any that were worth their salt required elbow grease.  Except for this one – Ultraluster a One Step Waterless Wash, Polish and UV Protective Glaze – “Just Spray, Wipe & Buff”.  I used UltraLuster products at my restoration shop to detail the completed restorations exterior, interior and even under the hood.  My body shop manager even used UltraLuster products with a buffer on new paint with great results and no swirls and it has no silicons making it body shop safe.

I use UltraLuster products on my personal vehicles.  I have found that the more you use the waterless wash the easier it applies because it resists the elements and leaves a hard coating each time.  As you build the coats up the more brilliant the shine too!  It takes me around 1 to 1-1/4 hours to completely detail my 2002 Chrysler Town & Counrty mini van.  And that gives me a wash, polish and a UV protective coating .  Before I used UltraLuster it was a complete Saturday morning  job and I was tired afterwards.

I can’t say enough good about this product, but don’t just take my word about it, try it yourself.

Click on the link below to view a video of a  Florida News Report and for more information on UltraLuster.

UltraLuster of Northwest Ohio

Thank You and enjoy a brilliant shine on your muscle car, classic car or your family automobile.

Steve

Starting Your Restoration

You’ve now decided to tackle restoring your muscle car or classic car yourself and are itching to dismantle that baby.

STOP – Don’t turn a wrench until you have done the following:

 Organization

Go to your local WalMart or wherever you choose and purchase:

1. Zip lock freezer bags of all the sizes.
2. Permanent markers
3. Storage bins of various sizes
4. Parts tags with either wire twists or cloth ties. These can be bought at Office Depot
5. Spiral note book for notes
6. Take pictures of the exterior of the car; include the following views:
   a. Left and right side profile
   b. Left and right fender
   c. Left and right doors
   d. Left and right quarter panels
   e. Front
   f. Rear
   g. Top
   h. Hood
   i. Deck lid
   j. Glass
   k. Zoom of rust or dents
   l. Zoom of name plates, engine designation and any other exterior emblems, use a tape measure and note their position from the edges of fenders, deck lid etc. recording them into your note book for future reference for re-assembly
7. Take pictures of the interior of the car.
8. Buy the following factory manuals if available:
   a. Assembly Manual
   b. Chassis Service Manual
   c. Body Service Manual

 Part Storage

You are going to need plenty of storage shelves and small parts bins. I like the Plano brand storage shelves model number 919. They are 36″wide X 24″ deep X 74″ high, cost around $56.99 ea. and are “Made In The USA”.  They come in 5 shelf  heights or can be assembled to any height combination. Their strength is around 750 lb per unit and can handle heads, transmissions, intakes, carbuerators, water pumps, power steering boxes, etc., I try to keep the heavier parts on the lower two shelves for better stability. Since the shelves are not solid but made with small open squares, you might want to use some 1/4″ plywood boards placed on the shelves for ease of loading and unloading the heavier parts. If you prefer a more heavy duty unit the Home-Quip Maxi Rack model number MR60-4 is excellent.  It is a (4) four shelf unit that is 36″ wide X 18″ deep X 60″ high and can handle 1500 lb. per shelf. At $64.99 ea. this is the best bang for your buck. You can purchase either of these units at a local building supply store.

Thank You and Have Fun!

Restoration Corner – How To’s for Restoring Your Muscle Car is the first in a series of articles that I hope you will find to be informative and presented in a pure common sense manner.

The topic for this series is “Buy Completed, Restore It Myself or Have it Professionally Restored”?

This topic is very important to address early in your quest for any classic or muscle car. I’ll address the Pros & Cons of each.

Should I Buy it Completed?

