SMALL-BLOCK HOW TO PROPERLY

ENGINE LEAK ADJUST 1968-1969

PREVENTION CAMARO SIDE GLASS
DECEMBER 2024 ISSUE 48 $8.95

I N T H E G A R AG E M E D I A .C O M
9 TIPS FOR A SUCCESSFUL LS BUILD
ACP TOC InTheGarageMedia.com

DEPARTMENTS TECH
8 24
FIRING UP INVALUABLE TIPS FOR YOUR LS
We Spoke With Several Top Engine Builders and
10 Tuners to Help Solve the Biggest Headaches LS
PARTS BIN Owners Suffer

14 38
CHEVY CONCEPTS PREVENT THE LEAK
How to Minimize Drips With the Small-Block Chevy

52
ARM WRESTLING
Replacing Weak and Worn-Out Rear Control Arms on
FEATURES an Early Chevelle

16 70
ON THE COVER DOLLAR AND A DREAM FIRST-GEN CAMARO DOOR GLASS
Eddie Gunder’s 1969 Chevelle Eddie Gunder’s 1969 Chevelle INSTALLATION
rocks that classic 1970s muscle Tips and Tricks for Getting Those Side Windows
30 Adjusted Perfectly for 1968-1969 F-Bodies
car vibe, with an aggressive stance BACK FOR MORE
and vintage-style five-spoke Paul Olsen’s 1971 Chevy Nova
wheels, and tires that scream old-
44
school street racer. The exercise is SHOWSTOPPER EVENT
perfected by a powerful big-block Amy Gollott’s 1966 Corvette is a Lifelong Dream
engine lurking under that Stinger 84
62 ROUND TWO
hood. Check out the full feature BIG-BLOCK MANIFESTO Chevy Muscle Cars From the Second Annual Triple
starting on page 16. Bob & Stella Martin’s 1939 Chevy DeLuxe Gasser Crown of Rodding
Image by Jason Matthew
78
LIKE NO OTHER
Carl Melendez’s Pro Touring 1969 Camaro

All Chevy Performance ISSN 2767-5068 (print) ISSN 2767-5076 (online) Issue 48 is published monthly by In the Garage
Media, 370 E. Orangethorpe Avenue, Placentia, CA 92870-6502. Postage paid at Placentia, CA. POSTMASTER: Send
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2021 RECIPIENT OF THE HRIA BUSINESS OF THE YEAR AWARD
ALL CHEVY PERFORMANCE [3] VOLUME 4 • ISSUE 48• 2024
EDITORIAL DIRECTOR
BRIAN BRENNAN
bbrennan@inthegaragemedia.com

EDITOR-IN-CHIEF
NICK LICATA
nlicata@inthegaragemedia.com

SENIOR EDITOR
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& OPERATIONS MANAGER
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ACP FIRING UP InTheGarageMedia.com

BY NICK LICATA

I
n the muscle car and hot-rodding scene, it’s been said that “stance early muscle cars. Because of that, a bit of leeway can be granted when
is everything.” it comes to building a stock restoration (cue the emails coming by the
concours restoration crowd). Sure, once hot rodders got ahold of most any
It’s a bold statement that carries a lot of weight but doesn’t mean the 1960s muscle car, the changes they made affected the car’s stance. That
same stance works on every car. Far from it. For example, when it comes to leads us to a typical Day Two restoration where the rear end was raised to fit
a Pro Touring build, a low stance all around is very important as it gives the the wider, white-letter tires under the rear quarters. Up front, it was common
car the appropriate look and a low center of gravity that ensures excellent to use the stock-sized tires, although depending on the time period, skinnier
cornering ability. In this situation, having the car just an inch too high in rubber may have been adopted to get that drag car look.
either the front or the rear can spoil the whole Pro Touring recipe.
When talking about street machines, it gets a little generic as it’s not a
Now, if you are building a gasser-style hot rod, precise ride height rules one-size-fits-all build, but it’s worth mentioning that the proper stance is
don’t necessarily apply here as there is plenty of room for interpretation incredibly important when it comes to getting that aggressive look this
when it comes to tire-to-fender gap. It’s a build style where most anything build style demands–a bit of a rake with a lower ride height pays dividends
goes as long as the front end of the car sits exaggeratedly high. Out back, on the outcome. Unlike Pro Touring builds, in which the car maintains wide
it’s common for some gassers to have radiused rear fenders to fit the rubber on all four corners, street machines benefit from a skinnier tire up
massive slicks required for optimal traction while adhering to the fat tire front while carrying good-sized rubber out back. Both the front and rear
section of the unwritten gasser rulebook. With that said, some of these cut look best when the tire fits snug between the front and rear fenders.
jobs can look pretty crude while many builders perform the exercise with
exceptional style for a more-refined appearance. The stipulations in stance mentioned earlier are guidelines subject to
interpretation by the car’s owner. It’s also worth mentioning that functionality
With Pro Street builds, wheeltubs are king when it comes to fitting huge can play a big part as having your car too low can make it challenging to
rear tires inside the fenders with surgeon-like precision making one drive on rough roads and steep driveways. There’s no need to damage an oil
wonder how those massive meats spin without rubbing the inner fenders. pan or ruin a set of headers. So, there is certainly an area of compromise.
I’m convinced there’s some sort of voodoo Pro Street builders take part in
to get the tire-to-fender tolerance so tight. Just remember, you can spend thousands of dollars on a high-end paintjob
and the coolest wheels, but if your car misses the mark on stance, your
Stock restorations are another build style that requires little precision when build is certain to fall short in the end. So, yes “stance is everything.”
it comes to tire-to-fender gap as these cars rolled off the assembly line with
functionality as an important factor to the success of these groundbreaking You in?

Common with Pro Street builds, this 1971 Camaro shows precise tire fitment within This 1967 Camaro exhibits a good amount of gap between the tires and fenders—an
the rear fenders. (Photo by Scotty Lachenauer) appropriate look for a late-1960s Day Two restoration. (Photo by Fuelish Media)

I want to hear from you! Send an email to nlicata@inthegaragemedia.com.

