Will it run? Road trip to Illinois to rescue a 1970 Chevelle sitting for 27 years!
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- čas přidán 11. 09. 2022
- A viewer reached out for help with his Chevy Chevelle that he has owned since 1977. Unfortunately, it has been sitting on a farm next to a cornfield since 1995, and our clock is ticking. Will it start? Will it drive? What can be done? f you have an old vehicle you would like us to get running, emails us at rdb6x@yahoo.com
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This guy is an old-school mechanic the type that taught me how to turn a wrench in the ninth grade.
Good to see others can learn the right way
I'll never understand why people let this happen.
Im gonna restore it some day! Watched an old friend tear down a 71 monte Carlo, had new quarters professionally installed and bought a rust free front clip…30 years ago! Had a massive heart attack which set him back even farther. Needs new front clip, quarters and frame. Made him a reasonable offer and…Wont sell it…gonna redo it some day. What a shame!
Fixing cars is a big pain. Everyone who watches should subscribe!
you 2are great people to help out others god bless you both
You guys are incredible! And I love that you are able and willing to go around the country to help people out. God bless you both.
I am not mechanically inclined, but still, I am fascinated by things like this! This was absolutely amazing to me. Much respect to you and your lovely lady . From Grandma Linda in Martinsburg, WV. 🤓
Another great job with bringing the Chevelle back to life!
Good cause, good man. The world's a better place because of folks like you.
That is very nice. Thank you.
Great Video! Keep ‘‘em coming! Knew it had disc brakes by the size of the master cylinder!
Thanks for the support!
I love rebuilding Q-jets. Especially the Carter ones, which were made in 1970, by the way.
An 84 Honda carburetor is a nightmare to rebuild. Haha.
80's import carbs were not of this world..haha
wow nice to see it is complete
Welcome to Illinois! Home sweet home. Glad you could find a survivor to save from the rust belt!
Thanks! I had never been to that part of the country, but it was an amazing experience. Great people, and a bit of a step back in time to what it was like growing up in small town Massachusetts.
Subscribed and liked. This guy is gold!! How can you not subscribe to this badass channel? We all wish we were doing this! Thanks for breathing life into these neglected classics, it's a shame to see these cars forgotten and cast to the wayside. You are great at this stuff, camera shots are fantastic too!
Thanks Michael! That is a nice comment.
Another me.
Try vice grip garage, half ass customs and many others, this is nothing new
Patience of a saint Richard, great job, great video. Glad I found you.
For sure.....I watched one and was hooked. Hard to believe this channel only has 28K subscribers.
What that rust I love these Revivals of these classic American muscle cars keep up the great work New subscriber here watching the video's friend 🇺🇸🇺🇸😃😃💪💪💪💪
Thanks for the support Eric. More to come!
Use to work those beauties years ago,here in Chile hard to find spare parts,maybe will go to usa.really enjoy your share work.
I'm 10 minute drive and have tried to buy this for the last couple years. Left my contact info in the mailbox. Guess I needed a damn youtube channel to meet the owner.
Right, the owner is not selling.
Well you got it from one mouse power to a lot of horse power. My son's father-in-law would of had a heart attack with that mouse. Great job as always.
That's in good condition considering where it was sitting for so long. Brings back memories! I had a 71 "Heavy Chevy" (look it up) in high school but my mom caught me hot rodding it and made me sell it. As soon as I moved out on my own I bought a 70 SS that someone had replaced the original engine with a Buick 350. After about a year I traded up for a 70 Malibu that was fully loaded; I swapped over all the SS appearance pieces to it. Unfortunately it got totaled a few months later, not my fault. Thanks for the memories!
You are welcome! Those Buick 350s are fantastic engines.
