V8TV Forum

This Chevelle is an example of one of those projects that just takes time.     It doesn't have a zillion-dollar bank account tied to it, so the steps have been a little slower than usual, but the pieces are all coming together nicely.

The owner originally bought the maroon '65 seen in the pic, but after we made a couple updates to the engine and were ready to tackle the body, it was discovered that there was major rust hiding below tons of body filler.    Fixing it all would be beyond the desired budget for the car, so we started searching.     This is the part that took some time.    After a while, we discovered a pair of parts cars in Arizona... a '64 4-door, and a '65 coupe that turned out to be a real SS 6-cyl car.   We scored both cars for $900!   This time, waiting paid off.    Now were putting the 3 cars together to make one killer cruiser.  We plan on getting it together with the small block drive line it came with, but beefing it up with some new goodies from Holley, Comp Cams, and Royal Purple.  

You can follow along here and feel free to post your comments and feedback!


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Here's the first blog on the 1965 Chevelle project.   This was a pretty decent driver to start with, but we found the body to be shot.   We're going to upgrade the engine, body, and suspension without breaking  the bank.   

We picked up a '65 4-door parts car and a '65 2-door Chevelle SS body with the intentions of building one killer car from the three.    Here's we're sorting through the "yuck" in the 4-door parts car we got to help rebuild our 1965 Chevelle.   It was nasty!

Because of the rust on the original '65 2-door hardtop, we elected to pick up a couple parts cars... one turned out to be a real '65 Chevelle SS!   That's the one we're going to use to buld this car.    Here's a preview on how it looks. 

While tearing down the parts cars to begin building the good one, we stopped to show how to remove GM c-clip style axles.

How to tear down a GM "A" body frame to a pile of bolts in mere minutes.    It actually only takes a couple hours in real time.     We don't recommend using the plasma torch to cut springs, but hey, it works!

After the frame was disassembled and media blasted, we sprayed it with a coat of Eastwood's Extreme Chassis Black paint.   This stuff has great adhesion and chemical resistance, and it dries with a nice factory-type sheen.   So far it's been holding up very well to the shop environment where dust and stuff have been allowed to settle on it.    We sprayed the chassis and all the control arms and rear axle with this stuff and we like the way it looks.

Time to dive into the '65s body.     The SS body is from Arizona and is pretty clean, but it has some minor rust and major dents.   Here we're gearing up to replace the passenger side quarter panel with a new skin from OPGI using 3M PanelBond adhesive.     We'll post the whole process of bonding a quarter skin when we're finished.

Here's the repairs of the '65s main floor and trunk floor areas.   We used parts from a '65 Chevelle parts car on the main floor, and then we got a 3-piece trunk floor kit from OPGI for the trunk repairs. 

The quarter panels on our 1965 Chevelle did not look terrible at first glance, but they showed some issues the more we looked.    We elected to attack the passenger side first, as it boasted a botched repair job and a big rust hole over the wheel opening.   We were happy to find that the inner wheelhouses were in great shape.   When we started this project, we could not find replacement complete quarter panels.    Now, of course, OPGI sells complete reproduction "to the roof" panels, but we chose to use their quarter panel skin to make our repairs.    The twist on this repair is that we chose to use 3M's Panelbond adhesive to "glue" the panel in place.    Why?  The Panelbond greatly reduces the chances of warpage and future corrosion.   Watch the video to see more.
 

We've been doing lots of work on the '65, and will be posting a video on the driver side quarter panel install soon.     We also just installed a new Comp Cam kit, Holley cylinder heads, and some other engine goodies after spraying the block Chevy Orange.     Lots more to come!

