The ’’Chevelle From Hell’’

Another "House Project" is our very own 1970 Chevelle SS. Originally a 396 4-speed car with A/C (and a bench seat!), the plan was to restore the car and show it at local shows, Super Chevy events and so on...

As you can probably guess... that didn’t exactly happen! The original drivetrain was sold and a new race car was born. This car had been campaigned in NHRA Super Street competition for 6 years, winning in the first year of the then new Federal Mogul Drag Racing Series. Driver Robert Williams (our fearless leader!) finished in the Top 10 for Super Street points chase for 5 of those 6 years, with two of those seasons finishing in the Top 5.

When originally constructed, the Chevelle was powered by a 468 (454 + .030) cubic-inch big block Chevy and Turbo 400 transmission. Wheelies were the order of the day, and the car was a ton ’o fun to drive. Super class racing dictated the use of a Powerglide transmission (for consistency), and ultimately the car was running consistently in the 9’s with the throttle stop turned off.

A catastrophic engine explosion in 2002 sidelined the Chevelle though, and it’s languished in the back of our shop since. Robert’s been looking at the car a lot lately, and with the demise of the local Corvette Challenge racing series (which we participated in a lot with clients), the decision was made to resurrect the dreaded "Chevelle From Hell" as it was known to fellow racers.

The car’s chassis is being strengthened and upgraded, with extra rollbar X-bracing and frame braces. The horsepower of the original 468 was 600hp, and the Chevelle is being prepped to handle a new engine with vastly more power. The plan now is to take advantage of our over 25 years of nitrous experience and make some HORSEPOWER! Needless to say, the car’s chassis will be able to handle it once we’re finished. The Chevelle will still remain a legal NHRA Super Street car, but with the capability to run in some Quick 16 door car events at the local tracks if desired.
Check back for the completed work, but in the meantime..enjoy the "in progress" shots.