1970 Chevelle Pro Touring Build

[David LaBuda]

I got the rest of the rest of the interior looking so nice that I had to do something about the door panels. These are the basic PUI unassembled panels because I'd like to design my own eventually. (I know the armrest doesn't line up and it bugs the hell out of me.)





I also finished the front part of the console which houses a double din radio and hides the wires running along the transmission tunnel. The radio is a Pioneer with Apple CarPlay and a very minimalist design. The slim design of the display matches the Speedhut gauges really well. I added LED footwell lights that are tied into the dome light circuit as well. I had used the same method to add lights to my Silverado and I think they make a huge difference in the perceived "quality" of a vehicle's interior. You may also noticed that I dealt with the poorly fitting carpet. I glued non-backed carpet to the sides of the tunnel and it tucks under the console/floor carpet. The formed carpet is trimmed along the base of the tunnel though it needs some sort of welting sewn to the edge.

[David LaBuda]

I moved all of my photos to imgbb.com so now I need to relink all the pictures. It's going to take me a while so if someone wants to see a specific post let me know and I'll go back fix it quick.

[David LaBuda]

Alright, I finally got all of the pictures updated. I started active duty at the end of July so it'll be a little while before can get more work done on the Chevelle. The next project will likely be upgrading the front brakes with 4 or 6 piston Brembo takeoffs and larger wheels/tires. I'll try to be better about posting pictures when I start on that.

[USAZR1]

Dave, you going to be around for Goodguys?

[Deserttaco]

David, Just want to thank you for taking the time to update all of the links. This is probably one of my favorite builds, and I use your build as inspiration for mine.

[md79ta]

Incredible work! Thanks for sharing!

[David LaBuda]

Thanks for the kind words, y'all. I've learned so much from the forums so I'm happy I can give something back.

Dave, you going to be around for Goodguys?

I'm stationed in Ohio so unfortunately I won't be at the Lone Star Nationals. I'm going to try to make it to the Columbus Goodguys and LS Fest though.

[gator68428]

Wow! amazing. Love to see these types of builds.

[Shortacus]

Amazing build just read the whole 8 pages! Makes me see where I'm heading with my 67 chevelle. Thanks for the good read!

[ryeguy2006a]

Wow, very nicely done and your car turned out fantastic. I think I have made my decision on painting the car now vs. spraying some epoxy. Very sinister look.

Question: What brand did you use for the switch back marker lights? I want to do that exact same thing for my lower RS turn signals.

[David LaBuda]

Wow, very nicely done and your car turned out fantastic. I think I have made my decision on painting the car now vs. spraying some epoxy. Very sinister look.

Question: What brand did you use for the switch back marker lights? I want to do that exact same thing for my lower RS turn signals.

I can't remember if I ordered them from ebay or amazon but I'm pretty sure they came directly from China. superbrightleds.com sells some as well that may be a little higher quality but mine have lasted so far. There are two types of switchback so make sure you order the one you want. One type simply flashes white and amber when the signal is on and the other (the type I have) turns off the white light and then flashes the amber on and off like a new Audi with LED DRLs.

[David LaBuda]

I realized I never posted an update about the changes I made this summer. The LS1 Camaro brakes had been a bit underwhelming and I had been considering CTS-V Brembos for a while. However, with the manual master cylinder setup, I was advised late model calipers do not have enough piston surface area to be effective. Wilwood sells a caliper upgrade kit for C5/C6 Corvettes which allows you to run an Aero6 caliper with stock C6 Z06 rotors. I figured since adapters allow you to run stock Corvette calipers on a Chevelle, they'd work for the Aero calipers as well.

I needed new adapter plates, as mine were designed for f-body calipers. The new plates had to be trimmed a bit to clear the Wilwood caliper adapters. Besides that, everything fit together fine.








The big brakes meant my 17" wheels wouldn't fit anymore. I couldn't justify spending over $3000 on wheels for a car with ruined primer so I went with C7 Z06 replica wheels. All four are 18x10.5 and required adapters to fit. Rear tires are 295/40/18 and the fronts are 285/35/18. I would have preferred the 295s on the front as well but I ran into sway bar clearance issues. I need to switch to a splined sway bar to gain more clearance.




The Chevelle has a bit of a "murdered out" look with the black wheels now, but that isn't the goal. My plan is to paint the Chevelle white eventually with satin black trim and stripes.

[JustJohn]

Interested in seeing what you do with the "crooked" armrests. I'm trying to come up with a solution this winter.

[David LaBuda]

Interested in seeing what you do with the "crooked" armrests. I'm trying to come up with a solution this winter.

It'll probably take re-drilling the holes in the sheet metal. My doors are repops so I'm sure most of the predrilled holes are off.

[SRD art]

Sweet! It looked good before but I really like this new more aggressive styling. I did the same with my car, went from the 17" olds school 5 star and now have 18" more Pro Touring styled wheels. It really changes the visual feel of the car for the better in my opinion.

When you get closer to paint, if you'll be in the market for a rendering to work it out let me know, I'd love to give you a bid. Click HERE for my FB page to see some samples.

Looking forward to hearing how much of a difference the brakes made. I've also been running the LS1 brakes on my car and have been considering an upgrade.

Keep up the good work!

[ryeguy2006a]

Looking great man! I'm curious how the vinyl dye holding up? I'm seriously considering that for my front seats. They are in good shape, but I don't want to spend a bunch more on new seats right now.

[David LaBuda]

Looking great man! I'm curious how the vinyl dye holding up? I'm seriously considering that for my front seats. They are in good shape, but I don't want to spend a bunch more on new seats right now.

I only used the dye on the back seats and it's holding up well. I'm not sure how well it would hold up on front seats that get more wear and tear though. Good prep is key.

[chuckd71]

What size adapters did you use for the wheels? I was looking at a set of takeoffs but wasn't sure about fitment

[David LaBuda]

What size adapters did you use for the wheels? I was looking at a set of takeoffs but wasn't sure about fitment

Front and rear adapters are 42mm. I'll post the link for the wheels so you can see the backspacing specs.

https://www.oewheelsllc.com/18-Fits-...-Black-18x10-5

[Motown 454]

The wheels look good on there.