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!

Looking good!

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.   

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. 

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

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



This is my car, a 1968 Datsun 2000 SRL311

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.

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.