All Chevy Performance Issue 36 December 2023

ACP TOC InTheGarageMedia.
com
DEPARTMENTS TECH
8 22
FIRING UP CAMARO MINI-TUBS
When a Little is Just Enough!
10
PARTS BIN 40
A BETTER SNIPER
14 Holley’s Upgraded Sniper 2 Throttle Body EFI
CHEVY CONCEPTS
56
SHIFT YOUR OWN GEARS WITH SST
Swapping a TREMEC TKX Five-Speed Manual
into a ’69 Nova
FEATURES 72
MAKE IT COOL
16
ON THE COVER SOCAL OUTLAW
Johnson’s Radiator Works Builds an Efficient
Copper and Brass Tri-Five Radiator
Justin Brown’s ’66 Chevy II Nova
Justin Brown’s ’66 Chevy II Nova is an
absolute attention-grabber, and with 32
that Weiand 671 blower poking through AMBITION
the hood it’s hard to ignore. We figured Ryan and Angel Cashman’s Pro Touring ’69 Camaro
it would also grab your attention on the
cover of our Dec. ’23 issue. Check out the 48 EVENTS
full feature and cool story starting on page THUMP IN THE NIGHT
16. Photo by Wes Allison Dan Miller’s ’71 Pro Street Camaro 66
THE INAUGURAL TRIPLE CROWN OF RODDING
80 Chevys Shine at Nashville Superspeedway
STREET SHAKER REVISITED
Michael Fitzgerald’s ’70 Nova SS 86
23RD ANNUAL NAPA AUTO PARTS
SYRACUSE NATIONALS
Hopped-Up Chevys Dominate the Weekend
All Chevy Performance ISSN 2767-5068 (print) ISSN

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[3]
2021 RECIPIENT OF THE HRIA BUSINESS OF THE YEAR
ALL CHEVY PERFORMANCE VOLUME 3 • ISSUE 36• 2023
EDITORIAL DIRECTOR
BRIAN BRENNAN
bbrennan@inthegaragemedia.com
EDITOR-IN-CHIEF
NICK LICATA
nlicata@inthegaragemedia.com
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& OPERATIONS MANAGER
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ACP FIRING UP InTheGarageMedia.com
BY NICK LICATA
FIVE STARS FOR THE

TRIPLE CROWN
I
’ve been going to car shows for well over 30 years now, and I have to say pre-event hype that high-quality, big-name cars would be there competing for
lately many of these shows have lost their luster and become somewhat one of the Triple Crown awards—not to mention the over 40 awards given out
uninspiring. Maybe it’s because it’s a case of seeing many of the same by numerous builders and aftermarket companies.
cars over and over. Or it’s possible that longtime promoters have become
content with doing the same thing at every show. Or maybe it’s just me. Over 1,600 cars and trucks were lined throughout the Nashville Superspeedway
infield, and even the cars not in contention for an award had something
That’s initially what I thought until I learned about a new event planned for cool going on, and some of those car owners brought along their southern
September 8-9, 2023 called the Triple Crown of Rodding to be held at the Nashville hospitality and to those looking thirsty a bottle of water, and in many cases, a
Superspeedway. Months prior to the event there was a lot of buzz regarding the beverage with a bit more “octane.”
show as it was rumored the best would be attending—the best builders and the
best cars in the country would all be there. What made it even more attractive is To me, the Triple Crown reset the mechanics of how to put on a car show, with
that this would be a two-day event as opposed to the three- and sometimes four- the main focus set on everyone having a good time. I learned a long time ago that
day shows. That alone makes it a winner in my book. the vibe in any situation, whether it’s work or any other activity, comes from the
top, and the positive energy created by Alloway and Case was contagious. Every
So, what is the Triple Crown of Rodding? It’s a brand-new event put on by person I spoke with at and after the event said the Triple Crown of Rodding was
longtime car builder Bobby Alloway and veteran show promoter Gary Case that the best car show they’ve been to in years. I myself, give it a five-star Yelp review.
includes three main awards broken in two groups: trucks and cars. For the
truck group there are three awards for various year breakdown (Truck of Year Needless to say, I, for one, am looking forward to attending the 2024 Triple Crown
Up to 72, Truck of Year 73-87, Truck of Year 88-98). The car awards are broken of Rodding.
down to Street Machine of the Year, Street Cruiser of the Year, and Street Rod
of the Year. How could this not work? Well, it did work, and it worked out great. You in?
But it wasn’t just the awards that drew the top builders from all over the
country, it was also about supporting a couple guys, Alloway and Case, who
between the two, have built great relationships and have earned mutual
respect from their peers in the hot rod industry over the years. It was obvious
these top car builders weren’t there because they had to be there, they were
there because they wanted to be there. They wanted to be part of something
special and to support the hobby. One prominent figure in the industry said of
the event: “This is like a high school reunion, but better. All the guys who used
to go to car shows are here and having a great time!” Yeah, it was like that.
So, what was the big draw to the Triple Crown? I believe the idea of taking a
fresh approach to doing a car show just sounded fun. Another reason was the
I want to hear from you. Email me at nlicata@inthegaragemedia.com

ALL CHEVY PERFORMANCE [8] VOLUME 3 • ISSUE 36 • 2023
ACP PARTS BIN InTheGarageMedia.com
1. GETTING FIT 2. LET’S GET STARTED
Confirming your wheel specs, including back- To facilitate the installation of OEM high-torque 3. ROCKIN’ GRILLE
spacing and offset, to order new or custom or compact aftermarket gear-reduction starter
wheels can be accomplished in no time with motors on a variety of engines, ARP has devel- Classic Industries announces the arrival of the
Speedway Motors’ Wheelfit wheel backspacing oped a series of starter bolt kits engineered for new OER reproduction front grille for the ’85-87
tool. Simply assemble the wheel fitment cal- the tasks at hand. They are manufactured from a Camaro Z28 and the ’85-89 IROC-Z models that
culator tool extensions inside the tire you plan proprietary stainless steel alloy that is nominally included front foglamps. Each grille is injection
to run and secure the sidewall clamps. Bolt the rated at 180,000-psi tensile strength and fully molded to factory specifications, replicating
hub mounting plate to the extensions and you’re 20 percent stronger than Grade 8 hardware. the original grille in design, appearance, and
ready to mount your tire and take some meas- Available in 5/16-18, 3/8-16, and M8 sizes, the fitment. The grille features the correct
urements with their wheel offset measuring tool. threads are rolled and the shank knurled (where “CAMARO” wording engraved in the front, utiliz-
It’s that easy. applicable) after heat-treat, which provides up to ing the correct font and white lettering.
10 times the fatigue life of ordinary fasteners.
For more information, contact Speedway Motors For more information, contact Classic Industries
by calling (855) 313-9173 or visit For more information, contact ARP by calling by calling (888) 816-2897 or visit
speedwaymotors.com/allchevyperformance. (800) 826-3045 or visit arp-bolts.com. classicindustries.com.
ACP PARTS BIN InTheGarageMedia.com
4. BLOWIN’ THROUGH 6. TUBS FOR LEAVES

5. SMART IGNITION COILS
Holley’s draw-through supercharger carburetor The Detroit Speed Mini-Tub Leaf Spring kit
line now includes the XP series. Like the existing Summit Racing Ultra-High Performance Smart accommodates wider tire and wheel packages.
HP line, these are available in 600-, 750-, and Ignition Coils put out 42,000 V and 135 MJ The spring rate is 150 lb/in, and they lower your
950-cfm flow rates and standard polished with of spark energy. That makes them one of the car 2 inches from stock. Detroit Speed’s leaf
black accents. The feature-laden XP includes hottest coil-near-plug coils available. The coils springs offer great handling without sacrificing
a contoured venturi inlet for balanced airflow, have an internal insulated gate bipolar transistor ride quality. In addition, the spring is biased,
screw-in air bleeds for precision tuning capa- (IGBT) ignitor. That makes them ideal for use so the front spring section controls the spring
bilities, high-flow billet metering blocks, billet with high-performance aftermarket EFI systems wrap during hard-load conditions. The springs
baseplate, and Dominator-style fuel bowls, which that are capable of running a distributorless ig- have a tapered leaf with an anti-friction pad
allow plumbing from either side. Supercharger nition or remote coil-on or coil-near-plug ignition between each leaf to help provide a smooth ride.
XP carburetors also have a unique capability that system. Summit Racing Ultra-High Performance This complete Detroit Speed rear Mini-Tub Leaf
allows their power valves to reference the intake Smart Ignition Coils are available individually or Spring kit includes all the necessary parts for a
manifold vacuum below the supercharger. in a set of eight. complete project package.
For more information, contact Holley by calling For more information, contact Summit Racing by call- For more information, contact Detroit Speed by
(866) 464-6553 or visit holley.com. ing (800) 230-3030 or visit summitracing.com. calling (704) 662-3272 or visit detroitspeed.com.
ACP CHEVY CONCEPTS
@TavisHighlander TavisHighlander.com
Vehicle Builder: Sanders Street Rods, Enumclaw, Washington
TEXT & RENDERING BY TAVIS HIGHLANDER
U
tilizing the latest technology along with some good old- car with modern satin black on much of the trim while a vintage-inspired body
fashioned craftsmanship, Sanders Street Rods is transforming a color maintains the overall balance.
’67 Chevelle into the ultimate modern cruiser with classic looks.
The first elements being handled include tucking in bumpers Underhood lives a turbo Texas Speed LS7 backed by a Bowler 4L80E.
and fitting all the sheetmetal better than it ever was from the factory. From Big power backed by big reliability should make for a fun ride that’s also
there the focus shifts to the engine bay where plenty of metalshaping will take dependable. Sanders will create many CNC parts in-house so that everything is
place to create a clean look. Color and finishes will create the mood of this up to snuff for the high-horsepower hauler.
ACP FEATURE
BY NICK LICATA PHOTOGRAPHY BY WES ALLISON

JUSTIN J
ustin 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,
BROWN’S
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
’66 CHEVY II
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
NOVA
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 Nova.”
Justin got the word out that he was in the market for a ’66-67
Chevy II, preferably with a solid body and nice paint. A close
friend of Justin’s found a good out-of-state prospect for sale
by a broker. “I was having dinner on Veteran’s Day and my
buddy sent me a text with a link to the car,” Justin says. “I
looked at it online for days before finally getting in touch with
the broker to learn more about the car. He FaceTimed me
and did a walkaround of the car and it hooked me in; it was
exactly what I was looking for.”

ACP FEATURE
The paint- and bodywork were in good shape—the car was advertised as
“running and driving,” and according to Justin it did both of those things,
just not very well. Upon receiving the car Justin drove it for about 15 miles
and the car rattled, shook, and was grossly underpowered. “I put the car on
jackstands and found the body bushings were rotted and installed incorrectly.
After fixing that issue, the next day I was driving the car to work and when
I got on it, I was greeted with a lack of acceleration and an abundance of
smoke—not from the tires, but from the engine,” Justin laughs.
Justin pulled the engine and sent the block to Horsepower Heaven in Phelan,
California, for machining and overall cleanup. While that was going on he
figured it was a good time to send the Weiand 671 blower to Don Hampton
Blowers in nearby Downey for general maintenance. Justin then freshened
up the engine bay and dialed in a set of Heidts inner fender panels, making
a nice home for the small-block. With help from his buddy Mike Forster, the
duo reassembled the engine and propped it back in the Nova.
The engine’s rotating assembly features a factory Chevy crankshaft with

four-bolt mains, Eagle I-beam rods, and SRP forged 9.5:1 pistons. A Rubens
Blower Cam is accompanied by a competent valvetrain and will soon have
a set of Brodix IK 200 heads, but for now it retains the factory heads. The
Weiand 2x4 Hilborn-style air scoop perched atop twin Edelbrock Performer
750-cfm carburetors force feed the Hampton Blowers’ polished manifold and
send spent fuel through a set of Total Cost Involved long-tube headers and
3-inch stainless steal-cut exhaust system by Steve at Cypress Mufflers in
Cypress, California. A pair of Black Widow 3-inch Race Venom mufflers greet
the neighbors with a good dose of the small-block’s rowdy demeanor.


