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Chevelle produces a life of fun in the fast lane

“Ya know what the problem is,” declared Larry Pugesek, gazing judiciously out the plate-glass window at his 1966 Chevelle SS. “It's just not fast enough.” He was in the showroom of McKeown/Thalin Chevrolet in Glen Ellyn and those words were sweet music to the ears of the salesman sitting across the table from him.

Pugesek bought that Chevy at Chicago's famed Nickey Chevrolet. While it was Pugesek's first new-car purchase, any fondness for the cool ride was trumped by his desire to jump into something even more potent on the streets.

Luckily for him, the year was 1968 and more muscle was readily available. The sales associate quickly steered him toward the latest Chevelle. He decided to order a 1968 sport coupe but, stumped on a color choice, Pugesek let his wife, Barbara, pick out Ash Gold. He turned his attention to what he deemed the more important issues — namely ensuring his Chevelle wouldn't disappoint when he slammed the accelerator.

On the order form, he ticked the box for “the optional bad-boy motor” — the 396-cubic-inch V-8.

Further steps were taken to bolster the car's grin-inducing abilities. Pugesek intentionally didn't want power steering or brakes. “They added weight and drag, slowing things down,” he said. “All I wanted was horsepower.”

The car finally arrived in May and the Pugeseks had a gas with the big-block brute. Most of its time was regulated to shuttling Pugesek to the Glen Ellyn train station, where he would park and ride the rails to work. During the summers, the family piled in, including the Pugeseks' four sons and their daughter, and they'd all buzz up to Fox Lake. A trailer hitch was installed on the Chevelle and on those jaunts it would tow the family boat.

The regular and year-round use started to take a toll and in 1978 the SS was parked. “It was showing rust,” Pugesek said. “I knew I wanted to save it so it was pulled from the road.”

With Pugesek's passion for motoring, it was only natural his boys would take after him. Each son soon accumulated their own rolling projects, calling on dad for help wrenching and restoring. While the father-son time was fantastic for relationship building, it did mean his Chevelle was left untouched for years.

That changed in 2003 when Pugesek had a heart attack. The auto enthusiast and Glendale Heights resident came to the conclusion he wanted to finish the car before he passed. His sons quickly came to his aid and helped complete a full-blown overhaul on the special Chevy. The undercarriage was sandblasted and painted before replacement doors, fenders and quarter panels were installed.

The factory gold paint was swapped for a tantalizing and extremely hard to apply Wild Cherry Pearl. The vehicle was painted in the Pugesek's home garage and, all told, it included 33 coats of black, silver white pearl, wild cherry and clear topcoats.

Powertrain upgrades were made, too, including installing a Tripower carburetor setup on the heavily chromed engine.

So after all the upgrades, does the Chevelle finally scratch Pugesek's need for speed?

“It's not the fastest car in the world but still plenty nasty,” he said. “The best part isn't going fast but the fun and laughs made along the way.”

• Share your car's story with Matt Avery at auto@dailyherald.com.

Larry Pugesek of Glendale Heights restored his 1968 Chevy Chevelle SS 396 with the help of his sons. Three of his four boys now own Chevelles, too.
Pugesek's wife, Barbara, picked out the original gold color, but the car is now a Wild Cherry Pearl.
Pugesek purchased his Chevy Chevelle SS on March 4 in 1968, and it arrived about a month later.
Restoration work on the 1968 Chevy Chevelle SS 396 began in 2003.
Restoration work on the 1968 Chevy Chevelle SS 396 began in 2003.
Restoration work on the 1968 Chevy Chevelle SS 396 began in 2003.
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