ALL CHEVY PERFORMANCE [8] VOLUME 4 • ISSUE 48 • 2024
ACP PARTS BIN InTheGarageMedia.com

1. LS INTAKE MANIFOLD 2. NOVA BEZEL

3. DIGITAL AIR FUEL
Summit Racing’s Max EFI LS Intake Manifolds Classic Industries announces the arrival of the RATIO GAUGE
feature a large 9.7L plenum with a curved-edge featured OER reproduction 1968 Chevy II/Nova
design for maximum airflow and horsepower. standard-style headlamp bezels manufactured Classic Instruments is pleased to release an all-
They are available in low (7.090 inches high) and in die-cast zinc—same as original. The bezels new Digital Air Fuel Ratio gauge. It is available
tall (8.270 inches high) profiles with provisions have the correct black paint scheme with in their Velocity White and Velocity Black
for your choice of a 92- or 102mm throttle body. chrome for standard models replicating the series and provides the fastest response with
The Max EFI LS intake manifolds are available original-style bezels. Each bezel features a patented technology. Its slim depth increases its
for LS1/LS2/LS6 cathedral port and LS3/L76/ chrome finish around the headlight and seven application base, and the single-board design
L92/L99 rectangular port heads in satin or black horizontal chrome ribs to mate with seven adds greater durability. This new Digital Air Fuel
anodized finishes. Gaskets, mounting hardware, chrome accents on the grille as original. Ratio gauge is proudly made in the USA.
and a billet fuel rail kit are included.
For more information, contact Classic For more information, contact Classic
For more information, contact Summit Racing by Industries by calling (888) 816-2897 or visit Instruments by calling (800) 575-0461 or visit
calling (800) 230-3030 or visit summitracing.com. classicindustries.com. classicinstruments.com.

ALL CHEVY PERFORMANCE [10] VOLUME 4 • ISSUE 48 • 2024

 CLASSIC DYNALITE AEROLITE 6 SUPERLITE 6R DYNAPRO

STREET to TRACK
STREET CRUISING | PRO-TOURING | TRACK DAYS | DRAG RACING

1969 Chevy Camaro | Chad Farischon

LEARN MORE

wilwood.com
805.388.1188 POWER. CONTROL. PRECISION.
ACP PARTS BIN InTheGarageMedia.com

4
5
6

4. SO-CAL SERIES SEATS 5. TWIN-DISC PERFORMANCE

TMI Products announces an entry-level bucket American Powertrain now offers a high-
seat series that doesn’t skimp on quality. TMI’s performance twin-disc clutch designed for
new So-Cal Series Seat includes two new optimal performance and affordability. The
seating options that provide classic good looks, ProTwin Clutch kit includes a billet steel
with or without bolstering. This new series, like flywheel, pressure plate, two drive discs, 6. DRYING POWER
all TMI seats, are handcrafted in-house and floater, flywheel crank bolts, pilot bearing, and
feature a design that ensures a comfortable, alignment tool. Each clutch kit comes fully A big drying job demands a big towel. The
durable, long-lasting automotive seat at a great balanced and features an impressive 1,100 lb-ft super-absorbent XXL Absorber gives you drying
value. The Classic So-Cal Bucket Seat or the of torque holding capacity for a higher level of power superior to a terry cloth towel, microfiber
So-Cal Bucket Seat with Bolsters come fully performance for street or strip. Manufactured towel, or leather chamois. When you’re done
assembled and are the perfect solution for those in the USA with a superior steel gauge and drying, the Absorber stores wet in the plastic
needing to replace or upgrade worn-out stock carbon-based friction material for longlasting tube, so it’s always ready to dry again. The
seats on a budget. Each So-Cal Series bucket wear, the ProTwin Clutch is a complete kit and unique PVA (Poly Vinyl Alcohol) material gives
seat has been brought to market with a focus on includes ARP hardware for installation. the Absorber enhanced drying capabilities and
superior quality at an economical price. larger size makes the XXL Absorber the best
For more information, contact American towel for drying your Chevy muscle car.
For more information, contact TMI Products by Powertrain by calling (931) 646-4836 or visit
calling (888) 460-0640 or visit tmiproducts.com. americanpowertrain.com. For more information, visit cleantools.net.

ALL CHEVY PERFORMANCE [12] VOLUME 4 • ISSUE 48 • 2024

 THE BRAND
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Please check your state and/or local laws/regulations. © 2024 AUTOSALES, INC.
ACP CHEVY CONCEPTS

TEXT & RENDERING BY TAVIS HIGHLANDER

@TavisHighlander TavisHighlander.com

ALL CHEVY PERFORMANCE [14] VOLUME 4 • ISSUE 48 • 2024

 InTheGarageMedia.com

1969 T
his project is a bit of an experiment that’s yet to
unfold. It combines an earth tone color palette

CAMARO
with muscular features to pull off a sophisticated
look. The exterior would rely on a champagne
color for the body with black trim elements, and a little bit of

CONVERTIBLE
cinnamon in the hockey stick stripe. Both the top and interior
would mainly be a deep chocolate with a small amount of
cinnamon from the stripes as an accent.

At the rear the fenders have been widened and a custom vent
fits the shape. A blended-in decklid spoiler has some relief in
the back to make it a touch more interesting than just a solid
shape. Down lower is a custom diffuser and exhaust area.
Up front the lower valance is all new and a spoiler has been
shaped to match it.

ALL CHEVY PERFORMANCE [15] VOLUME 4 • ISSUE 48 • 2024

ACP FEATURE

BY NICK LICATA IMAGES BY JASON MATTHEW

EDDIE GUNDER’S 1969 CHEVELLE

ALL CHEVY PERFORMANCE [16] VOLUME 4 • ISSUE 48 • 2024

 InTheGarageMedia.com

W
hen it comes to car features, the writer typically called the number in the ad and asked the owner, Mike Nagle, to see if
gathers information on the car received via a he’d be willing to make a trade for my Nova straight across. Turns out he
questionnaire by the car’s owner with the idea to write wanted more of a drag car, which my Nova was, and I wanted a car more
an informative and engaging story about the car and suitable for the street, which his Chevelle was. So, my good buddy Don
its owner. While the technical information on the car pretty much speaks Coady and I brought the Nova to Mike’s house so he could check it out
for itself, there are instances when it’s best to let the car’s owner tell the and I could see the Chevelle in person. At the time, Don and I looked a bit
background story. This is one of those cases, so we’ll let Eddie Gunder, rough around the edges so Mike’s wife, having an infant daughter, was
longtime owner of this 1969 Chevelle, share how he acquired this badass not happy about us gruff-looking guys coming by the house to see the car,
street machine. so she told Mike ‘don’t let them in the house.’ That in itself is a running
joke we still laugh about today, but to her defense, we didn’t really make
“In 1990 I came across this Chevelle for sale in the Special Interest , a good first impression.
a local paper with automotive ads I picked up at my neighborhood
convenience store. At this point I had a 1970 Nova, but the 1969 Chevelle So, we ended up trading cars, but what I didn’t know then was how that
was my favorite of all muscle cars, and the one in the ad was exactly exchange would be the beginning of a lifelong friendship, as Mike and I
what I was looking for. I didn’t have the money for the asking price, so I have been close friends ever since.

