1972-1971 to 1970 Chevelle Conversion - Sheetmetal Swap

Sucp 1111 1972 1971 1970 Chevelle Conversion Sheetmetal Swap 002

There are always going to be discussions about which is the best Chevelle ever produced. Some like the boxy lines of the early stuff, while others gravitate toward the rounder later models. Hopefully we can all agree that the 1970 SS fitted with the 450hp LS6 was the peak of Chevelle power. All the Chevelles before and after had less steam, so this year holds a special place in more than a few greasy gearheads' hearts. Even though GM produced over 300,000 two-door Chevelles in 1970 it's still difficult to find one on the cheap. If you look to the '71-72 models, there are more than 400,000 built between those two years so there is more opportunity to find a low-buck one to use as a project.

So what is a grease monkey supposed to do if his heart is set on a '70 but can only locate the later versions? Convert it. This is the case with a customer of B.S. Industries in Sun Valley, California. The owner wanted a '70 but found a '71 for a reasonable price. When we spoke with Bodie Stroud, owner of B.S., he let us know about this conversion he was about to start. We jumped in with both feet to cover the job and show what parts it takes to complete the conversion.

Now for all you purists out there, please don't get upset. This conversion is not being done to cheat anybody. There's nothing wrong with '71-72 Chevelles, but as we all know the best car to own is the one you actually want. The car is already fitted with a Schwartz Performance chassis and a few other non-factory upgrades, so there is no way this car will be mistaken for an original anyway.

Bodie likes to use quality parts for his builds, and this one is no different. He ordered everything for the job from Original Parts Group except for one part that he nabbed off of eBay. "It was nice to be able to get everything from a single supplier," says Bodie.

We stopped by the shop on multiple days as the work progressed to get all the pictures. If this Chevelle turns out as nice as the rest of Bodie's builds, you will be able to see the finished product as a feature.

Part Number	Description	Price
PZ00607	Front Fender (left)	309.95
PZ00608	Front Fender (right)	309.95
C990301	Fender Extension (left)	62.95
C990302	Fender Extension (right)	62.95
CH28227	Front Fender Extension Hardware Set (34-piece)	25.95
KR02116	SS Hood, Steel (w/o cowl induction)	299.95
C990171	Back Edge Hood Molding SS or Cowl-induction	45.95
RMS170	Grille Kit (black)	225.99
PZ00042	Super Sport Grille Emblem	39.95
GM1440C	Exterior Screw Set	17.95
CH4056	Headlight Adjusting Kit	29.95
PZ00249	Headlight Retaining Ring (4)	46.00
K67562	Headlight Bezel Kit	199.95
KR02122	Front Marker Assembly Kit	39.95
CH9210	Inner Fender Hardware Kit (56-piece)	32.95
PZ00757	Front Bumper	175.95
CH26020	Front Bumper Brackets (4-piece)	139.95
CH25461	SS Park Lamp Assembly (clear), 2 ea	119.90
KRB285	SS Rear Bumper Kit (complete)	289.95
CH25746	Rear Bumper Brackets (4-piece)	126.95
PK3565	Bumper Bolt Kit	19.95
CH26466	Taillight Lens Set	109.95
PSG014	Taillight Lens Gasket Set	4.95
C99069	Fender Tie Bar	59.95
C990001	Lower Valance	76.95
PZ00631	Inner Fender (left)	139.95
PZ00632	Inner Fender (right)	139.95
C990172	Back Edge Fender Molding	29.95
C211071	Hood Adjuster Bolt Kit	13.95
CH28180	Hood Latch Support	42.99
CH27334	Hood Latch Assembly	84.95
CH28134	Bumper Filler Panel (lower rear)	83.99
GBC0203	Headlight Mounting Bucket (outer), 2 ea	79.90
GBC0201	Headlight Mounting Bucket (inner), 2 ea	79.90
eBay	Grille Mounting Bracket	39.00
	Total	$3,609.32

1 Here are all the components (see sidebar for breakdown and pricing) picked up to transform a single-headlight ’71 to the quad-headlight ’70. Some of the parts from the ’71 can be reused, like the inner wheelwells, fenders, front bumper, and hood. Since the car didn’t have a front clip to begin with, Bodie decided to just get it all new. All the products you are looking at come from a single source, Original Parts Group, except the grille-mounting bracket, which was picked up off eBay. OPG has been a great resource for Chevelle parts for over 20 years and offers quality stuff.
1 Here are all the components (see sidebar for breakdown and pricing) picked up to transf
2 The car is in the initial mock-up phase, so please excuse some of the rusty parts, mismatched wheels, and random markings you might see in the coverage. With that said, step one on the front clip was to bolt on the core-support brackets (one of the only ’71 pieces for the front clip we had). The core supports are different between the ’70 and ’71 because of the different headlight count.
2 The car is in the initial mock-up phase, so please excuse some of the rusty parts, mism
3 The core support can now be placed on the framerails and the rubber mounts loosely installed. Now is not the time to tighten the core-support bolts, as you will need the core support to move to square up the front clip once it’s fully assembled.
3 The core support can now be placed on the framerails and the rubber mounts loosely inst

4 A must for saving your sanity during any front clip install is new nut clips and bolts. Luckily, OPG offers them in a kit so nobody had to sit and count how many were needed. These nut clips are all over the place on the front end, and the best way to tell where they go is to look for the bumps stamped in the metal like these on the inner fender.
4 A must for saving your sanity during any front clip install is new nut clips and bolts.
5 You could hang the fender and then the wheelwell, but it’s much easier to drop the inner fender in place first so you are not fighting the clearance between the fender and tire.
5 You could hang the fender and then the wheelwell, but it’s much easier to drop the inne
6 With the wheelwell in place, the fender can then be installed. Again, do not tighten any of the hardware all the way; it’s best to leave everything a little loose so all the bodylines can be adjusted later.
6 With the wheelwell in place, the fender can then be installed. Again, do not tighten an