We've turned the corner on our 1965 Chevelle build, and we're finally starting to put the car back together.    This time, we're re-assembling the newly painted chassis with a complete Hotchkis Total Vehicle System suspension package, along with some newly restored brake hardware and new brake and fuel lines.     The Hotchkis kit is nice because it comes with all the parts you need to improve the handling performance of you car including tubular rear suspension control arms, Bilstein shock absorbers, oversize front and rear sway bars, and Hotchkis lowering performance springs.    The kit also includes all the hardware you need to put it together.    This car came with a decent disk brake kit installed, so we simply ran the parts through our Eastwood sandblast cabinet and then powdercoated them with an Eastwood Hot Coat kit.     We reassembled the brakes with new pads, bearings, and Royal Purple Synthetic Grease .   Next we installed new bushings and ball joints from OPGI, and then the parts were ready to bolt together.   Our new brake lines were formed with a kit from YearOne .    Finally, we shot the underside of the body with some PPG DP90 Epoxy black primer followed by a coat of 3M Body Shutz for protection.    The wheelhouses were coated with roll on Herculiner truck bed liner to make them bulletproof, and then we mated the body to the chassis with the help of a body mount bushing kit from OPGI . 

(http://www.v8tvshow.com/images/stories/65_Chevelle/596/65Chevlle07.15.08s_120.jpg)

We've chosen a color for the '65... it's going to be a factory BMW M-series color called Estoril Blue.   It's one of those colors that shifts from bright metallic sky blue in sunlight to a purple cast blue in the shadows.   These shots are from a BMW wearing the color.   What do you think?

(http://images7.ecarlist.com/photos/1100_157774/640/18.jpg)
(http://images7.ecarlist.com/photos/1100_157774/640/20.jpg)
(http://images7.ecarlist.com/photos/1100_157774/640/13.jpg)
(http://images7.ecarlist.com/photos/1100_157774/640/06.jpg)

Way back in 1977,my 1st car was a 1965 Chevelle, 283,2 speed auto on the floor bucket seats.That is one Car I wish I had Back.

That's a awesome color... how soon until paint?

Well, we are finishing the metalwork now.    We have a few more videos to post on the quarters and door skins, as well as some general ding and dent fixes.   Once all that stuff is completed, we're off to the filler and block sanding stages.   So it's getting closer to paint, but it's still going to be a while.

When it came time to plan the engine in our 1965 Chevelle project, we tossed around a couple ideas, but decided to modify the 350 that came with the car.   It's a parts-store remanufactured 4-bolt 350 V8 with less than 10000 miles on it.   The bottom end is ideal for a mild street engine, but we didn't like the crappy lo-performance cast iron heads and weak camshaft.    So before we turned a single wrench, we turned to our handy copy of Dynomation engine simulation and dyno software to help us build a smooth 400 horsepower version of our engine.    Dynomation helps you select cams, heads, compression ratios, exhaust.. all elements of engine design and then simulate dyno pulls and evaluate parts changes, all without buying a single part.    It's a great way to hone-in on your ideal combination without having to spend extra money and time doing things twice.   

We sprayed a test panel for the '65 the other day.. check out how different the color is in the sun versus the shop!   This is BMW Estoril Blue.   It's gonna stand tall!

The '65 is coming along.    We've got a bunch of video to post covering the engine upgrades, quarter panel install, Vintage Air Frontrunner install, skinning the doors, and alot more.

We're at the point where we're getting ready for bodyfiller, paint, and reassembly, and we've formulated the strategy for the rest of the car.    There are a million ways to do this, but this time, we're going to finish the bodywork with all the panels installed so the gaps and lines are true.   Then we're going to remove the removable sheetmetal... the front clip, doors, and decklid, and prep the jambs and shoot color and clean on the jambs.   The cowl, doorjambs, and trunkjambs will be shot and cleared at this point.   Then we're going to reinstall the entire driveline, brakes, wiring, and window tracks.    The plan is to get the car running and stopping.  We'll also reinstall the dash and gauges, and the Vintage Air underdash unit and hoses   This way, we can do lots of the install work without risking scratching the fresh paint.    Then, we'll put the sheetmetal back on the car, align the panels, and head to the paint booth for external color and clear.     This will require extra masking for the interior and underhood / undercar areas, but additional masking is far easier than scratch / ding repair from leaning on fenders, etc.    Finally, the car will get buffed, trim and glass install, and interior completion.   Then it's drive and tune time.   