ALL CHEVY PERFORMANCE [17] VOLUME 4 • ISSUE 48 • 2024

ACP FEATURE

An interesting part of the story is that while at the convenience store, I only Under the Stinger is a 540ci Merlin big-block with a 4.50-inch bore and
had a dollar in my pocket, so I had to make the decision to buy a lottery a 4.250-inch stroked Scat crankshaft. JE pistons hang from a set of Scat
ticket or the paper. The New York Lottery theme at the time was ‘A Dollar and H-beam connecting rods capped by Merlin aluminum heads, and a Comp
a Dream,’ which almost convinced me to buy the lottery ticket, but luckily, I solid roller camshaft ensures proper engine synchronization. A 1,050-
bought the paper instead. Although I didn’t play the New York lottery, I did hit cfm Holley Dominator carburetor sits on top of an Edelbrock 454-R Victor
the friendship lottery, which to me is worth way more than any cash prize.” intake manifold ensuring the 746hp mill receives the appropriate amount
of swill even in high-rpm situations.
When Eddie got the car, it was black, and he drove it that way for years,
but he eventually wanted to bring it back to its original gold hue. Today The big-block operates with a straightforward, no-frills approach,
Eddie is the owner of Eddie G’s Muscle Car Garage in Holbrook, New featuring polished sheetmetal Merlin valve covers and a March accessory
York, so a few years ago, with the help of Eddie G’s paint guru Joe drive system for a touch of visual appeal, but Eddie focused on the
Mercuri, they doused the car in PPG Olympic Gold. Before spraying the engine’s brute strength over appearance. An MSD 7AL lights the fire and a
fresh paint, the body was prepped to perfection, mini-tubs were added, set of Kooks 21/ 8-inch headers and 4-inch stainless exhaust release spent
and the rear fenders widened 2 inches to accommodate the massive fuel to a pair of Kooks mufflers, giving the Chevelle a deep, throaty growl
rear rubber Eddie had planned to employ. It’s an excellent display while at idle and a loud, ornery roar in the upper-rpm range.
of sheetmetal acrobatics that does nothing to disrupt the Chevelle’s
original appeal and everything to give it a more-aggressive attitude. A FB Transmissions in Bay Shore, New York, built the stout Turbo 400
fiberglass Motion Stinger hood was added for some East Coast muscle transmission with a manual valvebody paring it to a Transmission Specialties
car vibe and Paul’s Chrome out of Evans City, Pennsylvania, brought the 4,500-stall converter. A bulletproof Moser 12-bolt rearend equipped with 4:10
trim pieces back to a brilliant shine. gears and 35-spline axles contributes to the neck-snapping launches.

ALL CHEVY PERFORMANCE [18] VOLUME 4 • ISSUE 48 • 2024

 InTheGarageMedia.com

ALL CHEVY PERFORMANCE [19] VOLUME 4 • ISSUE 48 • 2024

ACP FEATURE

ALL CHEVY PERFORMANCE [20] VOLUME 4 • ISSUE 48 • 2024

 InTheGarageMedia.com

The suspension retains most of the stock underpinnings while upgraded column, along with a line lock button mounted to the stock steering wheel
with heavy-duty springs, QA1 shocks, and modified control arms up reveal the Chevelle’s true racing intentions.
front. At the rear, Global West control arms, Lakewood shocks, Moroso
Trick Springs, and an air suspension out back come together to give the “Back in the day muscle cars may have gotten us in a little trouble, but
Chevelle its classic, almost-exaggerated, 1970s muscle car rake. today it’s muscle cars that keep us out of trouble and are the bond that
holds our friendship together,” Eddie confesses. “We lost Don to cancer a
Contributing to the car’s vintage vibe even further, Eddie dialed in a set few years ago, and every time I fire up the Chevelle, it sparks years of great
of fully polished Radir Tri-Ribb wheels on all four corners sheathed in the memories and all the fun times he and I shared. Having owned this car for
appropriate Mickey Thompson rubber: Front Runner 26x6 R15 tires up over 35 years, it has also given me great memories with my wife and kids.
front and a pair of ET Street 315/60R15 out back. We had some fun times going to car shows and cruise nights in this car and
watching them grow up with this Chevelle makes this car extra special.
Step inside, and you’ll find a mostly stock interior featuring black PUI
upholstery to maintain the Chevelle’s classic feel. The original dash “I’m thankful that Mike and I are still very close friends, and the fact that
houses the stock AM radio and climate controls along with the factory I still have the car that fueled our friendship is priceless. It all started
horseshoe shifter. A trio of vintage Sun gauges strapped to the steering with a dollar and a dream.”

ALL CHEVY PERFORMANCE [21] VOLUME 4 • ISSUE 48 • 2024

ACP FEATURE InTheGarageMedia.com

TECH
Chassis
OWNER: Eddie Gunder, Rocky Point, New York FRAME: Stock with narrowed rear framerails by Eddie G’s Muscle Car Garage (Holbrook, NY)
VEHICLE: 1969 Chevelle FRONT SUSPENSION: Moroso Trick spindles, modified GM control arms, Lakewood
shocks, Moroso Trick springs, Borgeson steering box
Engine REAR SUSPENSION: Global West control arms, QA1 shocks, airbags
TYPE: Merlin big-block BRAKES: Wilwood 11-inch rotors, four-piston calipers front, GM drums rear, Master Power
DISPLACEMENT: 540 ci master cylinder
COMPRESSION RATIO: 12.5:1
BORE: 4.500 Wheels & Tires
STROKE: 4.250 WHEELS: Polished Radir Tri-Ribb III, 15x4 front, 15x10 rear
ROTATING ASSEMBLY: Scat crankshaft, Scat H-beam rods, JE pistons TIRES: Mickey Thompson Front Runner 26x6 R15 front, ET Street 315/60R15 rear
VALVETRAIN: Manley valves, Comp rockers and pushrods
CYLINDER HEADS: Merlin aluminum Interior
CAMSHAFT: Comp solid roller, 660/666 lift, 254/260 duration at 0.050 UPHOLSTERY: PUI factory style
INDUCTION: Edelbrock 454-R Victor intake, Holley Dominator 1,050-cfm carburetor INSTALLATION: Eddie G’s
ASSEMBLY: Don’s Machine (Smithtown, NY) SEATS: Stock bucket
VALVE COVERS: Moroso HARNESS: G-Force Racing Gear
ACCESSORY DRIVE: March STEERING: GM
EXHAUST: Kooks headers, 4-inch exhaust, and mufflers SHIFTER: Factory horseshoe modified
IGNITION: MSD 7AL INSTRUMENTATION: Stock, vintage Sun gauges
ANCILLARIES: Edelbrock water pump, Spal fans, Ron Davis aluminum radiator, K&N air WIRING: Custom Auto Wire
cleaner, Rick’s stainless 21-gallon fuel tank, Optima RedTop battery ROLLCAGE: Mild steel by Eddie G’s
OUTPUT: 746 hp, 665 lb-ft ENTERTAINMENT SYSTEM: Factory AM radio

