I couldn't stand to see the other sticker on Rick's Yenko Chevelle seeing that everything else on the car was so correct and was glad I could help in a small way. Thanks for the complements.

Robert, what you consider is a "small way" is like so many other peoples help on this board and has been huge! I wanted a perfect decal and was willing to pay for it. Bob did a great job but I think he was overwhelmed after his father's passing and did his best. No fault there whatsoever but I wanted it better and I paid him for his extra time. I would also imagine that 90% of the people that got that decal would have been happy with it. I was in the 10% group. You stepped up and did it before you even contacted me and then spent a fair amount of time fine tuning it to where it is at. One thing that has always bothered me is when people spend so much time and money to build a car to perfection and then cut corners on a $100 item. Makes no sense to me. Thanks again Robert.

Great job Robert, you clearly get it.
Love this site!

Thanks for lunch Rick!! Do you EVER let anyone else buy??

It was great seeing you again Bill and appreciate the fact that you came out of your way to stop by on your way across the country to see me and Annie. As far as letting others buy? Only when they beat me to the check. :)

I had my good friend and customer Dennis L make us some negatives for our glass replicated exactly how they were found on the glass. From there I purchased an etching kit and etched our replacement glass. This car had clear glass so that is what we replaced it with. As you can see, mine were etched on the inside and backwards. This is exactly how I found them on the original glass.

The etching is actually quite simple though very nerve racking the first time you try it. I have had it done before but this was the first time we tried it and it was quite simple. It is however labor intensive to make sure that everything is done correctly the first time as you will want to experiment several times on a piece of donor glass before attempting it on the good stuff.

I found that it was going to be easier to etch it after it was installed adjusted and in the car. This way I could insure that everything was completely level and directly above the window felts. It worked out fine and as long as you follow directions and have everything needed it works very well.

Rolled it out yesterday for some sunlight to help set the vinyl stripes and headliner. Side glass went in yesterday and today. Windshields go in mid next week. Then install door panels, seats, bleed brakes, add water and run the car. Getting VERY close. I had my first weekend off last weekend for the first time in close to a year and went fishing. It's been fun but glad it is almost over.

Side note; The upper radiator hose is not the correct one but just put it on for looks for now.

That is a stunning car! Thanks again for sharing all the posts and progress.

Wow it’s getting very close!!!

Ryan W.

That is so cool! Beautiful!

I think we all learned how much effort it takes to really restore a car here on this Yenko ..

Thank you Scott. If people come away with nothing more than the appreciation for those efforts I will be very happy. The restoration business is by no means a get rich business and I actually make less than I use to in my corporate job though this is WAY more satisfying. However, hopefully people will start to see and appreciate the difference between a so called "restoration" and a full fledged nut and bolt restoration and why things cost what they do. This also why we only restore cars for collectors and not people who are buying and selling.

Jim, Annie and myself have put a total of 1070 hours in so far and Jamie and his crew another 1100. We do not put that many hours in most of our customer cars, however it is not all that far from that. Needless to say, both our shop and Jamie's eat a lot of hours that the owners never know about but that is just how it works some times. If we are not satisfied with how something was restored we redo it and cannot expect the customer to pay that.

I'm going to miss this thread when you're done. Your almost daily posts are one of the things I look forward to seeing each day. Since your Chevelle is so close to mine in appearance, it's like seeing my Chevelle being restored. . .only better. Thanks for all the time you took to keep us informed on your progress, Rick.

Got glass all in and adjusted. I always hate this part and spent the better part of 8 hours trying to get it perfect. The rear weather shields had a green line across them which I commonly see on the 70's as well (though those usually include the front shields as well) so I replicated them.

NOS window fuzzies installed though I have yet to locate a passenger rear so if anyone has one I would love to purchase it. Once those were in and buttoned up everything was final adjusted and the weathershields installed followed by the door panels. All else was fairly straight forward. I do not want to install the front seats until I can finish up the rear door panel so that is about all that is left for the interior.

The door glass is in and the front/rear glass will be installed next week some time. Than the polished trim goes on. Almost there...….

Are those reproduction door panels? What brand?

Yes, Legendary Auto Interiors.

Thats what iChevelle they look pretty good

Looking good!

Front and rear glass go in next week, then onto the stainless trim installation. Still cannot find an NOS outside passenger rear window fuzzy which means I cannot finish the interior till that is found. Guess I shouldn't have waited till now to try hard. duh!