ACP FEATURE
Chassis
TECH CHASSIS: Mustang II-style front clip
FRONT SUSPENSION: Total Cost Involved control arms, Ridetech HQ coilover shocks,
OWNER: Justin Brown, Cypress, California Ridetech 400-pound springs, 1-inch sway bar, rack-and-pinion steering kit
VEHICLE: ’66 Chevy II Nova REAR SUSPENSION: Total Cost Involved four-link, ½-inch sway bar, Panhard bar, Ridetech
HQ coilover shocks, 250-pound springs
Engine BRAKES: Wilwood 11-inch rotors, four-piston calipers front and rear, Wilwood master
TYPE: Chevy small-block cylinder and proportion valve
DISPLACEMENT: 355 ci
COMPRESSION RATIO: 9.5:1 Wheels & Tires
BORED: 0.030 over WHEELS: JEGS Black Mag SSR (15x4 front, 15x8 rear)
CYLINDER HEADS: Factory TIRES: Mickey Thompson ET 25x4.5-15 front, Mickey Thompson
ROTATING ASSEMBLY: Factory crankshaft, Eagle I-beam rods, SRP forged pistons ET Street S/S 235/60R15 rear
CAMSHAFT: Rubens blower cam
VALVETRAIN: Crane roller rockers, Isky springs, stainless steel Manley valves Interior
INDUCTION: Weiand 2x4 Hilborn-style air scoop, Edelbrock Performer 750-cfm carburetor UPHOLSTERY: Black loop carpet, factory black vinyl door panels
(2), Hampton Blowers racing manifold SEATS: Procar by Scat Rally leather buckets front
POWER ADDER: Weiand 671 supercharger STEERING: Ididit steering column, Speedway Motors steering wheel
IGNITION: MSD 6AL SHIFTER: Hurst Rachet
ASSEMBLY: Owner and Mike Forster DASH: Stock, Classic Dash insert
EXHAUST: Total Cost Involved long-tube headers, 3-inch stainless exhaust by Steve at INSTRUMENTATION: Omega Kustom Instrument gauge cluster, AutoMeter center
Cypress Mufflers (Cypress, CA), Black Widow Race Venom mufflers console gauges
ANCILLARIES: Dual Spal electric fans, Champion three-row aluminum radiator, Heidts HVAC: Windwings open
Inner Fender Panel Kit, Ringbrothers hood hinges ENTERTAINMENT SYSTEM: RetroSound head unit and four-speaker kit, hidden
OUTPUT: 512 hp and 453 lb-ft
Exterior
Drivetrain GRILLE: OER
TRANSMISSION: TH350 FRONT BUMPER: OER
TORQUE CONVERTER: TCI 2,600 stall REAR BUMPER: OER
DRIVESHAFT: Drivelines Incorporated 3-inch aluminum HEADLIGHTS: Oracle 7-inch sealed beam with LED and halos
REAR AXLE: Currie 9-inch rearend, Eaton Truetrac limited-slip differential, GM 3.50 gearset TAILLIGHTS: Speedway Motors with LED
SIDE MIRROR: OER

Not long after getting the upgraded engine back in the car and making good gauge cluster in a Classic Dash insert with a duo of AutoMeter Pro Comp dials
power, Justin’s aggressive driving habits proved too much for the factory 10-bolt mounted in the custom sheetmetal center console just above the Hurst Rachet
and promptly morphed it into scrap metal. Justin was aware of the rearend’s shifter. A Speedway Motors steering wheel is mounted to an ididit tilt column
anemic status and inability to withstand the engine’s 512 hp and 453 lb/ft power, and RetroSound head unit looks age-appropriate located in the factory dash.
so a plan was already in place for a total rearend and suspension upgrade.
Although the ’66 came with a few underlying driveability issues, the solid body and
That upgrade features a robust drivetrain, including a TCI Automotive TH350 satisfactory paint allowed Justin to spend money on the engine and suspension
and TCI Breakaway 2,600 stall converter, which sends power to a Currie 9-inch aspects that needed attention. That also left some extra scratch for fresh set of
rearend via a Drivelines Incorporated aluminum driveshaft. That ensemble hangs bumpers, side mirrors, and door handles along with LED taillights and Oracle
from a TCI four-link suspension system armed with Ridetech HQ Series coilover 7-inch sealed beam LEDs and halos up front.
shocks and 250-pound springs. Up front a Mustang II–style front clip is equipped
with TCI control arms and rack-and-pinion steering system also employing Justin’s Nova was an eight-month gestation with wrenching taking place in
Ridetech HQ coilover shocks. his home garage after work and on weekends, while getting a hand from his
buddies Mike Forster and John Caldwell. “I can’t thank those guys enough for
Wilwood discs and four-piston calipers ride on all four corners while peering all their help in getting the Nova on the road so quickly,” Justin states.
behind a set of 15-inch black JEGS SSR mag black wheels front and rear.
The bold-looking rollers are wrapped in Mickey Thompson rubber (25x4.5R15 “This winter the plan is to pull the engine and bolt on a set of Brodix heads,
front, 235/60R15 rear)— a great combination for street and strip performance. get an upgraded Hampton blower, lower the compression for more boost, and
a new cam,” Justin excitedly says. “The car is fun to drive now, but I’m looking
The interior introduces a no-frills arrangement of factory-style black loop forward to making this Chevy II an absolute badass.”
carpet and door panels matched to black Procar by Scat Rally leather seats.
The race inspiration comes from a set of Omega Kustom Instrument Co. Spoken like a true Southern California hot rodder.

ACP TECH
CAMARO
MINI-TUBS
BY ERIC GEISERT PHOTOGRAPHY BY THE AUTHOR
W
e’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 stamped tubs that are 2.75 inches wider than stock,
look like the factory wheeltubs, come with a set of steel fill plates,
a set of paper templates to help lay out the cut lines, and a 23-
page(!) instruction booklet to explain how to do the work (they also
have an installation video on their website).
This installation of Detroit Speed’s tubs (PN 040401DS) is expressly

made for ’67-69 Camaros and Firebirds (there are extra instructions
included for convertibles and certain text that’s unique to the ’67
models), and this particular subject car is a well-preserved ’69 that
has been with one family for decades before becoming the subject
of a Roadster Shop frame-swap and build that will happen over the
course of three days during the 2024 Grand National Roadster Show
1.
in Pomona, California.
1. Detroit
Speed’s
Performing that work will be a team from Orange County Hot Rods mini-tub kit
(Corona, California), which are the same folks who pre-prepped (PN 040401DS)
includes two
the body with these tubs to make the three-day swap schedule a factory-looking,
little bit easier. Because the new tubs are wider than stock, you stamped steel
will also need to narrow the rear seat base and seatback, which tubs and all the
extra plates
is not covered in this story (this vehicle will get custom seating
needed to fill
instead) but it is discussed in Detroit Speed’s instruction booklet. areas that will
be cut away.
Since the body will sit on a new Roadster Shop chassis with
integrated upper shock mounts, relocating the original stock
mounts is not shown here, but it’s in the Detroit Speed booklet.
It always seems every builder does the same job a little different
from the next shop, so follow along to see how Orange County
Hot Rods completed this installation.
WHEN A
2.
LITTLE
2. Also included
are the paper tem-
plates that, when
cut out and laid
IS JUST
inside the vehicle’s
trunk area, will in-
dicate where all the
necessary cuts will
need to be made.
ENOUGH!
ACP TECH InTheGarageMedia.com
3-4. The trunk side and

3. the rear seat area of the
4.
factory wheeltubs show
some of the items that
will need to be removed
or modified, including the
trunk decklid hinge brace
(A) and the decklid’s tor-
sion springs (careful when
removing as they’re under
tension). The rear shocks
(B) should be removed,
and the rear seat brace
(C) that runs between
the two rear wheeltubs
will also have to be cut/
modified.
5. The very first thing

5. to do is tack-weld the
6.
decklid trunk hinge brace
to the vehicle’s floor so
its location will not move
while everything else
around it will.
6. One of the templates

gets laid out to show just
how wide the new tubs
will be, and then marked
and cut.
7. Cut lines on the floor

section show the same
2.75 inches that will need
to be removed on the
seat-side of the tubs.
8.
8. Orange County Hot Rods’
(OCHR) Aaron Hamusek
starts the mods by drilling
out the trunk brace’s factory
spot welds with a ³/8-inch
spot weld bit and then
using a pneumatic chisel to
separate the pieces.
7. 9. A cut-off wheel is used

on much of the seat-side
section to further the
needed cuts (but not
totally cut apart yet).
9.

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10. 11.
10. Inside the wheelwell a BernzOmatic MPA/PRO propane torch is used to burn/cook the factory undercoat-
ing, which then becomes brittle and easily removed with a putty knife or wire wheel.
11. Hamusek then runs a reciprocating saw about an inch above where the tub meets the trunk floor so a
large portion of the factory tub can be removed.
12. 13. 14.
15. 12. Most of the factory wheelwell (with a

portion of the old trunk brace still attached)
16.
can now be pulled free.
13. What’s left is the small section (arrow) of

where the old tub had been spot-welded to the
trunk floor that OCHR will remove entirely.
14. The factory’s outer wheelwell’s lip flange

(arrow) should not be cut/removed, but the
remnants of the original tub’s tack welds
need to be drilled out and chiseled away from
it to provide a flat surface to weld on the
new tub.
15. After removing the seat-side section of

the floor, this view shows the area around the
upper shock mount (arrow) that still needs to
be removed.
16. The view from the top of the same area shows
what else still needs to be removed.

1967 Chevy Nova
Builders/Owners: Scott & Brian Hughes

17. 18. 19.
17. Viewed from underneath looking up,

20. another supplied template gets laid out
21.
over the lower edge of the framerail that
indicates exactly where the cut lines
need to be marked.
18. The yellow line is where the cut

needs to be made along the lower sec-
tion of the vehicle’s C-shaped framerail
to match the shape of the corner of the
new tub.
19. With the curved section removed,

it will make the frame look like a scoop
had been taken out of it.
22. 20. From above you can see how much

23.
of the framerail has been removed for
the new tub to fit.
21. This newly exposed framerail reinforce-

ment section (arrow) above the trunk’s
torsion spring mount holes will also be
removed.
22. With all the necessary sections

removed, reassembly can now begin.
23. Two of the provided plates can be

24. tacked in place with the rear piece first 25.
needing to be shaped a bit to provide
the needed curve. This rear piece is also
a different shape from the one needed
for the passenger side.
24. After multiple test-fitments of the

new tub, OCHR determined they could
trim away some of the tub’s edge to
provide a better fit.
25. A final test-fit is made before the

tub gets fully tack-welded in place (just
as the factory did it). Note the complete
26. lower edge of the tub will not be welded 27.
to the frame to ensure no chance of
creating a possible water pocket that
might lead to a spot where rust could
form.
26. Hamusek drills out the tub’s mount-

ing surface where the new Rosette
welds will be made.
27. The new tub’s lip is Rosette-welded

to the original factory lip flange, and it’s
not easily accessible.