Drivetrain Exterior
TRANSMISSION: Turbo 400 with reverse manual valvebody by FB Transmissions BODYWORK: Eddie G’s
(Bayshore, NY) PAINTER: Joe Mercuri
TORQUE CONVERTER: Transmission Specialties 4,500 stall PAINT: PPG Olympic Gold
SHIFTER: Modified stock HOOD: Motion Stinger fiberglass
DRIVESHAFT: Denny’s Driveshafts PLATING: Paul’s Chrome (Evans City, PA)
REAR AXLE: Moser Muscle Pak 12-bolt, limited-slip posi, 4:10 gears, Moser 35-spline axles
ALL CHEVY PERFORMANCE [22] VOLUME 4 • ISSUE 48 • 2024
 ACP TECH

INVALUABLE TIPS FOR YOUR LS

1. 1. The LS engine is
great because it can
handle anything
from the family
grocery-getter to the
most beastly race
builds. Believe it or
not, there’s actually
a stock block under
there. But there are a
few quirks you need
to be aware of to have
the most success with
your next build.

BY NICK LICATA IMAGES BY JEFF HUNEYCUTT

H WE SPOKE
ere at All Chevy Performance we don’t have to waste breath
explaining to you just how important the Chevrolet LS engine is
to the world of automotive performance. When it comes to the
legacy of horsepower, the LS is the greatest thing since ... well WITH SEVERAL
... the original small-block Chevrolet.
TOP ENGINE
But that doesn’t mean the LS series of engines is without its idiosyncrasies.
No engine is. You can, however, with a smart plan, almost always build an LS BUILDERS AND
that perfectly suits your needs. The only problem is you need to know ahead
of time what weaknesses you need to work around, and that knowledge TUNERS TO
usually only comes with years of hard-won experience.
HELP SOLVE
The good news is we’re going to help you skip right past all those years of
learning lessons the hard way. With the help of some of the very best LS THE BIGGEST
engine builders and tuners we could find, we’ve put together a list of tips to
help you avoid some of the most common pitfalls when putting together an HEADACHES
LS combo. Some are specific to the engine itself and others concern support
systems, like fuel. We’ve skipped over the basics like “don’t forget the LS OWNERS
barbell” or “make sure you clean everything first” for a little more advanced
stuff—and we bet there’s a few in here you’ve never heard before. SUFFER
ALL CHEVY PERFORMANCE [24] VOLUME 4 • ISSUE 48 • 2024
 InTheGarageMedia.com

Special thanks goes to Automotive Specialists, Gibbons Motorsports,

2.
Heintz Racing, Prestige Motorsports, and SS LSX Tuning and Performance.

CAM CHOICES
One area where you can usually find easy horsepower with just about
every OEM engine is the camshaft. That’s because the OEMs have to give
weight to a lot of things other than pure performance—stuff like fuel
economy, NVH (noise, vibration, and harshness), environmental factors,
minimizing costs, and more. Even with all that, the LS does a great job
as a performance engine, but there’s definitely more to be unleashed.

One thing we heard mentioned is most LS cam grinds have a wide

lobe separation. This allows you to have big duration numbers without
too much overlap, which can help fuel efficiency and limit unburnt
fuel making it into the exhaust pipe. But it can also tend to make the
horsepower curve a bit peaky. By tightening up the lobe separation on
2. Because the later-generation rectangular-port cylinder heads can breathe better, the
LS1-style cathedral port heads aren’t nearly as sought after. If you are building a smaller the cam grind to 112 or 114 degrees you can often widen the powerband
displacement engine or aren’t looking to rev your engine to the moon, cathedral-port heads a bit and improve the overall driving experience. Engines like the LS3
can be found on the cheap and still give great performance.
have no trouble making a big power number, but improving the crispness
3. While we are talking about ports, just for comparison here is an aftermarket head with of the throttle when you get on the gas is always a good thing.
CNC-ported rectangle intake ports. You can see how these are great for flowing tons of air
and fuel to make big power, but you typically will give up some low-end grunt. DON’T IGNORE THE CATHEDRAL
Along the same lines, the original-style cathedral port cylinder heads
3.
have gotten a bad rap because they don’t flow as well as the newer
LS3-style rectangular port heads. So, it only makes sense that they
won’t make the same peak power numbers. But simply ignoring LS1-
style cathedral port heads for every build is a mistake.

The cathedral port design is great at maintaining intake port velocity,

which always helps low-end torque. Stock cathedral port heads can
also be found with smaller combustion chambers than equivalent
stock rectangular port heads, so you can raise the compression ratio
by as much as a point. So, if you are building a smaller engine, maybe
based on a 5.3- or 4.8L block, and you aren’t planning to boost it to the
moon, you can often find more success getting good low-end torque
and a lively throttle pedal with a cathedral port head. Since they aren’t
usually as sought after, they’re easier to find used anyway.
4.
TOO MUCH VOLUME
For years with small-block engines the rule of thumb was to avoid
high-pressure oil pumps because they burned off horsepower.
Instead, most engine builders would use a high-volume pump to
make sure a continuous supply of oil was fed to the bearings.

A lot of people want to do the same thing with LS engines. But

the LS oil pump is driven off the crankshaft and not the cam, so
it is spinning twice as fast. The problem is that matching a high-
volume oil pump with a stock oil pan can cause problems. If you are
puttering around town you’ll be fine, but when you are pushing the
rpm higher in the range, the high-volume oil pump can pull all the oil
out of the pan and pump it into the lifter valley before the oil has a
4. This is the gallery plug on the front of the block that is often mis-sized. The correct size is 41/64
inch, but many plug kits lately seem to include smaller 5/8-inch plugs. This doesn’t provide suffi- chance to drain back down. The engine builders we spoke with said
cient crush, and the plugs can sometimes back out a bit, costing you valuable oil pressure. in the right situations it can happen in a matter of seconds.
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5. Many cam grinders are having success marketing cams that give your LS that old-
5. school lope or rumble at idle. They do sound good, and you can still make a good peak
horsepower number, but just be aware that most will degrade throttle response and
driving quality lower in the rpm range.

