Unable to find a second-gen Camaro, Rod located and purchased this 1966 Chevrolet Malibu off Ebay.

Rodney Kueffer is no stranger to musclecars, and even includes his daughter, Ali, in the hobby. Rod became a single dad when Ali was just 6-months-old, and to be the perfect dad, his hot rod passion was placed on hiatus. That was many years ago, and now at age 25, Ali told her dad how much she enjoyed all the time they spent cruising when she was younger, and now she felt he needed to build a car to make new memories.

This California-sourced Malibu was originally powered by a 283ci small-block, with a Powerglide, and came with power steering, bucket seats, floor shift, and a console.

To begin the project, Rod found this ’66 Chevelle on Ebay. Since it was located in California, expectations were high. However, when the car arrived in Missouri, in June 2015, the initial inspection showed it had problems, especially around the front and back glass. He thought of having a shop build the car so he could get it on the road quickly, then decided to do it himself. Ali took a real interest in building the car, frequently showing up and checking on the progress. She was involved in many decisions to make the Malibu enjoyable to drive.

Rod asked his close friend, Dave Fischer, to help with the bodywork.

A couple of weeks into the project, Rod fell and broke a bone in his right arm, and spent the next seven months recovering from his injury. During this healing period, he made build plans, a budget, and listed some requirements that were a must. For starters, it had to have a big-inch big-block with aluminum heads and roller cam. Also, driving the car needed to be simple, so Ali can jump in and drive off with ease.

Rod asked his close friend, Dave Fischer, to help with the bodywork, since Rod had never done a frame off restoration. Together they jumped in and are responsible for all the work you see here. The rear body mounts were relocated to accommodate the wheel tubs that make room for the 295-series tires. Rod also shaved all the emblems on the body except the Chevelle on the grill.

The suspension features QA1 coilover shocks, Fatman G Tech tubular control arms, 2-inch drop spindles, tubular rear control arms, and a Quick Performance 9-inch rearend. A Unisteer power-assissted rack-and-pinion, hydroboost brake booster, and big brakes will defintely aid in performance. The interior received  air conditioning, a tilt column, cruise control, power windows and locks. The keyless start and entry, security system, and Recaro seats round out an extensive option list.

When the Chevelle is completed, Rod and Ali are planning a father/daughter road trip down Route 66, going all the way to the southern edge of the Grand Canyon. We hope they send us pictures.

After putting on all the finishing touches, Rod’s 1966 Chevelle will definitely turn heads everywhere it goes.

Do you want to read about other Reader’s Hardcore Projects? All you need to do is click here. If you’re working on a project, we want to hear about it. Since we’ve started the Hardcore Project series, we have received more than a few candidates, but we still want to see more, as we can never get enough. Send us a few pictures of your car showing the engine, interior, and exterior, along with all of the pertinent information, and we’ll make you Internet famous. You can send your submissions to [email protected].