All Chevy Performance Volume 2, Issue 15 - March 2022

Apparently, that reoccurring subject of electric-powered muscle cars is a hot topic these days. Case in point was at the 2021 SEMA Show in Las Vegas, a certain high-profile yellow ’57 Chevy showed up with an electric motor underhood. Needless to say, that didn’t go over very well with the majority of muscle car enthusiasts who have been following that magazine project car for decades, as they voiced their displeasure rather loudly on social media. Many of the comments were brutally honest and even more were just plain brutal. Most were upset to see an iconic muscle car known for having robust power surprisingly morph into a spokesmodel for EV power—and not much at that. For those who have been playing with cars and reading automotive magazines for years might…

1. LT VALVE ’N COIL COVERS There’s no better way to dress up your LT engine than with a set of custom valve covers, but those stock coils are an eyesore. Scott’s Hotrods ’N Customs’ new billet CNC-machined LT Valve ’n Coil Covers solve that problem with its stunning two-piece design. These covers are precision CNC machined in-house out of solid 6061 billet aluminum for top-quality fit and finish and are designed to work with the stock GM coils. The covers hide all of the stock wiring and have ports for the plug wires to exit. Custom machining is available for an additional charge. For more information, contact Scotts Hotrods ’N Customs by calling (865) 951-2081 or visit scottshotrods.com. 2. PERFECT PRESSURE Wilwood’s Compact Tandem Master Cylinders have been re-engineered,…

@TavisHighlander TavisHighlander.com In 2003, Chris McClintock started this Nova project with the intention of using it as a rolling business card to promote his new upholstery shop Bux Customs. Like many projects, elements were finished as time was available and the car ended up at the 90 percent mark years later. With the upholstery business flourishing, the little Nova was sidelined, but its time has come for a thorough refresh. A 6.0L backed by a T56 had been installed early on and remained while many other pieces were updated. A new Scott’s Hotrods frontend, Schott wheels, and Clayton pedals are some of the upgraded parts that are now being installed on the wagon. Some metal and mechanical work is being performed by Steel Town Garage in Birdsboro, Pennsylvania, for extra…

DURALAST FEATURE OF THE MONTH There seems to be a bit of a resurgence in what is commonly referred to as the “gasser style”—cars built with a straight-axle or dropped-axle frontend, aiming the nose sky high to replicate the look of the AF/X and Gasser drag racing class cars of the ’60s, and we absolutely dig it. The look is totally old school and cars built with this personality are rewarded with tons of attention wherever they are spotted. Al Verschave’s ’66 Nova is all done up in this style, but it didn’t start out that way when he scooped it up at the Pomona Swap Meet back in 2003. It was a rust-free California gem—a perfect starting point for he and his dad, Dave. They built a mild 355ci…

A few years ago, a colleague of ours spent more than a few bucks to elevate the performance of his LS1-powered fourthgen Camaro SS. It was a bolt-on extravaganza, with longtube headers, a snazzy-looking intake manifold upgrade, and a larger throttle body, along with a cold-air intake and more. The engine looked great under the hood and sounded even better through the headers. On the chassis dyno and with proper tuning, power to the tires definitely increased, but the gain wasn’t dramatic. Worse, the car’s crisp street performance was dulled like your mom’s old caravan down a cylinder or two. To put it nicely, it was a dog, particularly at low rpm, where what little torque the LS1 made down there all but evaporated. It’s all because our buddy took…

GM’s first outing with the stylized and sporty F-body was just the beginning of what was to become arguably the most popular muscle car of all time: the ’69 Camaro. Not to take away from the ’67 though, which has a strong following of windwing fanatics who praise this incarnation of the first-gen Camaro. There’s no doubt GM came out swinging into the ponycar wars, as it was an absolute hit with young drivers of the late ’60s. The marketing worked and the car worked even better. In no way could the designers of this car imagine it would remain so popular well over 50 years later, but here we are. Jim Vogel had always had a hankerin’ for a first-gen Camaro, but never pulled the trigger. That was until…