6. The LS engine’s coil-near-plug design significantly shortens the plug wires versus a
Gen I small-block, but it is still possible to burn a plug wire against a hot header tube.
If you run a wire insulator to prevent this you still have to be careful with how the
wires lay. Even with an insulator, contact with a header tube will eventually damage
the plug wire. Then the insulator can hide the damage, leaving you scratching your
head wondering why your engine is suddenly running rough.

6.

Has this happened to you? After all, you can briefly lose oil to the bearings
and do damage without grenading your engine. One easy way to tell is to
take a look at your bearings during a rebuild. If the main bearings have
a golden hue, that’s a good sign of loss of oil pressure. Same thing if the
main journals of your crank have taken on a black tone.

So, what do you do about it? If you want to run a high-volume oil pump,
switch to an oil pan with a bigger sump for more volume, but if you are
in a situation where you can’t or don’t want to change your oil pan, use
a high-pressure oil pump instead. A popular option among the engine
builders we spoke with is a Melling high-pressure pump (PN 102950). It or a supercharger, doesn’t matter. We’ve seen regular guys running 800hp
allows you to adjust the pressure by swapping out the bypass spring from street machines like it’s nothing.
a selection included with the pump.
But that also means you can very quickly surpass the stock fuel system’s
GET THE RIGHT GALLERY PLUG ability to move enough fuel to the engine when it needs it. There are
Now this is a weird one. While we are discussing oil pressure, let’s talk several options when it comes to upgrading a fuel system, but one you
about oil gallery plugs. A few engine builders we spoke to mentioned the want to be wary of is the so-called fuel pump boosters or “boost-a-
need to make sure you have the right plug that goes in the front of the pumps.” These work by throwing extra voltage to the existing fuel pump,
block behind the timing cover. This small plug is a bit of an odd size and forcing it to move more fuel. This works for a time, but it significantly
measures in at 41/ 64 (0.641) inch. It seems a lot of kits lately are including shortens the life of the pump by forcing it to work well beyond its design
a plug for this spot that’s 5/ 8 (0.625) inch. That’s close enough to feel like parameters. Essentially, it’s just a Band-Aid.
it should be the right size but it’s not.
Fuel pump boosters are often thrown into those “everything’s included”
The problem with the smaller 5/ 8-inch plug is that it only provides supercharger kits for LS engines because they’re cheaper than proper high-flow
about 0.001 inch of crush. It’s enough to hold the plug in place in most fuel pumps. But if you are going to upgrade your ride with a supercharger, we’d
conditions, but not enough to guarantee it won’t come out if the oil suggest doing it right by properly upgrading your fuel system. Adding a pump
pressure is high and the block gets hot. It sits directly behind the timing booster will work for a while, but it only increases the chance of you getting
chain cover. So, if you are using a stock cover it can only back out the stuck on the side of the road with a burned-out fuel pump.
thickness of the timing cover gasket. But that’s enough to create an oil
leak, and since this gallery plug is on the pressure side of the engine it Instead, consider going ahead and dropping the fuel tank to install a
can drain off valuable oil pressure. On some aftermarket timing covers, quality high-flow fuel pump. Or you can install an auxiliary pump, but that
especially billet pieces, it is possible that the wrong size plug can be usually requires drilling a hole in your fuel tank and also adds complexity
pushed all the way out, causing you to lose oil pressure entirely. to the overall fuel system.

The solution to this one is simple: Just make sure you have the correct While we’re at it, when adding big power through a supercharger or
41
/ 64-inch plug and continue with your build. turbos, make sure you are also upgrading to quality injectors that can
handle the higher fuel flow requirements. If you are switching to E85,
PROPER FUEL PLANNING the drastically different stoichiometric ratios (gasoline is 14.7 parts
We’ve already mentioned that one of the reasons the LS platform is air to one part fuel while E85 is just 9.8:1) means you are going to be
incredibly popular is how capable it is when it comes to making big moving lots more fuel, so you likely will also want to go with larger-
power. Obviously, the easiest way to do this is with boost—either turbos diameter fuel lines.
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DON’T SHOP BY SOUND It seems back in the early days GM tried an interesting quirk in the manufacturing
In the last few years there have been a few cam grinders who have done process where they installed the cam bearings and then honed the cam bore for
a good job marketing their cams for the sound they produce. It’s even straightness. Maybe it was for manufacturing efficiency and saved a few pennies
become popular on social media talking about that “chop.” Every car guy per block, we’re not sure, but it can cause big problems for you.
or girl can appreciate the sound of a carbureted big-block with a big cam
giving it that distinctive rumble at idle. If you are planning a rebuild with one of these early blocks, it is definitely in your
best interest not to knock out and replace the cam bearings unless you absolutely
That sound doesn’t come naturally with a modern engine with port fuel have to. In almost every other block where the cam bores have been align honed
injection. But cam designers can replicate it with the right combo of before the bearings were installed, you can replace the cam bearings no problem.
extra-long duration on the exhaust lobes and just the right amount of But on these early LS engines where the honing was done with the cam bearings
overlap. We admit it does sound pretty good, and you can see clips of in place, just knocking in a new set of bearings will mean the cam will be tight in
engines with these cams all over social media. the mis-aligned bores. And few machine shops are set up to hone blocks in this
manner without major aggravations. So, it’s going to cost you.
The problem is these cams are designed for sound first. They will even
make a good number on the dyno, but the low- and midrange certainly INSULATORS CAN HIDE PROBLEMS
suffers. And if you have a street car, it is the bottom third of your The LS was one of the first of the new generation of V-8 engines to use
tachometer where you spend 90 percent of your time. We had one engine an individual coil pack per plug. Each coil fires its own plug in its own
tuner tell us he’s removed several of these cams from cars and trucks combustion chamber for maximum heat from the spark. Since then, about
powered by LS engines over the last few years. The owners fell in love with every new gas engine design has followed this path.
the idea of that rumble at idle and purchased a cam for their LS. But once
the cam was in, they hated how the car drove and had it taken back out. Each coil is close to its respective coil on an LS engine, but it isn’t coil-
on-plug. So, there’s a short plug wire, between 8.5 to 10 inches depending
We’re not saying the “chop” cams are bad, just that there are always on model, connecting the coil to its spark plug. These wires route between
trade-offs. Some are obviously better than others at making a great the exhaust ports on the cylinder heads. When adding a header, they will
rumble without sacrificing too much performance, but you’re just not sometimes be able to touch the hot exhaust tubes. This really depends on
going to get both. If you’ve just got to have that growl and are willing to the header design, but a lot of guys will simply add a little protection by
sacrifice a little bit of driveability, then fine. But if performance is your sliding on a set of plug wire insulating sleeves.
primary motivator, you may want to stay away.
These sleeves do a great job of protecting plug wires if they briefly touch a hot
LEAVE THE CAM BEARINGS ALONE header tube. But the key word here is “briefly.” It doesn’t mean they will protect
This one is specific to older Gen 3 LS engines. They are easy to identify the plug wire forever. One tuner we spoke with told us they’ve run into the issue
because they will have the cam sensor in the back of the block and not enough times that whenever a customer brings their car in because it is running
the timing cover like newer Gen 4 engines. This also only applies to the poorly, the first thing they do is remove all the insulator sleeves to inspect the
aluminum LS engines and not the iron LQ line usually found in trucks. plug wires. The insulator will delay the heat getting to the wire, but over time it
can still get hot enough to do damage. The tuner found that guys will install the
7. plug wire insulators and then let them flop wherever they wanted. Then when
the plug wire gets burned after extended contact with the header tube, the
insulator hides the damage so you can see it with a quick visual inspection.

The lesson here is to spend a little time making sure your plug wires are routed
or secured so that they cannot touch your header tubes. If you want to run
insulators, that’s fine, just don’t use them as a crutch for poor routing habits.

DELETE THE BYPASS

For this one we are including the iron truck blocks in the family, the
5.3- and the 4.8L engines because they are also affected. In the less
performance-oriented LS engines the oil filter mount in the oil pan
includes an oil filter bypass. This is a spring-loaded valve that opens up
when the oil pressure gets too high and allows oil to bypass the oil filter.

7. If you run a standard-volume oil pan, a high-volume oil pump can pump all the oil
The purpose of the bypass is to protect the engine from owners who may
to the top of the engine and run the pan dry. Instead, go with a high-pressure pump
like this one from Melling. You can swap out the spring to dial in the best pressure not change their oil and filter as often as they should. If the oil filter
for your needs. gets clogged, the bypass will open up to ensure that the bearings still
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8. If you run an aftermarket oil pump or have

8. made modifications to your LS to significant-
ly up the horsepower but still have the stock
oil pan, you will want to consider deleting the
oil filter bypass that is built into the oil pan/
filter mount on many stock LS engines. At
higher oil pressures it can bypass the oil filter
and send unfiltered oil through your engine.

SOURCES
AUTOMOTIVE SPECIALISTS
(704) 786-0187
automotivespecialists.com

GIBBONS MOTORSPORTS
(704) 662-6232
gibbonsmotorsports.com

HEINTZ RACING
(704) 455-8863
get oil, even if it hasn’t been filtered. And the facts earlier in this article or making extended high-rpm heintzracing.com
back this up because the bypass can’t be found on runs, the oil bypass can open up and send unfiltered
the high-performance LS engines like the LS7 or oil through your engine. Since you are changing your PRESTIGE MOTORSPORTS
(704) 782-7170
LSA. It is also usually nowhere to be seen on any oil and keeping a fresh oil filter on there, too, you
prestigemoto.com
aftermarket oil pans. don’t want the bypass activating. This is easy enough
to do, just replace the bypass with a screw-in plug that SS LSX TUNING AND
PERFORMANCE
So, if you are building a big-power LS, make sure is available from any number of vendors. You will need
(980) 616-9600
the oil filter bypass is deleted. That’s because if you to pull the oil pan to do it, but if you are making big sslsxtuning.com
run a high-pressure oil pump like we recommended upgrades to your engine the bypass is worth it.
ACP FEATURE

BY NICK LICATA IMAGES BY LUKE MUNNELL

PAUL OLSEN’S 1971 CHEVY NOVA

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M
any of us grew up with a stick-and-ball background as that his dad would help him build the car and allow him to drag race it on
our parents signed us up for youth baseball, football, weekends as long as Paul kept his grades at a 3.5 GPA or above and also
basketball, and if you lived in a colder climate you laced attend college after high school. Paul agreed and kept his side of the bargain.
up skates and played hockey. These sports were a great
way for kids to burn energy and to learn about competition and teamwork. Initially, Paul and his dad built the car with a healthy 350 backed by a
While this path was common for many, Paul Olsen took a different route, Turbo 400 and 4.10 posi unit. Over the course of time the father and son
which ultimately led him to create this stunning 1971 Nova. team gradually built the car with more power where it eventually ended
up with a 454ci mill between the ’rails that brought the Nova into the low
“My passion for the car hobby started early and was integral to the 11-second zone. “By the late 1980s and into the early 1990s we would
relationship I had with my father, who taught me most of what I know spend just about every weekend drag racing together—my dad in his big-
about building engines and working on cars,” Paul states. “He would take block El Camino and me in the Nova,” Paul reminisces. “We didn’t have a
me to Puyallup Dragway on weekends when I was in elementary school. lot of money back then—no trailer, no pit canopy, or other amenities—we
I remember riding with him in his 1967 Nova armed with a stout 327 and drove our cars to the track with slicks and toolboxes in the trunk of our
a four-speed Muncie. I wasn’t yet big enough to see over the dash, but cars. Once there, we’d put the cars on jackstands, uncork the headers,
I loved the sound of the engine at high-rpm and feeling the rush as he and put on the slicks. Those were the best memories of my life, but by the
dropped the clutch and slammed through each gear.” mid 1990s the engine was tired and ready for a rebuild. I intended to park
the car for a little while to start my career and get on with life. Months
His father’s influence continued throughout his high school years as Paul’s turned into years and years turned into decades. I finally got back on the
dad bought him this 1971 Nova as a roller for a mere $150. The deal was car in May of 2022.”

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A few years earlier, Paul’s dad was diagnosed with brain cancer, which
became the trigger that motivated him to rebuild the Nova so he and his dad
could enjoy the car again. This time around Paul wanted to take the Nova in
a new direction as a potent Pro Touring street machine. Paul had a vision in
mind for the car but he needed a reputable shop to bring his ideas to fruition.
“I was referred to Jason Morey to take on the project, and once we met in
person I knew he was the right guy for the build,” Paul confirms. “I also
collaborated with Jason Rushforth to help fine-tune my ideas. Rushforth was
also instrumental in the project by reaching out to his network of car guys to
help in various areas of the build.”

Austin Riddle of Austin’s Autobody in Tacoma, Washington, bodyworked

the sheetmetal back to perfection as time and years of racing took its toll
on the vintage Chevy’s skin. He doused the Nova in LAU Chrysler Granite
Metallic Gray along with the contrasting light gray and orange hood graphic
designed by Rushforth.

