When you are into buying and working on cars, it’s good to dedicate one to the wife who tolerates your aberrant behavior. That’s what Vic did with his ‘65 Chevelle Malibu SS396 convertible. He got it about five years ago when a friend from the Bay area told him of hearing about someone in Nevada City that needed money and was selling three cars. Vic went to check them out. There was a ‘34 Ford delivery, a ‘68 Chevelle, and the ‘65 Chevelle. These were not “primo” cars, varying from a basket case that was completely disassembled (the ‘68) to one that was supposedly ready for paint, but needed a lot of redoing on the work done so far (the ‘34). Vic has since sold the ‘68, but kept the other two. The ‘65 was pretty rough, needing body and paint work as well as new upholstery and top. Plus it had no engine or transmission. Since he had a 396 CID engine with a four-speed trans from a ‘66 Chevy sitting around, he had it rebuilt and dropped it in. Although he had the upholstery and top done, he did the rest of the work himself, including rebuilding all the suspension. The result is a car to be proud of. Vic calls it “no frills,” with no power steering or brakes, although he did add front discs. Back in the 60's, such power-sapping extras as power steering and brakes, as well as air conditioning, were shunned by the performance crowd. It has a 3.73:1 posi rear end, which gives plenty of off-the-line oomph, especially when powered by a big-block engine. For wheels, Vic opted for stock rally wheels rather than aftermarket. The result is a stock-looking muscle car that is to be respected. In all, it took about a year and a half to complete. Vic and Mimi have cruised all over NorCal with their Chevelle without a hitch. It performs well, which attests to Vic’s skills as a mechanic, and is fun to drive. Mimi says that she wonders what it means to have it dedicated to her, how it makes it any different than any other car Vic has owned or rebuilt. However, she does drive it and does not mind keeping it in the family. Now a lot of other Roamin Angel guys are thinking of cars they would like to own and dedicate to their wives. It can’t hurt.

Chevelles came out in 1964 as Chevy’s entry in the mid-sized muscle car competition and the Malibu SS396 quickly became legendary. This body style changed little from 1964 until 1967.

The wide valve covers of the rat (big block) Chevy engine commands respect. It came in 325, 360 and 373 horsepower configurations in ‘65 and has awesome torque.

While rather utilitarian, the interior of this Chevelle is a study in form follows function: it was made to be an inexpensive place sit while handling a powerful street machine.

Ron Cherry © 2010