MODERN STOPPING POWER
1965 Chevy Impala | David Culp
LEARN MORE
wilwood.com
805.388.1188 POWER. CONTROL. PRECISION.
28. 29.
30.
28. With a new seat brace section added above

31.
and a custom-fabricated, 90-degree flange be-
tween the floor and the tub, the assembly is now
looking more like a factory wheelwell.
29. SEM 29372 seam sealer is applied to both

the inside floor-to-tub area as well as the long
seam inside the fenderwell between the new
and old sections.
30-31. Once the seam sealer is spread out

evenly (and everything painted or undercoat-
ed) the new mini-tubs will have a factory
appearance.
SOURCES
DETROIT SPEED
(704) 662-3272
detroitspeed.com
ORANGE COUNTY HOT RODS

(714) 514-3887
orangecountyhotrods.com

ACP FEATURE
BY NICK LICATA PHOTOGRAPHY BY JOHN JACKSON
RYAN AND ANGEL CASHMAN’S PRO TOURING ’69 CAMARO

T
ime and time again we read or write a story where we dig back too. We all know the saying “Happy wife, happy life.” Well, by the looks of this
into the owner’s childhood and speak on how that person got ’69 Camaro, we’d venture to say Ryan’s wife is extremely happy.
into hot rods and muscle cars by building models and playing
with Hot Wheels diecast toy cars as a kid. Well, this time we As the search began to find a classic ride, Ryan came across a listing on
are going to forego that story, but for the record, that’s exactly how things Craigslist describing a ’69 Camaro as a “survivor in good condition.” The
panned out with Ryan Cashman. His story is no different than most, and ad went on stating that the car had sat in a garage for years. This piqued
that’s a good thing because his early exposure to pint-sized hot rods built Ryan’s interest as it was also advertised as a big-block, four-speed car
the foundation that helped create this amazing Pro Touring ’69 Camaro. that just needed a little TLC. Ryan and Angel headed out on a five-hour
Unfortunately, this build is not all his. This gem belongs to his wife, Angel. excursion to see the Camaro in person. The car was in black primer and
appeared to be in decent condition. Ryan was cool with the primer paintjob
Yep, according to Ryan, his wife was getting a little jelly over all the cool cars as his plan was to get to some weekend autocross events and just beat on
he had stacked up over the years, so she felt it was time she had a cool ride, it a bit without having to worry about scratching a nice paintjob.

ACP FEATURE


ACP FEATURE
Soon after purchasing the car, Ryan got it running and upgraded the stock says. “They took my idea of a Pro Touring build with some custom nuances to
tires and wheels along with some other fundamental additions. Ryan and make it unique, and they absolutely nailed it.”
Angel drove the car for a while, but Ryan decided it was about time to paint
the car and make it nice. Well, as is the case with most projects, this one Ryan came across an LQ9 that was perfect for the build, as he pulled the
looked good from afar but it was far from good. Once Ryan began digging in, big-block for a more modern approach to power the F-body. The Octane
he found that what he thought was a rust-free body had plenty of free rust— crew got busy and treated the mostly stock mill to a Texas Speed Magic
enough so that most of the sheetmetal needed replacing. “I’m pissed that I Stick 3 camshaft, TSP springs, and TSP pushrods to handle the extra
paid top dollar and drove for five hours only to find out later on the car was horsepower brought about by the ProCharger D-1SC supercharger. A set
anything but solid,” Ryan says. of Hedman Hedders headers and custom 3-inch stainless exhaust topped
with Borla Pro XS mufflers do their best to contain the pandemonium
Ryan was deep into the car at this point, financially and personally, and his created by the supercharged engine, but the car’s angry tone prevails at
attempt in finding the right shop to help restore the rusty husk didn’t go just about any rpm.
quite as planned. As it turned out the first three shops were unsuccessful
at performing competent work on the car, so it wasn’t until he came upon The Octane crew outfitted the engine in an all-black setting, including a
Octane and Iron, a relatively new shop in his hometown of Magnolia, Texas, Holley Sniper intake, Motion Raceworks valve covers, ProCharger drive
that things began moving in the right direction. “When I found Octane and system, Fragola fittings, and custom plumbing, then surrounded it in carbon-
Iron and met with Chuck and Lane Johnson, brothers and owners of the shop, fiber inner fenders and header panel, creating the appropriate architecture
to discuss my vision for the car, I knew it was finally in the right hands,” Ryan for such a shamelessly menacing powerplant.

A manual overdrive transmission was a must, so in went an American of red Ultraleather that covers the modified factory seats, custom door
Powertrain upgraded TREMEC T56 Magnum six-speed transmission that panels, dash, and custom center console for an outstanding visual
offers smooth yet aggressive gear changes via an American Powertrain treatment. A Racepak IQ3 data system and Vintage Air control panel are
twin-disc clutch. A PST aluminum driveshaft sends power to a Moser 12- housed in a Detroit Speed dash insert also painted red to jive with the
bolt rearend outfitted with an Eaton Truetrac limited slip, 3.73 gears, and whole ensemble. Factory red loop carpet ties it all together for a cohesive
33-spline Moser axles. performance-inspired cockpit.
Sticking with the road-handling concept, Hotchkis subframe connectors With the aforementioned sheetmetal in shambles only the roof, trunklid,
join the Ridetech triangulated four-link suspension system out back while and dash were salvageable. Undeterred, Ryan spent the extra time and
arming the stock subframe with Ridetech spindles and coilover shocks effort required to hunt down factory GM goods. “It was hard to find
up front. Ridetech double-adjustable shocks reside on all four corners as factory pieces, but I really wanted the car to carry as much GM pedigree
do massive Wilwood binders to bring this road warrior down from speed. as possible,” Ryan relays. “So, I went the extra mile and then some.”
Transparent Gold Forgeline GA3C deep wheels (18x8 front, 19x12 rear)
offer a unique color while at the same time reducing unsprung weight The crew at Octane and Iron hung the fresh metal and custom-fabricated
for increased performance. To chop corners, Michelin Pilot Sport rubber the tail panel to accommodate the custom EVOD exhaust cutouts. From
(225/40R18 front, 325/30R19 rear) was called for duty. there the car was sent to Rf Customs in nearby Magnolia where Bryan and
Ray Reitz massaged the original metal to perfection prior to dousing the
Sublime Heights in Houston took on the interior and treated it to a sea Camaro in a decadent layer of PPG Magnetic Gray Metallic.

ACP FEATURE InTheGarageMedia.com
Today the Camaro is a far cry from what it was

when Ryan and Angel brought it home. They are
both thankful for all the hard work and talent put
into the car by Chuck, Lane, and the crew at Octane
and Iron. “We couldn’t be more impressed with how
the car tuned out and are enjoying it more than we
ever thought possible,” Ryan says. “Taking the car
to daddy/daughter dances with my elementary-
school-age daughters, Harper and Charlotte, have
been so fun. The car gets tons of attention from
the other kids and parents when we pull into the
parking lot. Driving the car on date nights with my
wife is pretty cool, too. She even lets me drive it on
those occasions,” Ryan jokingly adds.
Ryan’s vintage car-buying experience was one

we’ve heard many times before—a hopefully
positive experience that turned sour. But Ryan hung
in there and refused to give up. After three shops
were able to deliver nothing but disappointment,
he was determined to make sure Angel got the car
she had always wanted. It required the right shop
to build a Pro Touring ’69 Camaro with a unique
look, and the crew at Octane and Iron did just that.
A raising of the bar, if you will.
STEERING: Borgeson
TECH FRONT SUSPENSION: Ridetech spindles, Ridetech coilover double-adjustable shocks,
Ridetech tubular control arms, Ridetech MUSCLEBar
OWNER: Angel & Ryan Cashman, Magnolia, Texas REAR SUSPENSION: Ridetech Triangulated four-link, Ridetech double-adjustable coilover
VEHICLE: ’69 Camaro shocks, Ridetech MUSCLEBar
BRAKES: Wilwood 14-inch rotors, six-piston calipers front, Wilwood 13-inch rotors, four-
Engine piston calipers rear, Wilwood master cylinder
TYPE: Chevrolet LQ9
DISPLACEMENT: 364 ci Wheels & Tires
COMPRESSION RATIO: 10.1:1 WHEELS: Forgeline Transparent Gold GA3C (18x8 front, 19x12 rear)
BORE: 4.000 inches TIRES: Michelin Pilot Sport 4S; 225/40R18 front, 325/30R19 rear
STROKE: 3.622 inches
CYLINDER HEADS: Aluminum cathedral port Interior
ROTATING ASSEMBLY: Cast-iron crankshaft, Hypereutectic aluminum pistons, 6.098- UPHOLSTERY: Red loop carpet, red Ultraleather
inch, I-beam powdered metal rods DOOR PANELS AND CENTER CONSOLE: Custom by Sublime Heights (Houston)
CAMSHAFT: Texas Speed Magic Stick 3 (0.600/0.0600 lift, 238/242 deg. duration at INSTALLATION: Sublime Heights
0.050, 112 LSA) SEATS: Modified factory Camaro
INDUCTION: Holley Sniper intake manifold, K&N air filter STEERING: Ididit steering column, Billet Specialties steering wheel
POWER ADDER: ProCharger D-1SC SHIFTER: American Powertrain
ACCESSORY DRIVE KIT: ProCharger DASH: Stock with Detroit Speed insert
ENGINE ASSEMBLY: Octane and Iron (Magnolia, TX) INSTRUMENTATION: Racepak
EXHAUST: Hedman Hedders 17/8-inch headers, Octane and Iron custom 3-inch exhaust, HVAC: Vintage Air
Borla Pro XS mufflers, EVOD custom tips WIRING: American Autowire by Octane and Iron
ANCILLARIES: Ringbrothers hood hinges, Spal dual electric fans, Afco aluminum radiator, INSULATION: Lizard Skin
140-amp Powermaster alternator, Motion Raceworks valve covers, MSD wires, Fragola
fittings and hoses, custom intercooling piping by Octane and Iron, Rick’s Tanks fuel tank with Exterior
ZL1 pump, VaporWorx fuel system, Anvil Auto carbon-fiber inner fenders and header panel BODYWORK AND PAINT: Rf Customs (Magnolia)
OUTPUT: 720 hp PAINT: PPG Magnetic Gray Metallic
WHEELTUBS: Detroit Speed mini-tubs
Drivetrain HOOD: GM
TRANSMISSION: TREMEC T56 Magnum by American Powertrain FRONT BUMPER: Stock tucked
CLUTCH: American Powertrain twin disc REAR BUMPER: Stock tucked
DRIVESHAFT: PST 3.5-inch aluminum HEADLIGHTS: H4
REAR AXLE: Moser 12-bolt rearend, Eaton Truetrac posi, 3.73 gears, 33-spline Moser axles TAILLIGHTS: Fesler
SIDE MIRRORS: Stock bullet style
Chassis PLATING: Speed and Sport Chrome Shop (Houston)
CHASSIS: Stock, Hotchkis subframe connectors
Every Great Build Starts With A Great Foundation.
Choose What The Pros Choose
1.888.255.3895 Follow us
AutoMetalDirect.com @autometaldirect #autometaldirect
ACP TECH
HOLLEY’S UPGRADED SNIPER 2

THROTTLE BODY EFI
BY JEFF SMITH
PHOTOGRAPHY BY THE AUTHOR
AND COURTESY OF HOLLEY PERFORMANCE
O
ne 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 can be a great
benefit to resist electrical noise that is common with CD high-voltage ignition systems.
The throttle body has been completely redesigned to make it easier to install while also
upgrading its functionality. For the basic system that will not control ignition, the main
power harness only requires five connections to the vehicle for power, ground, switched
ignition, fuel pump, and rpm. One additional upgrade is the throttle position sensor
(TPS) is now integrated into the throttle body itself instead of bolted to the exterior. In
addition, the throttle body has been redesigned to eliminate the outside fuel distribution
hoses in favor of a cast-in fuel distribution channel.
We have experience with the original Sniper system, and one upgrade we noticed immediately
is a change to the throttle linkage. The original Sniper employed a very short throttle arm that
made the linkage extremely sensitive to input from the throttle pedal. This made cars with tight
converters difficult to drive in low-speed situations. One solution was to fabricate an extension
to the original linkage to lengthen the throttle connection to slow down the movement of the
throttle blades. The Sniper 2 features a more common Holley throttle linkage and includes
factory positions on the linkage for the throttle valve (TV) for either the 200-4R or the 700-R4
overdrive automatic transmissions plus a separate provision for a TH350 kickdown linkage.
1.
1. The Sniper 2 comes in a multitude of different optional configurations. The throttle body houses
four 100-lb/hr injectors that will support 650 hp naturally aspirated or 550 hp supercharged. The
throttle body is all new, positioning the ECU internally, which minimizes the number of external wiring
connections to simplify the installation.