@@whattherust hello sir , we enjoy your great & fair contents , could we work something out together ? PM ❤
i remember them we had a brown copper colored one in our small town back in early 80s he had that thing polished from one end to the other chrome rear end cover and everything.he drove the loop around town everyweekend.we as kids thought he was so cool.we chased him with our bikes and got grounded a few times for coming home to late
I would make your mother sell something that she valued first before she would ever try to sell MY vehicle, let alone go full no contact with her, disown her, and enact restraining/no trespassing/no contact orders with her, should she have ever tried such tactics with myself were I in your place. We would see who lasts longer, her without her smutty "romance novels", as well; as never ever seeing her grandkids, or myself with my vehicle.
You are not to smart are you, getting under that car when it’s on jacket that’s sitting on possibly soft ground dirt because I’ll tell I knew people who are no longer above ground after their car fell on them while working on their car with a jacket like the one you are using !
Congratulations on getting the car running again! I was worried that it wasn't going to work out, but you made it happen. Great job Richard and Christina!
Thank you.
It doesn't matter. The owner will let it sit for another 27 years. As long as nobody else gets it they're happy.
400 small block has a big harmonic balancer, has 3 freeze plugs on the side instead of 2 on the rest of the small blocks, keep doing what you guys do and God bless you and your family's, thank you for the contents
Thank you Rick. You are very welcome.
That's not true 400 can have both depending on the year. The easiest way I have found is the balancer 400 will have a large indentation on it sense it is externally balanced. There is alot of miss information online about the sbc 400.
That Chevelle is almost identical to the one my cousin had, the only difference is his had a 307. Good memories! Awesome job getting her running again, hopefully the owner can get everything restored, I know it will be a beautiful car when he's finished with it. 😎👍👍 Thanks for sharing!!
You are welcome David!
I had a 72 just like that one but a little bit lighter green
Great video, another Chevelle saved.I've got to go back and catch up on some of your other videos.I think I'm almost caught up.
Thanks for the support Jason.
I believe the first item you pulled out of the quilt hole, the coiled hose with a gauge is a tire pump that you screw in to the smart plug hole.
Wow. Look at the chrome and the headlights on that car. Beautiful. It makes me think of my Uncle Johnny. Just the kind of car he would drive.
Maybe the owner could not afford to keep it on the road as he had other priorities such as his family and the business. I like the shot with him in the background holding out his phone to get the sound of the engine. Great video!
Exactly 💯
When I was 19 (in 1977) I bought a 1970 Chevelle two door hardtop. Yes, it was a Super Sport, and had a 396 (402) engine. The paint was somewhat chipped in the lower regions (probably a fair bit of gravel road miles by the previous owner) but the body was in good shape. The interior was excellent. The car ran fine and it was my transportation for a couple of years. I'm 90% sure it was the same color as this car that What the Rust is working on. I paid $700 for it!!
Those were the days!
@@whattherust My father bought a brand new 68 super sport Camaro for $3,850 with the regular 396 325 horse engine sold it for $900 when it was 5 years old it only had 69,000 mi on it and was already using oil because my dad abused it
@@whattherust And then my father took the $900 and paid it down on a brand-new Malibu 307
Hey guys great video I can't wait until you take it out four wheeling love that jeep
Nice job...that must have been hell. Not sitting in it...wow, must be bad. You give me hope for my projects. Thanks.
Thank you Jerold. Yes, it was very bad inside. Ordinarily I would have sat right down and held my breath. Not possible with this one. It was that bad.
I can empathize with you over pulling the starter in less than ideal conditions, I've done my share of that. Jack stands would be safer if you had some pieces of plywood under them to prevent sinking into soft dirt. I cut some scrap especially for this purpose, they dont take up much space when packing tools for a job like this. Safety first. Good to see one more brought back to life, hope the owner continues with this car. Great video!
Thanks for the support Allan.
I respect you for all the work you did giving the chevy a new life
Thanks very much.
Well besides the small valve covers it was obviously a mouse motor…😂😂😂
Must say you looked quite aggravated from the start on this one. Good job holding back what you really wanted to say about this one! Being from IL myself and knowing the humidity I would’ve been swearing like a sailer..
Definitely a mouse motor! And interior! Thanks for watching!
