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The gold (soon to be silver) SS goes under the knife


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Well the process to restore this SS back to its original glory has begun.  Last week I pulled the motor, stripped the engine compartment and stripped the interior out of the car preparing it to go to the body shop.  Will post more pictures as the body work progresses.

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Hi Steve, Very nice clean car to start on....! When you say Bring her back to her original glory, is that hypothetically or as close to what a 4spd ss car would or could have been ? Also very special to note the sill plate area's inside the doors, That blacked off area is Very Specific to our cars. There are guys who are trying to replicate that area as it was forgotten to be documented and repeated during a resto, as thats a detail area.... your back seat area is very clean, and she looks to be a AC car as well. Sounds like you are going Cortez Silver rather than Placer Gold ?

I will watch for pictures on this build for sure.......

 

Darren

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I was thinking the same thing as Darren regarding the black painted rocker panel and sill plate areas.  You are lucky you have pictures of it and are able to now tell the body/paint shop to duplicate.   I don't think you could find a car with much cleaner interior floorboards.  

rob

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Well the guy I bought it from said he thought it was originally Cortez silver but I have since learned it is it's original color.  That said, when I am finished with it, it will be a different car.  I plan to leave it as a 4 speed (even though I have the numbers matching TH400).  I will also be adding a few things the car did not have originally.  Although it is a decently optioned (vigilite system, tilt wheel, lighting package, cloth bucket seats with console) SS with a numbers matching 454 it is also lacking a few options I want.  It does not currently have the gauge package, I will definitely be adding that.  I also plan to add power door locks with the power seat back releases, power windows, rear defogger, power drivers seat.

 

So when I say I am returning it to it's "original glory", I mean the glory it should have had :rofl: 

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Great starting point!!! Like you, I took some liberties on my numbers matching 71 SS454. I also added power windows, door locks, and the gauge cluster......oh, and about twice the horsepower....lol. 

 

Keep the pics coming!!!

 

Steve

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Steve,

Eveyone spending the money to restore these cars ultimately wants what they want in the end. Its called “artistic license”. Stock is nice & respected but not what I was looking for either. My SS454 is a complete numbers matching car, 3 build sheets etc.

 

However, as you did, I made it mine. I built the car as a memory of my dad based on a comment he made to his oncologist before passing. It was regarding a triple black Monte I had in college and the work I did on it. I switched the color on this one to black so it reminds me of my dad every time I get in it. I modified the entire driveline but I also wanted a car that handled well. My car now sports a full top of the line pro-touring suspension from control arms, springs, body braces, Curry billet four link, Hellwig Swaybars and a complete set of Vari-shock doubles. Also added a Glasstek cowl hood, aluminum intake, headers, Hidden shift light in A/C vent, Shiftworks shifter detent and some power options etc.

 

All of the original parts to my car that were removed blasted, powder coated and are now put away. Original Hood is also away for safe keeping. I doubt I will ever go back to stock, but I have everything to make it a full numbers matching concourse car down to matching carburetor, intake, water pump & starter should anyone have the desire in the future.

 

We have to make these cars ours. Many have stories similar to mine as to what led us back to these cars. Modifications only reduce the price for purists. However, many a modified car can also pull in top dollar if done tastefully. We all remember the record price Steve sold his 402-4spd for. All of this has no impact on me since I have no intention of ever selling her.

 

Make it yours. Just add options exactly as the factory would have and modify in good taste.

Ultimately, your face deserves the smile. Screw the nay sayers and non-qualified spectator judges.

 

Smiling Dan. LOL

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Well, I literally just found (just yesterday) the Cortez silver 1970 SS454 I have been looking for so it looks like the gold car will stay gold.  I will still restore the car but I may do so at a more leisurely pace than originally planned.

 

While I don't want to take up too much space from Goldie's (that what my wife dubbed her) build thread, I wanted to let everyone know.  As you can see from the pictures below, this is a high option (power windows, power locks, AC, tilt, courtesy lights, comfort grip steering wheel) car.  What you can't see is that it is a fully numbers matching original, garage stored since birth car with only a single repaint done in the late nineties.  This is one nice car!! :yay:  :yay:  :yay:

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Wow, Steve, that is an incredible find and a gorgeous '70 SS!!!  How did you ever find such a gem?  It will be interesting to see how you eventually compare the silver and gold versions since one is an auto and the other a 4-speed.  Well done!

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