From Hand Me Down to Jaw Dropper - Matt Grant’s 1969 Chevelle

Many people throw around the saying, “That car has some history to it.” Sometimes the saying is true, maybe it was an old race car, and sometimes they say it just because it is old. When it comes to Matt’s 1969 Chevelle, this saying could not be more true, and this Chevelle is steeped in family history. It began life with Matt's grandparents, who bought it brand new in 1969 for just over $3,300. Good luck finding the shell of a muscle car nowadays for $3,300! For years, the Chevelle was Matt’s grandparent’s daily driver, taking it for groceries or on road trips. Once Matt’s mother and sisters could drive, it was passed down to them. After the last of Matt’s aunts were done with the car, it was given back to Matt’s Grandparents. By this time, the Chevelle was past its glory days and could use some love. The car sat for a while, as no one wanted it in the rough condition it was in, until Matt’s father decided it would be a good project. Matt was twelve when he and his father went to get the car. Matt thought it would be a perfect candidate for a demolition derby car. Taking it to a demolition derby was a fun idea, but Matt’s father knew this car needed to be revived. After a closer look at the car, they discovered the body was in decent shape but needed some paint. The engine was a 307 that was beaten up and tired after hard use over the years. Matt’s father started the project off by getting a paint job on the car, making it driveable for the time being. After a few years, Matt was now fifteen and eager to get back to the Chevelle. Doing something with the worn-out 307 was the next logical step in the process. Similar to many car guys, Matt's father was a hardcore purist at the time and wanted to ensure the original numbers matching engine was kept in the car. Being a good son, Matt agreed, and began rebuilding the small 307. The urge to do something unique and new with the car never left Matt.

Years later, he could not hold back anymore, he knew he wanted to make a Chevelle like no other, one that would stand out from all other Chevelle’s. That is when Matt began the journey that led him to the Chevelle you see now. There have been countless versions of this car, with numerous details being changed, but no version has been as jaw-dropping as the current version. Matt kept some of that 307 nostalgia by dropping another small block into the car. By no means is this a sad and weak 307, no way. It is a gas-guzzling, power-hungry, tire burning, 454. The engine started off life as a MoTown block that was bored out to 454, and to give it that chest-thumping idle, it has a big Comp Cam in it. Acting like the cherry on top is an Edelbrock Super Victor manifold sitting on some AFR 235 heads. This small block does not make small horsepower, it makes a monstrous 700hp at the motor and 580hp at the wheels.

Matt drives the hell out of this car and is not afraid to let all those horses loose and burn off some tires. Speaking of wheels and tires, the car has a set of Forgeline ZX3P Custom 3-piece wheels. 19 x 9’s upfront and a set of 20 x 11’s in the rear, wrapped in a 305-cooper tire. When Matt got the wheels, he ran into a problem with his built GM 12 bolt rear end, where his tires rubbed the rear quarters. With the car already painted and knowing he did not want to change the lines of the car or the wheels, Matt simply took out the rear end, and narrowed it by two inches. Matt has a set of 373 gears with a Posi in the rear end to ensure both tires get an equal amount of love when he steps on it. Connecting the power to the rear end is a fully built GM 200 4R transmission with overdrive. Matt says this car cruises beautifully on the PCH with overdrive. To add to the driveability of the car, Matt went with QA1 coil-over suspension with tubular arms in the front, and a four-link in the rear. Making the horsepower of the car seem tame when driving down the road. A set of wildwood brakes was necessary to make sure Matt could stop the car after he has some fun. The sound of this Chevelle is thanks to a three-inch X-pipe exhaust that signs through a set of flow master mufflers, creating a symphony of sounds that any car guy would put on repeat.

To those poking around the exterior of the car, it may just look like any other Chevelle, but there are so many subtle details that Matt added to make this Chevelle stand out. Starting off with the trim of the car. All the trim on the car is either shaved down/off or painted gloss black. Matt wanted no chrome or stainless steel on the car to draw even more attention to the immaculate paint job. An impressive detail that most people would not notice about the trim, is that the taillight bezel is off a Chevelle 300 Deluxe. These taillight bezels add yet another unique design aspect to the car, as they have a slightly different profile to the stock taillight bezels. For those keen viewers, you may have also noticed that the bumpers, as well as the front grill are not stock. The front and rear bumpers are custom-made from fibreglass to better accentuate the lines of the car. The front grille of the car is a custom-built billet grille, again painted gloss black to complement the colour of the car.

Finally, the eye-catching colour that glistens like a thousand fine diamonds in the sun. The unique red colour is a factory Lexus colour skew, known as Matador Red. Matt added an extra gold flake in the base coat to make it pop in the sun. To give the colour extra depth, Matt let the base coats dry for a week, block sanded the whole car, and then cleared the whole car.

Now moving to the one-off interior, which features many updated features that give the interior a new school feel that still matches the old-school design of the Chevelle. There are two key features that set the interior apart. This includes the dashboard and seats. The dash is out of a 2015 Camaro that Matt painstakingly moulded into the car. Heater vents that are usually prominent in the center of the dash have been removed and replaced with gauges. The dash is even connected to Matt because he works at a body shop, and one day a wrecked 2015 Camaro came into the shop for repairs. Matt noticed the dash and thought a modern dash would completely change the interior of the car greatly. He asked for permission to use the dash, which was granted and bam a 1969 Chevelle with a 2015 Camaro dash. Even the steering wheel attached to the dash is a cool 4-piece billet steering wheel, which adds a nice punch to the interior when you open the door. The interior features a set of Sport-Comp seats out of a 2017 Corvette Z06 with the back plastic remolded. Matt was able to scoop up the seats for $2,500. The leather was replaced with carbon fibre vinyl, that is used throughout the interior. It is on the custom door panels, and custom center console. Tying the whole interior together is a full roll cage that Matt added because the car goes low 10’s in the quarter mile! To top it off, Matt’s Chevelle has a sound system that could rattle the fillings right out of your teeth. The sound system features JL audio digital amps, morel component speakers front and rear, as well as JL audio 12w6 subs in a custom-built and paint-matched enclosure in the trunk. Talk about a setup that will make a grown man dance.

This Chevelle has been in the family since new and Matt intends to keep it in the family for generations with plans to pass it down to his son. This Chevelle has brought happiness to countless people in Matt’s family. Now it brings happiness to countless people who have the pleasure of seeing it on the road. This Chevelle has had more lives than a cat and will continue to live on for many years to come.

Thank you Matt for being a humble down to earth dude. Matt was super easy to work with. He took time out of his busy day to give me a large list of details about his Chevelle.

Photos from: @itsjustbrian and @hunterswift

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