Donald first picked up this 1970 Chevelle back in 1996 on July 4th from the third owner. Despite a few quirks, it was the perfect candidate for Donald, as it was essentially what he would have ordered from the dealer new.
This 1970 Chevelle had been poorly repainted at some point in its past, but since it retained the build sheet, Donald knew it was originally a Cranberry Red code 75 car. It was also originally ordered with bench seats, the ZL2 ducted hood, and included the full instrumentation package, RPO code U14. Other notables include factory power steering and power brakes, along with the wide-ratio Muncie 4 speed transmission. Don says this is exactly how he would have ordered it from the factory.
The Chevelle came with a non-matching Camaro 396 which had been updated to a forged internal, full roller 496. Otherwise, the only aspect that gives away any previous modification are the 1971 bullet style rear view mirrors that it currently wears, everything else on the car matches what the build sheet specifies originally.
“Considering all the improvements in engineering on the current cars, the ’70 Chevelle still has an acceptable ride quality and comfort level, and certainly has an edge in interior room.”
Donald
Don has since done a complete frame-off restoration in his home garage, mostly by himself. That includes the body and paint work. He went all out to bring this car up to his specifications. He currently is considering installing an upgraded sound system and possibly lowering it by a couple of inches. Also up for consideration are 17 inch SS replica wheels, but he is not completely convinced that he would like the look yet.
