BlakeB123

I guess this is where we introduce ourselves and tell our story.

My name is Blake and I live in the Baton Rouge, LA area. I recently acquired a 1972 Chevelle and will be attempting to restore it. I have attached pictures, so I'm sure you can see it is going to need a lot of work. I've loved the early 70s era Chevelles since I was a kid. My dad got a new "Heavy Chevy" Chevelle back in 70 or 71, but he sold it shortly before I was born in 82, and I was always told the guy that bought it totaled it shortly after. I always told my day that I wished he had kept it so we could restore it and I could drive it as a teenager. My dad passed away in 2015, so I've been wanting to get a Chevelle similar to the one he had to restore in his honor. I also have a son who loves Chevelles, so my hope is to let him have the wish I've always had. He just turned 11, so with almost 5 years to restore it I don't think time will be much of an issue.

I've never restored a car before, but I've been watching restoration shows and videos on TV and YouTube for years. I know this doesn't classify me as even a beginner, but there is at least some foundation to build upon. I'm also an engineer, so hopefully that will help me with any technical issues. I like the look of the black 72 in the picture below, so that is kind of what I want to go for, the murdered/blacked out sleeper. I want to keep the keep the exterior era correct (except for the black chrome, of course), but have a modern interior with a lot of the creature comforts of cars today. Since this will eventually be my son's daily driver I want it to be reliable and safe, so I won't be going crazy with performance mods or have a giant blower coming out of the hood. He's going to be helping me restore it, so hopefully by the time it's done he'll be able to wrench on it himself should he run into any problems on the road.

As far as what I have to start out with, the pictures clearly show I have a long road ahead of me. It's a 1972 Chevelle with a small block and automatic transmission. You may notice an El Camino SS parked in front of it that you can barely see in the pictures. I also bought that as well. The body on it is completely trashed, but the reason I bought it is because it has a 402 Big Block, TH400 transmission and a 4.11 posi rear end. I plan to pull those 3 things out of the El Camino and put in the Chevelle. Both cars have clean titles, so thankfully that is a headache I won't have to deal with.

So, in conclusion, I guess I'm asking for any advice any of y'all would be willing to give. My first step is to get a decent set of tools. I have basic hand tools for doing stuff around the house, but I'll need to get more mechanic specific tools. Any advice on what I'll need and best places to get it would be appreciated. If anyone reading this is in the Baton Rouge area, do you have any shop/painter recommendations? I plan to attempt most of the body repair and engine rebuild myself, but I know some of that will require professionals to do. Also, which stores/sites do y'all use to order parts. I know some of the big ones (Summit, JEGS, etc.), but are there any others I should be checking out?

Thank you for taking the time to read this, and any advice you have would be greatly appreciated.

Doc Zoidberg

You have a lot of work ahead of you. I've done 2 1968 Impalas. Learn all you can about restoring old cars, YouTube is a great place. Good luck and hold onto your wallet.

oldchevy

Welcome from Florida. Good luck with your project and enjoy yourself. When you order parts do not order the cheap ones, they don't last!!

73shark

Welcome to the forum. A few things that come to mind off of the top of my head would be a hydraulic press, a sandblasting booth, and a spring compressor. There are a lot of other tools you'll need along the way also. Harbor Freight is a good place to start.

BlakeB123

I understand the uses for a sandblasting booth and spring compressor. What applications would a hydraulic press be needed for?

73shark

I couldn't remember if this model series had pressed-in ball joints or not. And also if you have to install new wheel bearings, you might need one. I'd wait 'til you need one before getting one though.