A 1965 Chevy Chevelle That "Outshines" Them All

Mark C. Bach

 

Sometimes you see a car and go hmmm. You know it looks different but can't quite place what it is. Well that is what often happens when folks see this "1965" Chevrolet Chevelle.

The Chevelle lineup originally came out in 1964 and was slated to fit in between the Chevy II and the full size lines. The 1965 model offered just some minor tweaks including a V shaped front grill and bigger taillights. The 1965 Chevelle's came from Detroit in four models, with a Malibu SS being the top of the line.

But what makes this 1965 Chevelle visually different is being graced with a 1967 roof. That allows for the scalloped roof line that was so magical on the 1967 Chevelle. The owners took it to the Mike Goldman Customs shop in Mississippi and said have at it. And boy did they.

Changing out that roof took a ton of work. But they didn't stop there with the mods. The front and rear bumpers were custom made to tuck in nice and tight. Of course with a new roofline all the side glass had to be modded too. Plus the trunk had to be shaped to fit in. So one "simple" mod of a roof leads to a ton of extra changes to make it look this good. The wheel wells were adjusted for a more sculpted look. In fact the builder claims the only thing NOT changed on the car were the door hinges!

When you make these many changes to a car you know the power plant had to be changed as well. They slipped in a LS7 motor capable of 900 Horsepower thanks to the 2.8 liter Whipple supercharger. They swapped in a Tremec T56 transmission and used an Art Morrison chassis to hold everything together. Those rims were inspired by the stock hubcaps for a finishing look. They used Ride Tech shocks and a Detroit Speed rack and pinion steering unit. They opted for a four link rear end suspension to keep things right for the road.

This blue bomb didn't just catch my eye. I previously noted (Classic Car Round-Up, March 2020 issue) that it won the Goodguys Rod and Custom Muscle Machine Car of the Year Award. It also was a Great Eight Ridler finalist at the 2019 Detroit Show. And while sitting at the Axalta paint booth at last year's SEMA Show it was selected by the folks at Mother's Polish for their Shine Award. Each year (for the last 19 SEMA Shows) judges check out all the cars and trucks on display at SEMA and select one wonderful hunk of metal to get the coveted Mother's Shine Award. Ironically this could be considered the car's homecoming as the owners bought it from a dealer in Las Vegas, NV.

So you'll be seeing more of this car in Mother's promotions and at various car shows on the circuit. But for now you can glance at these shots of an awesome three year build.