Ronnie’s 1968 Chevelle
Ronnie Taylor’s 1968 Chevelle – City Muscle (The Story of Sweet Loraine)
The most common Chevelle sightings usually occur at cruise nights, car shows, and the occasional Sunday afternoon. But have you ever seen a 1968 Chevelle lighting it up down 5th Avenue in New York City?
Ronnie’s motto is this: “These cars are to be driven and enjoyed.” He keeps this in mind as he drives his Chevelle to work in the city every day.
It seems like forever ago that he found this car sitting in a yard in New Hampshire. According to Ronnie, “Time seems too slow whenever you open the door, pop the hood, or turn the key. Seconds become hours, hours become days, and days become satisfaction and happiness”. He is always finding something to fix, repair, rebuild, maintain, or update on this 40 year old Chevy.
The car was originally red, once white, once green, and always driven. He isn’t sure exactly how many miles the car has covered, but he feels that it would hold its own against some old Boeing 747.
So after shelling out $6500, he found himself the proud owner of a 307, 4 wheels, some balanced rust, two doors, and a whole lot of play in the steering. Hard to imagine this was about $3000 more than the original owner paid for the car off a lot in Salem, MA in July of 1968!
So there he stood with no clue and it need of some car help. Ronnie then turned to Ground Up and Jannety Racing of Waterbury for the parts and know-how to turn this needy piece of metal into a dream machine.
It’s been a long journey of learning and passion for Ronnie and his Chevelle and he decided to name the car Sweet Loraine in honor of his mother who passed away in 2005. It is impossible to list what has been changed, repaired, or updated, but for Ronnie, it simply took the advice, the knowledge, and the skills of the old school to get it right.
Ronnie has only this to say for anyone starting out just as he did two years ago:
“If you apply yourself and take the time to learn, you will find that doing it yourself will save you money and time while enjoying the satisfaction of doing a great job. These cars are to be driven and enjoyed! Share the good old times with all and sundry. I have never seen so many smiles on so many faces; Inspiration from the young, memories from the old…..Get out there and light it up!”
