Table of contents for Volume 5, Issue 53 - May 2025 in All Chevy Performance

There are many factors that go into selecting a classic car to build from the ground up. Sometimes, you simply build (or rebuild) whatever car you already own. That’s usually the easiest route, but if the thought of spending more time and money on that old car doesn’t sound appealing anymore, there is no other choice than searching the market for another solution. Dana Wappler of Henderson, Nevada, can relate to this exact scenario. Over the last few years, he’s had several cars, including his first restomod back in 2021 and an impressive LS7-equipped 1970 Chevelle. Though this would suffice for a lot of enthusiasts, Dana shortcut his path to automotive greatness by purchasing the finished car rather than building it. The more he drove around in that ’70 only…

Metalwork is an art that requires patience and experience to produce a show-quality finished project. There are many techniques when it comes to metal fabrication. We followed along with Old Anvil Speed Shop in Orange, California, as Brandon Gerringer tackles a challenging project. He was tasked with filling in the original fuel filler door on Mike Selvaggio’s 1966 Chevelle station wagon. While some might say you could simply lay a piece of metal in the existing stamped hole, this wouldn’t provide a flush fit, and the stamped edge wouldn’t allow any extensive metalworking to straighten the panel. The result would be too much body filler. When Gerringer took on the project, he planned it out so he could utilize the strongest areas of the quarter-panel, while also positioning the panel…

Gary Hogansen has been working on cars for as long as he can remember—it’s practically all he’s ever known. His journey began in 1974 at a collision shop, where he started out working on other people’s vehicles while building his own projects on the side. His first personal build, a 1956 Chevy 150, remains one of his proudest accomplishments. As the collision work began to wear on him, Gary made a shift in 2007, joining the team at MetalWorks Classic Auto Restoration in Eugene, Oregon. There, he honed his craft and became an expert in bodywork, restoring award-winning show cars. After more than a decade at MetalWorks, Gary took a bold step in 2019 and opened Hot Rod Corner Full Restoration Shop in Eugene. With a passion for classic American…

The Grand National Roadster Show (GNRS) stands as a testament to the unparalleled allure of the finest hot rods, customs, roadsters, muscle cars, and everything in between, uniting them all at the Fairplex in Pomona, California. The 2025 event celebrates the 75th anniversary of bringing the coolest cars in the country to the West Coast, continuing a legacy of showcasing the very best in the classic car hobby. A look back at the history of the GNRS reveals its humble beginnings in 1950 as The National Roadster Show. Over the years, it evolved through various Northern California locations before finding a permanent home at the Pomona Fairplex in 2004. The event takes place within multiple large exhibit buildings, each unique to a specific theme. In one building you’ll find top-tier…

1. ENFORCER HEADS AFR’s new 200cc SB Chevy Enforcer cylinder heads feature “as-cast” technology for precise port performance, making them ideal for 350-to 400ci engines under 6,000 rpm. Budget-friendly yet fully assembled, they include high-end components like ARP rocker studs, racing springs, and stainless steel valves. Available in straight or angle plug options, they’re sold individually or bare for DIY enthusiasts. For more information, contact AFR by calling (661) 257-8124 or visit airflowresearch.com. 2. SMOOTHIES Wheelsmith now offers 18-inch Smoothie and OEM-style steel wheels—perfect for hot rods and classic cars. These two-piece wheels are available in 7-, 8-, and 9-inch widths with various bolt patterns to fit your vehicle. OEM-style wheels fit 10.125-inch hubcaps, and both options accommodate larger brake applications. Made in the USA, they combine traditional-style, custom backspacing,…

It’s not exactly breaking news that LS engine swapping is a big part of just about any Bowtie horsepower plan. Sure, there are the many traditional small-block Chevy holdouts who just don’t like the LS. But frankly when a near-stock 5.3L LS can make more horsepower than a similarly built 350ci small-block Chevy, why mess with 75-year-old technology? Also not surprising is the fact that the LS world is changing. Everybody wants big-displacement aluminum block engines, so we’re not going to spend any time on them. It also used to be that you could sidle up to an iron-block 6.0L truck engine on nearly any street corner. Not anymore. That ship, as they say, has sailed. So, for the budget-oriented car guy who wants an LS engine, the best bet…