The four 100-lb/hr fuel injectors positioned in the throttle body 2. The original Sniper throttle body
employed a short throttle arm that
2.
can support up to 650 naturally aspirated horsepower or 575 hp
made input changes very sensitive
supercharged as a pull-through system but is not configurable for and abrupt. The new throttle body
a blow-through supercharger. There are several options for this lengthens the linkage to standard
application with the original Super Sniper if you are looking for that Holley dimensions for easier control
over acceleration and also includes
arrangement. mounting locations for either the
TH350 kickdown or the TV cable for
Holley has created a term called the Holley Ecosystem to describe a 200-4R or 700-R4 transmissions.
complete systems approach to the Sniper 2 system that includes a

3. The dual-inlet fuel connections
Hyperspark ignition, digital dash possibilities, as well as the multiple are designed to accommodate a full
options for EFI fuel delivery. The Hyperspark ignition system is return fuel delivery system with the
fuel inlet at the rear, and the fuel
designed to be as simple as possible to wire into the Sniper, including
return exiting from the front fitting. 3.
a wiring harness with a direct plug-in connector that makes it The new Sniper 2 casting integrates
supremely easy. the fuel distribution channel into
the main body.
Older EFI systems that also controlled the ignition required the 4. Holley’s power distribution
installer to run through a complex series of steps to set distributor module (PDM) provides a convenient
rotor phasing. The Holley Hyperspark system massively simplifies place to locate wiring and reduces
the number of connections to the
this process by using an innovative plastic cover. Once the distributor
battery. This includes connections
is dropped into place with the engine at top dead center on Number for the throttle body, fuel pump,
One cylinder, you merely line up the distributor body for Number One two electric fans, and ignition. The
connections are clearly labeled on
cylinder on the cap with the plastic cover over the rotor and lock the
the cover and easily made with
distributor down. It’s that simple. positive, slip-in fittings. The PDM 4.
integrates three relays: one for the
Plus, the Sniper 2 throttle body is configured to use a simple throttle body, one for the fuel pump,
and one for a 25-amp electric fan
connector to tie the distributor into the EFI system. The basic inputs while including diagnostic lights to
of idle, cruise, and wide-open throttle timing can be initially input help with troubleshooting. The PDM
using the handheld programmer, but the Sniper 2 also offers the requires its own specific Sniper 2
wiring harness.
ability to configure the entire ignition curve using a laptop. This offers
the employment of a far more sophisticated advance curve that is 5. This wiring schematic includes the
essentially the same as that generated by the much more expensive Holley power distribution module
and includes all the wiring for the
Holley HP and Dominator ECUs.
entire Hyperspark ignition system,
which is literally a plug-in-and-run
Of course, if you prefer, the Sniper 2 EFI can also operate with arrangement. Of course, it’s also
a separate ignition like a stand-alone HEI ignition. This is often possible to run the Sniper 2 with a
basic HEI distributor, if desired.
suggested as a good starting point when adding EFI to a carbureted
engine. Once the EFI fuel curve is working to your satisfaction, then
the ignition control can be added. This minimizes confusion when
attempting to convert two control mechanisms simultaneously. The 5.
Sniper 2 is configured so even something as simple as an ancient
points-triggered ignition can be used on the ignition side.
Also new for the Sniper 2 is the ability to expand wiring control with
the use of the optional power distribution module (PDM). The PDM is a
compact box that integrates the wiring for all the different inputs and
control outputs into a simple enclosure that also offers relay control
for external devices such as separate cooling fans or other switched
devices. This is especially handy when using the Hyperspark ignition
system but is certainly not required. Mainly, the PDM is designed to
centralize wiring and their required connections. If chosen, the PDM
does require its own separate wiring harness for a more simplified
connection to the Sniper 2.

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Among the more interesting options for the Sniper 2 is what we

6. 6. The complete
Hyperspark system
referenced earlier as the wireless connection where instead of using
includes a billet
the included Sniper 2 handheld device for initial inputs and tuning
aluminum distributor,
changes or to monitor engine operation, you can opt for a wireless matching coil, control
dongle (available Fall 2023) to use with either an iOS or Android box, and wiring harness.
All this plugs directly
smartphone.
into the existing harness
connector included with
If you want to add a high-tech look to your Sniper 2 installation, the Sniper 2 throttle
Holley offers an optional 5-inch display screen that is large enough to body along with a power
and ground connection.
be used as a supplemental dash. Plus, the screen comes with a GPS
antenna that can be placed at the base of the windshield as input 7. Holley engineers
for the speedometer. Connecting the display is incredibly easy with a have come up with this
simple way to properly
small, multi-pin CAN connector from the Sniper 2 throttle body. 7. set rotor phasing when
using the Sniper 2
We decided to test this system on a 357ci small-block Chevy we Hyperspark ignition.
Once the distributor is
had built for dyno testing. We bolted the small-block to our Summit
correctly installed in
test stand and then began our installation. The small-block had a the engine at TDC for
Holley single-plane intake manifold that allowed us to bolt the Sniper Number One cylinder,
2 directly in place of the carburetor. Electrical connections were merely rotate the
distributor body until
simple using the power distribution module. It’s easy to wire the PDM the plastic cover lines
backward if you are not paying attention (like we did) so make sure up with the rotor and
to orient the PDM with the 12V-plus connector at the top next to the fits over the notch in the
distributor body. Lock it
indicator lights.
down, mark the location
8. of Number One spark

plug wire, and you’re
Another option available in Fall 2023 is a Sniper 2 with electronic
ready to go.
transmission control. For GM enthusiasts, this means the Sniper 2
will be able to manage either the 4L60E or 4L80E or any of their 8. This fall, Holley
performance variants. This offers the ability to set shift firmness, will offer an optional
accurate shift points at both part and full throttle, as well as other Bluetooth wireless
module that will make
details like rear tire size and gear ratios to optimize transmission it possible to view a
operation. All of these parameters can be set using the handheld dashboard and perform
controller with no laptop required. This brings the Sniper 2 even changes using either
an iPhone or Android
closer to full electronic control of the entire drivetrain at an
smartphone. Here,
affordable price. 9. a smartphone has
been configured as
a dash display.
We wanted to test the Hyperspark along with the Sniper 2 so that
required removing the existing distributor and dropping in the 9. The hardest part of
Hyperspark distributor with the engine positioned at TDC on Number bolting on the Sniper
One cylinder. With that accomplished, we merely lined up the clear 2 was wiring the
system into the power
plastic cap to sit over the rotor along with lining up the distributor distribution module,
body notch. It took almost as much time to describe this process as it which was pretty easy
did to complete the rotor phasing. with the instructions
that walk you through
10. the installation.
With all the grounds and wiring connections completed through
the PDM, and with power supplied to the handheld, we quickly ran 10. As with all
aftermarket EFI systems,
through the installation using Holley Wizard software in the handheld
the primary sensor is the
that needs only a few simple inputs to establish base fuel and spark heated oxygen sensor
maps that will allow the system to start and run. located in the exhaust
that measures free
oxygen and calculates the
With the inputs in place, the engine started and once the coolant air/fuel ratio from this
temperature stabilized at around 170 degrees F, we didn’t have to measurement. The Sniper
adjust the throttle body idle speed screw in order to achieve our 2 uses the highly regarded
Bosch LSU 4.9 sensor.
commanded idle speed at 850 rpm.
11. Holley also offers a

We double-checked that the computer was commanding 15
complete fuel pump module
11.
degrees of initial timing at idle with our timing light. This
that is designed to bolt
only required a minor adjustment by loosening the distributor directly into its line of Sniper
body and adjusting the static timing until it matched what fuel tanks. Make sure to
we input in the handheld under locked timing. choose a pump that will
supply the proper volume of
fuel at the required pressure.
The entire Holley Ecosystem with the Sniper 2 throttle As an example, a 400 liter
body, Hyperspark ignition system, and power distribution per hour (lph) Sniper pump
will support up to 700
module all worked together to create a seamless
flywheel horsepower at 60
installation on our small-block. The only thing we didn’t psi of fuel pressure.
detail in this story is the necessity of a quality in-tank
12. Here we’ve installed
fuel pump system. Holley has you covered there as well
a Sniper fuel tank and
with several options for a complete new Sniper tank and 400-lph pump in our ’66
pump system for many popular Chevy muscle car body Chevelle. There are multiple 12. 13.
styles. We’ve installed two of these Sniper tanks in cars options for fuel delivery,
but the important point is
and the results have both been successful. to have a complete system
design for EFI where the fuel
The Sniper 2 should more accurately be described as pressure does not fluctuate.
a major upgrade rather than a completely new system,

13. One area that is different
so for those who have been waiting to see what comes with the Sniper 2 is that
next, your time has arrived. If you’ve been thinking of Holley has eliminated the
internal fuel pressure regula-
converting your carbureted street cruiser to EFI, this
tor. So, for this installation,
Sniper 2 just might edge you closer to the tipping point. we used a Holley return-style
You don’t have to bother with changing the intake fuel pressure regulator to
manifold and it’s very close to a bolt-on-and-go system. establish the proper 58-psi
line pressure. Keep in mind
that a return-style regulator 14.
Technology can be a wonderful thing. will be needed to complete
the installation.
14. With all the wiring

SOURCES in place, including the
Hyperspark ignition, and
HOLLEY PERFORMANCE PRODUCTS with the inputs completed
(866) 464-6553 with the Wizard installation
holley.com process on the handheld,
after a couple of cranks, the
SUMMIT RACING engine fired right up. We
also checked ignition and
(800) 230-3030
squared that up, and the
summitracing.com
engine now runs just fine.
PARTS LIST
We’ve selected just one system for a part number example, but there are several Sniper 2 options that can be examined more closely on Holley’s website.
DESCRIPTION PN SOURCE
Sniper 2 EFI system, black throttle body 550-511-3XX Summit
Power Distribution Module 554-200 Summit
Hyperspark 2 distributor, harness, coil for Sniper 2VK020300 Summit
MSD CD box connector to Sniper 2558-329 Summit
Sniper 2 Bluetooth dongle smart phone adapter 558-498 Summit
Sniper 2 4L60E/4L80E transmission controller 551-103 Summit
Fuel Pressure regulator, return style 12-882 Summit

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 in Wild Cherry Tintcoat. As
you can tell, I’m a Bowtie fan—have been ever since I was a kid.”

