Taking an unrestored to classic car to a new level takes plenty of time and money, but building a pro-touring style classic takes the scale of a project to a much higher level. Despite its humble beginnings as a 2-door Malibu with a vinyl top, it was fortunately spared the damaging effects of road salt and snow thanks to residing in California.

However, the Chevelle was not treated to safe cover of a barn or garage, the current owner rescued the Malibu from a rotting away in a field. After we spotted this ’69 Chevelle/Malibu at the NMCA event and then in the classified section of ProTouring.com, we decided this car required further investigation.

Allred painted the '69 with olive green primer once his brother finished the necessary body work.

When stumbling upon a basic V-8 classic car, the builder/restorer is faced with the choice of staying original or building the car to suit a certain purpose that can actually add value to the car over a factory restoration. Not every project is worthy of a Barrett-Jackson TV auction, but being built by the owner and his brother this ride is truly worthy of attention and kudos.

A Not-So-Rare Find

Tom Allred bought the car for $500 nearly eight years ago and started with modifications almost immediately. After being tempted by the horsepower bug and the desire to drive the car, he threw it together with a 350 crate engine and Turbo 350 transmission. With the down and dirty engine and transmission install completed, Allred added a set of skinnies on the front and some fat Mickey Thompsons in the rear and took the car out for drive around the block. Upon returning home from initial drive, all Allred could say was “This thing drives worse than it looks.”

Tom Allred's '69 Chevelle was rescued from years of neglect as it sat in field exposed to the elements.

It is always difficult when comes time to decide where is the best point to dive into a large scale project, but bodywork is seems like a logical jumping off point. Many are tempted to jump into the engine right off the start, but going in a logical order just seems like the more mature route, but by no means is it as glamorous as assembling a shiny new engine. After being tempted by the desire to drive it and make a little power Allred knew it was time to do things the right way.

In order to complete the manual disc brake conversion Allred added a Wilwood dual master cylinder and Baer proportioning valve.

Before jumping into the large-scale project and subsequent new direction for the ’69, Allred’s father offered his son a few words of advice. His father reminded him that many people who pull a car completely apart will never drive the car again; it will likely be moved around for years and then finally sold after years of frustration.

Allred told his father that he would drive the car again, unfortunately his father passed away two years after the debate about whether or not the car would ever see the open road again.

Allred knew that his father would never forgive him if he failed to make good on his promise to cruise the Chevelle on streets again. This knowledge led Allred to name his car Unforgiven, by no means it is completely finished but it is running, driving and occasionally terrorizing a few autocross events.

Due to the years of neglect as the car sat in a field, there were some minor rust issues that would have to be dealt with. According to the owner the only rust issues were along a seam where the vinyl roof had torn; a few rust holes existed in the top and the package tray area.

At this point the body was removed from the frame and media blasted in preparation for the necessary repairs. All areas of rust were properly repaired and not just filled with Bondo. After assessing the prior bodywork on the quarter panels, they appeared to be worth saving and repairing.

Beneath The Skin

As the body was still off of the frame, Allred took advantage of the opportunity to fit in a nice addition to the ’69 by installing an LS3 crate engine with the addition of LS7 intake. While the engine remains essentially stock, at least for now; there is always time to add power when you have an excellent starting point.

When it came time to hook up an exhaust system Allred knew that Edelbrock’s LSX conversion headers would handle the task. Additionally, an ATS Road Race Oil Pan was installed to ensure the safety of the engine when the car hit the streets, road course and autocross. With the engine mounted, Allred took the time to connect Tremec TKO 5-speed manual transmission and bellhousing along with a McLeod clutch from Classic Motorsport Group.

The LS3 engine topped with LS7 intake looks like a perfect fit under the of Allred's Chevelle.

Once the engine and transmission were in place, Allred knew it was time to upgrade the rear differential with a Currie Ford 9” Rear Differential complete with a Tru Trac posi-unit, 3:50 gears and 31-spline axles for added strength.

In addition to the Currie rear differential a set of Currie adjustable upper and lower control arms, coil springs from Speedway Engineering, Bilstein rear shocks and Johnny Joints were added to complete the overall combination. In front the Chevelle was treated to a set of upper and lower control arms from SPC Performance, a coil over conversion from Varishock, ATS/AFX spindles with C5/C6 hubs with ARP ½” studs and 7/8” solid front sway bar.

One advantage to working with the frame and body separately is the ability to avoid overspray on the wheels, frame and everything else that one does not want coated with paint. With that being said, Allred continued on with progress on ’69 by upgrading the brakes with Baer Eradispeed 13” rotors in the front and rear, grabbed by a set of Kore 3 C6 front calipers in the front while Baer calipers handled the rear.

A dual master cylinder from Wilwood and Baer proportioning valve finishes the combination. At this point Allred forced to make a decision when it came to the wheels and subsequent rubber they would be wrapped in. A set of Fiske Profile 13 3-piece wheels wrapped in rubber from Nitto would suit the ’69 perfectly.

Allred's '69 Chevelle earned it name the hard way.

Cosmetics Is Not The Case

With the bodywork complete, it was time to seal the body with a fresh coat of olive green primer. Not being a professional painter comes with some drawbacks, not having pro-level paint gun can cause a few headaches and hiccups in the process.

She might not be the prettiest but Allred’s Chevelle sure knows how to dance around the cones.

According to the owner the paint gun malfunction gave the car a wavy appearance that may cause others to believe the body of the ’69 would require additional bodywork (which is not the case).

When they body was reattached to the frame and it was time to finish a few remaining items. During the build the rear seats were permanently removed, making this ’69 a two-seater and the tunnel was raised to provide additional space and clearance. The door panels and rear interior panels were replaced with new ones, in everyone’s favorite interior hue, black.

Since the car had become a two-seater and would spend a little time at various racing events Allred selected a set of Kirky Road Race seats wrapped in black seat covers and set of Crow Enterprises 5-point harnesses with cam locks.

The addition of the B-Quiet sound insulation will do wonders when it comes reducing road noise and some of the old car sounds; some aficionados appreciate the harmony of classic car noises, but when building a pro-touring car all of those notions can be tossed out the window.

Like many other car guys, Allred’s ’69 Chevelle is not yet complete, but he made good on a promise to his father by getting the car back on the street. Taking the time to build a car on your own takes a lot courage, dedication and help from friends and family. During this project Allred’s brother was excellent source of assistance when it came to the bodywork and fabrication, but his wife was always a source of support through the trials and tribulations.

While the car sat for a few years as Allred and his wife started their family, she was always there to provide encouragement to her husband with his labor of love. No matter how many times the project threw curve-balls or hassles it became more important to finish what he started.

Allred wanted to thank his wife for not letting him load the car on to a trailer and sell the “Unforgiven” Chevelle. As the car is almost complete, Allred feels that he reached a point where he has made good on his promise to his father and if the right buyer were to come along he would consider letting go of the olive green autocross machine.