Growing up in Phoenix, Arizona in the 70's, provided the perfect environment for the future car enthusiast; quarter-mile drags at Beeline on Friday nights and dirt-track racing at Manzanita on Saturdays. And just like most towns, cruising was always the thing to do on a Saturday night. In Phoenix, everyone who was anyone could be found cruising the legendary Central Avenue, where a guy's car could make or break his reputation. This was motivation enough to learn how to work on your own car to make it go faster and look better than the others.

Although Derek had quite the selection of cars as a young man, he always wanted a 1967 Chevy II SS. When he was 17 he managed to get one that was in fairly good shape and had some potential. In Derek's eyes however, that Chevy II was the perfect car and in his mind, he had it all planned out: the engine, the interior, even the paint color. But, being a teenager and having no money hindered his ambitions for the car and eventually he had to sell it. A sad day indeed. Derek vowed that one day he would have another 1967 Chevy II SS.

As the years went on, Derek kept hunting for his Chevy II. Family, friends, and coworkers were involved in the hunt as well. He investigated Chevy II's sitting in fields and behind old houses all over the state. But, they were either too expensive or were totally unworthy of restoration.

Derek had all but given up on finding his dream car when he got a call from a friend in 1998. There it was, abandoned and hidden in weeds and trash behind an empty home in South Phoenix. Basically a shell of a car, the 1967 Chevy II had some rust but the body was fairly straight. The motor was beyond help and the interior was non-existent. The oddest thing about the car was that the rear fenders had been flared out with at least six inches of solid bondo! Obviously an alteration carried out by a person with no respect for these classic beauties. But all-in-all, the car was a good candidate for restoration, so the hunt ended and the journey began…

The Chevy II was brought home in the summer of 1998 and sat untouched for several months. Derek would spend hours looking at the car, making plans, and reviving the aspirations he once had for “the one that got away” from him so many years ago.

Working full time, having a family, and paying the mortgage meant not having a large budget of money or time to dedicate to the restoration. It literally became a labor of love. Derek tackled each task of the restoration full force and with minimal outside help. If he didn't know how to do something, he would research it and learn how to do it. He searched auction sites every day to locate those hard to find replacement parts and never missed a swap meet.

But, it seemed as though there was always something getting in the way of finishing the car. In 2001, Derek faced career changes that put everything on hold again. At this point, the motor, transmission and rear end were installed, and new quarter panels, a hood and tons of trim parts were ready. The final body work however, required skills and equipment that Derek did not possess. But once again, money was a big factor and so the car would remain untouched for the remainder of the year.

In 2002, a friend of a friend offered to complete the body work and paint the car at a significantly reduced cost. Derek had seen this guy's work and it was good. The only catch was that the car had to be taken to his home in the desert north of Phoenix and the work would be done in his spare time. For the price however, Derek could not refuse. The car was away from home for six long months. But in the end, it was well worth it. The body work was perfection, and the paint – House of Colors, Tangelo Pearl – was meticulous. Solid - no pin striping or flames - a very clean look.

So, finally the car was getting so close. It was running good and looking even better. There were only a few things left to do before Derek could take it to the track. But, once again the project had to take a backseat.  During the car’s absence the family had purchased a new home and as we all know, a new home can take a lot of time and use up all your extra money.  

Progress was slow, but Derek managed to somehow get the car finished and finally in the summer of 2003, it was ready for the track. Family and friends all showed up for his first run which is never a drivers best but it was a long time in coming and nobody wanted to miss it. After all the blood, sweat and years Derek had invested in his Chevy II, it was very rewarding to finally drive it down the track.

These days, Derek races his Chevy II a few times a month and belongs to Arizona's Fastest Street Car Association where he consistently runs high 11's in the quarter-mile. And like most car guys, he is constantly making improvements to the car. When asked if there was anything that he didn't like about his Chevy II, Derek said, “It doesn't go fast enough!” Do they ever?

SPECS:

1967 Chevy II SS

Motor: 327, 30 over 10.5 to 1 Hypereutectic pistons, Zgap rings, Comp Cam and lifters, Millings HVoil pump,Moroso 7qt pan.Vortech heads with Crower springs and retainers, ARP studs andguide plates,Promagnum roller rockers, Edelbrock Super Victor intake, Demon 750 carb andMSD ignition system.

Transmission: 350 and a Hughes 10"3500 stall converter

Rear End: 9" Ford 28 spline, spool with 389's

Suspension: Front - stock with urethane bushings and 1" sway bar. Rear - stock mono leaf with caltracks

Tires: Rear - Mickey Thompson 235/60/15 Drag radials on Weld drag light wheels. Front - 165/15 on Weld Drag light wheels.

Derek was exposed to the car culture at an early age. His father, older brother and uncles were all car guys; finding and restoring various high-performance and collectible cars. It was a natural progression for Derek to follow suit, and so he began to buy cars before he was even old enough to drive. Most of them were cheap buckets of rust that needed so much work he had no choice but learn how to fix them.

By Cheryl Stevens

Cheryl is a freelance writer.