Just spotted this thread today, all I can say is... WOW!! Nothing more fun and rewarding than bringing a survivor back to life. Love your attention to detail and your knowledge of what's correct. Well done is an understatement, what an absolutely amazing transformation! Enjoy those burger runs in style.

Grant

HaHa!! This wagon, as ugly as it was, has always been banished to the far end of the building, under a lift. More than once Jani has tried give it away "Just take that ugly thing and get it out of here!" But now she is totally into it, even helping me at times.
She grew up a SoCal CA surfer girl who likes old Ford woodies, so I believe the woodgrain swayed her.

Worthy of mention, in the past few months while I was doing the Concours I was also dividing my time in pushing along the restoration of my buddy Dave's '67 SS. It is now near completion, waiting to get the carb back from Eric and a couple details. Planning on a debut at "Chevelles in the Smokies", Pigeon Forge, in a couple weeks. Look for it at MCACN 2022.

I sold Dave this car in about 1987. It also is a CA high desert car, the floor pans are so clean that the original paint, oversprays, and factory undercoats were preserved. Total original panels of course. I restored the chassis in 2006, it's been a long road since then with a final push began about two years ago.

This L35/M20 Chevelle has a nice selection of options including factory 8 track player, tilt wheel, tach and gauges, and CA smog equipment. Sold new at DeAnza Chevrolet in Riverside.

It was, quite literally, saved from the junk yard! My old friend Gordon moved to CA forty years ago, working for Lockheed in Lancaster. He calls me one day, "Billy, we gotta save this Chevelle or it's going to the junk yard". IIRC I paid $450 for it.

Bill W

I might add, those black and yellow tags and frames are the originals to this Chevelle.

Nice job Bill!! Very nice car...

Beautiful car. Miss the days where you could find cars like this in the CA desert for $2000-4000. I paid $2500 for my ‘70 SS396 in 1997, and dragged it back from Lancaster, CA where it had spent its entire life. Still have the Rally Chevrolet license plate frames.

I like Chevelle wagons years ago I had a 69 Concours wagon that i fixed up to haul the kids and mom on vacation, kinda miss it too(horrible pic I know)

Just read this whole thread....great job Bill!

I love this “Wente Woody Wagon”!!!! Like many others have stated, you have knocked it out of the park Bill!! BRAVO

Amazing work Bill.