Discussing a 1966 SS Chevelle with Patrick Glenn Nichols

[@4vmax]

Beautiful car

[@bobagost3882]

Hello My fist car was a used 68 Chevelle ss 396 Fully loaded car ac Pw etc Every Chevelle I ever saw back in the very early 1970s had with out a dought black rear painted panel that's how you knew that you were come up too be for you were close enough to read your the ss 396 Just saying Bob Born 1956 I still have 3 ss Chevelles It was Love at first Sight LOL

[@MarkMeldrumChevelleHunters]

That's so cool that you are still into Chevelle's, I hope you enjoy my channel because it's mostly Chevelles stuff. Please bring one of those Chevelles to the Northern Ohio Chevelle Show this year.

[@user-wc4uh4rl3z]

Finely a 1966 my year instead of a 1967 ss 🇺🇲

[@MarkMeldrumChevelleHunters]

Finally? You need to visit my channel more often 😀 we been known to say I would stand on the hood of a 67 to see a 66

[@austineight996]

My older brother ordered a new marina blue SS Chevelle back in 1966 with a black vinyl top and ordered the bucket seats and four speed as well. When the car finally came in, to my brothers disappointment it had a bench seat with a four speed instead. He had to take it as is and was given a discount. He drove the wheels off it the first year and blew up the motor. It was still under warranty so the dealer replaced it. The following year my brother ordered a brand new 1967 SS Chevelle in marina blue bucket seats and the 396/325 HP. After waiting a long time the car finally arrived, this time the factory screwed up again! My brothers new SS 396 Chevelle was delivered in emerald green with a black vinyl top, a bench seat and four speed. Again, the dealer gave my brother a discount for the screw ups…actually the rare emerald green color was very beautiful. The car also came the a keyed brake lock located next to the hood release under the left dash. My brother promptly installed grey spoked American mag wheels and clear flame thrower bright lights to replace the factory bright lights. Two years later my brother was drafted and fighting in the jungles of Vietnam and left his 1967 SS 396 Chevelle in my personal care to watch over it… I was only 15 years old.. but I treasured my brothers SS like it was my own car. Started it up every week, kept it clean and cleaned the spark plugs every so often like he told me. Sadly my father had to sell the car while my brother was fighting in Vietnam because my father couldn’t make the payments for him. My heart was broken to see another returning vet drive off with my brothers SS Chevelle after taking so good care of it. My brother would take me fishing in that 67 SS chevelle early in the morning after returning from the night shift as a machinist. He let me do the shifting while driving through the forest preserves on the way to the lake. I have very fond memories of that 67 SS Chevelle and my brother who never got to drive his SS chevelle again. Maybe one day I will afford to buy one in his memory.

[@zone47]

I saw a video of a GM worker back in the day who said that one of the GM assembly locations for a short time blacked out the rear panel and then they stopped doing it for some reason and left it up to the dealers. Some dealers did it and others didn't. If I can find the video again I'll post it back here.

[@mitchmccall66SS]

Good looking 66 mark!!! I have a quick question since I don’t have the book you suggest! I know the hood latch needs to be a phosphate grey (which I’m about to do) does the striker/catch that is on the hood itself need to be the same color or stay black?

[@MarkMeldrumChevelleHunters]

Same phosphate as hood latch.

[@mitchmccall66SS]

@@MarkMeldrumChevelleHunters thanks so much mark! Love your videos one of these days I’m going to make it out of Washington to the NOCC show!

[@lylejohnston4125]

Does this car have the " '66 Chevelle interior smell"? I found out from Fred Willy that it's from mold on the paper of the side panels.

[@MarkMeldrumChevelleHunters]

I love that special 66 Chevelle smell but this car had been completely restored so no 66 smell :). Actually the smell reminds me of when I worked in the aircraft industry as an engineer. The preservative oil we would put in the pumps smelled just like the 66 smell, it was not mold. I believe GM used the same oil on some parts that probably got absorbed into side panels and fabric.

[@jeffreyb6165]

I always pictured Patrick to be older.

[@larryroberts4984]

Did they ever make the 66 and 67 ss chevelle in a 2 door sedan?

[@ronpackman2266]

No.. They only made station wagons in those years. Ive got 2

[@kendavis167]

I just bought a 69 chevelle and would like to have it authenticated

[@MarkMeldrumChevelleHunters]

What do you mean authenticated?