My Mom and Dad brought me home from Malden Hospital to Winthrop , Massachusetts in 1973 in their Beige 1970 307 Chevelle. They bought that car brand new as the were newlyweds in 1969. Had it until the Atlantic Ocean decided to take up residence in it during the Blizzard Of ‘78. Wish we somehow could have kept it.
I remember that storm well. A lot of cars met their doom as a result of that storm. One of my brother's friends abandoned his 65 Buick on the Pike, and never went back for it.
I used to own a Buick just like the one seen by the road. I traded it in on a year newer one but same body style that was Burgundy with all the bells and whistles. I sold it when I retired as I couldn't justify a car and a truck. As good as that car was I am surprised GM let it out of the factory.
Car and a truck sounds like the best of both worlds.
@@savagedick1462, I thought about it but being on a fixed income the added weight of tags, insurance and upkeep just wasn't practical.
Learn something new every day! I never knew why some GM starters had that spacer on some of the solenoids! I've always saved old starters to use for parts for repairs and always wondered why that was? Cool thanks for sharing!
Great video, the car looks to be on it's way to getting back on the road.
Thanks Chris!
First, thanks for that! Second, if he hasn't got a truck/tractor to pull that girl out, jacker up and pour some Sakrete in the ruts, come back next day, drop her down and drive off,(take a couple days if two ruts at a time is easier). But really, not actually driving her, whats the point, needs toeing. Thirdly, 12 years from now someone's going to make a video about trying to rescue this old 1970 Malibu sitting in a corn field with a VCR under one it tires. Great channel.
That is hilarious, and I agree. Someone is going to wonder why there is a VCR under the tire! If only there were a few more bricks, or wood, and anything on that property I could have raised the car enough to get it out. Unfortunately, there was nothing. We looked everywhere.
yes good job that was a hard one ,with the starter . but glad you got it out. of the holes lol thanks ..
It was awesome what you did but I do hope he just won't leave it there to continue rotting away. I really think its awesome what you do for these dying forgotten cars a second chance at life. I'll be standing by for the next video made me proud just by watching you sir God bless you.
That you for the nice comment. The next video is coming soon.
Admire your tenacity Rich!!
You get an A+ !!!
Thanks Bob!
You guys are awesome and cute too,nice job on the Chevy 400 ,LoveJim J&R mobile service and God Bless y'all and your critters ❤
Thanks very much, Jim.
Some folks just don’t know what a good thing they have.
GOOD JOB , I ENJOYED THAT ALLOT
Thanks for the feedback Brent!
Watching from Atlantic Canada (N.B.) Great effort- clearly a lot of work, good thing the weather cooperated although hot out - and well worth it to see and hear it rumble at the end. Interesting to learn by observing the thought process as things progress.
Leave your # to me for good old classic 60s 70s cars for road restoration 70% finished. Thanks.
That's one smart fellow cornfield rebuild good job
Thank you Henry!
This guy is the quintessential old hippie who remained stuck in the 70s as the rest of the world passed him by. I can just imagine him back in the day riding around in that Chevelle and passing a doobie around amongst his buddies, 😄
The end of the video sums up perfectly what so many have talked about when it comes to guys like this who have one of these classic cars rotting away in a field somewhere and you ask them if they're gonna sell it or what their plans for it are and they always say the same thing "I'm gonna restore it it" or "I'm gonna fix it up".
This old fella will never restore that Chevelle, and it wouldn't surprise me if you do a follow-up video a year from now and find that the car probably hasn't been touched since it was relocated to a different parking spot.
Either that or it's still sitting in the field because the guy couldn't even muster up enough gumption to get it unstuck.
Hate to sound so critical, but my goodness I've seen it happen so many times.
He could sell it right now and get a few bucks while the market for the 70 Chevelle is at a fever pitch, but I've got a feeling this here is the best you'll ever see this one.
On a farming channel I watch, the guy sold a sports car to a car channel which is also in my state. He did a cornfield engine swap. The engine was solidly seized!
As usual, another great video! And Christina is slowly earning her new moniker, “the Revivalette.” 😁
Thanks David! I like the moniker!
Thanks Sly!