Pros
1. From a pure economical view the answer is definitely YES. It is always less costly to buy it done except in a rare case where the value of the car exceeds the restoration cost.
2. You get to enjoy your car immediately

Cons
1. However, you don’t know what problems might lurk under that bright and shiny paint. Many amateur restorations look good but could have several hidden problems such as: rust not repaired correctly – not cut out and replaced with a metal patch or new panel replaced panels installed improperly:

• riveted instead of welded
• no seam sealer installed
• rust not cut completely out excessive body filler used to straighten panels and hide defects

So before you purchase that restored car have a professional restoration shop or even a body shop inspect the body. However, a professional restoration shop will do a more in depth inspection on the correctness of your potential Muscle Car. If you have to pay a shop to inspect the vehicle before you buy you will be many dollars ahead.

In choosing a restoration shop to inspect a potential classic or muscle car purchase make sure they have the following:

• a camera that has a flexible extension to reach those hard to view areas of the body.
• a check off sheet showing you what was in inspected and the condition
• that the VIN matched the title or registration sheet
  ◦ what the engine, transmission and rear differential casting numbers and date codes are.

Should I Restore It Myself?

Restoring a car yourself can be a very rewarding experience, especially if you have a son or daughter to share the experience with. However, before you attempt the project you need to sit down and evaluate your strengths and weaknesses. If you have a strong mechanical ability then you most likely can tackle restoring the chassis. However, you might want to leave restoring the internals of the engine, transmission and rear differential to a professional. You might be able to handle the interior restoration too, but you need to be patient and allow for mistakes and don’t get discouraged if you have to re-do a headliner or seat cover. Unless you are trained in body restoration you should leave this part to the professionals. However if you feel you want to tackle the body work yourself then go for it. There are many books out there to help you. Practice on some old panels first before you dive into your car. Also, before you attempt it yourself you need to evaluate the value of your car and if it deserves a professional to restore the body.

Pros

1.can be a rewarding experience
2.cost effective

Cons

1.can be frustrating
2.can be expensive if not researched
3.needs plenty of room
4.time consuming; some restorations take years to complete
5.can strain a relationship

Should I Have It Professionally Restored?

Let’s look at what a professional restoration could cost you.

1. Average number of hours to complete a restoration is 1000-1500
2. Labor rates from $50-$75 per hour
3. Parts, materials and outside vendor costs could range from $10,000 to $20,000

Now let’s look at the range of costs for the above

1. Labor – $50,000 to $112,500
2. Parts, materials, outside vendor costs – $10,000-$20,000
The total cost range is from $60,000 to $132,500.

The variables that drive the cost up is:

• Rust
• Availability of parts
• Final finish wanted
  ◦ flat with no orange peel
  ◦ factory appearance – some orange peel
• Chassis finish
  ◦ smooth with all pitting filled

So write down your requirements for your restoration and discuss these requirements with your restoration shop.

Summary

Research the value of your car. I recommend “The Black Book” which not only follows the auctions, but also sales at major Classic and Muscle Car companies across the nation. If your car is in a restored #1 condition is worth $25,000 then you would be foolish to spend $60,000 or more to have it restored. However, if that car has a special meaning to you and you have the money to restore it, then by all means have it restored.

Next Topic we will talk about “How to Begin Your Restoration”

Thank You and Have Fun!

1970 Chevelle S396 Fathom Blue - Before

1970 Chevelle SS396 Fathom Blue - After Restoration

This is an example of a “Restored Myself Project”. It is a 1970 Chevelle SS396 coupe. This project was a complete frame off restoration that was started in 1999 and completed in 2004. It came out beautiful!  However the cost of the restoration was about the value of the car.

This is an example of a professional restoration shop 1000 point show car restoration that took almost 3000 hours and 18 months to complete. It is a 1970 Chevelle SS454 LS6 coupe that we restored in 2008. We supplied most of the muscle car parts used in this restoration.

1970 Chevelle SS396 Forest Green - Before

1970 Chevelle SS454 Cranberry Red - After

This is a 1970 Chevelle SS454 LS5 that was a frame on restoration. This car was orginally an SS396 muscle car and was Forest Green. The new owner wanted an LS5 and Cranberry Red. We supplied most of the muscle car parts