[Chevelle-list] Chevelle World

[Chuck Hanson]

Glad you like our latest project, Rick.  And thanks, too, for all your years
of supporting ACES (Member #140!!!).

Just got lucky, I guess.  This was a friend-of-a-friend-of-a-friend kinda
deal, and was one of those stories that sounded too good to be true.
Fortunately (for me!), it wasn't.

Briefly, the original owner drove the triple-black and loaded '69 SS396
coupe until sometime in '71... racking up just over 20k on the ticker.  He
decided he wanted to repaint it, since the factory lacquer job wasn't to his
liking.  After stripping the bumpers and all the external trim from the car,
as well as removing the entire interior, he learned that the body shop that
was supposed to do the work had gone belly-up.

Apparently he never tried to find another body shop, nor did he reassemble
the car and resume driving it.  Instead, it remained sequestered in his
garage until about five years ago, when he suffered a stroke.  His condition
forced the sale of his home (and garage) and he moved in with his sister who
was able to take care of him.

Unfortunately, she wasn't able to provide the same kind of  care for the
Chevelle, and it spent three years outside exposed to the elements of South
Jersey.  So, even though it showed very low mileage, the original lacquer
paint had become cracked and checked, everything had a coating of surface
rust (some components worse than others), and the back seat got misplaced.
That was the only missing piece, however, as the rest of the interior and
the bumpers, emblems and everything else (even the "rolled" exhaust tips!)
was still present and in very good condition.

As mentioned earlier, the car is loaded.  It's triple black with a bench
seat, but the option list is fairly extensive: Factory A/C, tilt column,
rosewood wheel, tach & guages, AM-FM stereo with 8-track, speed warning,
rear defogger, map light mirror, auxiliary lighting group, deluxe seat
belts, tinted glass, F&R bumper guards, F-41 suspension, narrow whitewall
wide ovals, floor mats, remote OSRV mirror, D-80 side stripes, door edge
guards, HD battery, and a 350hp 396ci w/TH400.  Whew!

Suffice it to say that it's a very cool car worthy of the time, attention,
and money I plan on spending on the frame-off.  Keep reading Chevelle World
as we document the process.  My only regret with the car is that I didn't
hear about it before it was relegated to outside storage.  Wow!  What a
survivor it would have been!  Even though the paint was checked by the time
it came into my possession, I believe that if I'd gotten it before the
ravages of time and weather took their toll, I could have buffed it and
detailed it back to very nice condition. Oh well.... It has a good home now!

Chuck




on 9/1/06 1:13 PM, Rick Schaefer at rickas at gmail.com wrote:

   Got mine Tuesday and finally had a  chance to read it last night.    Good
stuff, as usual.   Enjoyed the Tech Article on rebuilding the 396.   The
first paragraph got me hooked.  So, if you are listening Chuck;  Whats the
story behind the 20,000 mile survivor.  Where did you find it and why was it
parked?    If you've covered the info already in a previous Chevelle World
point me in that direction.   Thanx for taking care of our Chevelle fix
again. 


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