Innholdsfortegnelse for Volume 1, Issue 9 September 2021 i All Chevy Performance

Subtle and over the top are both common characteristics of high-end show cars these days. It’s usually one or the other, though. This 1966 Vette is setting out to be both, and if there’s one builder who can manage that task it’s Kyle Kuhnhausen. If you don’t know him, then do yourself a favor and search for InZanity 240Z or Ballistic Beige Corvette. The overall appearance and general impression of the car is that of a refined yet fairly straightforward, high-end build. Digging deeper is where the over-the-top elements come into play with thoughtful execution. An Art Morrison GT Sport chassis provides the groundwork for the rest of the build with excellent handling and a killer stance. GM’s proven LT4 will be under the hood, but it will be backed…

It’s sad to say but most of us probably haven’t hung onto our first vehicles. Granted, some of our first cars were P.O.S. hand-me-downs from Mom, but a majority of us were lucky enough to have a legit set of wheels of our own right out of the gate. Sure, that car may have been cool back then, but just imagine how much cooler it could be now with more experience and money to throw at it! While most car fiends can only dream about making progress to their first ride, there are a few who are experiencing the rare treat of still being able to wrench on them to this day. Chris Decker, of San Mateo, California, is among the lucky ones who held onto their very first vehicle.…

With all modern engines either net lash or overhead cam hydraulics, there is an art form that is slowly being lost to history. For older engines with independent stud rocker arms, one of the procedures that was necessary and sometimes done incorrectly was the art of setting valve lash. Engines like a small-block Chevy or Ford with mechanical lifters required a clearance between the rocker arm and the valve tip, which was usually set hot. Hydraulic lifters were less critical but still required a preload. Decades ago, this was done with the engine running and open valve covers, making a huge mess when the engine sprayed oil over the entire engine compartment from 16 tiny lawn sprinklers. Thankfully, we’ve progressed to a more civilized and far less messy way to…

“My brother and his friends built and reworked their cars, so that got me interested, too,” Don Silaff remembers. “At 18, I bought my sister’s 1954 Chevy two-door Bel Air and started to make it mine. I rebuilt the 235 six-cylinder and added dual exhaust, lowered it, and painted it gold with a touch of lime, painted the wheels black, and added baby Moons.” That’s the short version on how Don’s wheels began to spin in the car world. Being a “car guy” for over 57 years, the Nevada, Texas, resident has owned a 1937 Ford convertible (2014-2015 Goodguys Builder’s Choice award at Texas Motor Speedway), the aforementioned 1954 Chevy, and he bought a new 1967 GTO, which he sold rather abruptly due to being drafted in 1968–an unfortunate situation…

THE ULTIMATE POWER SOURCE ”It all started with the magazines,” Rick Foster says about how he got into muscle cars. “Back in my high school days I used to get all the cool car mags. You know, Hot Rod, Car Craft, and Popular Hot Rodding; I’d read them all cover to cover. I couldn’t get enough. During some of my high school classes I used to hide the magazines inside my Pee-Chee folder (remember those?). All of us car guys did it. This was way before handheld video games or cell phones. Those magazines are what got us hooked on the whole muscle car thing and inspired us to wrench on our cars after school. And it helped living in NorCal back then as muscle cars were pretty much everywhere.”…

With the crankshaft installed in our Summit Racing small-block Chevy short-block, we’ve hit the first of many milestones when it comes to building an engine. The crankshaft is the backbone of any engine, tasked with handling the stress of the internal combustion process and expected to survive every suck, bang, blow cycle. So, it’s no small feat to have the crank in its cradle with all the specs checking out. It also means we get to advance to an even bigger milestone: installing the rotating assembly. Like the crankshaft installation, there are a number of things that need to check out before the piston and rod assemblies can be slid into their respective cylinders. Piston diameter to cylinder bore clearance, piston ring endgaps, connecting rod bearing to crank journal clearance,…

Since his early youth, Ron Rauso of Long Branch, New Jersey, always had a thing for Chevy’s iconic 1955 model. It was that ever-accelerating admiration for the first-year Tri-Five that drove the teenager to snatch one up for his first dose of four-wheeled freedom shortly after earning his driver’s license. However, years later, it was his son, Christopher, who pushed his dad to revisit his youth and procure another 1955 Chevy for their first father-son build. Even though he was short on years, the young gun stepped up and helped dad build a Bowtie that was a blend of their ideas of what a 1955 should be, no matter what the skeptics said. From the start, Ron and Chris’ vision for their recently procured project 1955 was going to be…