ACP FEATURE
The next spring, Dan’s good buddy Ed was selling his box Nova. The man The front suspension was built up first, using QA1 tubular control arms
interested in purchasing it turned out to be the owner of the same ’71 Camaro and coilover shocks at the corners. Most of the parts for phase one were
Dan had checked out months earlier. His buddy texted him a shot of the purchased from Mike Klemczak at K&M Speed & Truck in Levittown,
Camaro for sale. That got Dan going again, so a three-way deal was negotiated Pennsylvania.
and the Nova was handed over to the new owner, who in turn sold Dan the car
he was after. “I don’t know if it was just dumb luck, but this car found me, and Next, A&W installed a Hydro Boost braking system with Wilwood discs front
I wasn’t going to let it get away a second time,” Dan reveals. and back. Power steering was a necessary item for Dan, which was added
along with Moser axles, thicker ladder bars, and safety tabs.
Once back at the home garage, Dan checked out his new purchase. It’s a true
RS split bumper car, which was cut up into a race car sometime in the late The Camaro was starting to come around and Dan enjoyed driving it
’70s. It had a stock front suspension, a race bucket seat, race shifter, and a throughout the following summer. Then he decided to go all out, so he brought
push start. The 496 in it was healthy and came with a big cam. it back to A&W for the final phase: the powerplant transformation.
The Camaro looked like a winner, but the problem was that it had so much Back in 2019, Dan’s brother died suddenly of a heart failure. “He had an
cam in it that it made it a bear to drive. The brakes were also insufficient, and 871 BDS blower engine out of his ’69 Chevelle SS that I received after his
it had manual steering to boot. So, in March 2022, the car was handed off to death,” Dan says. “I decided that engine would be the new heart for my
good friends Dave Acker, Steve Roe, and Mike MaCallion of A&W Performance Camaro. However, we decided to go bigger, starting with a Dart 540 M-block
Racing in Tullytown, Pennsylvania. “They started the first phase of things and adding a roller cam and keeping the Dart 345 heads and a pair of Holley
needed to make this Camaro safe for me to drive,” Dan says. Dominators to help feed this beast.”


ACP FEATURE
It was important to Dan that this engine run on pump gas for driveability and it
also needed to run cool. He added a Be Cool radiator with dual fans on a digital
temperature control to keep the heat down. All that power is shifted by a Turbo 400,
built up with a reverse manual valvebody and a trans brake. It feeds a Chevy 12-bolt
stuffed with Moser internals and 4.88 gears.
A&W did a fuel system makeover and added NOS to this already potent setup. New,
more comfortable TMI low-back bucket seats with race belts were added next,
along with a more stock-appearing interior. The crew even went a step further by
obtaining a stock console to which they added a B&M shifter (with nitrous button) to
get this beast through the gears. A Dakota Digital dash insert and gauges keep track
of the vitals, and the extra switches control the nitrous and the fuel pump out back.
Once the engine was installed, Dan had to think of how to present the incredible
piece of eye candy in the engine bay. “Camaros ’70 and up didn’t come with a cowl
hood,” Dan states. “So I went with a Glasstek flat hood so we could see more of
my brother’s heart hanging out of the hood. A&W did a great job cutting around the
blower while Mike Carr from K&M Speed & Truck painted the hood and laid down
the matching stripes. Fred from Body Work by Bernard in Bristol, Pennsylvania,
smoothed out the firewall to perfection.”


ACP FEATURE InTheGarageMedia.com
TECH
OWNER: Dan Miller, Bristol, Pennsylvania
VEHICLE: ’71 Camaro RS
Engine
TYPE: Dart M big-block
BLOCK: Aluminum
COMPRESSION RATIO: 8.91:1
BORE: 4.50
STROKE: 4.25
CYLINDER HEADS: Dart 345 Pro 1 heads
ROTATING ASSEMBLY: Eagle forged crank and rods, JE blower pistons
CAMSHAFT: A&W custom grind hydraulic roller cam
INDUCTION: Two 1,050-cfm Holley Dominator carburetors
IGNITION: MSD
EXHAUST: Doug’s ceramic-coated headers
POWER ADDER: BDS 8.71 blower
OUTPUT (at crank): 830 hp (pump gas) 1,100 hp (race fuel) without NOS
Drivetrain
Out on the corners, Dan added Weld Racing V Series forged rims, 17x4.5 up front with huge 15x15 TRANSMISSION: Turbo 400
rims out back, which give this Camaro the stance and look he was after. They are shod in Hoosier REAR AXLE: GM 12-bolt with 4.88 gears
rubber, 26x7.50-17 and 31x18.50-15, respectively. From there the car was dialed in, with Dan
Chassis
cautiously taking the Camaro out on the streets to break it in. In a few short trips, the car was now FRONT SUSPENSION: QA1 tubular control arms, QA1 coilover shocks
everything he had hoped it would be, propelled with the help of Dan’s brother’s prized powerplant. REAR SUSPENSION: Strange double-adjustable coilover shocks
BRAKES: Wilwood 13-inch rotors and six-piston calipers front and rear
“A hearty ‘Thanks’ goes out to all those who helped make this dream a reality,” Dan announces. Wheels & Tires
“First, to Amanda O’Connell for allowing me to chase and indulge my passion. Second, to all the WHEELS: Weld Racing V Series 17x4.5 front, 15x15 rear
crews who helped build this beast: A&W Performance Racing, K&M Paint, K&M Speed, CG Airworks, TIRES: Hoosiers; 26x7.50-17 front, 31x18.50-15 rear
Jeff Barber Powdercoating, Nickerson’s Dyno, Edward C. Begley, Bob Meloni, Penn Jersey, Bowen Interior
Carburetors, Tire City, Rob’s Automotive, Scotty (the author), and Body Work by Bernard.” SEATS: TMI low back buckets
STEERING: Stock
SHIFTER: B&M
Dan sums it up this way: “In one short year almost to the day, this old drag car is now a killer DASH: Stock, Dakota Digital insert, Dakota Digital gauges
streetcar. Not only does it show well but it now definitely goes as well.” This car is, without
Exterior
a doubt, a real-deal, street-driven, Pro Street–styled RS Camaro that will definitely grab your
PAINT: Black
attention and make you take notice.” HOOD: Glasstek bolt-on flat hood

ACP TECH
(SHIFT YOUR OWN GEARS) WITH SST
SWAPPING A TREMEC TKX FIVE-SPEED MANUAL INTO A ’69 NOVA

BY TAYLOR KEMPKES PHOTOGRAPHY BY THE AUTHOR

When TREMEC first announced the TKX a few years back, we knew it was the
I
n our minds, the joy of owning a classic muscle car is 50 percent perfect transmission for our ’69 Nova. A compact five-speed that can handle
style and 50 percent experience. There is nothing quite like the visual 600 lb-ft of torque and high-rpm shifts? Yes, please! Up until that point, a five-
presence of a late-’60s or early-’70s GM muscle car—whether that speed transmission that could handle the torque of even a mildly built 383ci
be Chevelle, Nova, Camaro, or the like. There’s also nothing quite like small-block was a big ask. The only other option was the larger, six-speed T56
driving one of these cars. It’s something about that raw power of a pushrod Magnum, which was overkill for us. Not only would it require extensive floor
V-8 and questionable handling characteristics that pushes the engagement and tunnel modifications, but we just didn’t see the need for two overdrive
well beyond most other driving experiences. If there is one thing that can take gears. As long as we have at least one gear that drops us below 1.00:1 for
that driving experience to the next level, it’s shifting your own gears. highway cruising that will be just fine.
There’s been a lot of “save the stick” talk over the past decade or so in regards to So TREMEC had the transmission we wanted, but how do we actually go about
new vehicles. If you’ve driven modern cars lately, you can understand why. For an installing it? After being in production for a few years, various companies
automotive enthusiast, you need that added driver engagement because the smooth, have developed swap kits for specific applications to help take some of the
quiet ride and brisk acceleration of modern cars gets boring quick. A recent Internet guesswork out of it. One such company that stepped up to the plate was Silver
meme contends that comparing Tesla 0-to-60 times to other “real” performance cars Sport Transmissions (SST).
is akin to comparing a microwave to a barbecue grill—yeah it might cook faster but
when was the last time someone asked for a microwave burger? So, if throwing a As it turned out, SST went well beyond taking “some” of the guesswork out
manual transmission into a modern appliance on four wheels can actually make it of it, providing everything from the correct bellhousing to the shifter and shift
fun to drive, just think how a stick would feel in a ’60s muscle car! location adapter, clutch master cylinder, concentric slave cylinder, manual brake
and clutch pedals, transmission yoke, and fluids. They even send the little things
Obviously, we’re not the first ones to figure this out. There’s a reason factory like hardware, transmission isolator, pedal pads, and mechanical speedometer
four-speed cars tend to be so dang expensive. Rather than try to find a cable. SST also partners with McLeod Racing to provide a complete clutch kit
reasonably priced Nova SS with a stick (do those even exist?), we’ll just make and flywheels for each specific engine and horsepower needs. The only missing
our own. While we’re at it, we might as well add an overdrive gear, too. piece of the puzzle was adapting our already-beefy Inland Empire Driveline (IED)
driveshaft to the new transmission. For that, we reached back out to IED and
Remember when we topped our fresh 383ci stroker build with a Holley 650 they were able to help make the necessary modifications.
Double-Pumper? That is because we hoped to back our small-block with a manual
transmission. The “on or off” nature of a manual pairs best with mechanical The entire conversion took around two weeks; working a couple hours each night
secondaries when you want to put your foot in it. Well, thanks to some fantastic plus a few half-days on weekends. The only aspects of the conversion we haven’t
companies in the industry, we were able to turn that dream into a reality. What’s addressed are installing the new speedometer cable and reverse light/safety
even better is we were able to do it in our home garage with relative ease. neutral wiring. We’ll get to those when we replace our factory steering column.
1. If haste was our utmost priority, we

1. might have just removed the hood, pulled 2.
the old engine and trans, then stabbed in
our new 383 and five-speed. But dropping
a shiny new drivetrain into the midst of a
grimy, 50-year-old engine bay just didn’t
seem right. We decided to take the time
to pull the front clip and clean everything
thoroughly. We also performed a partial
firewall smoothing by removing the
original heater core and welding in a flat
fill panel. Then we coated everything using
satin black POR-15 Top Coat to ensure a
long-lasting finish.
2. TREMEC currently offers seven

different variations of the five-speed
TKX consisting of Ford and GM styles
with different gear ratios. We reached
out to TREMEC and they sent us part
number TCET18083, which is the GM
version with a shorter First gear of 3.27:1
instead of 2.87:1. While it’s not a deal
breaker either way, it’ll make it easier to
get moving from a stop without needing
excessive revs or riding the clutch.