It sounds a lot easier than it is, but that's the plan.    We're open to any tricks to make it easier and less risky along the way!

This video shows the test panel we sprayed with DuPont paint as well as a mini-review of the new Eastwood Concours HVLP spray gun.    The Concours gun offers high-end features but doesn't cost more than the car did.   We liked it. 

Adding some new parts to the '65 Chevelle's 350.   The bottom end was decent, so we installed a new Comp Cam, Holley Heads, Flowtech headers, and re-installed the previously added Weiand Action Plus manifold, MSD Pro-Billet distributor, and Holley 670 Street Avenger carb. 

Looks great, you guys!  You have a way of making engine work seem so easy!  Watching you guys breeze through everything is causing me to begin seriously considering performing my first engine build.

Thanks, but don't let it fool you.  Although not physically hard, it's not something you breeze through.  This stuff was pretty simple.. nothing custom, and we didn't build the short-block or do any machining, so I guess this was about the easiest engine project we've had.    But certain things do get cut out for brevity which makes it look easier.   

You can do it... you're a smart guy!

Yes, I know everything is certainly more difficult than it appears.  I'm sure lots of "tape hits the floor" in the V8TV "editing studio".  I read somewhere that it takes the guys at Horsepower TV a week of 12-hour days to make one 19 minute episode.  I'm sure all kinds of stuff gets cut from their reels.

Any plans to take this engine to the dyno and compare to the numbers generated with Dynomation?

The V8TV television episodes took about 10 12-hour days for a 22 minute show.     Right when you finished one, you gotta start the next.   It was a 2 week cycle, shipping a new show every 2 weeks.

We'd like to engine dyno this one to break it in, but I'm not sure we're going to be able to do that.   If you read the build plan, it's got to be running for the paint booth, and I don't know if we can get dyno time.   Maybe a chassis dyno tune when completed.   We'll see!

what are the plans for the tranny auto or manual? looking good, going to follow this chevelle restoration close, this will help me a lot on my M71 project. would like to see bodywork and block sanding steps. Really like paint color nice!

The car had a very recent TH350 auto, so we're going to run that to start with.     The bodywork is in-process now, and we've got more videos on full quarter replacement as well as filler, block sanding, sprayable polyester, painting, buffing... lots more to come!

Installing the driver side quarter panel on the '65 Chevelle...

Found this pic on eBay... love the caption:

(http://i6.ebayimg.com/05/i/001/30/86/bda9_12.JPG)

Replacing the door skins on our '65 Chevelle, part 1... the removal.

Replacing the door skins on our '65 Chevelle, part 2... the install.

Man, you guys always have the coolest tools!

Yeah, that one is pretty neat.   

The metalwork is completed on our 1965 Chevelle, and now the car is entering the bodywork phase.   The hood displays a unique pattern... like a large weight pushed the hood skin into the inner structure of the hood, which will have to be straightened.   In this video, Kelle takes us through some of the items that have been fixed, like the door gaps and panel replacements, before the car enters the dent fix / body filler phase of the project.   

Ooh, things are starting to shape up with the Chevelle.  It's come such a long way!  Are you guys starting to see the light at the end of the tunnel with this one yet? ;D

Yeah, starting to see the light.   The videos are behind the actual progress, so it's farther along than the video, and it's looking really nice.    It's going to be a straight car that fits really well.   

...And here's how we fixed those small dents in the hood and in various other places. 

After all the panels were aligned and all the dents pulled, our 1965 Chevelle moved into the body filler stage.  Our body technician John  started the process by grinding the steel panels to achieve a mechanical bond as well as a chemical bond, then began mixing and applying the Marson Mar-Glass fiberglass filler to the structural areas and seams, followed by a coat of Marson Platinum Plus filler over the rest of the car.    Although the filler was applied over large areas, John sanded most of it off in a process that refined the shape of the car, straightening minor waves and surface imperfections.   The filler was followed up by a new 3M glaze applied by a new 3M Dynamic Mixing System applicator gun.    The glaze fills remaining surface scratches and pinholes, and the gun applicator does all the mixing for you, ensuring quick, accurately mixed glaze (and filler) with no pinholes and reduced waste.   The entire car then went through a block sanding process.  The next step: Standox Sprayable Polyster.

