Table of contents for Volume 4, Issue 43 - July 2024 in All Chevy Performance

Every now and then we are all left dumbfounded by the first impression of a car. This ’69 Camaro built by Finale Speed in Yukon, Oklahoma, is definitely one of those cars. From a distance, it obviously boasts the form of a well-built custom vehicle but there is so much more to explore. Its menacing, dusky appearance starts at ground level with the luxury wheels and up to its monochromatic body color, but upon closer inspection, one will notice that the car’s graphite-toned hue isn’t what it appears to be from afar. Every single body panel is pure carbon fiber—some panels are even double sided! It’s kind of mind blowing to let that fully sink in while admiring this car, but it is in fact the world’s first exposed-weave, carbon-fiber ’69…

This is the opposite of putting lipstick on a pig (or whatever you want to call it). We’re talking about taking one of the all-timegreat engines—Chevrolet’s LS series—and dressing it to look like a classic, first-generation small-block. First off, when done right the LS engine is a great-looking powerplant all on its own. But sometimes you may want to disguise exactly what it is you’ve got powering your ride. Sometimes you just don’t want your LS to look like an LS. This is particularly true when you are building a classic and you want to keep that old-school feel. If the outside of your Chevy car or truck looks all original, it can be a bit jarring to open the hood and find a modern powerplant sitting between the framerails.…

We’ve shown you action from the Southeast Gassers Association in the past, and that coverage typically comes from Knoxville Dragway in Tennessee. As 2024 approached, we were excited to hear that our favorite gasser group would be returning to Brainerd Motorsports Park, a historic eighth-mile dragstrip in Ringgold, Georgia. This track hosted the gassers a few years ago and drew huge crowds to watch the unpredictable action, but various factors played into the group’s decision to race elsewhere during its highly contested championship series. Thankfully, those fences were mended and the authentic gasser organization could get back to business at Brainerd. In case this is your first time reading about the Southeast Gassers Association, this group of racers is dedicated to accurately representing the gasser wars of the ’60s. They…

Some parts of the country have a climate that is conducive to year-round car shows, but for most of us, the winter months are spent in the garage. By March, cabin fever sets in and it’s time to get out. For 47 years, the Corvette Expo in Pigeon Forge, Tennessee, has been the go-to season opener for folks in the Southeast, but it has expanded over the years to reach a broader audience. A few years ago, the Corvette Expo event organizers added a special feature area for Chevelles, which has morphed into Chevys in general, so it’s not uncommon to see Camaros, Novas, Chevy trucks, and more. The Chevys in the Smokies feature widens the audience and has sparked significant growth in the event. From NCRS-certified stockers to wild…

1. CAMARO GRILLE Classic Industries announces the arrival of the new OER reproduction front grille for ’91-92 Camaro Z28 models and ’92 Z28 models without the 25th anniversary option. Each grille is manufactured in quality injection molded ABS to the correct factory specifications. For more information, contact Classic Industries by calling (888) 816-2897 or visit classicindustries.com. 2. SIX-SPEED SWAP KIT With the TREMEC Magnum six-speed as the transmission of choice for LS swaps, knowing exactly what you need to mate this pair can be confusing. Silver Sport Transmissions (SST) makes it easy with their Engine Fit Kits. The LS 6-Bolt to TREMEC Magnum Engine Fit Kit (PN 121-661) comes with a McLeod aluminum bellhousing and all the required hardware, McLeod steel flywheel, McLeod StreetPro clutch kit, and the McLeod hydraulic…

Some of General Motors’ truly spectacular cars were built from 1964-72 on what was called the A-body platform. Over the years there has been some confusion about the A-body designation as it had been used by GM as far back as 1926 to distinguish between the various chassis dimensions being built for the variety of brands produced. The alphabet soup basically continued into the ’60s indicating the size of the car: “A” representing most Chevrolets and Pontiacs, “B” Buicks and Oldsmobiles, “C” Series 60 Cadillacs and Buick Roadmasters, and “D” Cadillac Series 75. Beginning in 1964 the A-body designation was used to identify intermediate-size cars that included versions of the Chevrolet Chevelle, Pontiac Tempest, Oldsmobile Cutlass, and Buick Skylark. Interestingly, GM had a corporate policy that limited engine displacement for…

When people in the classic car hobby talk about Nomads, most folks associate that nameplate with Tri-Five Chevys (1955-57). Yes, the distinct two-door sport wagon was discontinued after the ’57 model year due to lackluster sales, but Chevrolet held onto the Nomad moniker for all ’58 Bel Air four-door station wagons denoting the flagship Chevrolet series. In 1959 the Nomad became the counterpart of the Impala, as in the wagon version, which carried on through the ’60 model. In 1961 Chevrolet once again did a remodel of its fullsize B-body cars, including the station wagons, which at that point gave the Nomad a more conservative appearance but was still the top trim in Chevrolet’s world of wagons. By 1962 Chevrolet had retired the Nomad nameplate as the model was repackaged…

Muscle car lover Doug Cooper didn’t have to stretch too far when naming his fresh Nova build. “I named her ‘Plain Jane’ for obvious reasons. Basically, she’s a no-frills ride on the outside but underneath she’s built to run hard with plenty of power to spare.” And he ain’t kiddin’. This ’66 Chevy II is one precisely engineered ride built with plenty of modern conveniences and go-fast goodies, all to make this modest-looking Chevy a wolf in a woolly sweater, hiding her fangs for the moment she draws you in. Though Plain Jane has all the makings of a top-tier build, it’s still wearing its original paint. “I bought this ride out of California about 15 years ago,” Doug says. “It was your typical six-cylinder daily driver that had accumulated…

“When the Beach Boys’ song ‘409’ was released as a B-side of the single ‘Surfin’ Safari’ in June 1962, I was 18 and had just graduated from high school in Topeka, Kansas,” Dave Miller, owner of this time-honored ’61 Chevy, says. “I was already versed in 409 lore from reading and re-reading car magazines, like Hot Rod and Car Craft, plus I had watched 409s street racing and paring off at the humble Kaw Valley Dragway.” A quick backstory on Dave reveals him leaving Topeka and heading west on Route 66 to attended college at USC in Los Angeles in the fall of 1965. Dave fell in love with SoCal, and after college he decided to plant roots in the Golden State. Throughout his time on the West Coast, that…

When it comes to assembling your next engine, the process of setting bearing clearances can be a bit intimidating to aspiring engine builders. Worse yet are the ones who just assume that if the crankshaft spins with the main caps torqued the clearance must be correct. If you are reading this story, you are likely the type of engine enthusiast who knows that effort usually is handsomely rewarded. This process does require some specialty measurement tools and a fair amount of patience, but it is neither difficult nor mathematically challenging. It just requires the willingness to perform some careful measurements while paying attention to the details. There are also some tweaks to the process that can be employed to come up with the proper specifications. Let’s start with the actual…

Regardless of whether you’re updating your ride or taking on a full build, one of the most vital systems for review should always revolve around wiring. With wiring being the absolute control center of your high-performance Chevy, its daily demands handle everything from engine management to lighting, interior comforts, and gauges to monitor the vitals. Sure, your car had perfect wiring when it left the factory but if you’re wheeling a muscle car that’s over 50 years old, it’s a good idea to revisit its heartbeat to be sure it maintains a clean bill of health. Regular readers of All Chevy Performance will recognize the ’71 Camaro showcased across our pages, having followed its transformation from that of a barebones roller. It’s certainly come a long way, having previously focused…