Table of contents for Volume 3, Issue 36 - December 2023 in All Chevy Performance

Justin Brown has been into cars since he can remember. The wrenching aspect started with his first car given to him by his mom. It needed some work, so Justin dove in, got dirty, busted some knuckles, and figured things out. Sure, there were mistakes, but that introduction led the Cypress, California, Army vet to a career as an auto mechanic, and over 20 years later he’s still at it. So, how did the Nova come about? “One night I was watching Street Outlaws and saw JJ Da Boss turn a barn find Chevy II into a badass drag car and that was it. That’s going to be my next build.” Justin says. “I’ve always been a fan of ’60s Chevys, and I had a ’67 C10 before building the…

One of the benefits of electronic engine control is that designers keep coming up with ways to make it better. As good as Holley’s original Sniper throttle body EFI has proved to be, the engineers from Bowling Green, Kentucky, couldn’t resist improving it with the Sniper 2. This is much more than just a superficial face-lift, and it will require most of this story just to outline all the changes, so let’s get cracking. According to our Holley sources, the software is largely the same as the original Sniper except for the addition of the wireless Bluetooth connection and new transmission control–both of which we will detail in a moment. More importantly, the new ECU has been updated to be more robust in filtering out radio frequency interference (RFI), which…

When car show promoters drum up the idea of putting on a new event, car builders, vendors, and enthusiasts might wonder what will make this new show different from any other. Well, it takes a couple of experienced and well-respected industry guys like Bobby Alloway and Gary Case, along with an all-star cast, to pull it off just right, and that’s exactly what happened at the inaugural Triple Crown of Rodding presented by PPG at Nashville Superspeedway in Lebanon, Tennessee, September 8th and 9th. To many folks in and around the hot rod industry, Alloway might be known more for building award-winning hot rods and muscle cars than being a car show promoter, but having ran Shades of the Past from 1981-2022, working on the inaugural Triple Crown of Rodding…

There’s no better thrill than planning a road trip in your high-performance Chevy that will take you across the highways and byways of America, leading you to a large national event packed with like-minded car owners. From packing the trunk with your trip bits to rolling out of your driveway and topping off the tank with premium fuel, it’s the complete driving experience that makes it all come full circle. Regardless of whether your Bowtie is running the latest speed equipment to fuel a big-block, small-block, or LS, it’s all a blast, especially when setting a course to one of the biggest performance automotive fests in the Northeast, the 23rd Annual NAPA Auto Parts Syracuse Nationals in Syracuse, New York. Arriving at the event you’ll find the expansive footprint of…

1. GETTING FIT Confirming your wheel specs, including backspacing and offset, to order new or custom wheels can be accomplished in no time with Speedway Motors’ Wheelfit wheel backspacing tool. Simply assemble the wheel fitment calculator tool extensions inside the tire you plan to run and secure the sidewall clamps. Bolt the hub mounting plate to the extensions and you’re ready to mount your tire and take some measurements with their wheel offset measuring tool. It’s that easy. For more information, contact Speedway Motors by calling (855) 313-9173 or visit speedwaymotors.com/allchevyperformance. 2. LET’S GET STARTED To facilitate the installation of OEM high-torque or compact aftermarket gear-reduction starter motors on a variety of engines, ARP has developed a series of starter bolt kits engineered for the tasks at hand. They are…

We’ve all seen the cars at the local cruise spots making a statement with the blowers sticking through the hoods and rear tires as wide as they are tall stuffed between the quarter-panels. But, if you think that look is overkill, there is another way to get performance from your ride without going overboard. If you need up to a 12-inch tire out back but your ’69 Camaro still has its factory wheelwells for those extra-skinny ’60s-era tires, you’re in luck because installing a pair of mini-tubs will solve your problem. Detroit Speed manufactures several styles of mini-tubs for those owners who want to retain a near-stock appearance but add a little more tire out back. Made in the USA using 18-gauge steel, the kit Detroit Speed offers includes two…

“The first time I saw this ’71 RS Camaro for sale, it just caught my eye. I checked it out and unfortunately the owner and I couldn’t agree on a price, so I had to walk away. I thought that was the end of the story, but luckily, we would meet again a few months later,” Dan Miller states. Being a Chevy guy through and through, Dan has several other toys to keep him happy. “I have a sweet ’67 RS SS Camaro that I’ve owned for the past 15 years. It’s an L35 396 big-block car that I enjoy driving,” Dan mentions. “I also have an ’81 Z28 I’ve owned since high school, I have a super-rare Rally Green Metallic ’20 ZL1 1LE, and I have a ZL1 convertible…

When it comes to cooling a Tri-Five Chevy, the options are all over the map. Stock radiators typically need repairs, and they’re usually not efficient enough to cool most high-performance engines. For the past 20 years or so, it has been popular to swap the original copper and brass radiator for an aluminum unit. While aluminum radiators are physically lighter and do a good job of cooling, there is no replacement for a tried-and-true copper and brass radiator when it comes to durability and longevity. Many years ago, Vernon Walker and the folks at Walker Radiator Works in Memphis, Tennessee, developed trick internal components that allowed brass and copper radiators to outperform most radiators on the market. Walker was known mostly for street rod radiators but later got into the…

Utilizing the latest technology along with some good old-fashioned craftsmanship, Sanders Street Rods is transforming a ’67 Chevelle into the ultimate modern cruiser with classic looks. The first elements being handled include tucking in bumpers and fitting all the sheetmetal better than it ever was from the factory. From there the focus shifts to the engine bay where plenty of metalshaping will take place to create a clean look. Color and finishes will create the mood of this car with modern satin black on much of the trim while a vintage-inspired body color maintains the overall balance. Underhood lives a turbo Texas Speed LS7 backed by a Bowler 4L80E. Big power backed by big reliability should make for a fun ride that’s also dependable. Sanders will create many CNC parts…

Time and time again we read or write a story where we dig back into the owner’s childhood and speak on how that person got into hot rods and muscle cars by building models and playing with Hot Wheels diecast toy cars as a kid. Well, this time we are going to forego that story, but for the record, that’s exactly how things panned out with Ryan Cashman. His story is no different than most, and that’s a good thing because his early exposure to pint-sized hot rods built the foundation that helped create this amazing Pro Touring ’69 Camaro. Unfortunately, this build is not all his. This gem belongs to his wife, Angel. Yep, according to Ryan, his wife was getting a little jelly over all the cool cars…

In our minds, the joy of owning a classic muscle car is 50 percent style and 50 percent experience. There is nothing quite like the visual presence of a late-’60s or early-’70s GM muscle car—whether that be Chevelle, Nova, Camaro, or the like. There’s also nothing quite like driving one of these cars. It’s something about that raw power of a pushrod V-8 and questionable handling characteristics that pushes the engagement well beyond most other driving experiences. If there is one thing that can take that driving experience to the next level, it’s shifting your own gears. There’s been a lot of “save the stick” talk over the past decade or so in regards to new vehicles. If you’ve driven modern cars lately, you can understand why. For an automotive…

The only thing better than owning one of the most badass muscle cars in the ’70s is being able to buy it back decades later and give it new life with the latest go-fast goods. For Michael Fitzgerald of Rochester, Massachusetts, the dream became reality, evidenced by the absolutely stunning second coming of his original ’70 Nova SS laid out across our pages. Purchased as a junior while at Braintree High School in 1973, the car embodied everything a young teen could have hoped for, with it being a nasty big-block powered, factory four-speed model that was ripe for performance upgrades. So much so that it ran open headers on a regular basis around town, spun 4.56 gears, and made the scene both on the street, at an abandoned airstrip,…