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Imagine finding this right in your hometown!
If you’ve ever pined for the chance at finding a barn-find musclecar that was pulled from a land where “time stood still”, then Tyrell Camphouse is your newest hero. He recently contacted us about this pristine 1966 Chevelle that he unearthed in his hometown of Preston, Idaho. He reports that he’d known about the car for around 6 months, but as evidenced by the photos, the car had been sitting much longer than that.
The dust on Tyrell's Chevelle shows how long it's been sitting. Amazingly, the sides of the car are void of dings and scrapes, even after sitting for almost 30 years!
Tyrell tells us that he purchased the car from the vehicle’s second owner who owned a dairy farm. Purchasing the car in the late-’80s, the “milk man” drove it for a year or so, and then parked the car while he focused on his dairy business. So it sat from 1989 until 2016.
It is believed the original owner, who upon receiving his brand-new big-block, four-speed Chevelle, did what many enthusiasts did with similarly-equipped vehicles.
It’s the kind of stuff you hear about all of the time. I couldn’t believe it was happening to me! – Tyrell Camphouse
Owner number two’s time eventually became less business-oriented, but with limited funds and a desire to build up a Corvette that he also owned, he decided to part ways with the Chevelle to help fund the ‘Vette project. Tyrell came calling.
The interior, chrome trim, and even vinyl top are all in excellent shape. Tyrell plans on cleaning all the necessary systems before firing the engine. New fluids can't hurt.
Tyrell and a group of friends have a hot rod club that meets on Friday nights in an old shop, and that’s where Tyrell first heard about the big-block Chevelle. He went to take a look at the car, and what he found is the stuff of which Internet legends are born. He reports, “It’s the kind of stuff you hear about all of the time. I couldn’t believe it was happening to me! I wanna go get a lottery ticket now!” But with a score of this magnitude, we think Tyrell is either overflowing with luck, or he’s used his one “get out of jail” card. It’s hard to say.
The exterior of the car cleaned up nicely, and the shine shows how straight everything is, even after all those years.
Tyrell admits, “The car has a late-’70s, early-’80s vibe to it, and I’m not quite sure what I’m going to do with it. I’ve got a set of Rally wheels, but I’m uncertain at this point.”
The car has a nice mix of originality and performance goodies that you would expect from a car built in this era. Everything from those Kelly tires to that Jacobs ignition screams vintage go-fast!
While some dream of unearthing such a fine example of musclecar history, Tyrell will tell you that cleaning the car was just as invigorating. Like any archeologist, he had a lot of fun taking his time and wiping away the years of dust that enveloped the car during its sedentary years. Being protected from the elements, there’s not a speck of rust on the car, and even the dash, seats, and vinyl top are all in excellent condition.
The wheels and tires, the window stickers, and the rake all come together as a breath of stale air from a by-gone era. Even so, it’s refreshing!
Tyrell still has some work to do before he can enjoy his new score. He intends on going through all of the systems and making sure that they’re all up to snuff so that when springtime rolls around, his Chevelle will be ready to roll as well. We hope to get a report once he gets some miles on it to see which is more fun, cleaning or driving this fine machine!
