I acquired the car about 4-5 years ago in a trade. I had built a pro street
chopper. I rode it for a while and used it as the Wicked Image display bike for a couple of years. With a newborn son, I had a car seat everywhere I was going and rode the bike less and less. The economy was bad and the used chopper market was not a seller’s market. I came across a trade offer and took it. I always loved Chevelles. My first car in high school was a 67 Malibu…never should have sold it! Anyways, this was a nice driver’s car. Completely stock original. It didn’t really need anything. I strapped the car seat and me and Jr. would go cruising on the weekends.
A few years back I went to the first Orange County Barrett Jackson car auction. After walking around and seeing the cars I made it to the auction tent. My father, my son, and I were standing off to the side. The auctioneer announced they were going live on the speed channel and asked the crowd to fill the seats. We found a spot and watched a few cars sell. Shortly after a charity car was brought to the stage. Barrett Jackson will auction off many cars for charity and 100% of the money goes to the charity with no fees or commissions. The bidding went crazy for this red 57 T-bird. The gentleman sitting right next to me bought it for over 100k. The excitement and intensity is unlike anything else. I was hooked. I wanted to participate. I wish I could be on the buying end, but that’s not in the cards right now. I decided that day I was going to build my Pro Touring 64 Chevelle and get the auction experience. New technology in an old car is what excites me. But I still have an appreciation for the classic styling and the heritage of the muscle car. 64 was the first year of the Chevelle but had the least amount of muscle of all the Chevelles. It was very important to me to maintain the integrity and styling of the car. This was a very well-optioned well preserved vehicle. I like the feel of an old bench seat and a steering wheel that is too big. All of the trim was on the car and intact. I wanted to preserve it and maintain that factory look. I also wanted to modernize. I want it to perform like a sports car and have a low aggressive stance. The first thing that had to go was the 283. The LS2 is an incredible power plant. It

has great horsepower and incredible reliability. Any car that is driven needs to be maintained. That is why I mounted all of the electronics on the firewall and built the shroud to cover it. It has a great show appearance but you can get to the important parts quickly and easily when they need service. With the frame off and freshly powder coated, I designed a system to incorporate the C5 Corvette brakes and the C4 Corvette steering. With the addition of the QA1 coil over the drivetrain was taking shape. It is a delicate tedious process to assemble a car. For me, the fun stuff is near the end. I enjoy designing and creating the components that make a vehicle unique. My favorite piece on this car is the wheel center caps. I wanted to copy the center of the original hubcap. I restyled it slightly but it is very close. I think its something the purist will appreciate. The Honeycomb mesh under the hood is something I have thinking about for years. This may be our next product on the market. A lot of thought and time goes into each custom-made part, and many times the special pieces are overlooked because they blend so well. The longer you look the more special features you find.
This is a very special car for me. It’s not my first and won’t be the last, but it marks a significant milestone in my career as a designer and a builder.
March 7 on speed channel the world can share in my auction experience.