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An homage on wheels
Inside one man’s five-year quest to rebuild — and upgrade — a ‘66 Chevelle
Southeast Iowa Union offers audio versions of articles using Instaread. Some words may be mispronounced.
WASHINGTON — In about a month, Marcus Fedler plans to drive a ‘66 Chevelle Malibu out of its garage at the back of Custom Impressions, after spending the last five years painstakingly reconstructing the car from the frame up with some help from his family.
The make and model was no arbitrary choice: in Fedler’s youth, his father bought the same car, earning the admiration of his sons. And when it was later sold, they vowed to one day get another, as a gift to their dad.
When Gerald “Chic” Fedler passed away, that plan was called off. But Marcus Fedler still sought a way to tribute his late father.
“This is kind of a throwback to my dad,” he said. “I’ve always wanted to do it, and I never got around to it, which is kind of a bummer. So when the right deal came along, I thought, ‘You know what, I’m going to do it.’”
Since buying the heavily damaged and mostly gutted vehicle in 2020, Fedler’s worked with it on and off, mostly on weekends. The labor of love has been a massive undertaking: step one was to disassemble it entirely, laying out and measuring every piece on the concrete floor of the workshop.
And as the machine came back together, most of those components have been replaced: everything from floor pans to wheels to suspension to seats and doors. Many of the parts were rusted beyond saving, or damaged in at least two accidents with previous owners.
Other parts were improved from their original, nearly 60-year-old designs. Fedler’s added air-conditioning, power steering and an electronic, automatically adjusting carburetor under the hood, for instance.
Perhaps most notable, however, is the installation of an eight-cylinder aluminum block engine with roughly 550 horsepower. The original motor could put out something like 160, according to Fedler.
The newer engine is partially a practical consideration: it’s more fuel-efficient, and retailers in 2025 usually have parts on hand for modern motors, not for decades-old antiques. It’s also matter of mechanical philosophy: if a car like this can go faster, it deserves to, according to Fedler.
“It’s basically what this car would’ve came with, except 60 years newer,” he said. “These are hot rods, that’s what a 1966 Chevelle is known for, it’s a hot-looking car. And if you can spice it up a little bit, you should. My dad’s was a 327, but it was a super high output, so it would run about 325 horsepower, it still had a lot of get-up and go.”
Fedler said most of the parts were available online, and said much of the rebuilding was guided by input on various gearhead forums, and advice from friends with their own mechanical expertise. He remains impressed by how well the different parts all remain interoperable, despite their design and manufacturing in different years.
As the half-decade of repairs and improvements near completion, Fedler said the process was worth every minute and every dime expended.
While it’s possible to find a ‘66 Chevelle in decent condition on the auction block, the process of painstakingly rebuilding one, piece by piece, has made the car more meaningful for him and his sons, hailing from a family of mechanics.
“Soup to nuts, I’ve touched every piece of this car multiple times,” he said. “I know what’s here, I know what’s not here. It’s too bad that my dad isn’t going to be here to see it, that’s the whole purpose of it, it’s really kind of an homage to him.”
Comments: Kalen.McCain@southeastiowaunion.com
