1969 Chevelle "SS496"

[Kevin O]

[rcktpwrd]

looks to be a pretty kewl ride!

what are the specs on the 496?

we built one for my wifes 454SS pickup, nothing wild, basically a good performance daily driver build, about 9.5:1 compression an Edelbrock airgap intake, Hooker full length headers, 049 heads mildly ported, full 3" exhaust, a 750 vac secondary carb. The engine makes a huge amount of mid range power and still gets about the same gas mileage as the 454 it replaced but makes alot more power! he truck has run a best of 13.15 @ 105 in the quarter with a horrible 2.2 60' time!

[CanAmChris]

I just got caught up on the Chevelle project. The paint is looking fantastic!!! I cant wait to see the final project. 

[dharrod]

On your door handles, not 100% sure on the exact issue -------if it is not opening when unlocked and the rod is sliding off the lever pad ----- or two, once you lock it; it won't unlock and thus won't open (rod doesn't allow enough return of the lever) my advise is......

... if you have the originals you'll find that using an original rod/spring is helpful .. but even more key is the retainer.  If you look at the original GM retainers they are slightly thicker than the ones made more recently. The lack of thickness adds just enough wiggle that it can cause you problems in addtion to the push rod length/bend angle.  And ... I'd really check the door you think is working - fix it now.  I did my dads 69 Chevelle and the drivers side acted up at Good Guys  06 and just yesterday, a year later, the passenger side had the same thing happen.. I thought because it seemed to work it would stay working.  I now have two new handles (chrome part) with old rods and retainers.

Latest blog you mentioned the intake and hood clearance. I'm sure you probably don't need to much help .. but I'll offer what I've done amongst 4 other 69 Chevelles. If you already planned to ditch the stock air cleaner look; I'm sure you'll be using the drop base air cleaner which will gain you some clearance. I also used thinner K&N filter then went ahead with the K&N lid as well, just to ensure there was enough breathing going on (you don't get that original chrome lid vibe - but your looking for clearance and an engine needs air).

As for knowing if an intake will or won't clear without putting on the hood and trying to peak under as you close the hood .... An Edelbrock Performer 3.0 or an Air GAP RPM will fit with under a stock 69 hood with a the typical leading carbs (you can get all Edelbrock heights from their website). I often compare a given intake's front/rear measurements with these to know how much I'm pushing the limit. The difference in your intake and those could be what you have to overcome.

There is one thing you can do with the stock hood that is fairly quick .. the bolt from the air-cleaner almost lines up with the lip that holds the hood insulation (rear). You can actually neatly trim that and get some helpful clearance - just a little more paint and work on the affected area. My whole lip is trimmed.

[dharrod]

Kevin - did you work out a way to get front/rear "496" emblems ... how about the sides   I know your heads down working towards sema .. let me know after the dust settles and your back and have a moment .

D Harrod

[BillJetter]

Kevin,

Any more info on the Chevelle? Is it done? Will there be a final video?

Any info appreciated.

-Bill

[Kevin O]

Hey Bill,

Yes, the Chevelle is 99% completed.    It's got several hundred miles on it and we're working out some final bugs.    There will be a feature video of the car on the road, as well as a DVD, and lots of photos.   Stay tuned!

[Kevin O]

We just finished installing an upgraded interior in the '69, a white leather complete interior from OPGI.   We'll post some pics and video of the final product, but it looks nice! 

[ZeGerman]

I can't wait to see the final product!

Also, Kevin: If you haven't already shot the final driving video of the Chevelle 496, is there any way that you can get extra footage of the car from the rear while running, specifically with regard to listening to the Magnaflow exhaust?  Maybe you could use a remote microphone while driving?  A drive-by would be nice, too.  I'd like to get some good audio of the exhaust you used, if possible, since I'm considering using the same setup on my GTO.  I have seen the earlier video when you got the Chevelle running in the shop briefly before heading off to SEMA, but more would certainly be helpful.  Thanks! 

[ZeGerman]

Also, how is that Thermoswitch from Spal working?  Any leaks??  Although it's a nice idea, trying to get a good seal without any form of tape or gasket seems like somewhat of a liability.  It would be awesome if it worked, though.