1964 Impala * Bill Duke * Jefferson City, MO
Though Bill Duke doesn't claim to be a professional car restorer, he's been through a good number cars. The car that started it all was a '70 Nova he got when he was 15. It had several layers of paint on it, some of those layers even brushed on. Fixing up that car helped Bill get ready to tackle his newest project. Bill bought this '64 Impala SS at an auction. It has all the original goodies and shiny paint, but needs some major adjustments. He and his brothers like to work on these cars together, and currently they have half a dozen in progress.
| By The Numbers |
| Engine: | 327ci small-block Chevy |
| Transmission: | Muncie four-speed |
| Brakes: | SSBC discs |
| Interior: | factory tach option |
| Options: | power everything |
| Body: | all-original with Cherry Red paint |
| Wheels: | chrome Cragars (15-inch) |
1963 Corvette * Roger Farris * Hazelwood, MO
Roger Farris bought this Corvette from his best friend's widow. This `Vette was facing life at the local pick-n-pull until Roger swooped in to save it. "The main reason I bought it was because I saw potential. I had some good ideas that will make the Corvette enthusiasts really hate me," Roger writes. In his eyes, he couldn't do anything worse to it than what its destiny was before he intervened. It took Roger 20 years to build it because he was going though a tough divorce, and raising his daughter by himself. His goal was to have it done by his 50th birthday and he's nearly there. He says it's well worth the 20-year wait.
| By The Numbers |
| Engine: | 355ci small-block Chevy |
| Transmission: | Muncie four-speed |
| Suspension: | 3-inch lowering springs |
| Brakes: | SSBC disc |
| Rear: | 8.2-inch GM 10-bolt with 3.07 gears |
| Wheels: | Weld Flames (15-inch) |
| Tires: | Firestone 205/60R15, 275/60R15 |
1968 Chevelle * Kevin Hudgins * Fort Gratiot, MI
Typically, one's first project car is relatively simple. Normally that means an engine swap and some sheetmetal work to get your feet wet in the restoration and customization world. Kevin Hudgins didn't approach his first project car that way. He wanted a radical corner carver that was unbreakable. He started by building a quarter-scale frame for torsion testing, to make sure he had it right. Talk about diving into the deep end first! The frame consists of 2-by-2-inch tubing that's TIG welded and gusseted at every joint. The original plan was to just push the engine back a little, and that made Kevin relocate the firewall, which meant the floor needed to be cut out, and so on.
| By The Numbers |
| Engine: | 408-inch small-block Chevy |
| Transmission: | Turbo 400 |
| Suspension: | C6 Corvette |
| Chassis: | owner-built tubular frame |
| Brakes: | 12-inch Corvette |
| Rear: | Moser 9-inch with 4.11 gears and posi |
| Years owned: | 17 |