BY Ron Ceridono Photography by Jason Scudellari

hen the first Chevy II rolled off the assembly line in 1962, few people, including those at General Motors who designed and built it, would have guessed that 60 years later these cars would still be sought after.

The Chevy II came about because Chevrolet needed to fill a void in their product line. In 1960 Ford introduced the Falcon as a small, affordable option to a fullsize car. General Motors’ pre-shrunk auto option that year was the Corvair. But despite the fact the motoring press praised Chevy’s bold new offering (the Corvair was Motor Trend magazine’s 1960 Car of the Year), the buying public wasn’t as enthusiastic. By the time Ralph Nader expressed his disdain for the air-cooled, rear-engine Corvair, Chevrolet desperately needed a “Falcon fighter”—and the first series Chevy II (1962-1967) was it.

While the Chevy II was initially marketed as a compact car, when a V-8 option was introduced in 1964, performance enthusiasts took notice (the horsepower high point being the ’66 RPO L79 350hp 327). However, the little Chevy would soon be overshadowed by the Camaro and Chevelle, in part thanks to the powers at GM deciding to eliminate the Chevy II’s 350-horse option. Nonetheless, the ’62-67 Chevy IIs are still a favorite with Chevy performance fans. The ’63 Jason Scudellari built for his wife, Randi, proves just how cool they can be.

Although it’s impossible to tell now, Scudellari started out with a car that was rough. In fact, it was so rough he got it for free. But tenacity paid off and with the chassis and running gear done and with the body- and paintwork finished, the time came for final assembly. That meant Scudellari had to replace all the glass, door latches, and weatherstripping. None of the original glass was usable so he went to Classic Industries for a ’62-65 Chevy II, six-piece clear side glass kit. It included glass for the right and left vents, doors, and quarter windows. In addition, new window regulators and door latch hardware to replace the worn-out originals were also sourced from Classic Industries.

One of the final steps in rejuvenating the Chevy was replacing the weatherstripping. While that seems simple enough, problems like water leaks, wind noise, and difficult-to-close doors are seldom the result of the installation process, rather the design and composition of inferior weatherstripping. To ensure the rubber seals would all fit and function as they should, Scudellari turned to Steele Rubber Products for a Body Weatherstrip Kit (PN 90-3046-90). Included are side window leading edge seals, hardtop roof rail weatherstrip, trunk weatherstrip, and door weatherstrips. The finishing touch was added by a set of Lokar billet aluminum door and window crank handles.

The first series Chevy IIs may have been one of the littlest offerings of their day that wore a Bowtie, but they proved beyond a shadow of a doubt that good things come in small packages.

2. The replacement glass is from Classic Industries, as are the regulators and door hardware. Steele Rubber Products supplied the weatherstripping.

4. Installing the window regulators can be challenging. With the vent window in place, the regulator is temporarily with one bolt. Once the glass is in the door the regulator can be moved to the rear of the door, and once the rollers are in the guide on the bottom of the glass, the regulator can be bolted in place.

6. Once the framework is in place, the excess setting tape is trimmed off.

8. To ensure smooth operation, Scudellari coated the sash channel with waterproof lubricant. With the door glass installed, the vent window assembly is tightened and the top and bottom stops that limit the window’s travel can be installed and adjusted.

10. Door latch assemblies are the same for all first-generation ’63-65 Chevy II models and second-generation ’65-67 coupes and sedans. Lefthand doors use PN 14335; rights use PN 14336. It’s easier to put these in before the glass is installed.

11. This is the vertical glass guide that attaches to the rear of the doorframe. It supports the glass when it’s rolled down.

14. The quarter window regulators attach the inner panel of the rear quarters with two bolts. The two slotted holes are for the glass guides.

16. It’s a wise idea to cover all painted surfaces with masking tape when installing the side windows; it can take lots of jiggling and the occasional mumbled comment.

18. The second set of guides for the quarter windows also bolt to the inner body panel. Note the attachment holes are slotted for adjustment.

20. In those areas where the weatherstripping fits into crimps in the sheetmetal, a flat plastic “tuck tool” should be used. Never use a screwdriver as the rubber may be damaged.

22. Here’s the Steele weatherstrip in place—it fits just like the OEM piece.