Innholdsfortegnelse for Volume 1, Issue 3 March 2021 i All Chevy Performance

Many classic Chevy enthusiasts consider the 1969 Camaro the pinnacle of ’60s American muscle badassery. The body lines are sexy and timeless–the car looks fast even while sitting still and its willingness to accept aftermarket suspension systems and engine swaps make it that much more desirable. That’s all fine for most, but Rob Torres has always gravitated a little more toward the unique style of the 1970-1973 F-bodies. “A friend of mine, Franklin, had a 1969 Camaro, and he was the one who inspired me to buy this 1971,” Rob says. As is the case with most projects, this one started with a good ol’ Internet search. “I was on a quest to find an early second-gen Camaro, and while cruising on craigslist.org I spotted this 1971,” Rob recalls. “The…

Tucking and flush mounting bumpers is a common modification at most pro-level fab shops. That’s not to say it’s unattainable on the average build. The aftermarket might be one option, but with the right guide you can’t beat the fit and finish of a DIY job. We’re in Lincoln, Nebraska, catching up with the pros at No Coast Custom & Rod Shop. They let us take a peek at their custom 1969 Camaro project and shared a few tricks that would shed some light on any ambitious do-it-yourselfer. Lead fabricator Matt Gooder and owner Ben Vaneperen are always finding new ways to play with metal. They look for a clean aesthetic and love making subtle little tweaks. We dropped in just after they finished reworking the lower valance. You’ll notice…

Taking on the full build of a performance car can guarantee you a ticket to an epic journey. It all starts with sourcing the bones and follows by filling in the chapters as you move toward completion. The wicked 1964 Chevelle Malibu laid out across these pages, owned by Chris Castro of North Reading, Massachusetts, started off as a restoration with a driveline upgrade that eventually altered its path. Growing up, Chris spent plenty of time on mini-bikes, go-karts, and ATVs, many times on mountain trails satisfying a need for speed. As the years passed, he frequented NASCAR and open-wheel events, which eventually led to his attending a number of racing schools with his brothers that included Skip Barber, Bertil Roos, and Buck Baker’s Seat Time Racing School. As the…

In this month’s installment of Bowtie Boneyard we’re at Bernardston Auto Wrecking in Bernardston, Massachusetts (413/648-9300), checking out a couple of relics from the past. As always, we cranked up our powers of observation and discovered an uncommon manual transmission–equipped Camaro and the skeleton of a Chevy legend.…

Hard as it is to believe, the Gen V small-block—the “LT” family—has been in production for nearly a decade, after debuting in 2013 in the redesigned 2014 Silverado. Shortly after that came the LT1 versions in the C7 Corvette and Gen 6 Camaro. The LT engine architecture has its roots in the LS family that established unprecedented performance benchmarks and reinvigorated hot rodding, with the same sort of fundamental shift that could be attributed to the original small-block. While there is a lineage from LS to LT, the two branches of the small-block tree are significantly varied. There are essentially no interchangeable parts between the LS and LT families and all LT engines feature direct fuel injection. With the proliferation of LT engines increasing in production vehicles and as swap…

Mark Anthony grew up in a family full of auto mechanics, so cars were an important part of his life from the beginning. He credits a neighbor, however, with his obsessive devotion to 1969 Camaros in particular. “I was in the driveway, working on my mini-bike, as usual, when a guy from around the block went past my house doing a wicked burnout with his 1969 Camaro race car. I was just a kid, but from that moment I was hooked!” Back in 2009 a friend who knows about Mark’s love for 1969 Camaros turned him onto our feature car. “The original owner put it into a barn with only 27,000 miles on the clock,” Mark recalls, “and it sat there for more than 30 years. Unfortunately, it was directly…

One of the easiest and earliest methods of automotive personalization comes in the form of tires and wheels. Aftermarket rolling stock originally offered a combination of upgraded strength, convenience, and appearance. The custom wheel industry kicked off in the racing world, but by the late ’60s, aftermarket wheels were commonly used as an upgrade for regular street cars. You could buy them through many mail-order companies, such as JC Whitney, or you could even buy them through major retailers, such as Sears, JCPenney, and more. As aftermarket wheels became more affordable, everything from Corvairs to Corvettes had many options for custom fitments. Dozens of brands gave customers a wide range of styles, finishes, and sizes to fit their needs. We could write a book about the history of the aftermarket…

Mike Ingoglia had a good idea of what his son, Anthony, needed for his 16th birthday. You see, Dad had a long history with Chevy’s A-body, having owned several hot Chevelles since his youth. He figured the time had come for his progeny to experience the same exhilaration as he did back in the day, and Anthony couldn’t agree more with good ol’ pops. The youngster was ready to help build his own big-block–powered, backstreet bruiser to command the neighborhood streets. Mike had recently become the proprietor of a spacious three-car garage, so now was the perfect time to hunt down a builder for his son. A steady search soon commenced and it didn’t take long before a needy 1972 Chevelle was spotted on the side of a local road…

Regardless what model of Chevrolet performance vehicle you drive, the main link to transferring its power resides in the back half of your ride. Once the goods move through your driveshaft, it’s all up to the rearend, suspension, and brakes to make the magic happen. The last thing you need is a weak link when you’re ready to hit the go pedal on the street or track. If you’re driving an original car or one restored to factory specs, its fine to rely on the setup that was engineered for the driveline combination as the car rolled off the production line. However, if you’re planning to up the ante in the horsepower department with more cubic inches, a supercharger, or even turbos, it’s best to map out a plan to…

Have you ever played the cylinders game with your car buddies? It counts and includes all functioning cylinders residing in your garage. One word of caution. Don’t play this game with Gary Kollofski if his 1957 Chevy is in the vicinity. Kollofski is a fan of big cubic inches. But his predilections do not fall within the normal confines of stroker big-block Chevys or even tall-deck monsters that Pro Mod and tractor pullers have made famous. Kollofski has always followed a different alchemist’s path. If his name sounds familiar and you were reading car magazines in 1977 you might remember his bad-to-the-bone black 1955 Chevy that graced the pages of Hot Rod magazine. Many consider that car as among the progenitors of the Pro Street movement. Others remain simply awed…