The Chevelle as it looked just before the restoration began.

If there is one thing that is certain, it is that doing a project car takes time — especially if your project is undergoing a proper restoration. Michael Downing knows this as well as anyone, as he is properly restoring his LS5-powered 1970 Chevelle. We first introduced you to Michael’s Chevrolet back in November of 2015.

Since then, Michael and some of his friends have worked diligently to complete the car, and it has definitely come a long way. Michael tells us, “All of the rust is gone, and a lot of the bodywork is done, but we found some issues with the frame that needed attention. It’s been repaired with the help of a frame machine.” Once the frame issues were dealt with and the frame was painted, the front suspension was put together, and the freshly restored 12-bolt rearend and rear suspension were reinstalled.

Fixing the frame was definitely a must do, as the rest of car can’t be completed without a good frame. Michael tells us it took a few different pulls to get things straightened. Speaking of the rest of the car, he tells us that the body was mounted to the frame so fitment could be addressed.

While Michael has definitely gotten a lot of work done since last November, it is evident that he and his friends have a long way to go before reaching completion. Luckily, that doesn’t seem to be deterring the group, especially if you look at the pictures of his progress. We can’t wait to see more updates of his Chevelle, and we’ll be sure to keep you guys posted as to how the car comes together.

Michael is definitely making progress, and we can’t wait to see the next update.

Since we’ve started the Homebuilt Heros segment, we have received a few candidates, but we need more. Send us a few pictures of your car with all of the pertinent information, and we’ll make you Internet famous. You can send your submissions to [email protected].