Dale Buchanan’s Classic, Show-Stopping ’71 Chevelle

Buchanan Chevelle

For some car enthusiasts, just finding a car that is restorable is the best part of the hobby. For them, the hunt is what drives them. They might not be interested in working on the car, but the fact that they found the car, and can get it to someone else that does want to restore it, is all the satisfaction they need.

For others, the hunt might not be as important, as actually owning the car. There is another group of enthusiasts that are not interested in hunting, and it’s not about owning that one particular car that brings back a memory or feeling, it’s the dream they have to own every car ever made.

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These people don’t typically own them all at one time, but you see these guys with a different car each time you see them. Dale Buchanan is a combination of both types of enthusiast. He told us, “I was traveling to Washington, D.C. around the holidays of 2013, and saw this 1971 Chevelle at Fleming’s Ultimate Garage in Rockville, Maryland. I actually got the car in January 2014, when we finally struck a deal, and I traded them my 1965 Cobra replica a DSC_0081couple weeks later.”

Dale is not a calloused individual that is devoid of feelings of nostalgia. In fact, he recalls that buying this car did pull at his emotions. Apparently, when his sister was in high school, she was one of the cool kids, because she had a 1971 Chevelle Malibu hardtop to drive. “I remember the color of that car was called Sequoia Green. I always loved that car, and when I first laid eyes on this convertible I immediately fell in love all over again.”

Coming Home To Sunny Florida

When Dale got this convertible Chevelle back to his South Florida home, the sunny weather did allow him to spend a lot of time behind the wheel, racking up miles. But, after owning the car for a couple of months, and making a few minor engine upgrades, he received what he felt was a slap in the face, “I was at a local car show, and the judge walked away from my car saying that he hated green cars. Obviously, I did not win anything at that show.”

The comment from the judge didn’t sit well with Dale, and he immediately began contemplating a color change to the car. The day wasn’t all bad, as it was at that same show where he saw a 2004 Corvette that was painted Crystal Red with a beige interior. He immediately made up his mind to paint the Chevelle that same color, with the interior to match. Like many good friends will do when someone contemplates a dive into a possible rabbit hole, Dale’s thought it was a crazy idea, proceeded to explain how much work it was going to be, and that he should just leave the car alone. We’re sure you figured out what direction he went.

It would be very hard to create a more custom interior than the one found in Dale's Chevelle.

Coloring Over The Lines

“In March 2014, I had the car taken apart to begin the color change,” he said. In a strange twist of fate, the stunning paint was actually applied by two different shops. Dale said the project was initially started at a small shop in West Palm Beach, Florida. When the color change was complete, and while the car did look good, there were a few small things that just didn’t meet with Dale’s approval.

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With the top down, this is a true custom cruiser.

For that reason, in December 2014, the car was taken to a second body shop – Dynamic Auto Body and Paint in Pompano Beach, Florida. Like we said, the car looked good, but the crew at Dynamic took the time to correct some minor issues with the body and paint that was apparently not done correctly the first time, and now it looks great.

I was at a local car show, and the judge walked away from my car saying that he hated green cars. -Dale Buchanan

When the paint was finished to Dale’s satisfaction, it was sent to David Kerry at Precision Auto Works in Pompano Beach, Florida. David had the car in his shop for about 15 months, and spent that time completely rebuilding most of the car. The end result was to build a great driver car that was also a guaranteed show winner. According to Dale, “The theme of the build is an elegant musclecar.”

Powered Up

While the car was in the shop, David rebuilt the engine, even though it should not have needed rebuilding. It seems that when Dale purchased the car, it was already fitted with a ZZ 454 crate engine from Chevrolet Performance. But, before the engine was initially installed, someone painted it, and that’s where the problems started. When tearing the car apart to rebuild it, David noticed that there was paint in places on the engine where there should be no paint.

If you want a powerful engine, the Chevrolet Performance ZZ454 engine is one to have.

Upon seeing this, he tore the engine apart just to be safe, and noticed that the paint and other solvents had reached the oil pan and had deteriorated the engine bearings. Luckily, Dave caught the problem early, and no major damage occurred.

This did however, facilitate a simple rebuild with new bearings, gaskets, and piston rings. Other than that, the engine was good to go. Behind the big-block is a hard-shifting 700R4 transmission, followed with a bullet-proof Currie 9-inch rearend with positraction and 3:73 gears.

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Before the crew at Precision could reinstall the engine into the Chevelle, Dave and the crew wanted to address the suspension, and do a few other changes to the under hood area. There was nothing glaringly wrong with the suspension, but as upgraded as this car was going to be, the suspension needed some improvements as well. They started out by installing a Hotchkis TVS suspension that gave the car tubular control arms, performance-oriented coil springs, and bigger sway bars. If you’re going to make a car go fast, you really need to be able to make it stop without hitting something, so a set of Wilwood brakes were installed. Finally, they guys smoothed the firewall, and fabricated many custom parts like the new fuel and brake lines.

Focal Point Perfection

It’s very fast and very loud, just how I like it. -Dale Buchanan

If there is one thing that a convertible can do – besides mess up your girlfriend’s hair, it is make the interior of the car a focal point. Let’s face it, when the roof is down, the interior is exposed. Did you notice the custom-built door and kick panels, console, and dash? Dale wanted to make sure the focal point was seriously eye catching, so the car was delivered to The Shop LLC in Fort Lauderdale where the guys there covered custom-built door panels, as well as the custom console and an extreme custom dash filled with Dakota Digital gauges, with a multi-tone tan leather.

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Truly custom with Dakota Digital gauges, Flaming River steering column and Waterfall steering wheel.

If you’re going to be cruising south Florida, you better have tunes, so Dale had the guys install a Pioneer head unit with Focal speakers scattered throughout the car. Cruising in the hot and humid southern Florida, means that air conditioning is a must, so a Vintage Air A/C kit was installed.

Dale says that Andrew McClary was instrumental in completing the electrical work, which actually ended up being more involved then they expected due to the Dakota Digital gauges and the security system.

The highly-customized trunk is the perfect place to mount the acoustical accessories.

The process did take a long time, but that happens when you’re working towards perfect results. Dale told us, “Once the car was complete and back at my house, I had my friend Oakes McKee of Smoking’ Racing in Boca Raton help with some tuning and last-minute modifications to the car. It runs great. It’s very fast and very loud, just how I like it.”

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The license plate on Dale’s Chevelle signals it is the epitome of a musclecar.

Just like many car guys, Dale now has a nostalgic ride that brings his past into the future, and melds them with a classically-modern look. So what do you guys think, did Dale build the ultimate Chevelle? Let us know in the comments below!

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About the author

Randy Bolig

Randy Bolig has been working on cars and has been involved in the hobby ever since he bought his first car when he was only 14 years old. His passion for performance got him noticed by many locals, and he began helping them modify their vehicles.
Read My Articles

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