Chevelle Restoration - Part 7
Can we talk talk about wheels? I've been dying to talk about wheels, the fundamental invention of modern transport. Notably the the 255/70R14 BFGoodrich that, after much extensive deliberation and deep discussion, were decided were the most appropriate tyres for the 1969 Chevelle.
Can we talk about them, please?
After my falling in love with this particular tyre size for the '69, we had to have the wheel rims widened, which is yet another invaluable tidbit of knowledge gained through this project, that you can in fact cut a wheel rim in half and widen it. Can we PLEASE talk about 16" rims for a 1969 Chevelle that have been widened to fit a 255/70R14 BFGoodrich?
After much consultation with AI and real life experts, it was decided that these tyres would be the perfect fit for the capacious fenders of the Chevelle, and after the wheel experts had widened the rims, fitted the tyres and all the ancillary balancing and painting, these beauties were ready to be slapped on!
And what beauties they are!
After all the fussing about of sourcing tyres, adjusting rim widths, but mostly shopping, our resident strongboi Herman agreed to ceremoniously fit them to the car.
The wheels really have brought the car to life, visually at least!
Of course we had more important, but decidedly less rewarding work of spraying the engine bay, and yet again installing the engine. After some serious bouts of deja vu, I've come to the conclusion that Herman should always be present when working on this project, because there is certainly more of things going into the car than being removed from the car when he's around.
So after lowering the engine into what I pray to the petrolhead gods will be its final resting place, we got busy mounting engines and gearboxes and cross members and all manner of heavy, sharp and dirty chunks of metal that can only be accessed through incredibly intimate and close proximity to the Earth.
Even after hours of Dr Mike's lamentations of ineffective weightlifting techniques, I can't help but feel that Herman felt somewhat unprepared for the reverse triceps gearbox bell housing twist.
The gearbox bell housing in question:
What with the engine and gearbox mounted, freshly painted rims and beautiful new tyres, I'm pretty happy with the way the car looks at the moment.
With an Emma for scale:
And of course, the engineering crew:
The rest of the day really devolved into an unruly, yet necessary, extravaganza of destruction - albeit with better tools this time!
Step 1, chisel:
Step 2, sledgehammer:
Step 3, gwala:
Step 4, gwala (again):
Step 5, Herman's bare hands:
Step 6, sledgehammer (again):
This is where I compose a profound conclusion on how vintage muscle car restoration is symbolic of the burden shouldered by the primacy of the millennial experience in a world wracked by competing truths and the ambiguity of the zeitgeist. The retreat of modern and then post modern thought back into artefacts of a cold war era reminiscent of that one small step for a man.
But I wont do any of that. Can we just talk about wheels?