My uncle brought one brand new in 1972 after he got accepted to U of Pen as a resident. He gave 1500.00 as a down payment and $125.00 a months for payment. He brought very expensive full Coverage insurance for $750.00 a year for KeyStone. We drove this car around same colour with what you had. We love that car Chevelle! I think he gave it away to his friend after finishing school in America and went back home. I am too young to drive that car in 1972 since we can effort insurance.
Great story. I am glad the video brought back some good memories.
you really knocked yourself out on this job, that dude standing around, apparently the owner, should have called in a tow truck right from the get go, then you could have had a much easier time, I mean like it has to come out and be moved anyway. Well done and hats off to you guys for enduring the extreme heat conditions.
Thanks Gary. This one was tough. We never know until we arrive what we are dealing with, and this was one I would have rather had on higher ground. It all worked out, and the car has recently had the entire interior replaced and soon will be painted.
Tech tip of the day. Keep an old spark plug boot in your toolbox. You slide it on, start spinning it into its hole, and spin finger tight. You'll never have an easier time of threading one in. Never get it cross threaded either.
I should add, put some oil on the threads. This is not something that I discovered, it was something taught to me by another mechanic in my apprenticeship days. It's handy and it works well, and I hope others find it useful.
I do add oil to the threads, but that plug boot idea is great. I am going to start doing that! Thanks!
@@whattherust It is a handy thing. Not my genius, btw, it was a tip I got when I was apprenticing under another fella, and it was handed to him by much the same. Share ideas, lend someone a hand, it's what makes the automotive world go round. I love the channel btw, keep on doing it!
Unreal! Great job as deap as that car was in the dirt its amazing its in the shape it is.
Thanks! It is amazing that the frame is still in great shape.
So COOL to see the GEN XERS still chasing the muscle cars!! Wish I was with you on your adventures!
Ah!! I have a dark green 70 malibu with a small block. This video warms my heart to see one being brought back to life!!
Awesome! Glad you liked it.
Y’all are living the good life!… And also bringing dead things to life, another great video!
Thanks Dan!
Awesome job!! I know that heat can wear you out for sure! Great content !!
Thank you Bruce!
I was hoping the farmer got his tractor and pulled it out ! But all and all it was a good save.
We thought about that! The tractor needed a rescue of its own, but we ran out of time.
Lol! Oh my gosh 😂
It's really cool that you and your wife do this together. My wife helped me put a new motor in my Ranger and it was a lot of fun for us.
It is great to be able to share the car hobby with someone. We get to spend so much extra time together because of it.
I enjoy your video's and am looking forward to the rest of them. We would like to get to know your wife too, if she agrees.
Thanks Phillip! She will be getting more involved in future videos.
One thing that keeps me watching your channel is your enthusiasm.
Thanks for the comment. Doing this kind of thing is definitely a passion of mine,
Nice job or adventure... looks like a challenging and interesting trip.
Thanks! It was a great trip. We have memories we will cherish from it.
What the rust is going on?
Cool chevelle well ill be dipped…💪🏾👈🏾
Hi from Scotland. Well Richard, & Christina, that looked like hard work. A nice enough car, but lots of work to get it breathing again.
I enjoyed the new format with Christina giving some continuity in between you getting your hands dirty.
It was great to hear it burst into life, and you certainly made an improvement in its idling. Initially I thought the timing was off when it started firing thru the carb, but that was 50% knowledge, and 50% guesswork. I’m certainly not as skilled or knowledgeable as you .
Looking forward to the next one already.
Take care.
Thank you John. Having Christina in the videos is a big plus for sure, and you are right about the timing. It was way off, and still too far advanced when I left it. It ran well that way, so I think the car just needs to be run and let the valves seat before the timing is set again.
You need some shade bro! Get one of those foldable tents from Walmart.
Congratulations on a great video Richard and Christina, very well done with a car that has a good future. You've also got some ideas of other tools, parts and equipment to take on future projects. Maybe some Febreze would have helped with the smell, at least for less odorous vehicles.
I look forward to watching the next video.
