----Now there's a great pic! That Chevelle is the nuts!!! I love it. Just how I would have ordered one. I bought a new 67 that was in stock (396/350, 4-speed) but just not the same as a 375hp. Really wish I would have ordered the big dog!.....Bill S

Thanks guys! The Chevelle is not a California car, quite the opposite actually. It spent most of it's life in Northern Maine!

Chuck, love both of 'em! Congrats!:beers:

Wicked car for sure. Congrats!!!

Oh my my my!!! It's been a few since I've seen this Chevelle so details are fuzzy, but it is an extremely nice car, AND, a REAL L78!! Unusual but cool color combo too!! Great score!!

Bill W

IIRC it's a Framingham (MA) car?? Relatively low production from there.

Thank you Bill! Yes Framingham built car. April 67 build. Capri Cream, black top, gold interior, bucket seats, console, gauges, M21, 3.73

What a cool pair of great cars. Hard to believe that it has been 12-13 years since that Chevelle was restored. I remember seeing it over on the Team Chevelle site. Congratulations.

Congrats

Nice garage view, but it's looking a little tight. Maybe the next big purchase might be a different home with more property and 4 car garage...:naughty:

It is tight! Can't afford a bigger place around here... I don't think I'd be able to afford my own house if I had to buy it in today's market conditions!

I hear ya on the market. We moved in the fall of 2019, when this was getting going. We got more for our home we sold but paid more than I wanted for the one we bought. Who ever thought that the market would go even crazier during a world pandemic and lock down during 2020 and beyond...:shocked: I have NO idea how young people are supposed to get into a "starter" home anymore when they cost 250K+

Great pair of cars. I hear you on CA living. When I lived in Goleta I could have bought the neighbor’s house for $300k…it’s $975k today.

Goleta is a nice area! In my neighborhood 1200 square foot homes are going for over a million bucks now!!!

:eek2: OMG, I had to pick myself up off the floor when I read that. The pole building that was here when we bought this place is 1,200 sq/ft. The house is 3,300 sq/ft walkout rambler on 2.8 acres. I had another 30x48 pole building erected at the back of the lot with full concrete floor and we're still at about half that million dollars. I'm just stunned at how anyone can afford to live there.

Chuck, the Toyota dealership that is your employer, part of the Wilson Auto Group by chance??

No, I don’t work for him, but he owns quite a few Toyota stores nearby….

Mitch, it’s insane… more and more people leaving CA all the time

Just asking because David Wilson is from here, his parents live a couple blocks from me. - Bill W

My wife worked for him for 20+ years. We loved the Christmas parties he had every year. He treated his employees very well. Most of his office staff upstairs at Toyota of Orange has been been there 25+ years. That speaks volumes.

His first job-if I remember correctly was being a pinsetter at a bowling alley

There is a Yenko.net member that's currently employed at one of his stores in Orange County.


He built his stores in AZ right next to Scottsdale airpark...so his corporate plane was handy to fly back and forth :)


Really super nice guy. We still get the Wilson auto group newsletter monthly :)

After driving a couple hundred miles in the Camaro with the M22 and 4.11 gear I decided a couple things... First thing was the close ratio gear set, although fun, is definitely not utilizing the nice fat torque curve of my 496. Second thing is the obvious fact that 3,500rpm at 70mph pretty much sucks, especially with a 4.25" stroke.

Considering this I decided to go with a "wide" ratio Autogear M23"W" trans with a 2.56 first gear and pair it with a new 3.55 rear gear set. Really the M23W is not all that wide of a spread, certainly a close ratio compared to the Tremec TKO 600 I had in a different car. I went with this combination so the effective first gear would be the same as it was with the 2.20 first gear and 4.11 rear gear.

This was my first time setting up a 12 bolt rear end, or any GM rear end for that matter so I was a little nervous about it but think it came out perfect. Gear pattern looks good, ZERO runout on the carrier, and .007" backlash. Took me a while but I got the rear end set up how I thought it should be. The carrier is a new series 3 Wavetrac 35 spline unit and the gears are US gear. NO NOISE after 20 miles :beers:

The engine makes so much torque I think the wide ratio actually benefits the power curve. Much more manageable 3,000rpm at 70mph compared to only 60mph before.

Glad you are happy with the changes. It should be easy to recoup some of the additional expense from the sale of the M22.

Good to hear you like the wide ratio and 3.55 gear. I have a 496 in my Chevelle with a wide ratio and 3.31 gear. Should be very close to the same. I haven't driven the car with the 496, but that combo was in it with the previous 396 and it seemed good.

Nice change! I also got over my fear of setting up gears and find it a little zen to set up the correct pattern. Always nice to learn a new skill.

I've got a 2.99 first gear in my M23. With the 5.14 gears in the rear it gets moving pretty quick. I use a 3.70 on the street. Tires are 31 inches tall.

I am running a 28" tire. I would love a 29" tall tire but seems hard to find....

How's that car doing Chuck?

Any "finished" photos?????:3gears:

Hey Everyone, I don't think our friend Chuck will mind me posting a photo.

Saturday, the Lions Automobilia Foundation and Museum had a Camaro 55th anniversary get together and we met up with Chuck there.

His car is everything you expect it to be and more is what I can say! Amazing attention to detail.

The sound through the dumps on fire-up is something.

Anyway, very, very cool build!

Cheers Chuck!
Anthony

Tim-

Funny you mention it, since the project has been "finished" the picture taking has slowed down... That said I have been enjoying the car from time to time. It really drives great. It pretty much drives like a stock car until you hammer the fun pedal! It will break the tires loose effortlessly in first, second and third!

I met AnthonyS on Saturday at the aforementioned Camaro Show. Nice to put a face to the name, he sold me the disc brake calipers that are on the car! Anthony, thank you for the kind words! Means a lot from someone with as much Camaro knowledge as you! We had a good time hanging out talking Camaros! His car has a really neat story... a real family heirloom! :biggthumpup:

A few pictures from the car show...

Here is the car with real Ansen Sprints. 15x4 front 15x8.5 rear. Moroso front runners and 275/60/15 M&H Racemasters. I did drive the car to another show with this set up.

Yes, fun to hang out with Chuck! Thanks. Made the show bearable. Seriously though gang, if you’re ever in SoCal, the car collection there is something. Worth a visit IMHO. Cheers!

Museum = AWESOME
Car Show =:hmmm:

HAHA!

What size and brand front tire are u running on the cragars ? Are u happy with them ?

Coker Firestone 6.40s pie crust. They are very good on the street

Great looking Camaros!!!

That right there.......the money shot!

Yup...

If I pulled up next to that at a set of lights...I'd likely be a bit nervous? But it the end, I'd drop the clutch and hit it hard to see which car gets the bragging rights.

Oh...and I flat out LOVE the slots over the Cragar option. Well done buddy :beers:

https://www.yenko.net/forum/attachme...1&d=1653426750

Lol thanks guys!! The car is a blast to drive, just don’t like wearing the slots. The tires will hit the 1/4s if I hit a decent bump!

Yup. Already scuffed one of my rear quarter lips when I thought I had enough air in the shocks. I'm don't completely trust air shocks either, so I totally get it.

When you see the bump coming, hit the throttle and get the traction bars to hold the body up...:grin:

No sir, Mr. Occifer, no racing intended, I was just preventing the tires from scuffing the body...:headbang: