Vehicle Description
Despite being best-known for their classic good looks and pure
American swagger, early '50s Chevys were the hot rod of choice for
many a young gearhead who had a thirst for power and a need for
speed. Today, spectacular bowtie resto-mods are much more common
than their decades-built stature would lead you to believe. That
means, to really turn heads, enthusiasts need unique cars that are
exceptionally well-done. A fitting example would be this
magazine-featured Deluxe Styleline. Mixing a turbocharged small
block with substantial drivetrain upgrades and a comfortable custom
interior, this national award-winning Chevy is a heck of a lot more
fun than a restored-to-original car. And if you're looking for a
choice combination of timeless style and killer performance, it's a
striking showpiece that simply can't be beat!
BODYWORK/TRIM
Stretching a tailored profile around a tough stance, this Chevrolet
is the beneficiary of an intense, ground-up build that was
conducted by Cornelius, North Carolina's Performance Vehicle Works.
Despite the car's roughly 350 hours of metalwork, it didn't need
much traditional restoration and, in fact, appeared to be a very
solid classic that most people would happily cruise. But, as we
mentioned in the opening, the idea was to create a nice resto-mod.
As these projects tend to do, "nice resto-mod" eventually grew into
"magazine-featured", "national award-winning" custom. Those days of
metalwork were actually spent fitting the car's body around its
custom chassis and killer, twin-turbo LS3. Deep reflections are
provided by rich black 2-stage, which began with two coats of PPG
9300 Black base, transitioned to three coats of custom mixed PPG
9300 Black and DCU integrated clear, and ended with three coats of
DCU integrated clear. And today, this epic sedan is one unique
beast that's poised to show and raring to go!
Massaged to highlight Chevrolet's broad appeal, this post's
striking aesthetics debuted to universal praise at the 2011 NSRA
Street Rod Nationals in Louisville, Kentucky. Those looks begin
with a 1-piece bumper, which founds a minimized grille behind clear
parking lamps and modern headlights. Above that grille, a 1-piece
hood, shaved of all trim and widened by an inch, fronts a 1-piece
Oldsmobile windshield. Behind that windshield, a tinted greenhouse
sails color-keyed mirrors over factory door handles and a silky
profile that's devoid of all trim. Opposite that glass, custom
rockers bridge the gap between reshaped wheel openings that were
raised 3.5 inches up front and 1.75 inches out back. And at the
back of the car, a second 1-piece bumper frames a shaved decklid
and bright LED taillights.
ENGINE
Well, this Deluxe sure is pretty, but now it's time to get down to
business. Twisting 600 rear-wheel horsepower into 560 lb./ft. of
rear-wheel torque, the twin-turbo small block rumbling beneath this
car's hood is a technological testament to the old saying "The best
of both worlds"! That dyno-proven motivation is founded in a
lightweight LS3 core that was completely rebuilt by the pros at
Concord, North Carolina's Heintz Performance. Inside that block, a
GM crank pushes forged K1 H-beam rods, which float forged Wiseco LS
Series pistons opposite quality ARP bolts. Those pistons create
respectable 9.4 to 1 compression under factory rectangle-port
heads, which are fired by a Comp LSR cam. 68 psi of fuel comes
courtesy of FAST injectors, which are sequenced to billet
Aeromotive fuel rails and an electronic Aeromotive pump. That fuel
meets air thanks to a proven LS1 throttle body, which is bolted to
a factory LS3 intake. Opposite that intake, custom Performance
Vehicle Works headers float clean stainless tubes under 67mm
Garrett T4 turbos. Those turbos create a conservative 10 pounds of
boost with the help of 44mm wastegates and 38mm blowoff valves.
Vintage Air Front Runner components spin a 140-amp alternator next
to a coated AC compressor. In front of those ancillaries, 11-inch
puller fans cool a Be Cool dual-core, crossflow radiator. All that
kit fills a monochromatic bay, which follows custom inner fenders
with a smooth firewall that was pushed forward an inch, then
recessed four inches around the Chevrolet-branded mill. And the
car's tuner, Mooresville, North Carolina's PCM of NC, believes that
an easy bump to 22 pounds of boost would result in a scary 1,000
horsepower sent directly to the car's wheels.
DRIVETRAIN/SUSPENSION
Talk to folks around Race City USA and you'll hear that Performance
Vehicle Works has quite a reputation for building race cars and
turning race cars into street cars. Knowing that, and the talent it
took to customize this Deluxe's body, it isn't too surprising to
learn that this Chevy rides a fully custom Performance Vehicle
Works chassis. At the center of that 'race car red' skeleton, a
heavy-duty clutch pack, sourced from a fifth-generation Camaro SS,
kicks a proven Borg Warner T56 6-speed. That transmission spins a
Ford 9-inch pumpkin that's finished with 3.64 gears and Moser
31-spline axles. Naturally, the custom chassis skates a custom
suspension, with a Performance Vehicle Works 4-link planting QA-1
coil-overs behind a NASCAR-inspired front-clip that's finished with
smoothed Z06 control arms. Power rack-and-pinion steering
complements a full outfit of Corvette Z06 brakes, which milk a
90-degree Kugel Komponents master cylinder. Appealing sounds
originate in 3-inch stainless pipes and travel through polished
Kooks mufflers. Power meets the pavement through $4,200 worth of
Hot Rods by Boyd Pro Bars, which spin 245/45ZR20 Pirelli P Zeros in
front of 275/40ZR20 Pirelli P Zeros. And the car's completely
custom floors host a roster of top notch components, like an
internally baffled Tanks Inc. fuel tank and an MSD DynaForce mini
starter.
INTERIOR
Peer through the car's tinted windows and you'll find a custom
leather interior that, for the most part, began life in a 2006
Pontiac GTO. Plush GTO buckets, featuring power adjustment for the
car's driver and front passenger, have been separated from their
factory headrests and covered in Caprine leather. Between those
thrones, a custom console hides Custom Autosound audio between rear
seat air ducts and a traditional Hurst shifter. Above that island,
a painted dash hangs Vintage Air Gen IV climate control beneath
attractive factory telemetry that was rebuilt and converted to
electric by the pros at Redline Gauge Works. At the edges of that
ledge, GTO door panels have been cut, recovered and custom-fit
between Nu-Relics power windows, GTO door handles and
power-operated GTO locks. On the floor, cut-pile carpet floats
between billet foot pedals and HushMat sound insulation. In front
of the driver, a Flaming River Waterfall steering wheel spins a
color-keyed rim around a tilting Ididit column. And behind the
passengers, a custom-upholstered trunk anchors a polished fire
extinguisher in front of an Alpine amplifier that jolts a 10-disc
Custom Autosound CD changer and crisp Morel speakers.
AWARD/FEATURES
Street Rodder Magazine Top 100 Award
- 2011 Goodguys Southeastern Nationals
- Charlotte, North Carolina
Builder's Choice Award
- 2011 Goodguys Southeastern Nationals
- Charlotte, North Carolina
Featured in Street Rodder Magazine
- May 2012
OUR SALE INCLUDES THE FOLLOWING DOCUMENTATION AND ACCESSORIES
Build photos
Service invoices
Summons for the car's Goodguys awards
A copy of the car's Street Rodder Magazine fe...for more
information please contact the seller.