When it comes to finding a classic ride, there are as many stories about how as there are why. For John Singer, his “how he found his ’69 Chevelle” story was the result of pure luck. “I purchased the car in May 2001 after seeing it parked in a driveway on the opposite side of town,” he says. “I found it purely by coincidence. I had been looking for my mid-life crisis car after finishing four months of cancer treatment and thinking, ‘it’s now or never’. I stopped to check it out, but nobody was home. It looked solid and there were a lot of parts stacked inside the car. I called the owner later that day after I also found the car in a local classifieds magazine with a terrible picture. I went to talk to him and struck a deal that night.”
John definitely has one cool ’69 Chevelle.
John went on to say the person was not the actual owner but was selling it for his boss whose son had purchased the car in 1979. The car was originally sold through a dealer about 50 miles from where John lived in 1969. It was later sold by the original owner in 1979 to someone who flipped it to the third owner with 60,983 on it. That person drove it another 6,500 miles and put it in the body shop. This was in late 1979. There, it received new GM fenders, quarter panels, paint, and vinyl top. “It was never completely put back together and sat until I bought it,” John states.
“When I got it home, it was a little ugly with no shine and partial front grill assembly,” John quips. “I finished the grill, adjusted the bumpers, waxed and buffed it numerous times, and serviced all the mechanicals. The next year I added a 2-1/2 inch dual exhaust, rebuilt the power brake booster, recovered both bucket seats, replaced the carpet, and rebuilt the rear suspension.”
Under the hood and in front of the M21 Muncie is a 396 big-block.
John says his attraction to 1969 Chevelles comes from his first car, which was a 1969 Malibu. That car was fitted with a 350 small-block and a four-speed backed by a posi-filled 10-bolt rear.
In 2009, John decided it was time to give the car an update. He had it repainted and made a few engine upgrades like a hydraulic roller camshaft, roller rockers, Edelbrock Performer RPM manifold with a Performer carburetor, and Hedman headers.
“I recently rebuilt the front suspension and added a fast-ratio steering box, installed Dynamat insulation, and new carpet. Last year I installed a TREMEC TKX five-speed and converted it to LED lighting.
John drives his ’69 Chevelle as often as he can, and it can regularly be seen at local shows as well as larger venues. “I turned 16 in 1969 and had some great times with the height of the car culture. And now when I drive this car, it brings back great memories. But the best part is swapping stories with the great people you meet at the shows and cruise-ins.
Do you want to read about more Home-Built Heroes? All you need to do is click here. If you own a Home-Built Hero, we want to hear about it. Since we started the series, we have received more than a few candidates, but we still want to see more – we can never get enough. If you want to see more cars built by you the readers, 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 chevyhardcore@powerautomedia.com.
