Get Out N Drive’s Shawn ‘Mr Sedan Man’ Sherill is the proud owner of a ‘65 Chevelle – a car worthy of gettin’ out and driving in.
Chock full of power and incredibly drivable – not to mention easy on the eye – this hot rod has graced the streets for more than a decade now, becoming a power touring staple with lots of fond memories.
We’ve got the scoop from Get Out N Drive’s Shawn and John, who take us through their journey with this awesome ‘65 Chevelle – from the build to Power Touring. Enjoy folks!
Livin’ on a prayer
My eldest brother turned me on to the Chevelle. He worked with someone who had the car and was looking to sell it. He told me it was a ’66 – and I had a 396 engine to put in it – so I thought it was worth a look.
I went to see the ’66 Chevelle…but it wasn’t a ’66 at all. This car was a ‘65 with a ‘64 front clip. Not at all the car I thought I was going to look at, but it was a nice solid car nonetheless. I left without the car that day.
But then, I kept thinking about how solid the car was. And I liked that it was a ’65. There are ’66 Chevelles everywhere, but you don’t always see a ’65. The car had grabbed my attention and I went back to buy it.
I paid just $800 for it. That was in Feb of 1993. She fired right up and I decided to take her home.
It was the first time I drove a 3 on the tree. It was a 50 mile drive home on a hope and a prayer it would actually make it there.
The build
Shawn: At first I was just going to rebuild the suspension and throw my 396 in it to make it a daily driver. But life and kids pushed the project to the back burner.
Fast forward to 2009. The kids were old enough – and interested – in helping me work on the car. We decided to do a full frame on restoration.
I left the car with John to work his autobody magic, while my sons and I worked on the engine.
That’s when I discovered the 396 had a crack in the engine block. And so I pushed it aside, and replaced it with a 496 stroker big block.
John: I started by sand blasting the body to bare metal. I replaced the rockers and installed new quarter panels.
I completed the body work before refinisihing in basecoat clear coat, Carmona Red – polished and reassembled.
Why Carmona Red?
Shawn: I was trying to decide on a colour when I happened to drive by a Porsche dealer. That’s when I saw the colour for my car.
I liked the Carmona Red because it’s similar to the Medira Red – a factory ’65 colour. Once it was done at the body shop, I rolled up the sleeves and went to work with my sons – Brad and Jake.
We:
- Installed the engine, Muncie transmission and the Moser 9” rear end
- Upgraded the front brake to Wilwood Disc brakes because stopping is high on the priority list.
- Installed an all-new fawn coloured interior from PUI Interiors.
The engine moving this car down the road is a big block that is bored and stroked to 496 cubic inches. It runs a Lunati Voodoo camshaft with “adequate lift and duration” and is topped with Edelbrock Preformer RPM aluminum cylinder heads, an Edelbrock Air Gap Intake and a Holley HP 950 cfm carb.
Inspiring the next generation
The ’65 Chevelle project really caught my sons’ attention – especially Jake. Working on and riding in the Chevelle really fueled his love for classic cars and inspired him to pursue a career in automotive repair.
With our What Drives YOUth? Initiative (#WhatDrivesYOUth), we spotlight young people that have a passion for cars.
Whether it’s through photography, auto restoration, art, vehicle design or that they just love to Get Out N Drive, we love to hear about and support the next generation of gear heads.
Our podcast allows young enthusiasts to learn about cars by just plugging in their headphones.
Memorable drives
Shawn: The most memorable was the first time I took my wife for a ride. There was no glass in the car, the front bench seat was held in with just 2 bolts. I popped the clutch, the car took off sideways and she hasn’t trusted me since.
John: I remember that ride. She got out, slammed the door and said, “I’m never riding in that car again!”
Shawn: Ten years later, I think she’s over it. She does ride in it with me and even went on the Hot Rod Hundred Reliability Run.
I can’t forget the 2015 Hot Rod Power Tour with my kids. We went from St. Louis, Missouri to Madison, Wisconsin and back. This was a problem free trip in about 3 days. We had a great time!
The next weekend, we set out for the Street Machine Nationals in DuQuoin, Illinois. Confident from last weekends trip, we hit the road.
On this occasion, the gas tank strap broke as we were flying down the highway and the gas tank fell loose from the car.
We did a roadside repair using a ratchet strap to secure it back in place – and get to the show. We had a great weekend and headed home without a care in the world.
About 50 miles from home, however, a u-joint broke – dropping the driveshaft out of the car! She made the rest of the trip on a roll back tow truck…
But don’t worry – we installed a new drive shaft, gas tank and straps and were back on the road the next weekend – ready to get out n drive in our badass Chevelle ’65!
About Get Out N Drive
Two automotive superstars with 60 years of restoration experience behind them sharing their sage wisdom about cars. The things you want to know. The things you DON’T want to know. And more.
They are John and Shawn – and they’re on a mission to enlighten the next generation of Petrolheads.
For the next episode of John and Shawn’s Restoration Corner, we’ll be looking at a famous classic ’69er from a badass movie…stay tuned!
Check out their page to find out more!
