1967 Chevy Chevelle - The AMD Chevelle

Magazine project cars are created for all kinds of reasons. Some are built because they fill a need for stories, some are built to go racing, and sometimes a select few are built to become long-term test mules. Think along the lines of Hot Rod's Crusher Camaro that was introduced in 1993 and the grandaddy of them all, Popular Hot Rodding's Project X, which was launched back in 1965. Both of these have been built and rebuilt in so many ways that we're not even going to get into to it here, but I think you get the gist of what we are saying.

Super Chevy wanted a long-term test mule along those same lines, something that we could test different engine and trans combos, along with new suspension set-ups, or basically whatever we needed or wanted to try. The editorial staff had been talking about finding a car to build, but at the time it was more of a dream than a reality.

That is, until Brit White, our national sales account manager, sat down with Mark Hedrick (owner of Auto Metal Direct) and Craig Hopkins (owner of C. Hopkins Rod & Custom, a restoration shop that is AMD's installation center). Having these three gearheads at the same table is all it took to get the ball rolling. Brit knew that a project like this would give us story fodder for years. Mark saw it as an opportunity to showcase his company's new full-line of sheetmetal. And Craig would assemble the car to show the world exactly what his shop was capable of. Since this was initially going to showcase AMD's sheetmetal, we needed a car that we could give extensive body coverage to so the decision was made to look for a '67 Chevelle, and Super Chevy had zero issues with that.

Now all that was needed was a car, and for once it needed to be in seriously rough shape. Greg Graham, the warehouse manager at AMD, knew of a car resting somewhere in Texas, so he went to check it out. The car (or what was left of it!) was still there and when he saw it up close he knew why. This thing was so rusted it scared off other prospective buyers. Greg, on the other hand knew, that it was a perfect match for our needs and it had a surprise—it was a true 138 cowl tag car!

Yes folks, it's a genuine SS396 Chevelle. It was missing the engine, trans, and most other items, but it had a solid frame and just enough body left to rebuild. The deal was struck and the car was hauled back to Craig's shop in March 2011.

The only real caveat is that it needed to be completed for the SEMA show in October of the same year. With only eight months to get the job done, Craig and his crew wasted no time, and in a flurry of metal and sparks the teardown began. (Check out the June 2011 issue or superchevy.com to see it in its dilapidated "before" state.)

The next day a big truck showed up packed to the gills with AMD boxes. Inside the boxes, as you can guess, was all the sheetmetal and glass in AMD's '67 Chevelle arsenal, which turns out is a lot. The only pieces that didn't get replaced on the car were the rockers, the structure under the package tray, and the upper cowl.

The body was separated from the chassis so the frame and suspension could be addressed while the bodywork continued. Any piece of the chassis that was getting reused got blasted and painted. Then, chassis and suspension were totally refurbished with products from AMK Hardware, Performance Suspension Technology (PST), Right Stuff Detailing, and National Parts Depot. All these parts on the chassis are stock replacement style, from the drum brakes to the small sway bar. Remember, this car will be upgraded later so now it's all about stock. The final touch on the chassis at this time was slipping in the 396 Rat that has a Comp Cams valvetrain, MagnaFlow exhaust system, and Powerglide transmission.

Craig cleaned up the rearend housing and installed new bearings and such before slipping it under the car.
Craig cleaned up the rearend housing and installed new bearings and such before slipping i
The chassis was restored back to original specs with AMK Hardware, Performance Suspension Technology (PST), Right Stuff Detailing, and National Parts Depot products.
The chassis was restored back to original specs with AMK Hardware, Performance Suspension

The completed chassis was covered up and stashed away until the body was completed. The bodywork was quite extensive and the SEMA deadline was fast approaching, but finishing the car was still doable. Once all the bodywork was completed, the car was rolled in the booth and Craig's son Aaron coated it in DuPont's Emerald Turquoise Metallic and buried it in clear. Once that dried, it was rolled out of the booth and Craig called all hands on deck! The normal shop crew of Aaron Hopkins, Caesar Brecino, and Chris Dyer received a bunch of helping hands in the way of Popeye, Danny Reese, Chuck Wehemt, and Bo Anderson. This motely crew of dudes got after it and completed the car.

The body was muscled back on the fresh chassis and supported by PST body bushings. An American Autowire harness was installed before being covered up in upholstery from Legendary Auto Interiors and LMC. Legendary also provided the new vinyl top, which gives a nice break up to all that Emerald Turquoise. All the glass in the car was replaced with AMD panes, and Metro Moulded seals keep the elements out. The guys were in the homestretch and the only thing really left to do was install all the shiny stuff. Ground Up Restorations provided the grille front-end trim, which was complemented with lenses and emblems from Trim Parts. The last thing to find its way onto the car was the stock 14-inch rims wrapped in Coker Tire 70 series redline tires.

The car was completed just in time to be loaded on the truck and shipped off for its unveiling at the SEMA show in Las Vegas in the AMD booth, where it was an immediate smash.

We wanted the glass as nice as the paint so new stuff was in order. Here Craig is installing the new AMD vent window piece.
We wanted the glass as nice as the paint so new stuff was in order. Here Craig is installi
How true to stock did Craig go? How about down to using the correct heavy metal staples to hold on the rubber inner fenderwell seal.
How true to stock did Craig go? How about down to using the correct heavy metal staples to
Here wee can see Aaron Hopkins installing the Legendary upholstery on the bucket seats.

"When I first saw the AMD Chevelle at SEMA, I couldn't believe it was the same car that was on our cover only a short time before. I was completely flabbergasted," says Super Chevy Editor Jim Campisano. "It was as if someone delivered a brand-new '67 SS396 via time warp to the convention center. Of course, I don't think Chevy ever built one with paint this gorgeous. The build quality and sheetmetal were beyond amazing. The AMD Chevelle was surrounded by admirers for the entire four days of the show."

The A-body came out awesome, as you can tell by the feature images. By the time you read this, the car will be on the show circuit across the country, and once the show season is over we will get the keys and then our work will begin. One thing that is great is we will have test data on a totally stock car before we do the modifications so we will all know exactly how these things handled back in the day.

We know we covered a lot of ground in this feature without going into a ton of detail. That's because we have covered everything mentioned in tech articles throughout the year. So, if you want to see how it all went down, you can find the article in your archive or on our website. Also, Craig Hopkins shot a complete how-to video series on all the sheetmetal work, which will be available at some point. The next time you see the AMD Chevelle in the pages of Super Chevy it will be getting some sort of upgrade.

Danny Reese came by to lend a hand with the headliner and the vinyl top installation.
The 396 Rat (backed by a Powerglide) was fitted with a Comp Cams valvetrain and MagnaFlow exhaust system. It's sprayed in the correct orange hue and looks right at home between the framerails.
The 396 Rat (backed by a Powerglide) was fitted with a Comp Cams valvetrain and MagnaFlow