Henry Lepp: A tale of seven Chevelles

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Published on Monday, August 21, 2017

photo courtesy of Henry Lepp
The first (1965) and last (1970) of Henry Lepp’s 454 cu in Chevelle SS.

By Ben Castle
The Neepawa Banner

The Chevrolet Chevelle
The Chevrolet Chevelle was a mid-sized car produced over three generations, between 1964 and 1978.  It was a contemporary rival to the Ford Fairlane and Plymouth Belvedere and was available with a series of in-line six cylinder and V8 engines.  Based on the GM A-body platform, the Chevelle was available in sedan, coupe, convertible, station wagon and pickup (El Camino) body styles, with some production taking place in Oshawa, Ont. and Sainte-Therese, Que.  Higher-end models were also badged as Malibus in Canada, which is the nameplate that took over in 1978 and still exists to this day as Chevrolet’s mid-size sedan offering.   

At the age of 14, Henry Lepp fell in love with a 1965 Chevrolet Chevelle. It’s a love affair that’s lasted for more than half a century.  Lepp, of Rivers, co-founded Rivers-based Springland Mfg. in1985 and still co-owns the company today. He also has an organic farm north west of Rivers and a machine shop on his farm, from which he runs Baseline Performance, a company specializing in bespoke rebuilding of vintage engines, with his business partner Roy Cruz. He also runs several drag racing events per year at the Baseline Dragway, with his partner Bev Wrightson and team of volunteers.  He also has an interesting collection of classic 1960s and 1970s Chevrolets.  I asked Henry about this collection.

Where did your interest in cars come from?
Henry was interested in cars from an early age and his love for vintage GM cars possibly stemmed from his father, who owned a succession of GM vehicles during Henry’s childhood, including a 1951 Pontiac, 1960 Pontiac and 1966 Chevrolet Bel Air.

What was your first car?
Henry fell in love with the shape of the 1965 Chevrolet Chevelle at age 14 and bought his first car, a red 1965 Chevrolet Chevelle, two door hardtop coupe with a 4.6 litre V8 (283 cu in) small block motor. It was bought locally in Rivers, in 1974 for $1,200. He ran this as his daily driver until 1980, when he bought his first truck. He still owns this car and it’s currently under restoration, where he plans to put a 327 cu in small-block V8 in it and take it drag racing.

What attracted you to the Chevrolet Chevelle?
Firstly, the shape of the 1965 model, but also that it was a fully-framed car, so very stiff for a car of its time, thanks to coil springs and a four-link rear suspension, a feature usually only reserved for race cars at the time. Rivals, including the more overtly sporting Ford Mustang and Chevrolet Camaro, were still using leaf springs. The Chevelle also offered a very smooth ride. The 1970 Chevelle SS with the 454 cu in LS6 motor with 450 horsepower, also held the accolade of the most powerful production car on sale in its day, making it somewhat of an icon amongst muscle car enthusiasts.

What other cars do you have in your collection?
A red 1965 Chevelle coupe that is undergoing restoration and for which Henry plans to fit a big-block Chevy V8 and take it drag racing and a very rare 1965 Chevelle Malibu SS Z16 two door coupe with a 396 cu in (6.5 litre) big-block V8 and 375 horsepower, which he purchased in 2013. This is one of only 201 cars ever made and features the convertible’s boxed frame, a narrowed rear axle and brakes from the full-size Impala, heavy-duty suspension, hydraulic valve lifters, a Muncie wide-ratio four-speed manual transmission and a full complement of comfort and convenience features.  Due to its rarity and tip-top condition, this is probably the most valuable car in Henry’s collection.
Henry also owns three second generation Chevelles.  The first is a red 1970 Chevelle SS Coupe manual, with a 350 horsepower, 396 cu in big-block V8, identical to the one that Tom Cruise races through the streets of Pittsburgh in the 2012 movie “Jack Reacher”.  Henry acquired it from Neepawa in 1986 and restored it to its current condition, before selling it and then buying it back a year later!  There is also a green 1970 Chevelle SS convertible with a 360 horsepower, 454 cu in motor and automatic transmission, purchased fully-restored in 2014, and a blue 1972 Chevelle Convertible currently undergoing restoration, which he has owned since 1998.
The final car currently in his collection is a red 1966 Chevy II SS, which he added earlier this year. The Chevy II was a compact car that later became known as the Nova.  This one has a small block 283, putting out around 220 horsepower and built to stock racing standards.  It has a 5.57 rear axle and in its first outing this year, it managed a 7.5 second eighth mile, which is pretty quick for its class.

What other vehicles do you own?
All the vehicles that run are used fairly regularly in the summer, but Henry also owns two 1990s Chevrolet/GMC half-ton trucks as farm vehicles and two one ton diesel GMC Sierra pickup trucks (one current and one previous generation) that he uses for each of his businesses.      
Henry also races a dragster with his partner Bev Wrightson.

The one that got away…
Henry has only ever sold one of his cars, his second Chevelle, a yellow 1967 Chevrolet Chevelle SS, bought in 1980 with a 396 cu in big-block V8.  Fortunately, it didn’t go far, as he sold it to his younger brother and co-owner of Springland Mfg, Herman Lepp, as his first car.  Herman still owns that car and it has since been repainted in blue metallic.

Which is your favourite and which do you enjoy driving most?
Henry’s first car, the red 1965 Chevelle coupe, is still his favourite for sentimental reasons and because he has owned it for 43 years! However, the green 1970 Chevelle SS convertible is the one that gets driven most, as it has plenty of power and is the most civilized and driveable of his cars.

Do any modern cars appeal to you?
Ford and Chevrolet will sell you a race-spec Mustang/Camaro for around $150,000. These are very fast but only intended for drag racing, so therefore not street-legal.

Do you like any other cars from other manufacturers?
Henry also liked the 1960s Ford Fairlanes, 1969 Dodge Dart and 1970s Dodge Challengers and Plymouth Barricudas, but the Chevelles are still his all-time favourites.

Are there any other cars that you would like to add to your collection?
Henry says that seven cars is probably enough to deal with at the moment but if he was to add another car to the collection, a yellow 1965 Chevelle, with the rare 327 cu in small-block V8 would be nice.
The next Baseline Dragway event will be the season finale.  It will take place at Rivers Air Base Sept. 23-24.

photo by Ben Castle
Henry Lepp with three of his seven Chevelles. His green 1970 Chevelle SS convertible is the one that gets driven most, as it has plenty of power and is the most civilized and driveable of his cars.