Jeff Howe’s 1965 Chevelle represents the perfect hot rodder story. Dad is into Corvairs, Jeff helps work on them from the time he’s 7, and the rest is history. In 1995 Jeff buys the Chevelle from a guy in La Verne for $800, who had plans to turn it into a race car but realized he had neither the time or money to actually pull it off. Don’t we all feel his pain. And so began Jeff and his Dad’s first restoration, on Jeff’s first car, this non-running, but complete, 1965 Chevelle. What they built is a clean, cool, daily driver hot rod, that anyone would be happy to own.

(Use the link at the bottom of the page to view even more photos of Jeff’s 1965 Chevelle SS.)

Laid out on Air Ride, this little Chevelle just screams sexy.

When they got the car home and started working on it, the realization that the engine was seized quickly set in. Luckily Jeff’s buddy Neil Neilson, with Engine Dynamics in Baldwin Park, was able to put together a 350 Jeff and his dad pulled from his dad’s 1975 El Camino.Because Jeff was on a shoestring budget, that meant a check and hone, a set of TRW flat-top pistons, new rings and bearings, but all the original crank, rods, iron heads, etc. It’s got an Erson TQ 20 Cam in it, and an Edelbrock Performer intake and stock Q-Jet top it off. Considering the fact that it probably only makes 300 horsepower with 8.5:1 compression, the little small block sounds pretty bitchin through Hedman shorty headers and 2.5 inch dual exhaust with 2 chamber Flowmasters by Butch at Mufflerville in Baldwin Park. The engine had 170k miles on it when they did the rebuild, and he’s put over 150,000 miles since Jeff and his Dad finished the car.

The 350 cubic inch small block isn’t a screamer, but it’s enough to have fun. Jeff has been collecting parts for a 406 build, and we’re pushing him to get started on it so we can help.

One of the funnier parts in the car is actually the input shaft in the original Powerglide transmission. When I asked Jeff for specs on the car he told me it had a Hughes Billet Input Shaft in it, along with a reworked 2200 stall converter, and 5 clutch pack upgrade with a shift kit. “A billet input shaft? In that thing?” I asked. “That’s a story itself!” says Jeff  “When we built the thing we had an extra clutch in it and added some stall to it and that was it. After 10 years of driving it hard, I was hammering on it getting on the freeway and when it went to shift into second it went bang and then ZING! The engine revved to the moon, because it had broken the input shaft. A call to Hughes got a new one and now it’s all good. I figured if we were putting on in it anyway, and I had plans for a built 406 to replace the 350, so I might as well upgrade the thing. The price was too good not to!”

That’s awesome.

It’s a real SS car. Original console, bucket seats, and all. And check him out still rocking the Glide.

Out back the Chevelle is equipped with the factory 10 bolt, but it’s been upgraded with Strange Pro-Race Axles, a C-Clip Eliminator kit, and a GM Posi Unit with 3.36 gears which make it the cruise. Because Jeff wanted to stuff more tire under it, and the early Chevelles are tight on space without custom backspacing and such, Jeff narrowed the rear end 1.25 inches on each side. He tells us that is as narrow as you can go without getting into the factory lower trailing arm mounts, so that’s how far they went.

We’re pretty sure that most folks who get this view speed up to get a better look.

The one year only 1965 front end is one of our favorites.

The suspension on the Chevelle is a mix of parts from a couple different manufacturers. Up front Ridetech lower control arms and shockwaves get the nose down low thanks to the air ride and 2″ drop spindles. A 1.25 inch sway bar up front helps keep the Chevelle level in the turns. Out back Hotchkis adjustable upper arms, lower arms, a 1″ sway bar, and support braces. Ridetech air springs, shocks, and brackets take care of the stance out back, which is why this car sits so nice when laid out. We dig it. The entire air suspension is controlled by Ridetech 3/8 inch valves and is plumbed as a front and back only, two-way system currently, although Jeff hopes to upgrade to one of Ridetech’s e3 electronic 4 way systems in the future.

Ridetech Shockwaves and Lower Control arms work in conjunction with stock uppers and a bigger swaybar to make the Chevelle handle better than ever.

Of course all the great suspension in the world can’t make a car with ugly wheels look good, so Jeff chose American Racing Torq Thrusts. The 17″ wheels still feel like hot rod sizes, and leave enough side wall to be cool. And while most folks seem to choose fully polished or chrome lately, Jeff went with our favorite, grey centers and polished outers. They look perfect on this Chevelle.

The grey center American Racing Torq Thrusts do it for us. Especially on a car that hammers the tire up into the fender this hard thanks to Air Ride.

Inside the Chevelle is pretty much stock, thanks to a new reproduction interior. It still has the original tissue dispenser, but an Autometer Tach replaces the original, and a Grant wheel makes it more comfortable to cruise.

A completely new reproduction interior was part of the restoration, and makes for a super comfortable place to cruise.

When Jeff is in the mood for some “spirited” driving, the Grant wheel makes it easier to get around corners, while the Autometer Tach keeps an eye on the revs from the little small block.

When we saw Jeff Howe’s cool 1965 Chevelle at the Goodguys Show in Del Mar a few months ago, we thought it was a bitchin looking ride, but when I read his name an info off while announcing the autocross, I realized he’s practically my neighbor. Despite living within a couple miles of each other we had never met, nor had I seen the Chevelle cruising around town, which seems incredibly strange considering the 154,000 miles that he’s put on it since building it!

That’s a hot rod.

It has served as Jeff’s daily driver, was the catalyst for meeting his wife Tasha (Who is a car freak herself, and knows her stuff.), and raced at Pomona for every Street Legal drags they held until that program got cancelled. He now autocrosses the car at the shows he attends, and just enjoys cruising it. Who wouldn’t? It even get’s 17 mpg and runs on cheap gas!

When I sent this photo to Jeff as a teaser, he just about lost his mind. Wait until he sees the rest. Wife Tasha is riding shotgun, and says she loves the Chevelle almost as much as Jeff.

When we asked Jeff what the response was when he’s out driving the Chevelle, he told us “I’ve been driving it so long I’m oblivious to it, but when some friend or co-worker is with me they ask if I know someone who’s waiving or giving you the thumbs up. I have to tell them that it’s just what car people do, even when you don’t know the guy driving the cool car. All the ‘I used to have one’ stories are great too. Like when you are at the gas station or something. I drive it to work every Friday, and as often as possible on the weekends. It’s not perfect, but it’s my driver, and I built it with my dad.”

When I asked Jeff what color red this was he told me it’s just pure red. No nothing else, just pure GM red. No flake, no pearl, no metallic. Just red.

BS: “Speaking of your dad, what does he think of the car now?” we asked.

JH: “He loves it, but is old school so he doesn’t dig the bags. He does have his own ’64 now though. A neighbor sold it to him and it turns out the guy was the original owner. It had been parked in a garage for years, and had only been painted one time. Otherwise everything but the battery and alternator were original. He bought it to fix it up for my sister, but she never ended up getting it because she didn’t take care of the car he gave her as a test. Dad restored the entire car with a new 350 and then put a 396 in it. Made it look like GM would have done a Z16 in 1964 instead of ’65.”

BS: “So this project with your dad inspired him to build his own Chevelle. That’s pretty cool.”

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