Thanks John! True, each trip add more tools and gear to the list.
I've been watching a lot of Patrick Glen Nichols. Those rear bumper bolts are OEM!
Man, by the time you got that starter wrestled into place, you were looking pretty ragged and tired. Working in the hot sun really bleaches away the energy level pretty quick. Don't worry though....I hear it gets easier as you get older. LOL.
Looks like you had to dig deep on this one. I think I like the channel name Prague life better. All the same tho. You should do an intro on your wife, so we all know who she is :)
Go to czcams.com/video/zU_dHfs0VBU/video.html. Richard struck gold with her! (I keep telling him that).
yet another great video great content i realy loved this video you are awesome and your lovely wife hope there will be another i love chevelle great looking cars keep up the good work you do all the best to you and the boss keep safe xx
That is a very nice comment Paul. Thank you!
Great engineer in the corn field so I believe in your worthy knowledge. Trust you.
Thank you!
its on a farm.. ever think of pulling it out with a tractor??.. well done from here in Canada .. the great North.. 70 forever!!
That's sad because that car did not deserve that treatment to be parked there and left to rot away but I'm happy your there to try and get it running so it can be moved from there and I hear the camera woman giggling her little giggles and I couldn't help but laugh
She's a charm, isn't she?
@@richardcline1337 I love them cars and to see that one was just sitting there wasting away UGH but glad he is going to move it
Keep doing what you do. Get them subscribers up !
Thanks David. More videos coming!
love your videos you have oneof the best will it run type of videos on u tube. and i watch a bunchof them. really enjoy yours and christines work
Thanks for the nice comment Gary. we will continue to deliver this type of content.
He is tougher than me....no way I would this much work in the dirt....good job.....
Thank you! I have to say it was pretty tough, and wow was I dirty.
The guy leaves his Malibu out in a cornfield for 27 years and he's worried about somebody stealing it
Except for the exhaust leak and the fuel pump,she sounds pretty healthy! Try and make a daily driver out of it. Tune up,and tires!
Dad used to call those starters shoulder busters. Not a good time at all there is never an easy way. And "that wheel has a vcr under it" i couldn't stop laughing. Great work
Thanks Alex!
70 is my favorite car of all time and at 45 i dont see how i will ever be able to have one.
They are expensive now for sure, and I don't see that changing for another 10 years. Eventually the enthusiasts age out and the cars become more affordable.
Good on you driving 5 hours and helping out someone been there minus the driving 5 hours. Good channel content and hope he does start driving it but have my doubts, it will likely sit somewhere else outside, hoarder was my similar experience but I got to work on a Model A. They love the free labor and parts. I subscribed. 😊
Thanks for subscribing! We truly enjoyed helping others. We do hope he continues to restore the car.
I was hoping that car didn’t come out. I don’t think that would have ended well. That was dangerous. I had a 76 montecarlo jump into gear and run over me about 35 years ago. That looked scary.
Yes, we thought better of it after a few minutes.
Great video! Good old wrenching. I learned how to fix old cars from my grandpa but he liked to seal up everything with tons of rtv. His running joke was he would seal up grandmas mouth with it if he could. Liked and subbed!
Funny stuff! Thanks for the support!
You Guys are living my dream, seeing all these old beauties! man takes me back for sure. damn shame owners let these cars rot away...
Thanks Paul. We do consider ourselves fortunate. It is a lot of work, but to be able to work on the unique cars and met the people is very special.
Wow what a fantastic effort, you most certainly put the work in. I have to say I'm glad it's not smellovision!! Most certainly looked a bit ripe inside especially the glove box. Mind you, you had an extra helper in the air filter 😆😆 keep up the good work. I'm liking the changes!! Looking forward to your next video jasper swindon Wiltshire uk
Thank you for the feedback Jasper.
Well you can tell she is a citty gal ...lol ...lord have mercy ...Don't stay out there too long might disturb the children of the corn ...
The original 307 was just a get-around motor. They absolutely had no power 😂 love the Chevelle great video
Thank you Chris. Glad you liked it.
