1972 Chevrolet Chevelle

Description

The neat thing about Chevy building so many Chevelles and Malibus is that you can take one and turn it into exactly the car of your dreams using factory parts. Of course, clones or tributes like this can be big money, but this cool 1972 SS isn't pretending to be anything other than a slick Saturday night cruiser that looks like a million bucks.

The last of the Chevelles were arguably the best-looking, and there are fans who prefer the single-headlight front end and bulging fenders above all the earlier designs. Dressed in a wonderful coat of Fathom Green, this car simply glitters in the sunlight thanks to the gold undercoat that gives it remarkable depth. White SS stripes are always welcome, as well as the cowl induction hood that should be standard equipment on any high-performance Chevelle tribute. Workmanship is quite good throughout, and it's pretty clear that someone built this car for themselves, not for a quick buck, so the details are right. There's a blacked-out front grille, proper SS badges, and even Chevelle script on the deck lid, so the transformation is pretty convincing.

Inside there's a matching green vinyl bench seat interior that has been nicely restored and doesn't work quite as hard as the exterior to convince you it's a real SS. There's a column-shifted automatic and a standard dash, which are the giveaways, but everything is in outstanding condition. And if you simply must have auxiliary gauges that don't hang under the dash, someone has cleverly integrated mechanical oil pressure and temperature gauges into the panel next to the radio. You'll also note that this car has factory A/C that's fully functional, as well as a digital AM/FM stereo head unit that looks quite at home in the vintage Chevy. The extremely clean trunk features correct spatter finish paint, a proper mat, and a matching full-sized spare tire with jack assembly.

A smooth-running 350 cubic inch V8 lives under that cowl induction hood. Fully balanced and blueprinted, it offers great performance and unbeatable reliability, along with a modicum of economy (well, at least compared to a big block). With an Edelbrock 4-barrel handling the fuel delivery, throttle response is sharp, and it rumbles through a proper dual exhaust system with mellow mufflers that sound great without being too loud. There are a few chrome dress-up items under the hood so you won't be afraid to lift the hood and show it off, and power steering and brakes make it a pleasure to drive. Behind the engine, there's a TH350 3-speed automatic feeding a 10-bolt rear that has been fitted with a fat sway bar. There's no sign of rust or damage underneath, just clean original sheetmetal. Gorgeous charcoal SS wheels are the right choice, and now wear fat 255/60/15 blackwall radials for a clean look that lets the bodywork do the talking.

This is an extremely nice cruiser that cost a lot more than the asking price to build. Call today!