3.
3. Pictured is everything SST sent us for

4. the automatic to manual conversion in our
5.
’69 Nova. They even took inventory, with
photos, of each individual component
during packaging so we could make sure
everything they sent is accounted for.
4-5. Since we sourced our transmission di-

rectly from TREMEC, we had to convert the
shifter location and input shaft retainer us-
ing the parts supplied by SST. The detailed
instructions they sent made this process a
breeze. If you order your TKX and conver-
sion parts from SST, the correct shifter and
input shaft retainer will come pre-installed.
6. 6-7. Then we bolted the McLeod flywheel 7.

to the crankshaft of our small-block
Chevy, torqueing the bolts to spec and
using thread locker. Using a properly sized
socket, we carefully tapped in the pilot
bearing supplied by SST.
8. Next we measured the runout on our

bellhousing. SST supplied great instruc-
tions on this, but we’ll describe it in
short. Using a magnetic base and dial
indicator we checked how centered the
bellhousing is to the crankshaft. It takes
some trial and error to get the orien-
tation just right, but a great trick SST
8. mentioned is removing a couple bolts on 9.
the flywheel to provide a flat mounting
surface for the magnetic base. In our
case, we were just outside the 0.005-inch
maximum runout and needed to get a set
of offset dowel pins to correct it.
9. We then removed the bellhousing to in-

stall our McLeod clutch and pressure plate.
We opted for their Super Street Pro line
of single-disc clutch, which is designed to
handle up to 550 hp. Even though our 383
in current form will only make 400-450
hp, we wanted some headroom in case we
install a burlier top end in the future.

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10. Our next measurement to verify was

10. the air cushion of the concentric slave 11.
cylinder (CSC) or throwout bearing. To do
this, we bolted the bellhousing back up
to the engine. Using an adjustable square
we measured the distance between the
fingers of the clutch and the transmission
mounting face on the bellhousing.
11. On the transmission, we placed the CSC

on the input shaft and compressed it until
it bottomed out. Using the same adjustable
square, we measured the distance between
the face of the CSC to the bellhousing mount-
ing surface on the transmission. SST specified
at least ¹/8 inch and no more than ³/8 inch of
clearance. We were right on the money with
¹/8-inch cushion. Without enough space, you’ll
12. be constantly “riding” your clutch and causing 13.
premature wear, even with the pedal out.
Too much cushion and you’ll have problems
getting the clutch to fully disengage.
12. With the bellhousing back on the trans-

mission for the last time, we proceeded to in-
stall the hydraulic line to the slave cylinder.
13. Next, it was time for the fun stuff: cut-

ting up our factory automatic transmission
tunnel. To get in the ballpark, we measured
from the mounting face of the bellhous-
ing back to the centerline of the shifter.
Then, with the engine sitting on the motor
mounts, we transferred those measure-
ments to the underside of the trans tunnel.
14. 15.
14. From under the car, we drilled a single
hole in the center of our measured shifter
location. Then, from inside the car, we
measured and marked what we wanted
to cut. We drilled pilot holes followed by
a uni-bit to give a starting point for our
reciprocating saw. We only cut a small
rectangle out; just enough to get in the
ballpark and start test-fitting with the
engine and transmission in place.
15. With our runout and CSC cushion

measurements taken and hydraulic line
hooked up, we were ready to bolt the TKX
to our small-block.
16. Next we loaded our new drivetrain into

16. the Nova to see how much more material
17.
needed to be removed. We left a fender
cover against the firewall to protect from
scratches and used a floor jack under the
end of the five-speed to control the angle.
17. We cut little by little until we were

able to bolt the TKX to the crossmember
supplied by SST without the transmission
case hitting the tunnel. We aren’t too
familiar with the differences in floorpans
of the ’68-72 Novas, but ours being an
original Powerglide car probably meant
we had one of the smallest transmission
tunnels. Cars fitted with factory TH350s
would surely need less modification.
18. To avoid taking more out of the floor than

18. was necessary, we used our grinder with a
19.
4-inch flap disc to take down a couple ears on
the top of the five-speed and give that extra
½ inch of clearance we needed.
19. SST called for the use of a factory four-

speed tunnel hump, so we decided we’d mod-
ify ours to cover the larger hole in the tunnel.
Then, to make it removable, we picked up a
rivet nut installation tool for $75 on Amazon
and installed a few rivet nuts.
20. This tech story isn’t about how to do prim-

itive at-home fabrication with basic tools and
20. a 120V flux-core welder. As such, we’ll breeze 21.
over the modifications done to our factory
four-speed hump and just say it does a good job
sealing the hole in our trans tunnel. Luckily, it
will hide under the carpet, so we’re good with it.
21. To cut out the carpet for the new shifter,

we pulled the transmission down out of the
way and fitted the carpet where we wanted
it. The heavy insulation under our carpet
made it tough to mark clearly, so we used
some black spray paint to fill the section we
needed to remove.
22. 22. As mentioned, SST supplied new facto- 23.

ry-style clutch and brake pedals. As always,
it’s a little tough working under the dash but
replacing our original brake pedal with the new
assembly was actually easier than anticipated.
23. Next we moved onto installing the clutch

master cylinder. We unbolted the brake mas-
ter cylinder to give us more working room,
then removed the factory cover underneath.
Using the backing plate for the clutch mas-
ter as a template, we drilled the three pilot
holes needed.
24. 25.
24. Getting the top two bolts and nuts started can be
tough by yourself, so SST recommended using a piece of
painter’s tape to hold the bolts in place while going under
the dash to thread on the nuts.
25. Here’s a look at the backside of the clutch master cylin-

der and pushrod installed. It’s important to get the pushrod
adjusted correctly to allow for complete travel of the
hydraulic master cylinder. When trying to bleed the system,
if the pedal can’t come all the way to the top or be pushed
until it bottoms out, you’ll end up with air in the lines.

26. SST provides a bracket to mount the reservoir on the same firewall studs as the brake
master cylinder. In our case, we also had our proportioning valve bracket mounted in
27.
the same place and didn’t have long enough studs to accommodate both. Our quick and
clean solution was to tack weld the supplied bracket to the backside of the proportion-
ing valve bracket. Another option would have been to drill two new holes and mount it
directly to the firewall.
27. Once the reservoir was mounted with the high- and low-pressure lines hooked up, we
grabbed a friend and proceeded to bleed the hydraulic clutch system. To make life a little
easier, we used bailing wire to hang our bottle during the process. To make our life more
difficult, we neglected to check the fluid level often enough while bleeding, which meant
we had to run through a lot more fluid than we otherwise would have.
28. A few years back, after installing a new rearend and suspension, we’d picked up a
custom driveshaft from Inland Empire Driveline (IED) in Ontario, California. The shaft
and U-joints were still in good shape so we dropped it off with the guys at IED with new
measurements. They were able to cut it down to the right length, install the new yoke,
balance it, give it a fresh coat of paint, and send us on our way.
26.
28.
29. 30.
SOURCES
INLAND EMPIRE DRIVELINE
(800) 800-0109
iedls.com
MCLEOD RACING
(714) 630-2764
mcleodracing.com 29. It was onto the final touches: reinstalling
the shifter boot and trim ring. To fit the boot
POR-15 to the trim ring, we flipped the fabric inside
(800) 457-6715 out and folded the edges in half up against
por15.com the underside of the trim ring. Then we used
a pick to poke holes for the screws and made
SILVER SPORT marks to trim away the excess fabric.
TRANSMISSIONS
30. With the TKX install complete and our
(865) 609-8187
seat bolted back in the car, we could finally sit
shiftsst.com
behind the wheel and get a feel for what the
new and improved driving experience would
TREMEC be like. Now we just have to get rid of that fac-
(248) 859-6500 tory automatic steering column and button
tremec.com up all the other odds and ends to get our 383ci
small-block fired up for the first time.
ACP EVENT
CHEVYS SHINE AT NASHVILLE SUPERSPEEDWAY

BY NICK LICATA PHOTOGRAPHY BY THE AUTHOR
W
hen car show promoters drum up the idea of putting With over 40 awards from various aftermarket companies being given out
on a new event, car builders, vendors, and enthusiasts to recognize worthy builds, six incredible-looking Triple Crown of Rodding
might wonder what will make this new show different trophies and a Gibson SG2 guitar went to the Street Rod of the Year, Street
from any other. Well, it takes a couple of experienced and Machine of the Year, and Street Cruiser of the Year. On the truck side, the
well-respected industry guys like Bobby Alloway and Gary Case, along with Triple Crown went to Truck of the Year Up to 72, Truck of the Year 73-87,
an all-star cast, to pull it off just right, and that’s exactly what happened and Truck of the Year 88-98. For the complete list of awards and Car of the
at the inaugural Triple Crown of Rodding presented by PPG at Nashville Year winners, go to modernrodding.com; for Truck of the Year winners, go to
Superspeedway in Lebanon, Tennessee, September 8th and 9th. classictruckperformance.com.
To many folks in and around the hot rod industry, Alloway might be known The event also included a 50/50 raffle with half the prize money going to the winner
more for building award-winning hot rods and muscle cars than being a car and the other half going to the Multiple Sclerosis Foundation. Making the event even
show promoter, but having ran Shades of the Past from 1981-2022, working more exciting was a ’23 Chevrolet giveaway truck customized by Bobby Alloway
on the inaugural Triple Crown of Rodding as a “side hustle” in 2023 fared well featuring custom flame paintjob by Wade Hughes with pinstriping by Josh Shaw.
for the Tennessee native. With the help of Case, who has a long history of
promoting numerous successful automotive-related events, the duo knocked This event brought out the top cars and car builders in the industry to compete for
this one out of the park, or in this case out of the speedway, with just shy of some of the most amazing awards we’ve seen at any car show, a manufacturers
1,700 cars populating Nashville Superspeedway’s infield. Yes, we’ve been to midway that featured 137 exhibitors, and, as luck would have it, uncommonly
shows that included many more cars, but the unmatched quality of the rides fantastic weather to top off the positive vibe throughout the weekend.
at the Triple Crown made it a most enjoyable two days soaking in some of the
best hot rods, customs, street rods, muscle cars, and trucks in the country. For our purposes, All Chevy Performance was there to support our sister
publications Modern Rodding and Classic Truck Performance and to
With the top builders of the industry in the house, there was an autograph share some of the coolest Chevys that made their way to the Nashville
signing featuring the heaviest of hitters, including Chip Foose, Dave Kindig, Superspeedway.
Phil and Jeremy Gerber (Roadster Shop), Kyle Tucker (Detroit Speed), Jonathan
Goolsby, Roy Brizio, Jesse Greening, Mike and Jim Ring (Ringbrothers), Troy No doubt the Inaugural Triple Crown of Rodding went far beyond our expectations
Trepanier, the Slovers, Pose, Alan Johnson, and Jimmy and Will Posey (Big Oak and appears to be the beginning of what promises to be the premier outdoor classic
Garage). These guys were gracious enough to hang out for over two hours car show for years to come. It was one of those events people will be talking about
each day of the event, lending their time with hundreds of enthusiasts wanting for a very long time, as well as one of those events we’ll be looking forward to
to get a selfie and have a few words with their hot rod heroes. attending in 2024. Yep, it was that good.
ACP EVENT


ACP EVENT


ACP TECH
W
hen it comes to cooling a Tri-Five Chevy, the options are that dated back for decades of design and production. The name
all over the map. Stock radiators typically need repairs, wasn’t part of the purchase, so he renamed it Johnson’s Radiator
and they’re usually not efficient enough to cool most Works and moved the machinery to a facility near his hot rod shop in
high-performance engines. For the past 20 years or so, Gadsden, Alabama.
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 Johnson and his staff take great pride in building radiators for a
good job of cooling, there is no replacement for a tried-and-true copper 70-year span of vehicles, from Model Ts to ’90s Chevy pickups and
and brass radiator when it comes to durability and longevity. everything in between. We recently had the chance to watch the
team build a Tri-Five radiator and it was eye-opening to see exactly
Many years ago, Vernon Walker and the folks at Walker Radiator Works how much work goes into each radiator. It is truly a handcrafted
in Memphis, Tennessee, developed trick internal components that piece. Johnson’s Radiator Works builds every component, aside
allowed brass and copper radiators to outperform most radiators on the from the drain petcock, in-house. While there has been a learning
market. Walker was known mostly for street rod radiators but later got curve on the intricacies of manufacturing radiators for so many
into the ’50s and ’60s applications, including the Tri-Five Chevy. Shorter different applications, each member of the staff knows every step
fins allow for more tubes to increase capacity, while louvers in each fin of the process.
create air direction changes for much better cooling capability.
Follow along as we show you how Johnson’s Radiator Works builds
When Walker closed its doors, hot rod builder Alan Johnson bought a highly efficient radiator that will bolt directly into a Tri-Five Chevy
the entire operation, including all the machinery, patterns, and notes and keep it cool with traditional copper and brass construction.

