Project American Heroes III Chevelle Exterior, Interior & Electrical Upgrades - Windows, Wires, And Widgets

Building a highly-detailed automobile is a matter of properly completing the numerous odds and ends of assembly with care and precision. The crew at Route 66 Motorsports is up to the task, as the Project American Heroes III Chevelle is being birthed before our very eyes. Sporting some very trick, cutting-edge components from the aftermarket, this car promises to make its new owner extremely happy. Body panels are installed, the chassis is just about done, and the supercharged LSA motor is on the verge of being fired up.

This segment of the build brings a couple of our Project American Heroes team members (read: sponsoring vendors) into special focus. There are some very high quality people supplying parts that not too long ago required hours of junkyard scrounging and swap meet meandering. For example, a quick call to a top-notch company like Specialty Power Windows (SPW) and an entire power window conversion kit with OEM quality parts can be shipped to your door. The founders of SPW, Ervin and Louise Castlebery, are real car people. Having worked for 35 years in their own body shop, they ventured out in the old car hobby to begin supplying enthusiasts with not only their high quality power window kits, but also windshield wiper kits, and other related pieces for antique cars, street rods, trucks and vans.

Painless Performance Products, which manufactures high-quality wiring kits and harnesses is another of those aftermarket stories of modern day performance machines benefitting from the hard work and determination of a real car guy. One of the founders of the company, Dennis Overholser, sold his first three harnesses at the 1990 Pate swap meet in Cresson, Texas. That simple goal to supply an easy kit for wiring street rods has evolved into a multi-faceted company with 66 employees in a modern 43,000-square-foot facility manufacturing over 500 products for show cars, street cars, dragsters, and even rock crawlers.

National Parts Depot (NPD) has been supplying parts for the Chevelle, including the exterior door handles being installed on the car. Of course, fit and finish are excellent.

National Parts Depot (NPD) has been supplying parts for the Chevelle, including the exteri

Another PAH team member that comes to light at this stage of the PAH3 construction is Fesler Built. After 40 years, one might safely conclude that any new "slick" part for '70 Chevelles would simply be a rehash of old ideas. But then Fesler Built creates its highly engineered billet hood hinge, redefining the standards for engine compartment appearance. A marvel of engineering and operation, the Fesler billet hood hinge makes the OEM piece look like a dumpster with a garage door spring. By the way, Fesler Built does a whole lot more than hinges. It is also heavily involved in building specialty '10 Camaros and first class hot rods.

Speaking of first class hot rods, the Project American Heroes Team would be nowhere without the quarterback, Bill Jelinek, owner of Route 66 Motorsports. For Bill to take this clapped out '70 Chevelle and transform it a high-tech street fighter is an accomplishment of Joe Montana proportions. The crew at Route 66 Motorsports makes any and all tasks look easy. Need a chalk mark restoration of that '69 Z/28? Route 66 Motorsports already has a number of award-winning builds under its collective belt. Want a killer Chevelle, but can't make to the June 25-27 Barrett-Jackson Collector Car Auction? No problem, Jelinek will build you another one to your exact specifications. Follow along as PAH 3 nears its final completion and debut as we build one for America's armed forces personnel.