Pictured is the acid etched front windshield etching. It looks fuzzy as it is reflecting off the inner laminate. The photo was also taken from the rear of the glass where it reads forward. The original photos shows how it read from the outside.

I also installed the vehicle inspection decal from Kentucky and replicated what I found on the original. Thanks to Robert Killingsworth for his attention to detail on the decal.

Got the new car cover yesterday thanks to California Car Cover.

Front and rear glass is now installed along with polished trim. If I could just find someone with an NOS passenger outer rear window fuzzy I could be done with the damn interior! I will pay up, I just need to get one soon.

Fuel, alignment and fine tuning and we are set to rock and roll! Maybe now I can take a vacation and go veg out on a beach somewhere or go deep sea fishing in Delray Beach!

Rick,

Not sure if you posted the part number for the R.H. strip assembly so here it is. Can be found in Group 11.015 #8728021 R.H.. Normally even numbers are designated for the right side of car, but this is an exception.

- Warren

Fantastic progress Rick and Annie!

Yes Warren I did forget to post the number so thank you. Chris White was just telling me about that part number switch.

Man that looks awesome. If I had that window fuzzy I'd give it to you.

If you had one I would gladly pay you for it!! :) its costing me way more sitting here not being able to finish the interior.

Great job Rick and thanks again for posting

did you get the original air filter lid with your car?

there was a discussion on 427 COPO and Yenko Chevelles on if they came with a 427 decal on the air filter lid or no decal.

There are original pictures of 427 COPO and Chevelle that had no 427 decal on the lid.

Yenko may have added a 427 decal on the lids of some so its hard to say if they came with one or not

I did not get the air cleaner base or lid with the car. I found a black 396 lid off the 70 he had owned but never found the chrome one. I debated for quite some time whether to put the 427 decal on there or not and looked at as many photos as I could find though admittedly very few were survivors and those were COPOs. I would love it if some would post unrestored original photos of engine compartments from these cars and am not at all against removing the decal. Thanks for the input.

Also and thanks to two members here, the superceded part number is 9806548.

Is it out of line to ask for a final, all rolled up cost for this level of restoration? Since you are in the biz you probably kept pretty good records. Just curious about whats the damage on the top level restorations and since this one has been detailed here so well if gives folks an idea whats ahead of them.

According to an earlier post by Rick, this is where he was at last month with hours: "Jim, Annie and myself have put a total of 1070 hours in so far and Jamie and his crew another 1100. We do not put that many hours in most of our customer cars, however it is not all that far from that."

No 427 decal, from Chevrolet OR Yenko.


https://photos.smugmug.com/photos/i-...FPGRDcZ-X4.jpg

Not at all Dave and I would be happy to discuss it privately but chose not to disclose it on line. As was said earlier but now updated, to date I have 1085 hours in it and the painter another 1100. Parts total has yet to be determined but I am guessing somewhere close to $50,000. Then add all the sublet costs. Not for the faint of heart but I do not build or restore cars to flip so I am more concerned with quality than I am profit. Dana's 68 Yenko Camaro had been the most expensive car I had restored and this car greatly surpasses that cost.

Also was curious what he might have in parts, but that is so much on a case-by-case basis as to almost be meaningless.

So about 2000 hours at maybe an average hour rate of $100 PLUS parts and its wow time. But, this seems to be the best resto work that money can buy for sure.

When one spends what I spent on wheels and tires alone it can really throw the parts costs out the window so not fair to use this car as an example. Typically we can sink close to $50k in parts on a car getting a completely restoration including sheet metal. I have yet to add up the numbers but think I am way beyond that on this car.

But you have rebuilt every moving part on this car. Nobody goes to this level of work with the idea of resale. It has been an interesting look at what it takes to make a top level car . Rick , thanks for the photos and the time spent here.

Thank you Scott. We actually rebuild most major components on every car not just this one but certainly not switches as those I usually just replace. In the case of this car I wanted to keep as many of the cars born with parts as I could.

Rick and his crew are amazing....:worship:

Rolled it completely outside for the first time today. Started and ran great but a leaky 50 year old fuel pump made running last only a short time. We are doing another photo shoot and running out of time but are getting very close to a couple of last minute items and she is all done. Thank God! I need my life back!

Nice job Rick, well worth the hard work. Car look's great!!

That's gorgeous!! Look at those headlights and rear end!! :drool: Is it legal to marry a car???