JOHNSON’S RADIATOR WORKS
BUILDS AN EFFICIENT COPPER AND
BRASS TRI-FIVE RADIATOR
ACP TECH
2. 3.
2. Every Johnson’s Radiator Works radiator starts with core assembly. A giant roll of brass
stock is fed into a machine that bends it into a 0.125- by 0.500-inch tube. The machine then
closes the tube with a Pittsburgh seam for strength.
3. The same machine feeds the tubes into a solder coating area, and finally into a cutting
area. The tubes are cut to length, based on the dimensions of the core, so each radiator has
its own tube length and quantity.
4.
4. Fin production also requires a special machine that takes flat copper stock and gives it
the accordion shape. During this process, each fin is stamped with louvers to create thou-
sands of air direction changes to increase efficiency.
5. Each core is hand-assembled using the designated number of tubes and fins. This fixture
allows for easy stacking of the materials. The shorter fin height (0.250 inch) allows for
more rows of tubes for additional cooling capability.
5.
6.
6. When the core is

assembled to the proper
8.
specifications, it is dipped
in a heat-activated flux
and then lightly blown
out with compressed air.
7. Four radiator cores are
7. laid onto a large rack,

which slides into the cur-
ing oven. This oven melts
the solder, which fuses the
tubes and fins together.
8. The next step in the

process is the header
panel, which is built from
flat brass stock. The
oval-shaped flanges are
punched with a special
die to create a tight fit
around each tube.
9. 10. 11.
12. 9. Glenn Jackson carefully installs the header

13.
panel on the core. The tight fit makes this a
tedious process, but it’s part of what makes
the radiator strong and reliable.
10. After the two header panels are fitted to

the core, the assembly is dipped in flux and
then dipped in solder. Jackson measures the
depth to ensure that the solder only coats the
header and tubes.
11. Jackson uses compressed air to blow the

liquid solder out of the tubes before it dries and
then rinses the core with water to prepare it for
final assembly.
12. Brittany Winningham steps in to help
14. Jackson feed brass stock into the shear.

These pieces are used to fabricate the tanks.
15.
For a Tri-Five Chevy radiator, the upper tank
is stamped and the lower is cut and formed
from one piece of brass.
13. The bottom tank blank gets bead-rolled for

strength and then goes through a series of punch-
es to prepare it for final forming. The oval hole is
punched for the radiator hose outlet and a small
hole is punched for the drain petcock.
14. A metal brake is used to fold the edges of

the brass for a strong, finished edge that will
fit tightly in the header panel.
15. After folding the edges, Jackson uses
16. another metal brake to bend the tank into

the desired shape. These bends are based on
17.
notes specified in Johnson’s extensive library
of dimensions for each radiator build.
16. Jacob Gomez uses the spot welder to fasten

the corners of the tank. The seams will be brazed
on the inside and then filled with solder on the
outside during the final assembly process.
17. The Johnson’s Radiator Works Tri-Five

radiator features a stamped upper tank, so it
goes through a slightly different process than
the lower tank. The stamped tank moves to
the next station where it gets holes punched.

18. The filler neck hole is

18. punched with a special die
19.
that creates a tight fit with
the neck, which is made
in-house.
19. Finally, the upper tank is

stamped with the Johnson’s
logo and then stamped with
a serial number.
20. Alan Johnson brazes

the inner tank seams, and
then brazes the lower
radiator hose outlet for a
strong bond.
20. 21. The completed core is

21.
placed in a rotating and
pivoting fixture to give
Johnson full access for
soldering the tanks.
22. Johnson fits the lower

tank into the header panel
and then hammers the
flanges down for a tight fit.
Then, it’s time to fire up the
torch and solder the joints.
23. The lower tank has a

drain petcock, so Johnson at-
22. taches the bung with solder.

23.
24. Johnson fits the
stamped upper tank to the
header panel and fine-tunes
the fitment with a few soft
blows of the hammer.
25. Johnson is a perfec-

tionist, so his solder work is
always sanitary and strong.
This long run of solder across
the front and rear of the
tanks requires patience but
Johnson enjoys the challenge.
24. 25.

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heidts.com | 800-841-8188 | 800 Oakwood Rd, Lake Zurich, IL 60047 Call or Click for your FREE HEIDTS Catalog!
26. 27.
28. 29.
30. 26. The upper radiator hose outlet fits tightly in the punched hole and
then Johnson secures it with solder for a long-lasting bond.
27. Twelve-gauge steel is used to fabricate the mounting brackets,

which allows you to easily bolt this radiator to any Tri-Five. Johnson
attaches the steel mounting brackets to the radiator with solder.
28. Every radiator build is pressure-tested before it is painted and

boxed for shipping. Johnson’s radiators are designed to operate with a
15- to 18-pound cap, so he applies 20-plus pounds during testing.
29. After pressure testing, the radiator is flushed with water and
allowed to dry. It is then placed on an assembly line that leads to the
painting station.
30. The final product is an American-made copper and brass radiator

that is guaranteed to bolt directly into your Tri-Five Chevy and keep it
cool for many years to come.
SOURCE
JOHNSON’S RADIATOR WORKS
(256) 399-9925
johnsonsradiatorworks.com

ACP FEATURE
BY CHUCK VRANAS PHOTOGRAPHY BY THE AUTHOR

MICHAEL FITZGERALD INJECTS NEW LIFE INTO THIS ’70 NOVA SS
T
he only thing better than owning one of the most badass also his first car used while dating his yet-to-be wife Mary—the one who
muscle cars in the ’70s is being able to buy it back decades introduced him to street racing, hopping-up a driveline, going to the drive-
later and give it new life with the latest go-fast goods. For in, and even hanging out at the local burger spots. Unfortunately, the car
Michael Fitzgerald of Rochester, Massachusetts, the dream was sold in 1976, however Michael made the pledge to his mom and Mary
became reality, evidenced by the absolutely stunning second coming of his that he would later find it and buy it back.
original ’70 Nova SS laid out across our pages.
What’s the chance of finding your very first car after decades have passed?
Purchased as a junior while at Braintree High School in 1973, the car Most would say slim to none, especially in the pre-Internet days where solid
embodied everything a young teen could have hoped for, with it being information was extremely hard to come by. It’s a journey that lasted 15 years,
a nasty big-block powered, factory four-speed model that was ripe for following plenty of dead-end leads through multiple states, car shows, and
performance upgrades. So much so that it ran open headers on a regular cruise nights. Fortunately, there were a number of defining features on the car
basis around town, spun 4.56 gears, and made the scene both on the to help in identifying it, including a trio of very unique Stewart-Warner Blue
street, at an abandoned airstrip, and at New England Dragway. It was Line gauges installed into the dash underneath the factory A/C vents.

ACP FEATURE
TECH
OWNER: Michael Fitzgerald, Rochester, Massachusetts
VEHICLE: ’70 Chevy Nova SS
Engine
TYPE: Chevrolet Performance aluminum ZL1 big-block
COMPRESSION: 10.1:1
BORE: 4.250
STROKE: 3.760
CYLINDER HEADS: Aluminum oval-port, 110cc chambers,
2.19-inch intake/1.880-inch exhaust valves
ROTATING ASSEMBLY: Forged 4340 steel crank and rods,
forged aluminum pistons
VALVETRAIN: 1.7:1 aluminum roller rockers
CAMSHAFT: Hydraulic Roller
INDUCTION: Aluminum Chevrolet Performance intake,
Holley 850-cfm carb
IGNITION: GM HEI
EXHAUST: Lemons 2-inch headers, 2½ inch stainless
exhaust, Flowmaster Delta Flow 50-Series stainless mufflers
OUTPUT: 430 hp plus
Drivetrain
TRANSMISSION: TREMEC TKO 600
REAR AXLE: Detroit Speed 12-bolt, Eaton Truetrac, GearFX
3.73 gears, 33-spline axles
Chassis
STEERING: DSE-tuned power rack-and-pinion
FRONT SUSPENSION: DSE Hydroformed subframe, tubular
upper and lower control arms, forged spindles, DSE/Koni
single-adjustable coilover shocks, splined antiroll bar
REAR SUSPENSION: Detroit Speed QUADRALink, single-
adjustable DSE/Koni coilover shocks, Panhard bar
BRAKES: Front Baer SS4 13-inch drilled/slotted rotors,
four-piston calipers; rear Baer SS4 12-inch drilled/slotted
rotors, four-piston calipers
Wheels & Tires

WHEELS: Intro Aurora Route 66 Series; 18x8 front, 18x10 rear
TIRES: Michelin Pilot Sport P245/40ZR18, front; Michelin
Pilot Sport P275/40ZR18, rear
Interior
SEATS: Factory bench
UPHOLSTERY: Black vinyl
GAUGES: Restored Original, Shiftworks tach, Stewart-
Warner Blue Line trio
STEERING: Factory column and steering wheel
CARPET: Factory black loop
SHIFTER: Hurst Blackjack
Exterior
PAINT: PPG Fathom Blue
HOOD: VFN Fiberglass Yenko-Style
GRILLE: Factory
It was fate that would lead to the local discovery of the car while sharing a With the car finally back in the home garage, it was time to take a deep
beer and pizza with clients during a visit to an automotive shop. In a moment look into what it would take to bring it back to life some 40-plus years later.
when everyone was discussing their first cars, Michael described the details Having rebuilt the Nova immeasurable times in his mind since selling it,
of his and the search to find it. One member of the group said, “I know where Michael got started by delivering it to good friend Dennis McPherson, owner
that car is, and I can take you to it.” Without wasting any time, he was shown of DMC Racing in Halifax, Massachusetts, to handle the suspension and
its final resting place in a nearby backyard up to its rear axles in mud. Finally driveline upgrades. Out back, a set of Detroit Speed mini-tubs were added
seeing the car in person, all of the memories surrounding it came flooding to accommodate the increase in tire sizes. From there a Detroit Speed–built
back, however the current owner had no interest in selling it as she had plenty 12-bolt rearend packs 3.73 gears from GearFX along with an Eaton Truetrac
of memories built into its history as well. It took lots of perseverance and spinning 33-spline axles. It’s suspended by a Detroit Speed QUADRALink
another decade until the opportunity came to buy it back. featuring single-adjustable DSE coilover shocks and Panhard bar.

