Although the term hasn’t been around all that long, Jimmy wanted to build a “Day Two” Chevelle, which is a way to describe a muscle car that is restored with era-specific speed parts. Jimmy’s plan evolved over the course of several years, getting more detailed along the way. Ultimately, it was a long recovery from a car accident that led to Jimmy’s decision to finally pull the trigger on a Chevelle project. Jimmy bought the first feasible ’67 Chevelle that came across his computer screen—except it took a few years for it to actually belong to him. Jimmy actually missed out on the deal the first time around but was later able to buy the car from fellow Chevelle enthusiast Jeff Helms.

The rust-free body came from Nevada and had been in climate-controlled storage for most of its life. The car had been wrecked, but the majority of the body was in excellent condition and it only had 26,846 miles on it. Through his research and love for Chevelles, Jimmy came to know Terry Davis, a Chevelle guru from Wytheville, Virginia. Terry offered to help source the correct components for the build, and he immediately jumped on board with Jimmy’s intentions to build a period-correct modified muscle car. Jimmy’s longtime friend Walmer Carter Jr. (whom he referred to simply as JR) also played a role in the planning process, and the two devised a build that would encompass a combination of rare factory GM parts and legitimate vintage speed parts. With Baldwin-Motion cars as his performance guide, Jimmy set out to build a Chevelle that would turn mid 11s in the quarter-mile and look cool doing it.

The heart of the build is the 427ci big-block engine. Jimmy searched high and low for correct engine parts and started the process with a CE-code replacement engine block. Jimmy works at Skip White Performance in Kingsport, Tennessee, as an engine builder, so he handled the balancing and assembly of the engine, while Center Auto Machine performed the machinework on the block and Top Speed Machine reworked the cylinder heads. The aluminum L89 cylinder heads are over-the-counter units packed with Manley valves motivated by a Comp solid roller camshaft. Up top is a vintage Edelbrock C427 aluminum intake manifold with a Holley 950-cfm three-barrel carburetor built in July of 1967. The carburetor is finished off with a fly-eye air cleaner.

Rare GM parts include an over-the-counter L88 aluminum water pump and deep groove pulleys. Aftermarket components consist of a full Mallory ignition, complete with dual-point distributor, Rev-Pol switch (which sends a full 12 V to the points when switched to “strip” mode), Mallory Voltmaster coil, and Mallory 7mm solid-core wires, which were sourced from a vintage speed boat. Jimmy finished off the engine with Mickey Thompson valve covers, a fiberglass flex fan, and white Appliance long-tube headers. The vintage headers feature a square, four-bolt flange and lead into a custom exhaust system by Brian Lambert. All other components under the hood are factory fresh and Jimmy added an original power steering setup with hopes that his wife, Sandy, and his buddy JR could drive the car comfortably. JR was enduring some major health issues and it was Jimmy’s goal for him to take the Chevelle for a spin when it was complete.

Jimmy modified the car’s original Muncie M20 four-speed transmission with M22 “rock crusher” internals. He kept it simple with a Ram flywheel and Centerforce clutch and sent the vintage Hurst Competition Plus shifter to DME in Forest Hills, Kentucky, to be rebuilt. Out back, Jimmy built the original GM 12-bolt rearend with 4.10:1 gears, Auburn Posi unit, and Moser axles. He sealed it up with a vintage E-T finned aluminum cover.

The suspension is mostly stock, aside from boxed rear control arms, Gabriel HiJacker rear shocks, and chrome Lakewood ladder bars. Jimmy found that the car was originally offered with disc front brakes, so he went back with the original ’67 four-piston calipers and two-piece rotors. What he didn’t realize was that the original 15×4 Cragar S/S wheels wouldn’t clear the original brakes, so he added a 1-inch spacer. The extra track width gives the car a cool stance in combination with the BFGoodrich Silvertown 640-15 tires. Out back is a pair of 15×8 Cragars, wrapped in Pro Trac 275/60R15 tires. The bias-ply rubber came from Coker Tire.

When it came time for bodywork and paint that’s when Terry Davis flexed his muscles. He massaged the GM sheetmetal and laid down the beautiful Mountain Green hue with R-M basecoat/clearcoat materials. Jimmy used a mixture of original, N.O.S., and reproduction emblems, while Davis straightened and polished all of the original stainless steel trim.

Inside, Davis was also responsible for recovering the bucket seats and installing a new headliner. Reproduction parts from PUI and Legendary Interiors make up the upholstery. Along with the standard restoration components, Jimmy added a set of Sun Blue Line gauges and a Sun Super Tach. The original radio was sent off to Instrument Specialties to be modernized, which is one of the few creature comforts to be found in Jimmy’s Chevelle.

From start to finish Jimmy stuck to the plan and the end result speaks volumes of his efforts. Jimmy had the pleasure of showing the finished product to his buddy JR, and then the car made its public debut at the Chevelles in the Smokies event in Pigeon Forge, Tennessee, around the same time. Unfortunately, JR died a short while later, but Jimmy’s Chevelle serves as a great reminder of their friendship and it’s a stunning example of a period-perfect Day Two muscle car that brings back great memories wherever it goes.

Bodywork: Terry Davis Restorations (Wytheville, VA)
Paint by: Terry Davis
Paint: R-M base/clear, Mountain Green
Hood: Super Sport
Grille: Original
Bumpers: Original, re-chromed