Humble Malibu model rebuilt for speed

The Chevelle was perfect. Well, not exactly perfect. The right rear fender and door were crushed into the frame and it was sitting in the middle of a junkyard.

Besides all that, Ron Schmidt and his two brothers knew it was the one. Not for restoring, but for racing.

The year was 1968 and the brothers wanted a machine to thrash around local tracks such as Sante Fe Speedway's oval loop in Willow Springs. After finding the junker, the boys, who lived in Joliet at the time, all chipped in to buy it.

That winter they worked together to get it race ready. “My oldest brother did all the driving and me and my younger brother did all the wrenching,” recalls Ron, who now lives in Minooka. The trio competed through the early 1980s, loving every minute of the stock-car scene.

But that wasn't the only Chevelle Schmidt owned. On July 26, 1969, he purchased one new from Bill Jacobs Chevrolet in Joliet. The dealer had three on the lot: two SS examples and a humble Malibu. The SS cars had the right power, boasting hot 396-cubic-inch V-8s. What they lacked, according to Schmidt, were the right transmissions. Both had automatics. The Malibu had a four-speed manual but a humble 350 c.i. V-8.

So the Malibu is what Schmidt purchased. “I figured it was easier to swap an engine than a trans.”

Schmidt's new Chevelle was given some quick modifications. “I was getting my butt kicked all over in street races,” the leadfoot recalls. “Everyone else had Big Blocks.”

To keep up, he bolted on headers and different rear-end gears, and added Mickey Thompson race tires. He put it on the track, too, competing at the Oswego drag strip. Most nights he could be found cruising to the Star B Drive-In in Lockport or other local hangouts. No matter where he went, he usually went there with a heavy right foot.

All that high-revving caused some motor trouble leading to a full rebuild in 1974. That was soon followed by the long-overdue engine swap. A friend gave him a 1965 Corvette's 396 c.i. engine, which finally provided the power Schmidt wanted.

While the car was really coming together, family became the higher priority. In 1976, the Chevelle was parked. In 2006, Schmidt returned his focus to getting the classic back on the road.

What he found was those massive race tires had done some damage. “Every time I had driven over a bump they had rubbed the fenders to bare metal,” Ron said. “Over time they had rusted away.”

Fortunately, the damage wasn't anything that couldn't be addressed during the vehicle's five-year restoration. Schmidt, still the passionate gearhead, made sure the completed car turned out looking and performing great. Now, it's equipped with a 440 c.i. V-8 and tons of other speed parts.

“As soon as I get to open blacktop, I open up the headers,” Ron says with a big smile. “Some kids never grow up.”

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