Rushforth Night Train wheels with color-matched centers and polished

outers create a brilliant look and continuity that fit the Nova’s overall
theme. Continental ExtremeContact rubber provides excellent road-gripping
performance, while Wilwood disc brakes reside on all four corners for
excellent stopping performance. A Wilwood master cylinder, GM booster, and
Wilwood proportioning valve create consistent pedal feel throughout the
braking process.

With the car going through its share of small- and big-blocks early in its life,
Paul stepped up the engine program with a Mast Motorsports Black Label
LS7. The 427ci bullet features a 4.00-inch bore and 4.125-inch stroke and is
stuffed with 11.4:1 Mahle pistons capped with Mast Motorsports aluminum
heads. It’s topped with an MSD Atomic intake manifold and dressed up with
Billet Specialties valve covers and a custom chrome intake tube fitted with
a K&N element. A Vintage Air Front Runner system manages the accessories,
while a Griffin aluminum radiator ensures optimal engine temperatures.

The rowdy beast makes 663 hp and exhales through a set of stainless Hooker
Blackheart headers, a custom galvanized 3-inch exhaust fabricated by Scott
Cochran of Cochran Garage Exhaust Shop, and MagnaFlow mufflers ensure
the Nova breathes easy and sounds as fierce as it looks.

A TREMEC T56 Magnum transmission is backed up by a McLeod Racing

twin-disc clutch while a Quick Performance rearend housing minds an Eaton
Truetrac posi, 3.89 gears, and Quick Performance 35-spline axles—plenty of
ammunition to handle anything the nasty Mast mill can dish out.

Up front, the stock chassis received several suspension upgrades, including a

Ridetech TruTurn system featuring tubular Strong Arm control arms, RideTech
HQ Series coilover shocks, and springs. A Borgeson quick-ratio steering box
enhances cornering properties and offers excellent highway tracking. Out
back, a Ridetech four-link system with Ridetech coilover shocks and springs
ensures the Nova bites the asphalt while dodging autocross cones.

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Inside, the stock dash was treated to Dakota Digital RTX gauges blending of the car’s progress through the build process while appreciating his
classic style with modern engine monitoring. TMI Products supplied the opinion along the way. Paul knows his dad would be proud of how the
seats, door panels, and carpet, while the Ringbrothers door handles, Nova turned out, so he drives the car as intended and how his dad
shifter, and shifter boot ring contribute to the cohesive interior. Jason would expect: hard and fast just like they did back in the day racing
Morey handled the installation of the TMI center console then cloaked it side by side at the dragstrip—no frills with an overdose of adrenaline.
in black suede and leather. A Simpson harness is anchored to a custom
harness bar designed and installed by Rob Hancock from Flipside “My dad was an excellent mechanic. He was the neighborhood car
Customs in nearby Renton, Washington. The Billet Specialties steering guru who helped all the young local hot rodders with their rides when
wheel complemented by Lokar pedals, complete the stylish setup. their cars had problems they couldn’t figure out. He was the main
reason our neighborhood had the best-running cars in town. He never
A Vintage Air HVAC system enables perfect climate control, while an asked for money as he just loved wrenching and making people smile,”
Alpine head unit powers strategically placed speakers to create an Paul remembers. “Today I’m the guy lending a hand to those in the
articulate musical experience throughout the Nova’s cabin. A 12-inch neighborhood needing a little help with their hot rods. I’m a chip off the
subwoofer complements the system and delivers a deep, resonant bass. ol’ block, and I’m happy to take over where my dad left off.”

Paul was pushing to get the car done before his father’s death but it No doubt Paul’s dad would be proud—proud of the car he built and proud
wasn’t to be. With that said, he found comfort in showing him photos that he’s keeping the neighborhood hot rods in proper running order.

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Chassis
TECH FRONT SUSPENSION: Ridetech subframe, coilover shocks, and springs; Borgeson
steering box
OWNER: Paul Olsen, Enumclaw, Washington REAR SUSPENSION: Ridetech four-link, coilover shocks, and springs
VEHICLE: 1971 Nova BRAKES: Wilwood 14-inch rotors, six-piston calipers, front 12-inch rotors, four-
piston calipers rear, Wilwood proportioning valve
Engine
TYPE: LS7 Wheels & Tires
DISPLACEMENT: 427 ci WHEELS: Rushforth Night Train 18x8 front, 18x9 rear
COMPRESSION RATIO: 11.4:1 TIRES: Continental ExtremeContact 235/40R18 front, 255/40R18 rear
BORE: 4.00
STROKE: 4.125 Interior
CYLINDER HEADS: Mast Motorsports UPHOLSTERY: TMI Products
ROTATING ASSEMBLY: Callies forged crankshaft, Callies H-beam rods, Mahle pistons INSTALLATION: Jason Morey
CAMSHAFT: Mast Motorsports (specs not given) SEATS: TMI
INDUCTION: MSD Atomic intake DOOR HANDLES: Ringbrothers
FUEL INJECTION: Holley Terminator X SIFTER: Ringbrothers
EXHAUST: Hooker headers, custom 3-inch galvanized exhaust by Cochran Exhaust, STEERING: Stock column, Billet Specialties steering wheel
(Orting, WA), MagnaFlow mufflers CONSOLE: TMI with Ringbrothers shifter boot
MACHINE WORK: Mast Motorsports INSTRUMENTATION: Dakota Digital RTX
VALVE COVERS: Billet Specialties WIRING: American Autowire by Jason Morey and owner
ACCESSORY DRIVE: Vintage Air HVAC: Vintage Air
ANCILLARIES: Griffin aluminum radiator, Derale fans, Eddie Motorsports hood hinges, CONTROL PANEL: Vintage Air
K&N air cleaner ENTERTAINMENT SYSTEM: Alpine head unit, speakers, and sub
TUNING: Kenny Sampson at Gixxer Tuning INSTALLATION: Jason Morey
OUTPUT: 663 hp, 595 lb-ft ROLLCAGE: Custom four-point by Rob Hancock, Flipside Customs (Renton, WA)
HARNESS: Simpson
Drivetrain
TRANSMISSION: TREMEC Magnum Exterior
CLUTCH: McLeod Racing twin disc BODYWORK AND PAINT: Austin Riddle (Austin’s Autobody, Tacoma WA)
DRIVESHAFT: Driveline West 4-inch aluminum PAINT: Chrysler Metallic Gray
SHIFTER: Driveline Components HOOD: Auto Metal Direct 2-inch cowl
BELLHOUSING: Quicktime GRILLE: Auto Metal Direct
REAR AXLE: Quick Performance, Eaton Truetrac, 3.89 gear ratio, Quick Performance FRONT BUMPER: Auto Metal Direct
35-spline axles REAR BUMPER: Auto Metal Direct
HEADLIGHTS: LED
SIDE MIRRORS: Billet Rides

