Member: Randy Klaver

Car: 1968 Beaumont

Four and a half years ago we were sitting around and Janet said to me, "I want to buy a muscle car". After I picked myself up off the floor, I asked "What kind?" she replied, a 71 Chevelle.

So we began looking around at vehicles, we looked for close to two years at project cars, started project cars, almost completed cars, and realized that nothing fit the bill or the price we were willing to pay. We had family members looking around in their travels as well and they could not see anything that was what we wanted.

My brother remembered that someone he had gone to school with usually had something for sale. So we went to visit this guy to see what he had around, and he had this 1968 Beaumont coupe for sale. I looked it over real close and determined it was very solid, it had a few minor issues, but nothing concerning. I asked him how much, he said "It's negotiable because I'm moving in 5 weeks and whatever sells I don't have to move." When I got back home I told Janet and she hummed and hawed for 2 weeks and finally decided to make him an offer.

The next weekend off I went to get the car, rented a car hauler from U-Haul (that's a whole different story), picked up the car, brought it home in the pouring rain on the 401 through Toronto, Ontario. We went over the whole thing and took it to the garage for a safety check, and $200.00 later it was licensed and driving down the road. We only got to drive it for about one month before the driving season ended. That winter we changed the exhaust system body mounts, bought new rubber bumpers for the hood, trunk and doors as they were missing.

The next summer we drove it and had to add oil every two weeks so that winter, we talked to an engine builder about getting the engine rebuilt. He actually had in his stock a brand new engine that he built for somebody else and they never came back to get it. That spring the car went in for the transplant and to have the transmission gone over. The next day there was a message to call the mechanic. Fearing the worst I went to the shop and Ed showed me the transmission parts (or what was left of them). He told me that he had never seen one so bad with wear, broken parts and abuse and that it was amazing it was still in one piece and working. So now the transmission needed a rebuild as well.

This car is now an absolute blast to drive around. It has a brand new small block Chevy 355 motor, complete with Brodix aluminium heads, Demon carb, Edlebrock intake, hooker headers, 2 Ωî Flow Master exhaust with Thunder series mufflers, 390 Horsepower and 390 ft/lbs torque.

The engine was built and installed by Ed Weins Racing Engines along with the re rebuilt transmission.

There is still some interior work left to do, Disc brake upgrade, glass- because it is 40 years old and every pane has a scratch or two.

Even our one year old granddaughter got a big smile on her face when we started it for her parents to listen to.

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