By Tommy Lee Byrd – Images by the Author
If you were lucky enough to have been present for the muscle car era, you remember the car that made an impact on you. It may have been a high-winding L79 car, or it could have been an axle-snapping big-block, but one thing is for sure—you remember it. For Jim Reynolds, who his friends call “Cat,” there were some local examples that fed his gearhead appetite, but the one that means the most is the 1967 Chevelle SS396 on these pages. It’s a car that was used for daily transportation, a little bit of street racing, and it even played a role in his wedding day back in 1990 when he married his wife, Patricia. Today, the car is restored and better than ever, thanks to a few great friends who remember it in all its stages.
Cat’s journey with this Chevelle began in November of 1969. He was 17 years old and hustling hard at the local grocery store, working as many hours as he could get and mowing yards on the side. At the time, his household included a 1955 Chevy and a 1962 Impala, but his hard work inspired him to look for something a little more modern. Lucky for him, used cars were awesome in the late ’60s and he found a big-block Chevelle that was within his reach. The ’55 was sacrificed as a trade-in, and the resulting monthly contribution was $95.95. He drove the car every day for seven years, muscling through the OPEC oil crisis, rising insurance costs, and what he thought was expensive high-test gasoline.
The 396ci big-block made 325 hp in stock form and gave Cat plenty of good times in the years he drove the car. He eventually bought a Pontiac Trans Am for daily transportation, and that opened the door to start modifying the Chevelle for some Saturday night action. He swapped the cam, installed headers and changed the original 3.40:1 gears for a set of 4.10s to really make the combination come alive. The original big-block met its demise after some serious abuse, and the car sat for a few years. He got it back going again and it remained an ongoing project.
Fast-forward to 2019 and the Chevelle was still in Cat’s life, but it was starting to show its age. He wanted to rebuild it back to the glory days, so he called up a few friends, and they jumped on the project. Underneath, it was matter of replacing worn bushings, ball joints, and steering components with the only major upgrade being QA1 shocks. Cat wanted an old-school tire-and-wheel combination, so he went with 15×7 and 15×8 Rally wheels, wrapped in BFGoodrich 225/570R15 and 255/70R15 rubber for a great stance.
Underhood is a tried-and-true big-block, rebuilt by Danny Warren. The block was bored 0.030 inch, the rotating assembly was balanced, and it was rebuilt using mostly GM components. Cat added a set of roller rocker arms and converted the original distributor to electronic with an aftermarket module. The original gas tank was swapped for a stainless steel unit, and it feeds a 750-cfm Holley, built and tuned by J.R. Taylor. Cat upgraded the exhaust system with a set of Hedman headers and Flowmaster Super 44 mufflers for the perfect muscle car soundtrack. Behind the big-block is a Centerforce clutch and a Muncie four-speed transmission, which has been rebuilt by Bobby Tucker. Moving further back is the original 12-bolt rearend that still features 4.10:1 gears from Cat’s street racing days.
The body needed the most attention, and that’s where Alan Harvey stepped into the picture. Harvey fitted the new patch panels for the front fenders and quarter-panels and Cat welded them in. Harvey installed new doorskins, a new hood, and new decklid to complete the rust repair and then handled the bodywork to prepare it for paint. After block-sanding and primer, it was time to lay down the Sikkens Auto Base Plus paint from Byrd’s Automotive in the original Butternut Yellow hue, followed by a few coats of clear. The body was then sanded, buffed, and polished to a finish that’s far better than the original. All-new green-tinted glass, N.O.S. trim, and re-chromed bumpers finish off the car nicely. Then, the car went to Jerry McClendon for a new vinyl top and seat upholstery. Everything is stock in the black bucket-seat interior, aside from a modern radio that’s built to look old.
Throughout the build, the goal was to recreate this car’s glory days. After one year and five months of work, the car rolled out of Alan Harvey’s shop with a totally fresh look and all-new mechanicals to back it up. Since then, he’s put a few thousand miles on it and entered it in dozens of local car shows. Cat says, “Every time I get in the car, it turns me 40 years younger.”
And with that, we’d say this long-term relationship is just getting started.
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TECH CHECK
Owner: Jim “Cat” Reynolds, Soddy-Daisy, Tennessee
Vehicle: 1967 Chevelle SS396
Engine
Type: Big-block
Displacement: 396 ci
Bore: 4.094 inches
Stroke: 3.76 inches
Rotating Assembly: GM
Cylinder Heads: Stock
Valvetrain: Roller rockers
Camshaft: Comp Cams
Ignition: Stock with electronic conversion
Induction: Stock intake with Holley 750-cfm carburetor by J.R. Taylor
Exhaust: Hedman headers, Flowmaster Super 44 mufflers
Ancillaries: Vintage-look Delco battery
Drivetrain
Transmission: Muncie four-speed by Bobby Tucker, Centerforce clutch
Rear Axle: Stock 12-bolt with 4.10:1 gears
Chassis
Front Suspension: Stock with QA1 shocks
Rear Suspension: Stock with QA1 shocks
Brakes: Stock front disc, rear drum
Master Cylinder: Stock manual dual reservoir
Pedals: Stock
Wheels & Tires
Wheels: Chevy Rally, 15×7 front, 15×8 rear
Tires: BFGoodrich Radial T/A, 225/70R15 front, 255/70R15 rear
Interior
Seats: Stock buckets
Steering: Stock with walnut steering wheel
Shifter: Stock
Dash: Stock
Instrumentation: Stock with Tick Tock Tach
Stereo: Factory-look Radio
Wiring: Stock replacement
Exterior
Paint: Butternut Yellow, Sikkens base/clear by Alan Harvey
Hood: Stock
Grille: Stock
Bumpers: Stock
Hood Hinges: Custom
Lights: Stock