[@bohdanszkirka5087]

Didn't the smog pump came out in 1969 on chevy?

[@MarkMeldrumChevelleHunters]

Smog Pumps actually started in 1966 on Chevelle's in California

[@steverugerguy9606]

I had a 68 chevelle ss 396 4 speed in high school in the 80s....miss it bad.

[@Clearanceman2]

Maybe Flit painted cars black between the rear lights and Atlanta didn't. I mean if different plants used different material inner fenders and a different process of paint splatter in the truck, might they have painted cars differently between the lights?

[@richardmalone4721]

Lol, Patrick seems to be a modest person, biting that knowledgeable tongue when the rants start flyin, (@ every Car Event). I’ve learned so much from his videos, (I now understand some of the looks I was receiving while trying to sell a ‘70 LS6 @ Spring Carlisle, 1995, knowledgeable guys like Patrick observing all of my mistakes, me thinking “It’s ready!” It was a driver at best.

[@longroth4882]

Could have been a dealer that did the black between the tail lights. I grew up in body shops, and worked for several dealerships in the 70's and 80's. They would do just about anything, even to a brand new car, to have something other dealerships don't have. At one we did 2-tone paint on models that the factory didn't offer it on, or plain looking vehicles that just weren't selling. I did a lot of paint modding and striping on Camaro's when the new body style came out in 82, one of the stripe schemes even had GM reps showing up to take pictures for use on future models. There are at least half a dozen 1982-83 Z28's I removed all the factory vinyl striping off of, that were only available in a few colors, and painted them on (with additional stripes) in colors that made them unique. The number of new vehicles I did paint mods to have to be in the hundreds. Painting wasn't all, wheel and tire mods, like factory rally wheels on standard cars that didn't come with them, lots and lots of pin striping, moldings and trim... On used cars, anything and everything was done to make them more appealing. And I was in a small market area in central Wisconsin. It was common practice back in the day, I can't imagine how many brand new factory cars nationally left dealerships "non-factory" over the years. Who could have predicted it would be such a sin 50 years later?

[@clinteast7476]

black between rear lights looks better, imho

[@rondpert5167]

The rear panel was supposed to be a semi-flat black. Early factory advertising pictures show this. Early cars from certain plants did this. The reason is not clear why they stopped. It's been suggested that it slowed down the line. You're right, that many dealers had the panel painted to improve sales. I have heard that some very late cars received the black paint, to prepare for the the '67 models.

[@midnightrider5797]

Good video guys glad to see the guru there with you. Beautiful car.

[@MarkMeldrumChevelleHunters]

I always have fun talking with Patrick!!

[@Wofski]

Very nice car!!!

[@DavidSmith-ke1xb]

Cool finally see a face to that dude, I just subscribe to your channel, and look forward to see more barn finds and learn more about what I always love since I was a kid.

[@eagle1333]

what a beauty!

[@mexicanfrenchmenmoser9885]

i have a 1966 chevelle SS that i have had for 40 years bought with out a motor it has a 70 LS6 motor in it now can some tell me how i can out what it came with it has 355 gears in the rear thankx

[@MarkMeldrumChevelleHunters]

Only way to tell what it came with is to have original paperwork or find a build sheet

[@jackmoser9455]

@@MarkMeldrumChevelleHunters ok thanks 😊

[@CORVAIRWILD]

Its yourbeekeeper in San Francisco that ends w "SEE YA!" Prolly many others...

[@Clearanceman2]

beautiful

[@pcard10]

There were some 1966 Chevelles that had black tail panels. Look at some of the vintage GM ads

[@MarkMeldrumChevelleHunters]

In my opinion, the ads are why people or dealerships painted the tail panel black. I have personally talked to a person who drove the cars off the assembly line at the Atlanta Plant that told me the 66 Chevelle did to have tail panels painted black at their factory.

[@pcard10]

@@MarkMeldrumChevelleHunters They were not all built in Atlanta, some were built in Kansas City and Baltimore.

