John G’s first car was a 1969 Chevelle that he purchased from his brother-in-law, and now his 1971 Chevelle also comes from the same brother-in-law 35 years later. This time around, the ‘71 will be John’s son’s first car when the restoration is complete.
We wanted something that we could build together. It made me very happy that he wanted an older car similar to the car I had when I was 16. This will be his car if, no, when we get it finished.
John
The restoration is slow going, but John is savoring the experience of building this 1971 Chevelle with his son and being able to teach him about cars. John did not get to experience this as a young man himself, so to be able to give that experience to his own son is extremely important to him.
This Heavy Chevy didn’t come with an engine or transmission, but the brothers already have that aspect covered. They’ve sourced an LS1 and 5 speed transmission from a 2000 Camaro to transplant into the 1971 Chevelle. They plan on upgrading to Holley Terminator stealth fuel injection and adding some coil covers to make the LS look more like a big block. While a 6 speed transmission would be nice, it isn’t in the budget.
A 4 wheel disc brake conversion is planned, as well as modern suspension with 17 inch wheels and tires. The final touches will be a fresh red paint job with the factory 1971 Chevelle Heavy Chevy stripe package.
The special thing about all this, is sharing it with my son. When I was young my dad knew nothing about cars, I learned from my sister’s husband (who we bought the car from), so for us to be able to do this, for me to be able to teach him means the world to me. Plus, I’m digging the fact that he is into older cars.
John