Engine and driveline swapping has long been a staple of building performance cars since the first rodders began swapping parts in the back of a blacksmith’s shop. Today’s market is full of LS swap parts, upgraded transmissions, and a myriad of rear axle opportunities. But along with all this parts customizing is the reality of ensuring all these parts work together, so your upscale machine sings along nicely on the highway. One area that is universally overlooked is the link between the transmission and the rear axle. Sure, you spec’d the length of that custom driveshaft right down to ⅛ inch and it now fits snugly in between the engine and rear axle. But is the angle correct? Just because the driveshaft doesn’t vibrate or rattle the inside rearview mirror…

1. GO-SPARK COILS FiTech EFI has extended their line of Go-Spark ignition products to include a new LS3 coil upgrade. These new coils will help complete your LS EFI swap or even update your modern muscle car with a fresh jolt of energy. The Go-Spark LS Coils were developed to deliver optimum output with quality fit and reliability. The coils bolt in place of the originals and accept the sealed, locking connector and plug wire terminal for a simple upgrade. They also offer a coil with a built-in LED that flashes when the coil is firing. For more information, contact FiTech Fuel Injection by calling (951)340-2624 or visit fitechefi.com. 2. RESTOMOD PEDAL PADS Lokar’s new RestoMod series of throttle assemblies and pedal pads are the perfect addition for ’50s-’70s muscle…

About the only downfall of the GM LS engine platform is the engine’s overall aesthetics. This is especially true when it comes to LS swaps in muscle cars, classics, and vintage hot rods. The eight coil packs and that unsightly plastic intake manifold with sensors and wires scattered just don’t look at home under the hood of a traditional Tri-Five or vintage Nova. There are a several adapters available these days that allow you to cover the coil packs or change valve covers and even a few four-barrel-style intakes if you choose to go that route. One company that has taken LS beautification to an all-new level is LS Classic Series. Started by a Corvette restoration company and now owned by Lokar, LS Classic not only offers direct-fit cast aluminum…

Justin Keith knows what it takes to make horsepower in a late-model muscle car—he’s been upgrading his rides for over 17 years and he’s co-owner of Street Car Takeover, a 19-race drag racing series that features classes from insane Street Outlaw to Daily Driver Mild 12:00 Index Class. He’s also the founder of Killer Performance KC, a shop out of Grain Valley, Missouri, that specializes in high-performance, late-model domestic cars. Suffice it to say, Justin is in the mix when it comes to building kick-ass street cars and straight-line racing. He credits growing up among the local Kansas City car community as the seduction—the lure that got him hooked on the car culture. When we first met Justin he was throwing down a bunch of hurt in a 2017 ZL1…

When Chevrolet introduced the Camaro in 1967 it was sort of a design-it-yourself ponycar. Depending on the purchaser’s preference it could be had with a six-cylinder engine or small-block V-8s measuring 302, 327, or 350 ci or a 396ci big-block. Of course it was the Z/28 302 option that would become legendary, but Chevrolet would continue to offer a variety of powertrain combinations in the Camaro from mild to wild. For most enthusiasts all first-generation Camaros (1967-1969), regardless of the drivetrain, are desirable—and we agree. They’re great-looking as well as light and nimble, making them a pleasure to drive. But, like all cars, they will suffer from the ravages of time and travel. As luck would have it, we were able to find an original 1969 Camaro. The coupe is…

Neil Young sang it best, “rust never sleeps.” And whether you’re a fan of Young’s earlier work with The Buffalo Springfield (the “The” is how the band expressed their name) or his later experimental stuff like Trans (what was he thinking?), “there comes a time” when every car and truck takes its last journey on “the human highway” and is parked for the final time. In this month’s collection of Bowtie relics we’re wandering the back roads of rural Massachusetts where we’re “after the gold rush.” So with apologies to Neil, “don’t let it bring you down” to see these once-prime machines before the “wrecking ball” strikes.…