Andy picked up this 1971 Chevelle on his 14th birthday back in 2004 with money he acquired from the sale of his dirtbike at the time. He then spent the next two and a half years getting it on the road with the help of his father and grandfather.
Years later, he discovered that this particular car once belonged to his now wife’s grandmother. Even going back as far as when his father was in high school, it had been the envy of all the gearheads in town who tried to buy it to no avail.
“I’ve owned the car for over half my life, it is a member of the family at this point. I always give my wife a hard time by saying I knew her (the Chevelle) before I knew my her (my wife).”
Andy
This was originally a green on green Malibu with a mediocre 307 small block. Shortly after Andy bought it, he installed a 327 small block paired to a TH400 transmission so that he could muster some additional enjoyment out of the chassis. Fifteen years later, he’s finally in the process of swapping it to a ’71 model 396 big block.
The majority of this 1971 Chevelle was built with a combination of junkyard parts and restoration items from Ground Up SS396.com. He’s swapped items such as bucket seats, mirrors, tachometer, and other bits in to replace the original pieces that were either worn or missing, or undesirable. One of his favorite modifications was the addition of a Wilwood front disc brake kit.
In the future, Andy plans on acquiring a Muncie 4 speed and ditching the tired TH400 automatic, as well as a 12 bolt rear end and some fresh paint to finish off the Chevelle.