When it comes to Chevrolet body styles, it’s hard to beat the flowing lines of the short-lived roofline officially known as the Sport Coupe in 1961 and 1962. Most people call these stylish coupes a “bubbletop” because of the rounded roof. Like most coupes of the ’60s, these cars were prone to rust issues, so you don’t see them as often as sedans. When you do, they’re often restored to stock or finished in restomod styling. Rarely, if ever, will you see one with a blower and injector hat sticking out of the hood and giant rear tires stuffed under the quarter-panels. We stopped in our tracks when we saw Todd Hann’s Pro Street 1961 Chevy Impala bubbletop at the Triple Crown of Rodding in Nashville last year. This is…

Last month, we started part 1 of the story of 15-year-old Hunter Hay and his dad, Ron, building a 408ci LQ9 stroker engine to run in a drag ’n’ drive 1966 Nova when Hunter turns 16. In part 1, Dunsworth Machine of Enid, Oklahoma, balanced and blueprinted the LQ9 stroker short-block, then Ron and Hunter gathered up the Summit Racing Pro LS 6.0L rotating assembly (PN SUM-R24400308). Dunsworth finessed and carted the LQ9 home in kit form where Ron guided Hunter how to build a high-horsepower engine to endure thrashings. Shane Dillon at Dunsworth knocked the cam bearings in then Hunter fed Summit Racing’s cam (PN SUM-822R1) into the block. In part 1 we focused on the short-block going together but disclosed that Hunter and Ron completed the 408ci LQ9…

This Camaro project has been finely tuned just about everywhere by builder Mark Bohlen. At the front he’s shortened the valance openings to look more proportional without the bumper. Foglights were custom machined and the chin spoiler was shaped from sheetmetal. The lower fender part line has been welded smooth. Side mirrors from a 2019 Camaro are frenched into the doors. Schott V10 wheels show off a custom bronze center, which will also be echoed in the hockey stripe graphic. That graphic has been tweaked a bit to flow better. Painting will be handled by Leo Vargas of Carroceria Americana, and the fully custom interior is being crafted by Albert Lara of Academy Interiors. Powering the car is a big-block Chevy with 496ci displacement, AFR heads, Holley Dominator EFI, and…

Third-generation car guy Mark Madeira was destined to be immersed in the automotive world. His grandfather and father being in the car repair business in some form or fashion; his grandfather started a transmission shop in the 1950s, which his father took over and added a towing service to the business in the late 1970s. By the 1990s the business had shifted to salvage auto sales, which set the stage for how Mark’s Camaro came about, but we’ll get there in a bit. “From the time I was very young I was always around cars,” Mark recalls. “Whether it was my dad working in the transmission shop or going with him on tows, watching him buying and selling cars, or spending time with my uncle and cousin who had their…

Let’s face it, cruising around in a classic Chevy should be an enjoyable experience, but as our pal Bruce Valley found out, doing so at the height of Summer in Phoenix was anything BUT. With temperatures peaking somewhere near the melting point of Tungsten, the inside of Valley’s fishbowl Handyman Wagon was akin to being an ant under a prepubescent teen’s magnifying glass. It was hot, uncomfortable, and you felt like a hot dog under a heat lamp. Unfortunately, that meant that the Valley family found that they were only able to enjoy their Tri-Five for a few short months at either end of Summer each year. Wanting to add a few months to that timetable, they tapped the Clampdown Competition workshop to add a fully functioning A/C system while…

Tim Zych can’t recall a time in his twentysomething years when cars weren’t a daily part of his life. “As far back as I can remember, they’ve always played a role,” he shares. With a family steeped in automotive history, Tim was destined for a life in cars. “My dad is a 30-plus-year autobody tech and hot rodder. Both my grandpas were Chevy enthusiasts, and two of my great-grandfathers were mechanics and racers. My great-great-grandfather even manufactured tires for Uniroyal. And I can’t forget my mom—she drag raced at Lebanon Valley and still has the timeslips to prove it!” With that pedigree, Tim’s career path was clear. He is now the owner and operator of Hampshire County Hot Rods (HCHR) in Belchertown, Massachusetts, where he specializes in crafting custom hot rods…