Chevelle Restoration and Authenticity Guide 1970-1972. Dale McIntosh
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also prove the beginnings of the car since you will still possess the original part with the car’s VIN number on it even if it cannot be used. In most of the do-it-yourself restorers’ cases, you just need to keep them for reference and parts salvage.
Suspension Disassembly
Now it is time to start the disassembly in earnest. First, make note of any shims located in the front upper control arm area. This is one very good way to determine if your frame has been involved in any significant damage. If the car was ever in an accident where the frame was knocked out of alignment, the frame and body shop would have to compensate for that alignment issue with the use of shims and/or a replacement offset cross shaft, assuming they were not able to pull the frame back to its original state. If you notice significantly more shims on one side versus the other or a lot of shims on both sides, this is a likely sign of a pending frame alignment issue.
Another sign of severe damage is if the upper control arm shaft has been replaced with an offset shaft to make up for more needed camber or caster. When the frame is totally disassembled and with a GM frame dimension sheet in hand, this would be the time to have the frame brought back to its original form.
Suspension Failures
Also look for any obvious wrinkles, tears, or broken welds on the frame. This is also an indicator of extremely hard usage or damage. These issues will need to be addressed during the restoration to ensure the car will sit and ride according to the manufacturer’s specifications. It is rare that a 50-year-old Chevelle would not have been involved in an accident or drag raced in its lifetime, so this will more often than not be the norm.
This particular frame had seen severe use and damage in its lifetime primarily due to drag racing. Notice the pulled and stretched oval tie-down hole, the badly damaged and rusted core support-mounting hole on the top, and several holes drilled and then damaged in the inside rail. Dents found in the frame like the one near the core support mount often lead to more severe damage elsewhere that needs to be addressed before you can consider any bodywork and paint on the frame.
Note the excessive amount of shims used on this upper control arm, which is usually a good indicator of other damage somewhere in the frame or suspension. The cross shaft shown here was also not used on the Chevelle but was used on other GM A-bodies, so this is another indicator that someone replaced some suspension pieces, likely because they were bent.
Pay close attention for signs of damage to all parts of the frame, including the rear differential, rear crossmember, control arms, trailing arms, and frame to name a few. Any damage will all have to be addressed during the restoration. Especially look for things you would normally not even consider looking for in most cases, such as axle tube damage. A badly or heavily abused car may have axle tube twist or separation, and you or your mechanic must address these during the rebuild.
Some less-than-quality shops will try and repair cracks in suspension mounts using less-than-stellar welding techniques. As can be seen in this photo, it did not stop by simply welding; the crack just continued down the frame. When not addressed in the correct manner, it can lead to catastrophic results.
This particular Chevelle was used extensively for drag racing in its early life. Many hard launches caused the axle tube to break the plug welds loose. This not only caused the tube to walk itself out a 1/4 inch but also rotated the tube slightly. Had this not been addressed during the restoration, you would continue to have issues, some of which could have had an ill-fated outcome.
Engine, Transmission, and Driveshaft Removal
If you have not already done so, it is time to remove the engine, transmission, and driveshaft. Again, fully document everything you disassemble. Start by disconnecting any components related to the drivetrain, such as electrical, fuel lines, exhaust, and any remaining transmission or carburetor linkages. If you are saving your exhaust—and this cannot usually be done very well—carefully remove the exhaust tips, tailpipes, mufflers, and the head pipes. Once those are removed, proceed by removing all the hangers. If you do not intend to save the exhaust, then just cut them apart using a tool, such as an exhaust cutter.
Engine Removal Preparation
Unbolt the engine mount through bolts found on either side of the engine. If this is an original or unmolested car, make note of the direction of the bolts and motor mounts. Original assembly-line engine mounts had a swaged nut on one side of the engine mount, allowing the assembly worker to simply install the bolt through the mount and not have to worry about putting a wrench on the nut on the other side. Replacement mounts did not come with this and required installing a nut and lock washer onto the bolt. However, when reassembling the engine onto the frame, you can still simulate factory mounts by at the very least installing the bolts in the same direction as the factory did. On the driver’s side, the bolt was installed from the rear toward the front. The passenger’s side is just the opposite since it uses the same part-numbered engine mount, and the bolt was installed into the front side of the mount.
Either of these two tools will work well to remove your old exhaust system. If you already own a Sawzall, that is the quickest and easiest way to remove it. The exhaust pipe cut-off tool can be purchased for less than $30, which is also a good alternative. In a pinch, simply use a hacksaw.
On assembly-line engine mounts, the nuts are swaged onto the mount and do not require two tools when tightening. If you no longer have the original mounts, you can simulate this by using thin nuts and orientating the bolts from back to front on the driver’s side and front to back on the passenger’s side.
Unbolt the two bolts that hold the transmission mount to the crossmember. Take special note of how the washers are placed on automatic cars: two large washers should be mounted between the transmission tailshaft housing and the transmission mount on either side. This aids in pinion alignment and is very important.
Remove or cut the rubber fuel line(s) running from the frame-mounted fuel hard line to the fuel pump. Inspect the fuel line(s) to see if they may be an original with ink stamping such as “SWAN GAS” or “EVAP” so that these can be replicated during the restoration process.
Note how there is a large washer installed between the top of the transmission mount and the transmission tailhousing. This is only on automatic cars and must be put back in this way, as it affects the pinion angle. People often install the large washer under the lock washer and bolt on the top mount to tailhousing bolts, and that would be incorrect.
This is just one example of the stripes that you may encounter on your drive-shaft. The color codes will be found in box 19 of your build sheet and in this case marked PK-BL. It is widely believed that the thin orange stripe denotes that the shaft has been through the balancing process.
These are just some of the many types of fuel and evaporator lines you may encounter during your restoration. Keep your original lines and replicate the markings if you so choose. Some of these lines are available in the aftermarket, but with most