Mike found this 1969 Chevelle sitting on a backroad with a for sale sign back in 2011 and decided to buy it on a whim. The first order of business was to build the drivetrain, which took a few years to get off the ground. Mike’s next stage was starting on the body and paintwork, which led to a frame-off restoration as it often does.
He took the opportunity while the Chevelle was apart to upgrade to a 12 bolt rear end with 3.73 gears. He then rebuilt the factory M21 4 speed transmission and refreshed a 350 small block, which received some Edelbrock goods for good measure. A DynoMax 2.5” exhaust was chosen to free up the exhaust gasses. These upgrades resulted in dyno figures of 420hp/410tq.
“My favorite part is a nice hole shot at the red light and lighting the tires up on the weekend!”
All these power upgrades wouldn’t mean much if the car can’t put it to the ground, so Mike opted to utilize many Hotchkis aftermarket components in his suspension. Hotchkis adjustable arms, lowering springs, sway bars, and traction bars accent the handling of the Chevelle, while QA1 shocks keep the ride firm as well.
By 2014-2015 this ’69 Chevelle was ready to be debuted with the fresh Hugger Orange paint, riding on new Rally wheels wrapped in BF Goodrich rubber. He plans to possibly add fuel injection in the future.