As a kid, Chris Pelletier dreamed of having a cool car. He yearned for the rumble of a V8 with dual exhaust, a stereo with enough power to rock the picnic, chrome Cragar rims matched with raised-letter tires meeting the pavement and a comfy bench seat so his girl could slide close as he tooled down the road with the windows down.

It wasn’t until well into his adult life that he could afford to realize the dream. But he couldn’t have imagined how that dream would actually materialize; buying his classic 1965 Chevy Bel Air from his wife’s ex-husband and then pulling his sweet pup, Maggie, close as they stomp on the gas and steer down the winding road together. 

When Pelletier met his wife, Anita, a friendship with her ex followed. He was the second owner of the Bel Air, which was purchased new at Gordon Broderick’s Okay Chevrolet in Powell. 

Chris was still an ornery toddler when the Bel Air was built. Yet, to give some sort of context to Pelletier’s personal timeline, he has nicknamed his Chevy “Fresh P,” short for The Fresh Prince of Bel Air, a television sitcom which first aired in 1990.

He spent years adoring automobiles with that certain rumble factor before he could even drive. You can call them classics, but for a boy born in 1964 they were fairly current when they became obsessions. His first driving experience was in a Oldsmobile Delta 88 when he was 9 or 10 years old. He would drive it up and down the family driveway. 

Whether he was allowed to drive at that age is a topic for a different story titled, “Do as I say, not as I do.”

Dreams begin with things you can’t have. Admiring a gasser from a distance almost always foments into an intense desire to have your own. 

His first car was a 1970 Toyota Corolla. A quick look on Google for the model year will refresh your memory. After a quick glance you’ll then realize why you forgot the uninspiring tin can on wheels in the first place. 

Pelletier actually had two at one point; one to drive and one from which to poach parts. It was essentially the Japanese version of another car most kids didn’t want to go on their first date in; a Ford Pinto.

Pelletier had made his intentions known to Santos Gomez the first time he saw the Bel Air. 

“If you ever sell that car, I want it,” Chris told him.

For years he coveted the ride until finally wearing Gomez down. The minute the transaction was finalized, Chris went to work planning to return the car to greatness. 

He didn’t want a work of art that had to be babied. Rather, he wanted a driver – something he could use daily without worrying too much about taking it to the grocery store. He also wanted the car to be as original as possible. Pelletier reveres mid-century technology and styling.

The previous owner had swapped out the original 283 cubic-inch engine for something a little beefier. That’s where Pelletier started.

He found a new 283 engine and, once in and tied to the original three-on-the-tree transmission. 

“I don’t care about the how fast it goes. I don’t care how much horsepower it has, as long as it looks good and runs and sounds good. That’s all I care about,” he said.  

Next, he proceeded to attack issues with the suspension. He wanted to maintain that feeling of riding on a cloud specific to the 60s and 70s, so he didn’t go for performance parts. Instead he kept it mostly stock, as much as he could more than 50 years later.

When the Bel Air was mechanically sound, he moved to the interior. He had the seats rebuilt and reupholstered, a new headliner installed and rounded it out with all new carpeting.

The vehicle was sold new without a radio, but Chris wanted his dream car to have a rocking stereo. At the same time, keeping the dash firmly entrenched in the 60s was important. He opted for a retro-styled stereo with modern-day power and speakers with a punch. The subwoofer is discreetly hidden in the trunk, along with a few chew toys for Maggie and a full-sized spare. 

Honestly, he could theoretically start an AirBNB for a family of four back there and still have room for a Costco run. He’s riding on adjustable air shocks, so it can handle a little extra weight.

He was ready for paint. He wanted fairly stock colors, which were ermine white matched with Tahitian turquoise on the roof. He opted for a pearl white with eye-catching metal flakes on the body matched with metallic sea mist green roof panels. He also used that same sexy green for accents on the brakes and engine block.

By the time Pelletier was done assembling his dream car, he had spent over $23,000 — most of which is wrapped up in buying the car, the engine and paint. It’s a far cry from the original sticker price of about $3,000. But it’s also less than a new used Impala. 

Chevrolet brought the Impala back in 2000 to little fanfare. Later, the company dumped the model for a second time in 2020 as sales lagged. A good example of a 2020 Impala goes for about $26,000. But they won’t get you noticed at one of Powell’s three stop lights and aren’t nearly as fun to drive as a 65, he said.

He could have saved money by doing a lot of the work himself, he said. At the same time, at a certain age you start figuring out your talents.

“I enjoyed [doing my own repairs] when I got my first car, but I just like to drive now,” he said. “Working on cars is not my expertise.”

Some consider refurbishing classic cars as an investment. Pelletier knows he spent a lot to do the project, but doesn’t consider it an investment in the traditional sense.

“It’s not a monetary investment. But it’s definitely an investment in mental health,” he said.

Chris loves to smile. He loves to make those around him smile. Yet, the smile on his face when he puts the pedal to the floor is a different variety of facial expression. It’s that satisfying smile you get when you realize the dreams of your youth – or that you just got away with something.

His next project is a 54 Bel Air. He plans to give Santa a ride to functions in it after painting it Christmas red and green. For Pelletier, his youthful dreams aren’t exactly as he imagined they would be. They’re better.