1967 Chevelle SS Restoration

Many years ago my dream car was stolen and stripped and eventually recovered. Life kept moving and the car was left to rust in a field for over 30 years. I began the car's 2nd rebuild project Friday, April 10, 2020 (during Coronavirus Global Pandemic.) Here is the backstory: In 1981 or so, 1 was 15. My dad asked me what kind of car I wanted. I told him I did not know the name of it, but instead I drew a picture.
He said, “that’s a ’67 Chevelle Super Sport.” He then proceeded to explain that you want the 67 because it has the wrap around taillights which the ’66 did not.
Dad paid $500 for the car which had no engine or transmission.
He and I worked on, I got a free 350 V8 engine from the garage owner where I worked . It had a blown head gasket (I think). We rebuilt the engine at the shop where my dad worked at the time, Royal Auto Parts, on Shields Ave just south of 44th, even painting the block a light metallic blue, probably Pontiac metallic blue.
The car came with a Hurst “Z-gate” shifter for drag racing, which had no movement laterally, only up and down. To downshift you had to pull up on a handle, which my short fingers could barely reach! We replaced it with a normal shifter.
Interior was original except for bucket seats from a newer car and I think we used inexpensive black carpet and just shaped it to the floorboard.