Note details such as the paint lines on the clutch and brake pedals. While these are serviceable and can be cleaned, make note of how much of the pedal is painted and how much is left natural. Photos of details like this will be valuable when it comes time to refurbish the part and reassemble the car.
If you are planning to buy new wiring harnesses, be sure to have a list of all the options your car has such as air-conditioning, factory gauges, power windows, etc. to ensure your supplier can get you the correct harnesses. Use as many of the hundreds of online forums as you can. There are many knowledgeable people on these boards who can help answer your many questions, and you will be able to compare photos of similar cars to yours to help you in the disassembly or assembly process. Gather as many reproduction catalogs for your type of car as you can or use their online catalogs to shop for the best products, prices, and terms.
Repair or Replace List
As you take the car apart, check the pieces and determine if they can be used as is with a little cleanup or if they need to be repaired, rebuilt, or replaced. Separate the must-be-replaced items and make a plan for the timing of when they need to be ordered for installation. When possible, it is always better to repair an item if it can be repaired than to replace it with parts from a donor car or reproduction parts. It is good to remember that these almost 50-year-old cars were not built with the laser and robot precision that cars are built with today. Reproduction parts often are not up to the quality of original parts in fit and finish, so it can take quite a bit of tweaking to get them to fit properly. Aftermarket suppliers do not always have the same quality parts as originals. Even new old stock (NOS) replacement pieces, especially body panels, do not match the fit, finish, and quality of original body panels.
Factory Correct Parts
GM service replacement parts often are not the same as original parts. If General Motors discovers that a part can be serviceable for several years and/or models of GM cars, it will be sold by dealers. Often, tweaking is necessary to get them to fit correctly, and they may or may not have the correct casting number or even the casting date or markings for your specific application. There may have been a production change during the year, such as the 1966 and 1970 hood panels where only the later version is available.
Aftermarket suppliers are becoming more aware of the demand for correctly marked pieces and offer quality reproductions with correct markings, such as engine hoses, fuel lines, etc. One good example for 1970 of aftermarket versus original equipment body panels is this driver-side front fender.
The underside of the early version of the RPO ZL2 hood had different-shaped cutouts and no creases for a crush zone, which would have allowed the front of the hood to buckle on impact and distribute the energy.
The late version of the RPO ZL2 Special Ducted Hood Air system had different cutout shapes on the underside with horizontal creases to create a crush zone. Also note the four cutouts are a new design.
This late version of the underside of a standard SS domed hood had creases for a crush zone and redesigned cutout areas. The change from early to late occurred around the April/May time frame in most plants.
Note different cutout shapes and the horizontal creases to create a crush zone on the underside of this late version of a normal SS domed hood. Assembly plants would continue to use the early version until supplies of the early hood had expired.
This is the location of the two holes used on an original equipment driver-side fender to mount the windshield wiper fluid bottle.
Compare the original equipment driver-side fender with a typical after-market replacement. Not only are the two windshield wiper fluid bottle holes located incorrectly, but the overall bracing structure of the sheet metal itself is vastly different.
Find Discounts on Parts
I contact several different dealers to obtain the best price and terms for parts. Let them know that this is an ongoing project and work out the details beforehand. For example, many dealers offer a 10-percent discount on purchases more than $1,000. Let them know that in all likelihood you will not spend $1,000 on each order but will spend several times that over the coming year. In doing so, many will assign you an account number to ensure you get the discount every time you order regardless of how small.
One very important point I can make is not to always order based on price alone. Shipping costs, lead times, customer service, return policy, and product quality all come into play. Usually, there is a reason someone can offer you the lowest price, and it is not always to your benefit.
Find Work Space and Parts Storage
Set aside a work portion in your garage, barn, pole building, or your basement and ensure it is large enough to accommodate the entire restoration. Workable space and storage to perform the task—and not have it interrupted by garage sales or the family’s bikes, portable basketball hoop, and lawn equipment, etc.—is advisable. All that does is help deter your interest in completing the restoration.
Set up shelves to place items on once they are removed from the car and catalog them. I recommend buying quality zipper-type plastic storage bags in various sizes to accommodate various size parts as well as a permanent marker to label not only the bags but also the parts when applicable. Buying cheap bags does not work here, as they will tear easily, so go with quality heavy-duty ones. Label every bag with the contents, such as “right front fender bolts,” and put them onto a shelf near other bags from similar areas of the car. Never simply put all the bolts in a box or coffee can. It will only come back to haunt you later. String tags also come in very handy. Since I am often doing multiple cars at a time, I am in the habit of putting string tags on many parts, but it can also work well for the home restorer. You may not recognize that left front bumper support or those fuel line clips in six months.
Use plastic bags of various sizes for nuts, bolts, and any number of small parts. Use non-stick tape to keep smaller items together in a group, and use wire and string tags to label larger pieces. The labels will come in very handy in six months when you are ready to reassemble your Chevelle.
Large, portable storage boxes can be used to store larger pieces both before they are refurbished and after while waiting for reassembly. Engine pieces being sent out or stored, such as starter, carburetor, distributor, etc., can be stored in one container, while chassis and suspension pieces can be stored in another. All those plastic bags you’ve filled with small pieces can be stored in the larger boxes so they don’t get lost.
Photograph Everything!
I cannot stress this enough: take photographs, and take a lot
