All Chevy Performance Volume 5, Issue 52 - April 2025

A few years ago, there was a lot of buzz going on about classic muscle cars being powered by electric motors as the next big thing. Now, I’m not against using alternative energy for our commuter cars, but when it comes to converting a vintage Chevy into an EV, I’m not on board. With all due respect to those taking the initiative to put their talent and engineering knowledge to good use and keeping the planet’s health in consideration, an electric motor swap for a burly big-block or powerful LS is not the answer. There are several reasons why electric motors will not appeal to the muscle car folks. For starters, vintage muscle cars are iconic symbols of raw power, classic style, and superior performance, all of which ensure these…

1. NEW WHEEL STUDS ARP, renowned for engine-related bolts and studs, also offers high-performance wheel studs for competition and street use. Made from 8740 chromoly steel and heat treated to 190,000-psi tensile strength, these studs have rolled threads for improved fatigue strength and cadmium plating for protection. The Speed Studs feature a dry film lubricant. ARP provides replacement press-in studs for over three dozen OEM axles and hubs, as well as screwin studs ranging from 1.950 inches to 3.470 inches for aftermarket axles. For more information, contact ARP by calling (800) 826-3045 or visit arp-bolts.com. 2. LS BILLET INTAKE Summit Racing LS CNC Billet Intake Manifolds are designed for LS engines to handle up to 2,000 hp and over 300 psi of boost. Made for cathedral-port heads, they feature CNC-machined…

With the Legacy Series of spec-built Chevelles, Ironworks Speed & Kustom set out to create a timeless vision that melds with modern driveability. This latest version builds off that platform with a fresh set of modern aesthetics and features. The SS stripes are gone in favor of a carbon-fiber vented hood. Keystone-style wheels have now been replaced with Forgeline AL305 wheels and color-matched calipers. Up front there’s a newly designed lower valance. Modernized side mirrors and plenty of blacked-out trim help contribute to the modern look. The icing on the cake for this build is the new color palette. One ideal color for the job is Porsche Miami Blue. @TavisHighlander TavisHighlander.com Builder: Ironworks Speed & Kustom (Bakersfield, CA)…

John Trigg got started in the hot rod scene by spinning wrenches on cars back in his teenage years. He and his friends would mess with cars in the garage doing general maintenance and minor upgrades. That early interest in cars developed into a love for the Pro Street scene. “Hot rods and drag cars were always appealing to me, and being as my high school years went down in the late 1980s, my friends and I would spend many weekends at Gateway International Raceway watching drag racing, which is when I became totally intrigued by the Pro Street movement,” John recalls. Like many young gearheads, John’s first foray into car ownership was modest. After high school, he drove a 1974 Impala—a street cruiser that was worlds apart from the…

The venerable first-generation Chevrolet small-block has been out of production for decades now. Since then, multiple generations of engines from various manufacturers have come and gone, but the small-block is still everywhere you look. Of course, it remains incredibly popular in several forms of racing—everything from drag racing to oval track and beyond—and it remains a favorite with hot rodders in general. Its reputation as a reliable engine that makes great power without breaking the bank is well deserved. Besides the ability to make big power pretty easily as well as its durability, one of the great advantages of the classic small-block is its versatility thanks to tons of aftermarket support. We’ve seen great small-block builds with carburetors on tunnel port intakes, giant roots blowers, twin turbos, you name it.…

Unlike most of us, Shane Jackson has none of the usual regrets about letting his first Chevrolet get away. It was a true granny mobile; a hand-me-down from his big brother at age 16. Their bracket-racing parents, Jamie and Janice Jackson, became second owners at 48,000 miles after the first, a female neighbor, died. “A six-cylinder Chevy II was just an old car in the 1980s,” Shane recalls, now 53. The GM factory in nearby Fremont had pumped countless copies into San Francisco’s suburbs for two decades. The Jackson family’s underpowered training wheels stayed reliably stock, other than the bling of aluminum Weld rims made fashionable by Pro Stock racers of the era. Shane has the old photos in scrapbooks. He has the old Nova in his garage. During a…