All the body filler on our 1965 Chevelle project has been block-sanded straight, bringing the car one step closer to  paint application.  The next step is to apply several coats of Standox Sprayable Polyester .. a high-build sprayable body filler intended to fill any pinholes or sanding scratches in the body filler layer below.    Tiny pinholes and sanding scratches can be barely detectable in filler, but they become magnified under the shiny paint and clear coat of final paint, so it's crucial to take whatever steps you can to eliminate them from the car's surface before spraying paint.     We applied several coats of the Standox product, which leaves a highly textured surface when hardened, which might appear to be a step backwards in the straightening process.   However, most of what you see here will all be block-sanded off, leaving a solid white layer of perfectly smooth substrate ready for the final application of primer before paint.   When properly sanded, the poly leaves no traces of pinholes or spreader marks, and it sands smoothly with minimal effort.   But you'll see the whole block sanding process in the next chapter of our '65 Chevelle.   Standox Website  (http://pc.dupont.com/dpc/en/US/html/visitor/b/stx/s/product/Standox.html)

I have a 65 chevelle also, i bought it from my uncle and he had gutted it in the 80's and i bought it in 03. after graduating from wyotech i can afford to work on it, im curious what wiring kit are you going to use. i found the most complete kit is from american autowire. to my door was about $550. painless doesnt make a 65 specific kit and i have not found anyone else who makes a complete kit using new ato fuses

Hey Dcal -

We're planning on using a resto harness from OPGI on this car.    I'm sure we'll be posting video when that stage happens... it's being block sanded now.     Video to come on that, too.    What's the plans for your car?

Welcome to the board!

- Kevin

as of now the plan is to restore interior to original with a few mods ie gauges and stereo. the outside i think im going to do snow storm white from dupont hot hues 18" color matched wheels and tubular suspension. my budget is about 20k and im doing the work myself with help where i can. it has a 454 th400 with im going to take out eventually and go with a 383 and a 5 speed. i will post some pictures in the proper section soon

Sounds cool.    That Snow Storm White is a great color.     We look forward to seeing the pics!

A quick update...

Using the '65s chassis as an engine test stand...

Nice engine test stand!  How did the break-in go? :)

I'll be posting that in a few hours... went very well! 

While we were working on the engine break-in, Our '65 body Turned Estoril Blue!  Here, painter Nathan Newberry just shot the body and has masked off the jambs for clear. 

Here's a quick shot of the Estoril Blue on the door jambs cleared and lit up with the 3M Sun Gun... what a difference the light makes on this color!    The paint is DuPont Chroma Premier, and it is really going to be stunning in the sunlight when the car is completed!

We've been waiting for the opportunity to break-in our new Comp Cam and Holley / Weiand upper engine parts we installed on our 1965 Chevelle's 350, and that day finally arrived.   To make it go smoothly, we filled the oilpan with Royal Purple Break-In Oil to ensure that the Comp flat-tapped camshaft would break in properly and safely.    We then installed the engine and driveline onto the Chevelle's chassis and wired it up so we could use the chassis as a test stand to break in the engine.    Here's the video of what happened!

It's all blue!! And i looked like a smarf when it was done :D  my poor paint suit. I think Kevin will have some pics of the parts up soon. can't  wait to see it all in 1 piece. Then I get to do some more painting ;D

This past week, we blew the chassis apart again for some final paint details and cleaning, and now it's back together for the last time!   

I guess this  shows how a small build can turn into a major project. Nice work , I just went through the whole post . Your going to have a beautiful car there. I can't wait to see it all cleared.
Wayne

Yeah Wayne, that's exactly right.  The trouble is, they get "might as well syndrome", where you "might as well" make this a little nicer while it's apart...   

Here's the latest update:  Body back on frame!