7 After the other side is assembled and the hood hinges bolted to the fenders, the hood can be lifted in place. The owner of the car decided to create an SS clone, so this hood is a must.
7 After the other side is assembled and the hood hinges bolted to the fenders, the hood c
8 Now the front clip was squared up and all the lines set. While this is a short sentence, the process took more than a few hours to get it right. It’s a good idea to test-fit trim pieces like these that run on the back of the hood and fenders to make sure they fit. These fit nicely so they were removed and stored in a safe place until the paintjob is finished.
8 Now the front clip was squared up and all the lines set. While this is a short sentence
9 These bumpers up front are used to set the hood height and are best adjusted without the hood latch or hood pin in place. Adjusting them before the latch and pin goes in will help you determine the latch adjustment.
9 These bumpers up front are used to set the hood height and are best adjusted without th

10 Now all the hardware for the front clip can be tightened up, like these bolts on the fender-to-core-support brackets. These brackets only come on the ’70 front clip. Thankfully OPGI re-pops them because they are pretty hard to find.
10 Now all the hardware for the front clip can be tightened up, like these bolts on the f
11 Now is a good time to throw in the front marker lights since you have full access with the bumper out of the way.
11 Now is a good time to throw in the front marker lights since you have full access with
12 The hood latch assembly and center grille support mount to the fender tie bar and the core support. The guys at B.S. did a little custom work to the tie bar and made it a solid piece.
12 The hood latch assembly and center grille support mount to the fender tie bar and the

22 Having new stuff makes life so nice. The new bumper brackets fit like a glove. Don’t get all macho when tightening the bumper bolts—just make sure they are a little tighter than snug. If you do overtighten the bumper bolts there is a chance you can pull in the bumper itself leaving a pucker and distorting the reflection on the chrome.
22 Having new stuff makes life so nice. The new bumper brackets fit like a glove. Don’t g
23 Minus the actual headlights, the front clip is done. While it looks just like a 1970 SS, no one will actually know it started life as a plain Jane ’71. Well, until they look at the VIN tag that is.
23 Minus the actual headlights, the front clip is done. While it looks just like a 1970 S
24 Now we move to the back of the car to complete the visual conversion. Out back, the ’71 features four round taillights while the ’70 has just two rectangular lenses. The brackets need to be installed before the taillight buckets, starting with the upper bracket …
24 Now we move to the back of the car to complete the visual conversion. Out back, the ’7

13 The headlight assemblies come next. The adjuster inserts just pop into the core support, and the tension spring hooks to the holes in the core support and headlight bucket.
13 The headlight assemblies come next. The adjuster inserts just pop into the core suppor
14 The adjuster screws come next and simply thread into the adjuster inserts. There is a small groove cut into the head of the screw that the bucket pops into.
14 The adjuster screws come next and simply thread into the adjuster inserts. There is a
15 Once the stainless trim rings are screwed on, the lower valance can be installed. It bolts to the fenders and the center support.
15 Once the stainless trim rings are screwed on, the lower valance can be installed. It b

25 … followed by the lower bracket.
26 Then the taillight bucket assembly can be mounted to the bumper.
27 Now for one of the most iconic parts of the ’70: the rear bumper pad. In the past these had to be glued on, which took a lot of time. OPGI cured that problem by adding high-quality, 3M two-sided tape. Now all you need to do is peel and stick the pad in place.
27 Now for one of the most iconic parts of the ’70: the rear bumper pad. In the past thes

16 The outer grille bracket mounts between the upper and lower valance. There is a left and right bracket, so make sure the grille tabs are pointing toward the center of the car.
16 The outer grille bracket mounts between the upper and lower valance. There is a left a
17 The grille needs a little assembly before being installed on the car. The outer stainless trim simply snaps onto the grille, and the sweet SS emblem is bolted on.
17 The grille needs a little assembly before being installed on the car. The outer stainl
18 The grille is held in place by six Phillips screws.

19 The headlight extensions are next. As you can see, some of the black coating has been sanded off. The crew at B.S. wants perfect bodylines, so a little hammer work was necessary to get them to line up perfectly. No matter how good the aftermarket parts are there is still going to be a little necessary massaging here and there.
19 The headlight extensions are next. As you can see, some of the black coating has been
20 Now it’s time for some shiny stuff—the marker light assemblies screw directly to the bumper.
20 Now it’s time for some shiny stuff—the marker light assemblies screw directly to the b
21 And the gasket and lenses follow. If you were restoring a non-SS then these lenses would be amber-colored, but since we are cloning an SS they are clear.
21 And the gasket and lenses follow. If you were restoring a non-SS then these lenses wou

28 While you could put it on crooked, it would be pretty hard. Just line up the area around the license plate and the rest will fall into place.
28 While you could put it on crooked, it would be pretty hard. Just line up the area arou
29 Now the bumper can be slipped onto the car.
30 The lower valance is the last piece of this conversion puzzle. Again, this piece has been slightly modified by the B.S. crew to tuck the tailpipes up a bit higher.
30 The lower valance is the last piece of this conversion puzzle. Again, this piece has b

SOURCES
Original Parts Group Seal Beach CA 562-594-1000 www.opgi.com	B.S. Industries 8805 Bradley Ave Sun Valley CA 91352 818-768-7600 www.bodiestroud.com