Race Car Shell: 1965 Chevrolet Chevelle
Up for sale is a potential replica racer by this 1965 Chevrolet Chevelle. It has reached $5,400 by 21 bidders and there is no indicated reserve. It is located in Lompoc, California. They do not have the full VIN listed, nor are there any photos provided of the VIN, but they claim the car is a true, factory 138 code, which designates an SS. The car does not have any miles, which will be discussed further on, but the title is listed as clean. You can find it here on eBay.
It came from the factory with a 4-speed manual and air conditioning. As it sits, it does not have any of that. Not even an engine. You are simply bidding on the shell of a Chevelle. It is equipped with a 12 bolt rear end and 5.13 gears. The exhaust is in the trunk but it doesn’t look to be worthy of putting on an engine that will go into this car, especially if you put a newer engine in. Other things mentioned in the listing are Lakewood traction bars and wheelie bars.
Inside are a pair of Fiberglass bucket seats. The seller says you can add your own power plant and power train and go vintage racing, but looking at this interior, I think a lot more safety modifications need to be made before that can happen. There does not appear to be a roll cage or safety belts. You would also want to mount a fire extinguisher somewhere as well. The days of going racing with this car are probably past without some serious work. It might be best to just cruise with it, looking like it would be great at the track, but never actually doing so.
Then again, there are have been many cars in worse conditions that make the quarter-mile miracle happen all the time. At the current price, it would be a bargain bracket racer if you already have an engine and know how to get a car up to safety standards. Once you do, what would a good name for the car be? A lot of gassers have unique names. While this isn’t quite a gasser, it holds some sort of prominence for straight-line racing and should have a fitting name. Fire away.
Auctions Ending Soon
2006 Ford Mustang Saleen S281 SCBid Now14 hours$15,000
2002 Subaru Impreza WRXBid Now3 days$333
1975 Chevrolet Corvette ConvertibleBid Now3 days$3,000
1964 Ford F-100 Camper CustomBid Now3 days$2,000
2006 Jeep Wrangler SportBid Now5 days$10,500
Comments
This is a car to have fun with on the boulevard! Now that Gen1 small blocks are cheap and plentiful thanks to the LS craze, it wouldn’t break the bank to get it running.
The odds are 50/50 it was a street car that never saw the track. It is destined to be a street car, it doesn’t make financial sense to do otherwise since quality turn key bracket cars can be found for not much more than $10,000, even less if you want a grudge night or T&T bomber.
Steve R
LOL. I love those odds. Cars don’t make financial sense. Emotional sense…yes.
No cage=no track use in this case.
Rip me up steve. Your smart. I’m dumb.
Lol you said it man!
BTW, I take offense to the T&T bomber statement. That was my late mother’s nick name…god rest her soul.
I’d like to know where all of these $10k turn key bracket cars are.
Chevelle projects seem to be doing well right now.
I wonder how this contraption stops with one of the front brake drums MIA…
I can picture the moment this car’s painter got to the door handle and realized he made a terrible mistake.
Fire Away the writer says here.
And I agree. Normally I do not condone criminal acts like Arson.
But in this case………
No, not a gasser…it was one of those “grudge night, lets have some fun cars that got sidelined a while back. Maybe the engine went into a different car, got smoked, whatever. 5.13 gears will get things winding in a big hurry.
No names come to mind, except “Used & Abused”!
This looks like a typical race car from back in the 70’s. I had a 68 Camaro back in the era that had a small block, ran low 11’s and had a 3 pt. bolt in roll bar that I could take out for street racing. small block, 4sp, and 5.13’s sound just about right for that era. Oh, and slapper bars. Good times.
Previously sponsored by Hal’s plumbing supply.
With that”fuel cell” I wouldn’t get out of the electric chair to drive it to the grocery store much less race it.
I like this a lot. Make it safer, nice bumpy cam in a small block. And go crusing.
From the fire roads to the interstate ..
Those aren’t traction bars, they’re ladder bars. Traction bars (a.k.a. slapper bars) are for leaf spring cars, ladder bars are used on coil spring cars.