Table of contents for Volume 4, Issue 38 - February 2024 in All Chevy Performance

A lot of things go down with a school-age kid that influence what happens later in that young person’s life. Between studying geography, math, and science, a 12-year-old George Abittan was also studying the anatomy of his older brother Simon’s ’67 Chevy Corvette he owned during his college-age years. A young George was mesmerized by the sleek body lines of that C2 Corvette. And of course, he looked up to his older brother, which had a big influence on his taste in muscle cars and his infatuation with the Corvette. But George’s first dive into a classic muscle car wasn’t a Corvette. At age 15 he set out to purchase a ’69 Road Runner without telling his dad. Ironically, his dad’s girlfriend co-signed for the car that George made payments…

Nicknames are a common way of acknowledging a person’s individuality. Many of these are derived from our given names, as a shortened or modified substitute, and usually designed to catch an ear, adding color to a somewhat typically bland or phonetically arduous nameplate. Sometimes, however, nicknames are given to a person due to circumstances or characteristic traits that seem to revolve around that individual. These qualities can be both good and, sometimes, not-so good. David Ralph of Dingmans Ferry, Pennsylvania, knows all too well this typical rite of youth: the handing out of a characteristically all-encompassing nickname based on the trials and tribulations of his everyday life. “When I was a kid, I got myself into a lot of what I would call stupid trouble. Nothing too serious, but the…

You know you’re doing something right when an event becomes a bucket list item for many folks, and that is the stature that the Muscle Car and Corvette Nationals (MCACN) has been able to achieve over the years. With its regularly scheduled dates now a foregone conclusion set for the weekend prior to the Thanksgiving holiday at the end of November, the MCACN show continues to offer up a fresh slice of American car culture with an ever-changing selection of automobiles and memorabilia. The folks who organize this show have been able to craft a recipe that works year after year with their invitational displays. That defined focus allows them to amass the finest examples of any given vehicle into a cohesive group that is always pure eye candy. By…

1. G-BODY GAUGES Classic Instruments released an all-new ’78-88 Chevy G-body direct-fit package. It is an all-electric cluster featuring a speedometer, tachometer, clock, and fuel, oil, temp, and volt gauges in an OE style. Hybrid LED lighting offers the feel of the original perimeter lighting and the visual benefits of backlighting. Turn signals and high-beam indicators are in the original locations and the kit includes new check engine and high-beam sockets with LED bulbs. The kit also includes a wiring harness, push-button speedometer calibration for ease of setup, a new acrylic lens, and built-in ECM signal filter switch. For more information, contact Classic Instruments by calling (800) 575-0461 or visit classicinstruments.com. 2. HILBORN EFI The Hilborn EFI-R manifold systems combine electronic fuel injection with the racing-born performance and aggressive looks…

Taking on an engine swap in your high-performance Chevy doesn’t need to be overly complex if you have the right components to handle the job. Sure, it was far easier back in the day when you wanted to up the ante from a small-block to big-block power, however, in today’s world there are far more options available to bring the punch to your engine bay. With the most common swap being the upgrade to LS power, the gain in horsepower right out of the gate is significant enough before you even start to entertain the thought of turbos or superchargers. Regardless of whether you choose to run an automatic transmission or pull your own gears with three pedals, you’ll need to have a solid plan before getting started to make…

For well over 15 years, we’ve been hearing how the third-gen Camaro (1982–92) is going to be the next big thing when it comes to building a somewhat affordable muscle car. Due to the car’s popularity at the time, every mullet-wearing local rock singer/guitarist had one, albeit they were typically the second owner, but including “I drive a Camaro” in your pick-up line upped your chances of scoring the hottest chick at the local dive bar or bowling alley. Ironically, Motor Trend named the ’82 Camaro “Car of the Year.” Was the award fueled by lack of viable competition, ad dollars, or piles of party favors making their way to the decision makers at MT? We’ll never know for sure, but it was the ’80s man, and the Camaro was…

There was once a time when no one wore seatbelts, and there was no such thing as a child seat. Kids had free reign, whether it was standing in the rear floorboard and holding onto the front seats or laying down in the package tray. These days, the laws are stricter, and we realize the dangers of driving amongst the general public. If you have kids, then it’s important for them to ride along in your vintage Chevy (in hopes of passing along your love of old cars). For this, seatbelts are a must, and proper installation is key to keeping your family safe in the event of an accident. Our subject is a ’64 Chevelle sedan, which is already family friendly because it has two extra doors in the…

Ironworks has set out to perfect the muscle car experience with their own production Chevelle series. Geared toward driveability and durability, these handbuilt cars benefit from years of testing and fine-tuning by a seasoned shop. Buyers can choose from several paint, wheel, and interior options that all work together as a cohesive design package. Underneath all the cars will be the same proven components that deliver a comfortable ride, plenty of power, and reliability. The backbone of the build is a Speedtech IRS chassis with an LT4 mated to your choice of a six-speed manual or 10-speed automatic. The interior features many pieces built specifically for the production Chevelles. The steering wheel is designed to look vintage but has more modern ergonomics and is also available with paddle shifting. If…

So, you’ve got a wad of cash sitting in the bank. To your credit, you saved it in preparation for your post high school studies: aka your college fund. But you’ve just realized your school days are over and you’re ready to study some other figures, like cubic-inch displacement and pound-feet of ground twisting torque. So, you decide to cash out and use that money for something that will teach you the ins and outs of muscle car tech—slapper bars, fat tires, and internal combustion engines. You find the ride of your dreams and throw your first semester’s invoice in the trash. It’s a done deal. Congratulations, and welcome to the mad world of Camaro Construction 101. Spencer Thompson of Red Lion, Pennsylvania, is a twentysomething with a love for…

In the world of high-performance driving, there’s nothing more unsettling than a mushy brake pedal. Oftentimes this is the direct result of shortcuts taken when installing a new master cylinder. The most universal cause of a spongy brake pedal is air in the system. Brakes are applied using hydraulic pressure created at the master cylinder. If even a small amount of air is trapped anywhere in the system, this creates that unsteady pedal. One of the most common causes of air in the system when replacing or repairing a master cylinder is skipping the process of bench bleeding the master. To be blunt, that shortcut just doesn’t work. Air is nearly guaranteed to be trapped inside the master cylinder when the bench procedure is ignored. This happens because master cylinders…

The annual SEMA Show in Las Vegas hosts some wildly customized cars, yet this subtle ’67 Malibu garnered a lot of attention when it debuted in 2022. The car has just the right touches to make it special without losing any of the charm of the classic Chevy lines. The car’s owner, Habib Chababi, who runs a surveying company in Southern California, wanted a car that would be fun and easy to drive, with minimal headaches. Habib is the second registered owner of the car. Its original owner lived in L.A.’s San Fernando Valley, and when he died in 2005, he left it to a friend who had no idea how to care for the pristine, dent-free classic. This friend just happened to live on the same street as Habib…