SENSATIONALLY SILVER

Have we ever seen a nicer modified ’70?

No siree. And we’ve seen a whole lot of Chevelles, since virtually every model was brand-new. We love Chevelles, and 1970 is its high-water mark.

Home for Jim Taylor and the Chevelle is Ohio

We quickly discovered that both the Chevelle and Taylor himself were interesting stories. Taylor just retired from a 34-year career at General Electric Corporation. He bought a new ’69 Chevelle but always wanted a ’70. It took 33 years for his ship to finally come in. This one caught his eye, even though it was in need of extensive repairs. Taylor is a long-time Chevy man, owning a bunch of Camaros and Chevelles plus a single ’57 Chevy. To best capture the car’s huge aura, we’ll let Jim Taylor tell you firsthand how he bought this ’70 and transformed it into its present state.

The journey of the 1970 Chevelle SS

“Eleven years ago, my brother Tom purchased this 1970 Chevelle SS from a local lady. Its build sheet stated that it sold new in northern Kentucky as a 350hp, 396ci Super Sport with four-speed manual transmission. But when he bought it, the original driveline was long-gone. For the next two years, Tom used the Chevelle as a test bed for a number of big-block drag race engines. Tom and the Chevelle usually could be found at dragstrip test-and-tune every Thursday afternoon. I remember seeing daylight under the front tires on most of the runs. The car had at least six different big-block engines during this time. Then Tom and the car took a rest for a few years, and he began making plans for a restoration. I had offered to buy his roller from him early on. No luck! But then one cold day in February, he decided to do other things, so he finally sold it to me,” Taylor says.

A vision brought to life

“I’ve had 33 years to decide what I would do to a 1970 Chevelle if I owned one. I for sure knew I wanted to personalize it while not getting too far away from its stock lines. I finally chose a 502/502 GM crate engine, Air Ride Technologies airbag suspension and aerospace brakes. I knew I wanted a silver and black color theme with lots of chrome and polished parts under a tall custom cowl hood,” he says.

A labor of love

“My actual work began on the car in January 2002. The last nut and bolt were torqued down in April 2003. This was a total rebuild, right down to sandblasting the bare frame. I did the basic restoration work at my garage, then finished it up at my brother Tom’s shop [because] he has a hydraulic lift and air conditioning! We built this Chevelle to drive and attend local car shows, including the Ohio Open Run. We have driven it as far away as to the Grand Run in Pigeon Forge, Tennessee. It earned a Top Ten award, First in Class award and a CHEVY RUMBLE magazine-sponsored Editor’s Choice award at the 2005 Ohio Open Run.”