Yep a friend of mine has a 1971 Impala convertible still in great condition and only 400 made. Had it since 1995 but just let's it sit. It is garaged though thank god.
That was such a good video so enjoyable. I'm watching while on my old yacht anchored at St Michael's Mount Cornwall UK on passage to the Isles of Scilly.
Why would anyone thumb this comment up?
I will never understand why someone would let a vehicle like that sit outside for years and years baffles me.
Death
It is sad. It’s not like they are driving it or anything. These are the types of people that always say, “it’s not for sale! One of these days I’m going to restore it!” Or “don’t low ball me, I know what I got!” Meanwhile the car has sat for the last 35 years
@@baileygleason8296 Exactly. If someone offers to buy it they think it's worth a fortune as it sets, or they're 'gonna fix 'er up' which they won't do. And it sits on dirt and rots from the bottom up and inside out. A waste.
Money is one reason! I have a 72 Chevy Cheyenne that needs fixing but I like eating so it has to sit for now
I see people do this all the time i know where there is a 340 cuda sitting in a pasture the guy wont sale it or do anything with it
Richard at a bare minimum I would invest in an air compressor and a generator, and some battery powered tools, it would make your corn field repairs a whole lot more efficient. Maybe a canopy for shade for you and your wife. You are blessed with a beautiful and patient wife! With a wife like her, you should have been President.
Thanks for the compliment! She is awesome. I like the idea of the generator.
It's so good to meet your wife. You got a good 1!!!!##
Yes, she is the best.
That car sitting where it is and sunk in the ground like that make me think the floors are rotted out and possibly the frame too depending on how much moisture there was under the car but in a grassy place with soft dirt does no favors on a cars undercarriage sitting a bunch of years.
I thought so too, but the frame and floors were good. Surprising.
Mark Cuban is that you?!
I hear that a lot, especially when I lived in Texas.
Great to see the Chevelle running! Great work!!😁👍🛠️
Makes me wanna cry...I grew up with Chevelles. My Mom had a 68 with a 350 and a 70 with a 400. I had a plain Jane 307 72 Chevelle Malibu. And to see this in the pitiful condition is so sad
It is sad, but the car is currently being restored, so the story ends well.
I just found your channel! Loved this episode! I’m anxious to watch more, stay safe and hydrated! I’m subscribed now!
Thanks David! More to come.
Excellent video Richard :) & Christine :) also that Chevrolet 2 door Chevelle car nice find and rare 400 Cubic Inches size 8 cylinder and Automatic also green color too ! Nice find too and very good work too! Hope see owner get fully restoration on and show to past to family members next generation too!
The 400 engine is not original to the car.
LOL moving that blue plastic box
It's always a pain replacing starters when you have headers!! I'd say this a great win!
Thanks Ron!
Unfortunately the car will be dragged to another resting spot where it will live out the rest of its life slowly rotting into the ground as it has done over the past 20 or 30 years i’ve seen it too many times.
I have hope this will not happen with this car, but I agree it is a common outcome.
Just wondering if you disassembled the solenoid and cleaned the contacts/reversed the slug there? We used to rebuild starters often for customers BITD. A lot of GMs had a reversable slug in the solenoid. Saved a lot of $$$ especially on the high torque models 😎
Great try - you got it running!
Yes, I did flip the contact in the solenoid. One side very worn, but the other side was new. I was going to show the whole procedure, but the video would have been too long.
@@whattherust Good. I'm surprised that there wasn't any sign of a burnout to cause an open circuit in the armature. Usually there's a burnt wire with 2 ends hanging in the air. Happens without evidence sometimes, though.
Thanks for replying
We love old cars. 2021 Scat Pact 6 speed, Wide Body + several older 442's.
It brings back a lot of memories, I had a 70 Chevelle in that color many many years ago, bought it to use as a winter beater , except mine had a straight six 250 which burned oil, but my interior was in great condition.. used to pack all my girlfriends in it to go skiing.. think I sold it for what I paid for it which was $400...
Great story. Glad it brought back nice memories.