Table of contents for Volume 4, Issue 46 - October 2024 in All Chevy Performance

Once you experience the satisfaction that comes with driving a car that you’ve customized with pride, there is no going back—especially if you’ve been reliving the experience for 40 or more years. That is certainly a long time to be involved in this lifestyle, but for a guy like Scott Mittelsteadt from Buena Park, California, it has become second nature. Scott’s love affair with all things automotive started way back when he was in junior high school. His group of friends were already certified gearheads before they even had their learner’s permits. This formidable exposure at school was only magnified at home for Scott since his dad was also into cool old cars. In fact, there was one vehicle that resonated enough with Scott to lead him into buying and…

Despite the fact that Chevrolet was the automotive sales leader in 1954, it was painfully obvious it was time to make some changes. Chevrolet was still using a version of the inline six-cylinder engine introduced in 1929. While it was vastly improved compared to the original design, Chevrolet’s chief competitor, Ford, had introduced an OHV V-8. Another inescapable issue was Chevrolet’s styling had grown stale. The basic design introduced in 1949 had been repeatedly massaged, but by 1954 it was old news. In 1955 everything changed. The revolutionary small-block V-8 debuted, and some of the brand’s most iconic body styles would be produced over the next three years: the 1955, 1956, and 1957 Chevrolets, commonly referred to as Tri-Fives. One of the most sought-after examples in the Tri-Five series is…

Most of us have heard the saying about the apple not falling far from the tree. That holds true for many even if the tree is filled with different fruit. In Paul Rivard’s case his affinity for all things mechanical had its origins in the trucking world. Growing up in Massachusetts and then migrating north to New Hampshire in his early twenties, his mechanical influences were directly tied to his family’s trucking company and their truck repair business. He’s not quite sure what sparked that initial interest in all things Chevy, but he does point out that “my first car was a 1967 Mustang. I was 14 years old at the time. By the time I turned 18 I already had a 1971 split bumper Camaro and a Nova as…

On the weekend of July 12-14, Goodguys Rod & Custom Association rolled into Columbus, Ohio, for what they refer to as “The Big One:” The 26th Summit Racing Nationals presented by PPG. As expected, the huge classic vehicle event featured over 6,000 muscle cars, hot rods, customs, and vintage trucks throughout the massive Ohio Expo Center. Beyond the thousands of muscle cars and hundreds of vendors gathered on the show grounds over the threeday event, many hard-core enthusiasts looked forward to Saturday’s announcement of the PPG Street Machine of the Year and the Classic Instruments Street Rod of the Year winners. Top builders from all over the country brought their A-game, which showcased intricate fabrication skills with sheetmetal draped in flawless paintjobs—all true works of art. Most of these vehicles…

1. CAMARO FRONT HEADER PANEL The 1970-1973 Camaro is a beloved model among classic car aficionados, known for its iconic design and performance. AMD’s new Front Header Panel is meticulously crafted to meet or exceed OEM specifications, ensuring a precise fit and superior durability. Manufactured using premium-grade materials and cutting-edge technology, this panel is designed to seamlessly integrate with the original structure of the Camaro, providing both aesthetics and functionality. For more information, contact Auto Metal Direct by calling (888) 255-3895 or visit autometaldirect.com. 2. HOLD THE LINE Scott’s Hotrods ’N Customs’ New Power Steering Line Kits fill a much-needed gap when it comes to installing a new front suspension under your custom hot rod. The kit is designed in-house with parts sourced from top-quality companies in the industry to…

It’s the beginning of a fantastic day. You’ve tightened the last bolt to install that bad-boy small-block in your Chevelle and it’s time for a testdrive. The engine is just plain gnarly at idle, sounding more like an NHRA Comp Eliminator small-block in the staging lanes rather than just another street small-block. But on the testdrive, the engine exhibits a nasty off-idle stumble, and you notice that the idle is stinky fat but fiddling with the idle mixture screws does not seem to help. And when you lean out the idle mixture screws, that off-idle stumble gets worse despite adding larger Holley accelerator pump nozzles and a more-aggressive pump cam. Even your brother-in-law, the self-proclaimed Holley expert, has no clue on how to remedy this situation. But there is a…

Chevy Squarebodies have always been a “thing” to Douglassville, Pennsylvania’s Marc Schankweiler. His love for these cars started in high school back in the 1980s with a 1966 Chevy II that started as a rolling chassis. It morphed from its 283ci small-block and powerglide roots into a powered-up 327ci muscle ride, built right with a Muncie four-speed between the buckets. “That car met its demise a few years later after an accident, when ‘distracted driving’ meant staring out the window at used cars on a Chevy dealership lot,” Marc admits. Fast forward six years and Marc ended up scoring another ’66 that would become his main squeeze for the next 30-odd years. “One day it was unceremoniously pried from my hands, and headed to greener pastures out in Tennessee,” Marc…

When it comes to low-budget project cars, the fourth-generation Nova is holding strong. You can still pick one up for cheap, and they make for a great street cruiser or drag car project. All of the underpinnings are similar to earlier Novas and Camaros, meaning that the chassis and suspension can be upgraded easily. The problem area for many fourth-gen Novas is the body and interior, as replacement parts haven’t reached the same level of availability as earlier muscle cars. Thankfully, Classic Industries is stepping up to the plate with restoration components for these disco-era Chevys.  In the case of our 1977 Nova project car, the main area of focus for this article is the rear body section. Like many 1970s GM cars, the bumper filler panels were in dire…

The 1963 Sting Ray is considered by many to be the most desired model and year Corvette ever. With its sleek, modern design, a range of powerful engine choices, and newly introduced independent rear suspension, its popularity makes total sense. With mostly positive reviews from automotive journalists when it debuted in the fall of 1962, those favorable assessments translated to strong sales. The 1963 model marked the first year of the C2 and featured a one-year-only distinctive rear split window. While this iconic feature contributed to the car’s futuristic and aggressive demeanor, it also created a blind spot posing visibility issues, which many owners considered to be an inconvenience. Some actually had dealers replace the split window for a single-piece rear window. Blasphemy! Today, the ’63 Corvette commands insane prices,…

It’s certainly not a rare occurrence for one upgrade to necessitate a whole slew of other unexpected tasks to pop up. When it came to our buddy Bruce Valley’s 1957 Chevy Handyman Wagon project it seemed to exemplify this. What began as a project with a short list of modifications soon turned into a near body-off restomod job. The simple task of swapping out the previous 350ci engine with a new LS3 meant that if we wanted the end result to reflect what we thought it deserved, the entire engine compartment needed restoration. When it came to the few suspension upgrades, the story continued. New parts shouldn’t be haphazardly thrown onto filthy framerails amidst miscolored inner fenders. No, the frame got a thorough cleaning and a couple fresh coats of…

Some guys, and gals, are smitten by a particular brand of car and then narrow it down to an exact model. Sam Palazzolo’s “go-to” ride is the Chevelle. “The Chevelle is my favorite muscle car of all time,” Sam says. “I’ve had a 1972 Chevelle, and also a 1972 El Camino, but I’ve always wanted a 1970 Chevelle.” The retired automotive repair shop owner purchased the car back in 2011 and has been wrenching on it ever since. “My nephew, Tim at GAP Industries, ended up redoing the rear suspension being it was done incorrectly by the previous chassis shop,” Sam states. “So, Tim rebuilt the rear framerails, mini-tubbed it, mounted a fuel cell, and installed a new rearend.” The car was originally built with a 1,071hp, 582ci big-block and…