ACP FEATURE
Up front a DSE Hydroformed subframe was matched to their tubular upper all-aluminum block cast from 356-T6M alloy featuring splayed, four-bolt
and lower control arms supported by matching forged spindles, DSE mains and screw-in galley plugs. Forged steel crank and rods are matched
coilover shocks, and splined antiroll bar. When it’s time to drop anchor, a to forged aluminum pistons getting a healthy bump from a hydraulic roller
dual power master from SSBC moves fluid through stainless lines to Baer cam with aluminum roller rockers.
13-inch rotors with four-piston calipers up front and Baer 12-inch rotors
with four-piston calipers out back. To plant the power to the pavement with Up top you’ll find a set of aluminum oval-port heads with 110cc chambers
nostalgic style, a set of Intro Aurora Route 66 Series wheels wear Michelin topped by a matching high-flow aluminum oval-port intake pushing fuel
Pilot Sport P245/40ZR18 and P275/40ZR18 tires, respectively. through a Holley 770-cfm carb. Other cool bits include special aluminum
production number valve covers, Vintage Air Front Runner drive system,
With the Nova having packed big-block power in the past, it was an easy and classic chrome air cleaner. A GM HEI ignition lights the fire with
decision to fill the framerails with another monster, however this time there exhaust roaring through a set of Lemons stainless headers to a custom
was a special knockout punch waiting to be delivered: a limited production, 2½-inch stainless exhaust by DMC with Flowmaster Delta Flow 50-Series
Anniversary Edition ZL1 427ci big-block crate engine. Created from the mufflers. To move the goods, a TREMEC TKO 600 five-speed manual trans
original tooling and honoring the rich history of the legendary ZL1, it was warmed over by Silver Sport Transmissions links to a custom driveshaft
a perfect opportunity to fuse a powerhouse into the build. Number 93 from Strange Engineering to move an estimated 430-plus horsepower to
of 427 produced, it carries the ultimate in performance, starting with an the rear wheels.

With the car abused within an inch of its life and barely surviving the New Wanting to bring a fresh look to the interior started with the factory dash filled
England elements, Michael brought the car to Lowrey’s Auto Restoration in with the original gauges restored by Instrument Specialties of North Kingstown,
Tilton, New Hampshire, where Jim Lowrey and his talented team took on Rhode Island, which also added the Shiftworks tachometer while the Stewart-
the sheetmetal restoration in preparation for paint. With the body stripped Warner Blue Line dials housed under the stock A/C vents remain. The original
to bare metal it was determined new quarter-panels, rockers, and trunk Comfort Grip three-spoke steering wheel carves a course through the restored
floor would need to be sourced. Fresh Auto Metal Direct sheetmetal was factory column while shifts click though a Hurst Blackjack stick. Cool breezes
used and the body metal-finished with all gaps set to perfection, with the are compliments of a Vintage Air SureFit system. Glynn Auto Upholstery out
crowning touch being a classic-looking VFN fiberglass Yenko-style hood. of Seekonk, Massachusetts, recovered the original bench and surrounding
surfaces with OEM-style reproduction black vinyl from Classic Industries along
The car was then delivered to Blair Smith in Middleborough, Massachusetts, with adding a new headliner and black loop carpeting.
to prep and lay down the vibe with a flawless coating of PPG Fathom
Blue, which was the original color from the factory. The original trim parts The completed car has not only been brought back to the streets with
were reused thanks to re-plating the bumpers and chrome items along a vengeance, but it has also given Michael and Mary the opportunity to
with all stainless being restored by Brightworks Restoration in Fall River, relive their high school days cruising through the streets of Braintree,
Massachusetts, with the grille, rear trim panel, headlights, and taillights Massachusetts, with an all-aluminum ZL1 big-block, and to us that’s as
sourced through Classic Industries. cool as it gets!

ACP EVENT
23RD ANNUAL
NAPA AUTO
PARTS SYRACUSE
NATIONALS
BY CHUCK VRANAS PHOTOGRAPHY BY THE AUTHOR
T
here’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. HOPPED-UP
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
CHEVYS DOMINATE
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
THE WEEKEND
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 the New Your State
Fairgrounds covering a massive 360 acres packed with an endless array of neat
vintage buildings accented by perfectly paved roads for cruising and a wide
assortment of state-fair-style eateries to check out when the call to refuel hits. As
the event unfolds around you for the three-day get-together, the visually stunning
grouping of muscle cars, classic trucks, hot rods, customs, and restos leaves you
awestruck, thanks to plenty of vibrant candy colors fused with decadent chrome laid
out across the venue. It’s all complemented by a vast array of both indoor and outdoor
vendors showcasing plenty of industry-leading performance parts for your ride, select
builders displaying their latest creations, and live music on multiple stages.


ACP EVENT InTheGarageMedia.com

ACP AD INDEX
ADVERTISER ........................................................................................................................................PAGE
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Classic Industries ...........................................................................................................................................25
Classic Performance Products .................................................................................................. 4-5, 79, 92
Dakota Digital ................................................................................................................................................ 91
FiTech EFI ........................................................................................................................................................55
Forgeline Motorsports ................................................................................................................................. 65
Golden Star Classic Auto Parts ......................................................................................................................7
Heidts Suspension Systems ........................................................................................................................ 77
Hemmings .......................................................................................................................................................45
JJs Rod & Custom ......................................................................................................................................... 89
Lokar ...................................................................................................................................................................2
McLeod Racing/Silver Sport Transmissions ............................................................................................ 77
National Street Rod Association .............................................................................................................. 59
New Port Engineering.................................................................................................................................. 89
Original Parts Group .....................................................................................................................................63
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Rod Shows ...................................................................................................................................................... 47
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Summit Racing Equipment ...........................................................................................................................11
That’s Great News ........................................................................................................................................ 89
Thermo-Tec Automotive..............................................................................................................................79
Tuff Stuff Performance Accessories ..........................................................................................................55
Vintage Air ........................................................................................................................................................ 6
Wilwood Engineering ...................................................................................................................................29
Year One ..........................................................................................................................................................79
ORDER ONLINE AT
INTHEGARAGEMEDIA.COM
ACP EVENT InTheGarageMedia.com
Throughout the busy weekend there was plenty of cool stuff to

check out, starting with the nominees for the Designer Dozen
Awards, sponsored by Pfaff Designs and Pilot Transportation,
where a select team of well-known automotive celebrity judges
canvass the grounds to assemble 100 vehicles to compete for one
of the very desirable awards (which has now been increased to 16
picks to cover even more build styles). There was also plenty of
competition for the coveted Tucci Hot Rods Style & Design awards.
To add a dose of wild thunder to the festivities, Nitro Row,

sponsored by Streetside Classics, brought a wicked grouping of
vintage Funny Cars and dragsters pumping plenty of nitro and
methanol for all to enjoy at scheduled times daily. Add in a huge
swap meet with a car corral, RC No-Prep Drags, and Sparky’s
Rockabilly Round-Up setting a traditional hot rod vibe in an open-air
pavilion packed with hard-core hot rods and customs accented by
live music running well into the night, you can easily see there was
plenty to experience.
The Winfield Award, presented by legendary car customizer Gene

Winfield and sponsored by Meguiar’s, featured strong competition
with the Select Six on display to see which one would earn the big
prize. This year’s award winner was the ’49 Buick, owned by Erin
Yates. The Exposition Building also featured the Syracuse Signature
Showcase as well as the Charity Brush Fest with many of the
nation’s top pinstriping artists participating in a three-day panel jam
auction benefiting Ronald McDonald House of Central New York.
This is one event to add to your must-attend list for next year! For
more details head to rightcoastcars.com.
The new traditional
• Designed with OEM aesthetics • App for configuration on phone or tablet •

• 30+ selectable lighting colors • Simulated tumbler odometer on screen •
See Retrotech in action! CALL TOLL FREE 1.888.881.0532

YouTube.com/DakotaDigitalTV www.DakotaDigital.com/AC

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ACP TOC InTheGarageMedia.

All Chevy Performance ISSN 2767-5068 (print) ISSN

MANAGING EDITOR & AD COORDINATOR

IN THE GARAGE MEDIA INC. ON THE WEB

Editorial contributions are welcomed but editors recommend

Copyright (c) 2023 IN THE GARAGE MEDIA, INC.

The All Chevy Performance trademark is

FIVE STARS FOR THE

I want to hear from you. Email me at nlicata@inthegaragemedia.com

1. GETTING FIT 2. LET’S GET STARTED

4. BLOWIN’ THROUGH 6. TUBS FOR LEAVES

TEXT & RENDERING BY TAVIS HIGHLANDER

BY NICK LICATA PHOTOGRAPHY BY WES ALLISON

ALL CHEVY PERFORMANCE [16] VOLUME 3 • ISSUE 36 • 2023

ALL CHEVY PERFORMANCE [17] VOLUME 3 • ISSUE 36 • 2023

The engine’s rotating assembly features a factory Chevy crankshaft with

ALL CHEVY PERFORMANCE [18] VOLUME 3 • ISSUE 36 • 2023

ALL CHEVY PERFORMANCE [19] VOLUME 3 • ISSUE 36 • 2023

ALL CHEVY PERFORMANCE [20] VOLUME 3 • ISSUE 36 • 2023

ALL CHEVY PERFORMANCE [21] VOLUME 3 • ISSUE 36 • 2023

This installation of Detroit Speed’s tubs (PN 040401DS) is expressly

3-4. The trunk side and

5. The very first thing

6. One of the templates

7. Cut lines on the floor

7. 9. A cut-off wheel is used

ALL CHEVY PERFORMANCE [24] VOLUME 3 • ISSUE 36 • 2023

FREE CATALOG 1-888-816-2897 classicindustries.com/catalogs

12. 13. 14.

15. 12. Most of the factory wheelwell (with a

13. What’s left is the small section (arrow) of

14. The factory’s outer wheelwell’s lip flange

15. After removing the seat-side section of

ALL CHEVY PERFORMANCE [26] VOLUME 3 • ISSUE 36 • 2023

17. 18. 19.

17. Viewed from underneath looking up,

18. The yellow line is where the cut

19. With the curved section removed,

22. 20. From above you can see how much

21. This newly exposed framerail reinforce-

22. With all the necessary sections

23. Two of the provided plates can be

24. After multiple test-fitments of the

25. A final test-fit is made before the

26. Hamusek drills out the tub’s mount-

27. The new tub’s lip is Rosette-welded

ALL CHEVY PERFORMANCE [28] VOLUME 3 • ISSUE 36 • 2023

1965 Chevy Impala | David Culp

28. With a new seat brace section added above

29. SEM 29372 seam sealer is applied to both

30-31. Once the seam sealer is spread out

ORANGE COUNTY HOT RODS

ALL CHEVY PERFORMANCE [30] VOLUME 3 • ISSUE 36 • 2023

BY NICK LICATA PHOTOGRAPHY BY JOHN JACKSON

RYAN AND ANGEL CASHMAN’S PRO TOURING ’69 CAMARO

ALL CHEVY PERFORMANCE [32] VOLUME 3 • ISSUE 36 • 2023

ALL CHEVY PERFORMANCE [33] VOLUME 3 • ISSUE 36 • 2023

ALL CHEVY PERFORMANCE [34] VOLUME 3 • ISSUE 36 • 2023

ALL CHEVY PERFORMANCE [35] VOLUME 3 • ISSUE 36 • 2023