Words: Tommy Parry
Everyone likes an eclectic mish-mash of parts when they somehow blend perfectly, yet look distinctly disparate. This car’s not customized, nor is it particularly out of left field, but it commands attention. That could be because of the harlequin color scheme, or just the sheer size of the thing. So, in the interest of resale value, Roger committed himself to building a wagon that wasn’t outlandish, that instead showed the value of simplicity.
Roger received this car as a Christmas present from his son, Chris. Underneath a tarp with a bow atop, Roger walked out into the 20-degree weather excitedly, pulled the cover off, and smiled ear-to-ear when he saw the Brookwood wagon underneath.
There were a few spots of rust around the bottom corners and near the grille, and the hood was askew. The engine bay was empty—which was no problem since Roger had a motor awaiting a host. The tailgate missing some metal, and in total, the machine needed some serious tweaking. The interior wasn’t in much better shape.
Fortunately, his son wrapped another gift. Underneath tarp #2, a complete front clip in good shape. A straight grille, bumpers, a hood, hood springs, and all the inner panels allowed Roger a sigh of relief—he wouldn’t have to graft much now.
After happening upon two pristine bumpers, a solid tailgate, and a floor for the Chevy, he picked ‘em up in a second and lugged them to his house. Roger peered over the fence and called on his neighbor, Fred, who built transmissions for a living. With a minimum of travel distance, he grabbed a rebuilt T-450 with a 454 crate engine out of a Blazer, had Fred rebuild the tranny, and got a torque converter thrown in for free. It pays to be friendly with your neighbors it seems.
After pulling the green carpet and the animal droppings which littered the interior. It was a cold winter, and a few stray varmints found an overnight stay inside the wagon, which they stole into via the holes in the floor. With the building blocks in place, he moved the Chevy to his garage and started the work.
He started by spraying Lizardskin underneath the rear of the car and the interior floors, which ought to quiet the cabin noise a little. For a plush ride, Roger picked up a split-bench front seat for a bill and a half. It’s incredible what some vintage upholstery goes for.
The suspension had seen better days, though. Roger tore off the a-arms, sandblasted them, and then fixed up the front end with new bushing and ball joints. Plenty of wire brushing and pressure washing and de-sludging the Chevy’s underside. At that stage, and noticing the deteriorating underside, Roger consulted the Eckler’s catalog for shorter coil springs.
However, that could only account for so much of the cancer. Roger located another Chevy and cut the entire floor out to replacing the rusting underside.
Then came a coat of black and gold. The firewall was doused in ‘95 Cadillac El Dorado champagne, and the engine caught a coat of champagne. The subframe and suspension components were painted in gray, and the whole bay looked absolutely stellar as a result.
Though he wanted to avoid the kustom route, he made a concession with an interior that was more kustom than stock; he took the desired vinyl and fabric to his upholsterer and bought a headliner from Classic Industries.
Roger’s brother, Dan, took the resealed tank out into the Colorado sun, scraped off what rust he could, and gave it a coat of primer and a mist of silver paint. Next, the brothers bolted on the bumper bought at the swap meet, polished the rear trim, cleaned up the exhaust manifolds, and attached a 750 cfm Edelbrock carburetor.
With the help of an intuitive Rebel wiring kit, Roger could get the electronics working without blowing a fuse of his own. Then with the motor in place, Roger bolted on the fender/grille support and hung two rust-red fenders on either side. The flanking metal was without rust, and without a polished paint job.
With the front grille back on the Chevy, the headlights attached, and some to trim tacked on, it looked like a genuine car and not a rusting heap.
Content with the state of the front clip, Roger turned his attentions to the interior. Inside, he dashed the dash with a coat of champagne, and give the steering wheel the same treatment. Layers of insulation and tendrils of the Rebel wiring kit littered the interior, but it looked as if the car was becoming a comfortable place to be.
All that was needed before Roger could stretch the Chevy’s legs was a decent exhaust. With the help of a friend, a Flowmaster 40 system directed the 454’s exhaust away from the cabin and offered a throaty exhaust note that would complement the exterior’s rugged look.
With a set of recently-upholstered seats mounted to the insulated floor and pleated fabric on the doors, the cabin was now a nice place to be. The only trouble with them was mounting them—getting through four layers of Lizardskin, Suppressor Matt, jute padding, and the carpet were not easy. It was far simpler laying and gluing the vinyl to line the rear.
And with a set of speakers to make his long cruises around the Rockies a bit comfier, Roger’s ride was complete. Though the roar of the motor and the red, white, and blue exterior might startle some people, they’ll be positively shocked when they discover the state of the interior and the quality of the parts chosen. While it wasn’t meant to be a show-winner, there’s no denying the care and consideration that went into the build—especially under the skin—is on-par with any of them.
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