Our 1965 Chevelle is going to have a Vintage Air a/c system installed, so we decided to use their FrontRunner serpentine accessory drive system on the engine.  This system not only provides a mount for the air conditioning compressor, but it is also a slick mount for the alternator and power steering pump with a new-style serpentine belt for more efficient operation.   The main truss mounts to the block and not the heads or intake, so all the belt driven parts line up perfectly.  Here's how the system installs.

This time, we're block sanding the Standox sprayable polyester filler shown spraying a few videos back..

Once the Standox Sprayable Polyester was block sanded to a 220 grit surface, body tech John Blandford prepped our 1965 Chevelle's body for a couple coats of DuPont Hot Prime primer.   The Hot Prime is part of the Hot Hues line, and provides the last sandable layer before final sealer and then color.   John sprayed the primer using a SATA KLC spraygun and the 3M PPS cup system.   The KLC HVLP low overspray primer and filler gun for its ability to finely atomize heavier materials reducing the amount of sanding needed for a flat surface, and the PPS cup system makes clean-up simple with less solvent waste.  The next chapter in the '65 Chevelle story... spraying the color!

All the sanding and preparation work is finally complete, and we were ready to spray the DuPont BMW Estoril Blue on our 1965 Chevelle.  After all the primer was wetsanded to a 600 grit finish, body technician Nathan Newberry wiped the surface down with wax & grease remover and sprayed the body with DuPont Hot Seal sealer to create a barrier between the basecoat color and the primer.   Next came the DuPont Chroma Premiere basecoat.   Nathan sprayed several coats to completely cover the body shell, then we masked the outside surfaces and sprayed clear on the door jambs and areas that could not be cleared once the car is reassembled.   Next up were the doors, fenders, hood, deck lid, hinges, etc.  All were checked with the 3M SunGun for accuracy.  We're going to assemble the car in basecoat and clear it assembled... stay tuned for that one!

Man, the amount of attention to detail you guys are putting into this car has my head spinning.  I recently purchased a '98 BMW 328is 5spd coupe as a daily-driver / occasional track day car.  Sadly, it is not the beautiful Estoril Blue you chose for the Chevelle.  I'll have to make due with Cosmos Black.

But seriously, I'm always amazed by your use of materials, tools, and craftsmanship.  The Chevelle is going to be a stunner.

Looking good!

Thanks Steve, it's really coming together.

Wheels and tires can make or break a car's looks and performance, and we wanted to choose our wheel and tire combination carefully.   We wanted to equip our 1965 Chevelle with wheels that will look good forever, without being too trendy.   We also wanted tires that offered great performance without sacrificing ride and comfort.   After carefully measuring the Chevelle with a Percy's Wheel Rite tool, we selected a set of Vintage Wheel Works V40 straight-spoke wheels measuring 17x8" with 4 3/4" of backspace.   These wheels are practically made for the car, with their crisp, timeless, and aggressive styling.   For tires, we chose a set of BF Goodrich g-Force Super Sport A/S tires in 245/45R17 rear and 225/45R17X/L front sizes.   The g-Force Super Sports offer aggressive looks, great all-season traction, and construction stiff enough to handle the autocross without sacrificing comfort.   

Those wheels will look killer on this car . If they would have had them in 18" they would be going on my Camaro.

Muscle cars need free-flowing exhaust to make power, but that does not mean the have to be obnoxiously loud.   However, we all like that sweet rumble from a healthy engine, but not droning in the cabin.   What to do?  Check out this install video of a MagnaFlow stainless exhaust system with its flow-through mufflers and True-X crossover tubes.   Not only does it look slick, but it installs easy, does not rob power, and sounds great at all the right times. 

Kevin,

Congratulations on your recent award!! It is always nice to be recognized for your hard work. Everyone in your shop deserves a huge round of applause for their efforts!!

