1969 Chevelle – Malibu to SS Tribute – Restomod
If you’re a car builder or repair enthusiast, then you know that the 1969 Chevrolet Chevelle is one of the most popular cars to restore and modify. Many consider it to be the perfect platform for a restomod build. In this blog post, we’ll take a look at our example of Chevelle a restomod. We’ll also discuss what makes restomods so popular and why so many people are choosing to restore and modify their classic car into a restomod. If you’re thinking about restoring or modifying your own Chevelle, then this blog post is definitely for you! Stay tuned for more information on 1969 Chevrolet Chevelle restomods.
In 2015 we went to the Mecum auction in Denver looking for a mopar to add to our collection. We were quickly drawn to a 1969 Chevelle in blue that was lightly modified but had a mice big block (454 ci) mod already done to it. It was otherwise mostly setup in a stock Malibu configuration with a few SS badges in place on the grill and a replica SS steering wheel installed.
There were quite a few SS options that were missing from the configuration. Additionally, the car had the factory nose up stance, drum brakes all around and air shocks in the back. Needless to say the ride was interesting with a soft ride and poor braking that you would normally find in an almost 50 year old car.
Over the years we have modified this Chevelle extensively which would fall under the guise of turning it into a restomod, which in this case means leaving it looking like a 1969 Chevelle inside and out but where we can modifying it and making it a more pleasant driving experience. One of the modifications we made was swapping out the turbo hydramatic 400 transmission that was in the car with a 2004r from Bowtie Overdrives in CA. They were very easy to work with, sent explicit instructions and verified my pressures after the transmission was installed. Because we have a lift this whole process took a few hours to complete and the addition of overdrive makes the car have a better launch and much quieter cruise at highway speeds (because of a much tighter first and a .07 OD)
The car had a column shifter when we got it so adding the transmission caused us to change a number of things at the same time. We added a floor shifter from OPGI which then necessitated that we also install a console and wire the console up for lights as well as putting in a neutral safety switch. Moving the shifter from the column to the floor also meant that we needed to change out the steering column which we replaced with a flaming river tilt column from Ground Up. We also replaced the bench seat with a set of buckets that we bought out of a GTO on Craigslist and had recovered at Mr Sids Upholstery here in Thornton Colorado.
The next project that we took on was replacing all of the factory suspension with Ridetech coil-overs, strongarm tubular a-arms and Baer brakes all from Summit Racing. We also replaced the factory 4 link with the same kit which included installing adjustable links between the body and the rear end.
Over time we are completing some of the SS badging and trim modifications that are necessary in order for the SS mod to pass the smell test. These included changing the light bulbs in the turn signals to orange, adding the SS badges to the door cards, blacking out the grill to the right of the headlights