If you owned a restoration parts company, what would you drive?
One of the great things about being a part of musclecar enthusiast‘s editorial team is that it gives us a chance each November to roam the acres and acres of displays at the Las Vegas Convention Center for the annual SEMA aftermarket industry trade show. The cars are spectacular, especially the restified and resto-mod cars, many of them musclecars that have been updated with modern drivetrain components and whose exteriors have a contemporary look about them; some even look as if there was a continuous evolution of ‘60s style through to the present day.
"The condition of the car was a complete mess, so we had a groovin' blank canvas to start with... The decision of which way to go was easy, we just followed the factory vibe and restored it back to its original showroom glory."
- Dave Leonard, OPGI Owner
On the first day of the 2006 show, while making our way to the mammoth GM exhibit, we saw a turquoise 1966 Chevelle that was “just right” to our eyes and we promised ourselves to double back as soon as were done to get a better look. A half hour later we were back and talked with Tony Genty, chief of operations of the Original Parts Group, Incorporated (OPGI), a company that anyone who has ever restored a GM A-body musclecar probably has more than a passing familiarity with.
“This is a special car,” says Genty. “The car was purchased in the San Diego area after we received a phone call from a lady stating she was selling a SS396 Chevelle hardtop. We dispatched James Ferguson, our assistant sales manager; down to look at the car and after confirming that it was a real SS396, but very rough, he offered her $2400 and she quickly accepted it."
In talking with Genty during our photo shoot, he said that when the car was broken apart for the restoration no build sheets were recovered but it was obviously a very heavily optioned car. When we see cars where virtually every available option is ticked off, there‘s always the chance that it was built for an executive but without the necessary paper trail, it‘s something that simply can‘t be confirmed. Among the factory installed options, this Chevelle is equipped with power windows, brakes and steering, air conditioning, tach, gauges, and power seats (which were missing at the time the car was purchased, but Genty noted that the proper brackets were still in place.)
When it came time to rebuild the rather rough Chevelle, Genty had the advantage of dipping into OPGI‘s industry-leading 600-plus page 1964 to 1977 Chevelle and El Camino catalog, which serves the purpose of showcasing the entire inventory residing in their 90,000 square foot warehouse. The frame-off restoration was performed by J&H Restorations in Riverside, California. After looking at all the factory color options, Tony and OPGI‘s owner Dave Leonard decided that the color combination of Artesian Turquoise with two-tone Turquoise interior was of the best that GM offered in 1966 and this was the final choice.
While it‘s obvious that virtually no expense was spared to make the Chevelle as close to perfect as possible, Genty noted that the process was very similar to what their customers‘ experience. “With the age of the cars and the miles they have accumulated,” says Genty, “most of these types of cars need to be completely taken apart and restored. We used all the parts that are in our catalog, to make this car look new again, the same parts our customers are buying.”
Under the hood, the look is “stock” but as is almost always the case, the engine is a bit more tuned than when it rolled off the assembly line. The 396 cubic inch, 360-horsepower motor was built by James Ferguson to original specs except for a few modern upgrades like MSD ignition, Milodon oil system, Comp Cams hydraulic roller cam (set to factory specifications) and an NOS factory Holley carburetor tuned by SMI of Huntington Beach, California. It all makes the OPGI Chevelle an exceptional driver. The engine has been mated to a TH200-4R 4-speed overdrive automatic transmission. This is such a common upgrade that OPGI even offers a 4-speed lenses for the console for both the TH200-4R and TH700-R4 transmissions for Chevelles from 1966 through 1972. The rear axle is a 12-bolt Positraction with 3.73:1 gears from Diffworks.
For the suspension, Genty and OPGI used the restoration as an opportunity to install their one-inch lowering coil springs. The car was a factory power drum brake car, and they kept it that way so they could use the stock 14x6 steel wheels, which are painted body color and trimmed in dog dish SS-correct hub caps. Firestone Redline F70x14 are the perfect finish.
“The first goal of this restoration was to restore a car that is very desirable and valuable. We also wanted to show all the parts we offer and how they fit. And as you noted, we didn't want to over restore the car; we wanted that car to look like it was purchased in 1966.”
- Tony Genty, C.O.O.
At the SEMA show, what struck us was the absolute authentic look of the car, Genty going in, what were the goals of the restoration. “The first goal of this restoration was to restore a car that is very desirable and valuable. We also wanted to show all the parts we offer and how they fit. And as you noted, we didn‘t want to over restore the car; we wanted the car to look like it was purchased in 1966.”
In a separate conversation with OPGI‘s Leonard, he explained his rationale. “Our thoughts, when we first acquired the car, were to do a complete frame-off restoration for our 2006 SEMA Show booth,” he said. “The condition of the car was a complete mess, so we had a groovin‘ blank canvas to start with. Being an original 360-horsepower big-block, it had some cool factory upgrades like a forged alloy crank and dual exhausts. The decision of which way to go was easy, we just followed the factory vibe and restored it back to its original showroom glory. ‘This restoration is unbelievable‘ I said to myself as I circled the car several times. This is the Nobel Prize of car restorations. Joel and his crew at J&H left no stone unturned. Everything fits and operates as it should, faithful to the original factory specifications. Everything, and I do mean everything, was perfectly installed. Weathership seals are airtight; the trunk closes as if it just came off the factory assembly line. Dash and interior are dazzling, engine and drivetrain impeccable. That kind of attention to detail is unusual and hard to come by. I could not have been more pleased with the outcome.”
Having done our own walk-around twice, at the SEMA Show and at OPGI‘s HQ for our photo shoot, we couldn‘t agree more. This is a car that and of us would be happy to have parked in our garage. Not bad for a company car.