Chris

What kind of brake line did you go with? i got my rear axle and its a 9" ford with wilwood dynalite brakes. the front is going to be a matching kit. but i cant seem to find a compatable brake line kit for a manual master cylinder and i want to bend the least amount possible. i am not sure if i need a proportioning valve or not if so im sure i can make it. anyone have suggestions of experience

We bent all new brake lines on the '65, starting with the master and 4-wheel disc combo valve, running 3/16" in the front, 1/4" to the rear, and 3/16" after the rear "tee" on the axle.   None of the original line was worth reusing, so it was a whole re-do for us.  You may find some custom braided stainless lines / hoses are available to mate your calipers to the existing hard lines on the car.   You'll need to find out what sizes your fittings are on the calipers and work your way back. 

Kevin,

Not quite V8, but I just wanted to share...  I attended the 23d Annual Datsun Roadster Classic in Solvang, CA this past weekend.  I was able to tell the owner of this 1969 Datsun 2000 SRL311 the color, which he confirmed as Estoril Blue.  I had thought of painting my Roadster the same color after seeing the Chevelle. Perhaps I'll find a different color now.  It's a great color  on a great looking car. BTW - It is quietly for sale.

Keith

(http://fototime.com/5BA4AE2D2825B45/standard.jpg])

This is my car, a 1968 Datsun 2000 SRL311
(http://fototime.com/6D876A06C08EDD2/standard.jpg)

Wow, those are great shots!    Estoril is one of those colors that can make a well-prepped car look fantastic.      I really like your roadster, great setting... what are you thinking of for colors now?

I was going to eventually go with the pale yellow again. It's a factory color, though this car was painted yellow from the original silver about 35 years ago.  I think red is over-used on Roadsters.  Then my neighbor pulled up in a brand spanking new Ford Flex limited edition with the Ecoboost AWD (365 hp twin turbo V-6) and all the bells and whistles.  It is steel blue, and I just fell in love with it.  If I ever get any money again, I'd like to go with that.

(http://media.dealerskins.com/carspecs2002/photos/JATOCOLOR400/FORD/FLEX/2010/5ODUN.jpg)

That's a slick blue, too.   Goes well with sliver.   I like the minilites on the blue roadster in silver... great combo.

Our 1965 Chevelle project arrived in our shop with a front disc conversion, but we wanted the fade-free stopping power of 4-wheel disc brakes, so we added a rear disc brake kit from OPGI.   

Come is coming along nicely..just one question...you say the hot primer is ok to go over bare metal rub throughs but I noticed the door jams are completely bare metal...do you use an etch primer or does the hot prime go over those areas without an issue?

Cheers , Kev

We mixed the Hot Prime as a sealer, which DuPont states is OK direct-to-metal.    We gave the sand-through areas a little extra material build before block sanding to make sure everything was OK, and the results worked out great.   Always check the chemical manufacturer's guidelines on this stuff, the formulas change, and what might work today might not work tomorrow!

Hello.Just discovered this site and signed up because seems cool as hell.My first car was a 64 elki my dad picked up for me during our move from cali to the north east back in 86.Been hooked on the 64-65 ever since and now in the process of seeing if Ill be able to install the new full gm style quarters (that Ive been begging goodmark to start making for maney years now )on my 64 ss convertable.Watching the vidio you guys have installing the left quarter on the 65 makes me wana get cutting.Saw the vid showing the rusty dash.Very comon. Ive had a few like that.The door jam is another comon rot spot.Got lucky with this one. The dash,jams,and rockers are mint.Started my frame off about 9 years ago and thought about selling a few times.You know how it is.You get married buy a house and have 3 kids.No more fun money.Im inspired watching you finish yours.Thanks and have a good one.

The latest chapter in the 1965 Chevelle Video Series - Creature Comforts!  Hushmat, Tilt Wheel, Vintage Air, OPGI Shifter, New Gauges.... and lots more!

do you have some info you can send about the firewall pieces at the bottom of the column? part numbers or a link

Sure... this part?

