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Background & Options

This Chevelle first entered the state of California in 1974. Owner history prior to 1974 is unknown.

Car History:
- Original Owner: Unknown at this time
- Current Owner (Hans Littooy), purchased the car in July of 1989 from Robert Ruzicka.
- Robert Ruzicka purchased the car from Rick Deamicis on June 30, 1988.
- Prior Owner: Rick Deamicis, Lancaster, CA
- Documentation& discussions with Rick states he owned the car in the early and mid 1980’s.
- Rick acquired the car from his uncle. His uncle owned an automotive repair shop in Palmdale. Apparently the owner at the time dropped the car of for value train noise. Total repair cost was approx $800. The owner never returned to pick-up the car and was lien sale to Rick Deamicis.

Based on titles and old plates, it appears the car entered the state of California in 1974. History prior to 1974 is unknown.

Condition of car when purchased in 1989 by current owner:
- Body was in excellent condition. Other than a minor ding or two, quarter panels and doors were extremely straight and all original.
- Odometer showed approx 7000 miles (I assumed 107,000)
- Passenger side front fender had significant damage (dents/rust). Replace with GM Fender in 1990.
- 4 sp tunnel in the car was enlarged to accommodate a Toploader T10 transmissions. Re-welded correctly during the restoration.
- Car had a non-original 375HP – 396 engine
- Original engine had been stripped to a bare block and was in the garage along with heads, bell housing, intake, and pulleys. Missing the carburetor, distributor, water pump, and exhaust manifolds. Verified correct engine casting number, Pad ID, VIN stamp*, and date codes. * Owner at the time did not realize it was a numbers-matching engine, due to VIN location on oil pad, not on block pad, and I of course, didn’t tell him!
- Interior was rough. Rear seats original, but very rough. Front seats had been covered with cheap vinyl. Carpet was original, as was everything else, including console, seat belts, dash pad, dash bezel and headliner.
- A deal was negotiated for the car and the 396-375HP engine was removed and left with the prior owner.
Restoration:
- After purchase, the car underwent a complete frame-off restoration. Frame-off restoration was completed by August of 1990.
- Located correct carburetor, distributor, alternator, exhaust manifold (pass side), and other misc parts.
- Also had a ’69 Chevelle 307 parts car that I used for missing pieces to ensure originality wherever possible.
- A second, frame-on restoration was completed by June of 1998. The car was re-painted, (single stage, acrylic lacquer). The engine bay was re-detailed and improved. See photos in other sections
- Car is driven approximately 500 – 1000 miles per year. Total mileage on engine since re-build is approximately 6000.
- A third freshing was completed in 2005. The transmissions was rebuilt, the engine bay and engine re-detailed. The steering gear was re-built, the distributor was re-built and an new fresh coat of BC/CC was applied to perfection.

Posted by Hans at February 28, 2005 09:22 PM