Member: Ken Pratt

Car: 1967 SS

1967 SS

My quest for a Chevelle SS started about 1990 after going to a few car shows. I decided on three years '66, '67, and '70. I came across a 1970 SS 454 in Kelowna, which had been restored in Oklahoma; it was all redone but did not have original engine. The owner did not have it for sale, but would consider it after discussing price I determined it wouldn't be possible. After looking at a number of cars my quest ended up in Parksville at Chevy Classics with Randy Marsden and Mike Wild. I made my first trip to Parksville to look at a 67 SS car that needed a full restoration with no motor or tranny; it had also been hit on front with some frame damage. Randy felt if I wanted to do a original stock restoration he would be going to California to look at a more suitable project car. A few weeks later I went back to view it and after spending some time to check it out, we made a deal with some repairs to be done.

I returned to drive home my project car for the next 8 ½ years or Sept 3/93. The car wasn't licensed as it was to late in the year, so I stripped all exterior parts and took it to body shop and started stripping all paint off, sandblasted and welded all necessary areas replaced bottom rear quarter metal, trunk filler panel, rad support and grille filler panels. After many pain staking hours we applied a metal etch primer and its stage primer. We then sanded out the roof and repainted with a urethane finish in preparation for a new vinyl top. After getting the car home I changed my mind and decided to do a frame off, so off came the front clip, engine, and transmission. Now of course I didn't have a frame rack so I had to block up the body very high to get the frame out.

I then started the task of getting body and frame sandblasted. It took countless hours to sand out before we applied metal etch primer and the urethane finish coats to meet the needs of the underside abuse. I removed all the suspension, repainted and replaced all suspension and brake parts. Engine, transmission, differential were all totally rebuilt with new parts and most accessories were replaced or rebuilt to new condition. New vinyl top was put on before stripping the whole interior for a complete restoration to the interior. (This is more than you expect).

We are now ready to do the 2nd stage preparations, primer, blocking and body panel alignments. (This too brought forth more challenges). The following summer we built another house, but were able to put the car in the body shop, complete the finish coat of its beautiful Deepwater Blue Base Clear coat and returned home in October of 2000. So winter and spring along with landscaping, I managed to get most things together for it's first debut at shows in Penticton and Kelowna's Field of Dreams. Winning the Best Production Muscle Car awards was nice recognition. I was pleased and proud of my Bucket of Bolts that had been revived as my wife and girls would say. It didn't seem possible if you had seen it back in the early years of dismantling and strewn parts.

My plan next year is to get to the Coast to a few shows and meet many Club members as well as get to the Super Chevy Show and possibly the Graham, Washington Chevelle, El Camino Show.

Ken Pratt

This car came from the factory equipped with the following


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