[@MarkMeldrumChevelleHunters]

@@pcard10 Yes I know that, Also Flint MI , Freemont CA and Framingham, Massachusetts

[@kevinkendall3122]

Saw a 66 Malibu conv.with the same exact interior at a car show in Franklin.Ky

[@MarkMeldrumChevelleHunters]

I love Fawn Interior

[@kevinkendall3122]

@@MarkMeldrumChevelleHunters only two cars I've seen with that particular two tone interior

[@MarkMeldrumChevelleHunters]

@@kevinkendall3122 Funny because I have done work on two Chevelles with this Interior. One was this Tropical Turquoise and the other was Cameo Beige

[@kevinkendall3122]

@@MarkMeldrumChevelleHunters the Malibu conv.I saw was red

[@nickrice7535]

I believe mid year chevy stopped the black tail paint to save time but do to complaints from customers and dealers they picked it back up.

[@MarkMeldrumChevelleHunters]

You said "you believe" Could you please state what factory you are talking about and what your source is? This has always been a heavily debated issue among 66 Chevelle enthusiast. Thanks

[@nickrice7535]

@@MarkMeldrumChevelleHunters It's been so long I can't recall. I'm not saying it's gospel but made total sense to me. I also remember them from 66 when new as well. My dad worked at a chevy dealer in sales from 54 to 81. His early 66 SS396 had a black tail. If I find anything as far as a reliable source I'll post it and will also forward an inquiry to Patrick.

[@nickrice7535]

I did have a 67 SS396 in 72. 350hp pretty loaded with auto ac

[@lancehardy5808]

Great Video

[@jerrywelter6375]

Fantastic 66! Why did PGN just say a month ago the blackened tail was proven on a white '66?

[@MarkMeldrumChevelleHunters]

Where was that said?

[@jerrywelter6375]

@@MarkMeldrumChevelleHunters He was assessing a white '66 L78 original paint which had the blackened tail....he said it's original and would spike a lot of controversy.

[@MarkMeldrumChevelleHunters]

@@jerrywelter6375 gotcha - We have debated this a lot. I am in the camp that they were painted at the dealerships before the customer ever saw the car. I had the pleasure of talking with a painter from the Atlanta Assembly plant and he told us that they did not paint them black in Atlanta. When asked if he thought they did some for practicing for the 67 model year he stated they did not need practice.

[@jerrywelter6375]

Most mysteries have been solved in the chevy world, so you'd need proof to even go with the dealer story.@@MarkMeldrumChevelleHunters

[@ggoblue]

guys would drive cars off the line...get on it....then throw it in park and let it click click click to a stop they were so good at it that the car would stop perfectly in place...like a putt.

[@MarkMeldrumChevelleHunters]

Please subscribe if you like this. Thanks

[@marksimpson7477]

back in the 80s o had a 67 325 396 powerglide chevelle that had front headrest.ive never seen another.was that a rare option?

[@CORVAIRWILD]

I've seen a few

[@richardjones8500]

Headrest was a very rare option on '66 and '67

[@91rss]

a friend said the Canadian built Beaumonts were a better documented car to get

[@waitingonthealiens8160]

I just bought a 66 Beaumont. Your friend have any advice on where I can find info?

[@91rss]

@@waitingonthealiens8160 GM Canada

[@randyzimmer9521]

Give ur guess a mic

[@jamescramer6840]

9

[@myassizitchy]

Tjem aint even ss hubcaps. Theyre plain malibu hubcps. Should xame with the three bar spinner type hubcaps like in 65 /66 ss impalas.. and our turqouise 66ss came wirh the black panel blacked out and. Ours has never been painted. Neither has my uncles either. Its red with black tail panel. But they wasnr all that way

[@MarkMeldrumChevelleHunters]

You are absolutely wrong about the wheel discs! - do some research - buy a book called "The Definitive Chevelle SS Guide - 1964 - 1972" by Dale McIntosh and learn.

[@MarkMeldrumChevelleHunters]

photos.app.goo.gl/ay4BjXLCavK4rRNG7

[@MarkMeldrumChevelleHunters]

Here is a photo of an original spare tire - the owner put one of the original wheel discs on it.photos.app.goo.gl/DHDXRexpcYdMF26C6

[@MarkMeldrumChevelleHunters]

photos.app.goo.gl/CcFbAuzvRNj4jF2XA Here is a vintage photo showing this wheel discs on a SS Chevelle

[@kevinkendall3122]

I've heard most if not all Atlanta built cars had the black tail panel