If you’re following this blog, I’m sure you’ve wondered.

That is my 1963 Chevrolet Chevy II 100 series. Since I was in junior high school I’ve dreamed about having a Chevy II with a V8 and a four speed. After getting off the school bus in the morning we used to stand in the parking lot and watch all the high school kids cruise before school. There was a particular Chevy II, a ’66 model, that was owned by a really cool guy (or so I thought) named Ron Magnus. I wished I was him and I wished I had his car.

As finances would dictate, a couple of years later when I was sixteen, I bought my uncle’s 1966 Impala with a 283 and a three on the tree for $50. It was OK for a first car, but it wasn’t a Chevy II. It did have dual exhaust with Thrush mufflers, so it sounded pretty cool, but it was somewhat disappointing nonetheless.

I spent the next 30 years of my life wanting. Between starting and running businesses, raising children, getting my pilot’s license (another sixteen year old’s dream fulfilled, more on that later), and various other distractions, I never did it. So about 5 years ago I decided to start looking and found the rusty heap you see in the picture at the top for $1000. (An exorbitant amount compared to the $50 I spent on my first car that actually ran!)

I’ve been picking away at it in spurts since then and here’s how it looks presently.

It was a 6 cylinder car with an automatic, now it has a mild 350 with a GM #3896962 camshaft (highest lift production cam GM ever made), 1963 Corvette camelback “fuelie” heads and it has a Muncie M20 4 speed. It has a little rumble at idle. I haven’t gotten to drive it yet. I installed a mini-subframe kit in the front for handling purposes and it has a 1998 Ford Explorer posi rear axle I narrowed to fit.

I’ll keep you updated on the progress.