(http://www.opgi.com/common/AMS5162-med.jpg)

http://www.opgi.com/product.asp?catmainid=1&topcatid=27&chapterid=27&grpcode=11864&ProdCode=AMS5162&yearrange= (http://www.opgi.com/product.asp?catmainid=1&topcatid=27&chapterid=27&grpcode=11864&ProdCode=AMS5162&yearrange=)

I am curious about the exact mufflers used. MagnaFlow has a variety of them and I found a few that "looked" like the one in your video. My goal with my Charger is to get that nice sound without the resonating so I can drive it a long distance without losing any braincells.

Is the one you show in the video a Magnaflow® - Center/Offset Universal Muffler (MGN-1112X)? I got a "wish list" going. I want to add it if thats the right part number.

Well Bones, I don't know the exact part number, but here's a link to the system we used...

http://www.magnaflow.com/02product/shopexd.asp?zone=all&id=247 (http://www.magnaflow.com/02product/shopexd.asp?zone=all&id=247)

Perhaps you can take a look through their catalog and see what matches up.   Does this help?

Yes, that should work out fine. I should be able to contact them and figure out the part number for the muffler. I don't think they have a kit for a 1st generation Charger so odds are I'll just be purchasing the x crossover and the muffler then ordering the pipe from somewhere else.

Thanks for the link!   ;)

I think they do universal kits with their mandrel bent stainless pipe that might work for you.     I'll ask 'em if they have any plans for a Charger kit.

Thanks!   ;D

This time, we're installing the sheetmetal on our 1965 Chevelle getting it ready for it's final layers of color and then clearcoats.   The jamb areas have all been painted and cleared, but we want to make this a running, driving car before we bring it back to the paint booth for final paint.

Our 1965 Chevelle gets a cooling upgrade in the form of a  BeCool  (http://www.becool.com) aluminum radiator, and then we fire it up for the first time as a complete car!   We broke-in the engine on the chassis using some  Royal Purple Break-In Oil (http://www.royalpurple.com), and now it's time to fire it "for real!"

In this video, we're wet sanding the previous color coat on our 1965 Chevelle with 3M Wetordry 2000 grit sandpaper and masking and prepping it for the final color coats of DuPont Estoril Blue.  Painter Nathan Newberry mixes the materials in a 3M PPS cup system for easy measurement and cleanup before entering the downdraft baking booth discusses proper spraying technique when applying metallic colors.   Then, the car receives several coats of clear before leaving the spray booth.   Next step:  wet sand it again, and buff it out!

Our 1965 Chevelle's paint looked really nice coming right out of the spray booth, but we knew that by wetsanding and buffing the car with 3M's Trizact system, this car would have a perfectly flat show-car finish.  The process involves wetsanding the car by hand as well as using air-powered dual-action sanders to level the finish, then a variety of buffing pads and compounds to polish the car to a mirror finish.

This is the home stretch for our 1965 Chevelle!    In this installment, we're adding the final touches to the outside of the car like the new trim and badges from OPGI .   We're also buttoning up the interior with an OPGI Stage III interior restoration kit , which includes the seat covers, door panels, carpeting, headliner, and more.   The only change we made from stock was the addition of some Scat Pro-Car seats for added support.   These details, along with things like new glass, really make a car stand out.   Finally, Nathan masks off the trim for the final buff and hand glaze with 3M Perfect-it III Finishing Glaze , and the car is show ready!   Next time, we bring it to the Chicago World Of Wheels show for it's surprise unveiling to the unsuspecting owner, then we'll show you how it drives!

Our 1965 Chevelle is finished, and in this video, we surprise the owner by presenting the car at the Chicago Chevy  Vettefest!   He had no idea it was completed was completely surprised.   The car even won an award.   Watch and see how it all happened!

Click HERE to see the complete list of part manufacturers whose parts can be found on this stunning Chevelle! (http://v8tvshow.com/content/view/192/74/)

Very cool .

Great job! 
....not only on the car,,,,
but in showing how this hobby/sickness is not  only about the "car"....

It is about passion, craftsmanship, team work, planing, solving problems, hard work, not giving up when hurdles show up, and other LIFE lessons.
....and most importantly about bringing friends and family together!
Bravo to all of you!