Alright, buckle up, cause I’m about to walk you through my latest obsession: a 1964 Chevelle Malibu Super Sport. This ain’t no polished, perfect restoration, this is a get-your-hands-dirty, learn-as-you-go kind of project.
It all started a few weeks ago when I stumbled upon this beauty (or what was left of it) sitting in a buddy’s garage. He was about to scrap it! Can you believe that? A ’64 Chevelle SS! It was rough, REALLY rough. Body was rusty, interior was… well, let’s just say it was missing a few key components. But I saw potential, a diamond in the rough, you know?
So, I talked him into selling it to me for a song. Got it towed back to my place, and the real fun began.
First things first: assess the damage.
- Body: Rust. Everywhere. Especially around the wheel wells and the floor pans.
- Engine: Non-running. Suspected seized.
- Interior: Missing seats, dashboard cracked, wiring a mess.
- Transmission: Unknown condition.
Okay, daunting, but not impossible. I decided to start with the engine. Figured if I couldn’t get that running, the rest wouldn’t matter much.
The Engine Saga:
I pulled the engine – what a workout! – and got it onto a stand. Started soaking the cylinders with penetrating oil for a few days. Tried to turn it over by hand… nothing. Solid as a rock.
Next step: Disassembly. And that’s where things got interesting. Found a bunch of rust and corrosion inside. One of the pistons was completely seized in the cylinder. After a lot of careful persuasion (and a few choice words), I managed to get everything apart.
Turns out, it was a 283 small block. I took the block and heads to a local machine shop. Had them hot tanked, bored, and honed. New pistons, rings, bearings, the whole shebang. While they were working on that, I rebuilt the carburetor and replaced the fuel pump.
Got the engine back from the machine shop, looking shiny and new. Started the reassembly process. This took a while, making sure everything was torqued to spec. Finally, after a few weeks of evenings and weekends, the engine was back together.
Body Work Blues (and Rust):
While the engine was at the shop, I tackled the body. This was the part I was dreading the most. Cut out all the rusted metal. Welded in new floor pans and patch panels on the wheel wells. Lots of grinding, sanding, and body filler. It’s not perfect, but it’s solid.
Interior Revival:
The interior was a blank canvas. Found some reproduction seats online. Had them reupholstered in the original style. Replaced the cracked dashboard with a new one. Untangled the wiring harness (that was a nightmare!).
Putting it all together:
Finally, the moment of truth. Dropped the engine back in. Hooked up the transmission (which, thankfully, seemed to be in good shape). Connected the wiring, fuel lines, and everything else. Filled it with fluids. Turned the key… nothing.
After some troubleshooting (turns out I had a bad ground), she fired right up! Sounded amazing! Smoked a bit at first, but that cleared up after a few minutes. I was ecstatic!
Still a ways to go…
The Chevelle is driveable now, but it’s far from finished. Needs paint, new tires, and a whole lot of other little things. But it’s running, and I’m driving it! It’s been a long, challenging, and rewarding project. Learned a ton along the way. And I can’t wait to see what the next stage brings.