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ACP TECH BY JEFF SMITH IMAGES BY THE AUTHOR

PREVENT THE LEAK

HOW TO MINIMIZE DRIPS WITH THE SMALL-BLOCK CHEVY

T
he one thing that you quickly learn when working with the most of our gasket and seal recommendations since this company offers
small-block Chevy is that they all leak. When this engine was the greatest number of options. As an example, we found four different
designed in the early 1950s, all engines leaked oil. The joke two-piece rear main seal part numbers and these point to advancements
is that if your small-block stops leaking, it’s probably out of of different materials from black rubber to the classic blue silicone seals
oil. Leaks were a fact of life. Automotive engineering has come a long way to the brown, fluorelastomer seals all aimed at the traditional 350-style
since those days but the fact remains that this little small-block is still engines. The price differential for these is broad, indicating the difference
prone to marking its territory with light brown oil stains on the garage floor. in quality, so there are plenty of options from which to choose.

This story will address how to minimize these bouts of leakage. Notice Other tricks with the two-piece rear main seal start with offsetting the
that we didn’t try to claim to eliminate those leaks. In the name of full seal parting lines so they do not line up with the parting lines of the main
disclosure, we’ll stick with minimizing these drips and brown puddles. cap and block. Other tricks involve using an anaerobic sealant between
the main cap and the block. Anaerobic sealants cure in the absence of air
We’ll start with the oil pan area since that’s where many of these drip and a light coat here can be helpful.
paths begin. The big gorilla in the room is the classic, two-piece rear
main seal. Many of the ideas forwarded in this story are retreads of Another step in the right direction is to use one of Fel-Pro’s one-piece
common repairs and improvements that, over the years, have been proven pan gaskets to replace those cumbersome four-piece sets. There are
to work. Veteran readers may recognize many of these, but we’ve also individual one-piece gaskets for the several different iterations of two-
pulled up some new ones that are worthy of consideration. piece rear main seal blocks where the dipstick moved from the driver
side to the passenger side and also for the one-piece rear main seal
The small-block has benefitted from several evolutions with regard to blocks. Another trick is to place a small dollop of RTV in each corner of
the classic two-piece rear main seal. We’ll use Fel-Pro references for the block to help seal where the pan and front covers come together.
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1. When choosing a small-block to We’ve suffered from oil leaks between the oil pan and
rebuild, consider using a one-piece
1.
all different oil pan gaskets, especially between the
rear main seal block as a potential
candidate. Not only do these blocks pan and the front timing cover. We’ve taken to filling
employ the more-ideal one-piece this entire radius with a light coating of RTV in an
rear main seal, but they also offer attempt to minimize these leaks.
the advantage of using a facto-
ry-style hydraulic roller camshaft
valvetrain. Speaking of RTV, among the best of these silicone
sealants is the Permatex Ultra Black and Ultra Gray.
2. One no-cost trick when building a
Most places you look for recommendations will offer
two-piece rear main seal engine is to
offset the rear main seal so that the these room temperature vulcanizing (RTV) sealants as
parting lines between the seal, main among the best performing materials.
cap, and the block do not line up. Also
place a small dab of RTV on both ends
of the seal to block that leak path. We also like to use oil pan studs in place of bolts both
to facilitate alignment but also to keep the gasket in
2. place while installing the oil pan. Any stud kit will
work, but we especially like the ARP studs because
they employ a small, rounded end to help the nuts
start threading properly.

While we’re still lurking about the bottom end,

crankcase pressure is the silent enemy of any attempt
at a leak-free engine. This pressure helps push oil
past all the seals no matter how good a job you do.
Our lesson on the effects of crankcase pressure was a
simple mistake when we stupidly inserted the bottom
half of a two-piece rear main seal in backward.

3.

4.

3. If you find oil seeping from behind the seal on the front cover, try sealing
the outside with a light film of RTV to cover the area between the cover and
the oil pan. Sometimes this helps.

4. Don’t forget to install this major oil channel plug into the deck surface
on the rear portion of the driver side. If this plug is omitted, it will cause a
massive oil leak when pressure lubing the engine. The driver side cylinder head
must be removed to access this plug.

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As soon as we started the engine on the dyno, it 5. The original small-

5. block four-piece
literally puked puddles of oil on Westech’s dyno floor.
pan gasket set is a
It was embarrassing. Instead of yanking the oil pan time-consuming has-
to effect the repair, dyno guru Steve Brule’ offered sle to install as there
to install a vacuum pump on the engine to get us are four connections
that are potential
through the test session. The vacuum pump created
leak paths. Fel-Pro
roughly 8 inches of mercury (Hg) in the crankcase makes a silicone one-
and immediately eliminated the leak. It was an piece pan gasket that
offers a much greater
amazing illustration of how crankcase pressure
chance for a leak-free
contributes to leaks. oil pan connection.
There are several var-
The point of that little escapade was to illustrate iations on this gasket
based on the location
how an adjustable, high-volume PCV valve can pull a of the dipstick and
slight amount of vacuum in the crankcase sufficient one- or two-piece rear
enough to minimize oil leaks by minimizing crankcase main seal options so
be sure to order the
pressure. A further illustration of that was one of our
correct gasket.
small-blocks that would push the dipstick out of its
6. 6. Most two-piece
tube every time the engine was pushed hard—further
rear main seal blocks
evidence that pressure was building inside the engine.
feature this tapped,
³/8-inch bolt boss in
Simple vent tubes in the valve covers often do not do a the front near the
sufficient job of venting crankcase pressure. The best fuel pump. This hole
is drilled into the
solution is a PCV valve like the two-stage, adjustable channel for the fuel
billet aluminum valve from M/E Wagner. This simple little pump pushrod. If this
device has proven itself to minimize leaks in any engine short, ³/8-inch bolt is
omitted, it becomes an
by reducing crankcase pressure during part-throttle
obvious leak channel.
operation. In our opinion, every street engine should have Make sure the bolt is
one of these valves along with a small vapor separator short enough to not

tank because this valve can pull oil right out of the 7. 8. contact the fuel pump
pushrod.
engine even with a separator in the valve cover.
7-8. One of the best
If you forget to install the oil plug in the deck surface ways to minimize
leaks is to reduce the
of most small-block Chevys, you will discover it inevitable pressure in
immediately when you pressure-lube the engine the crankcase by using
because it will squirt oil right into your face. If you an M/E Wagner billet,
adjustable, dual-circuit
forget this plug, the driver side cylinder head will
PCV valve. This valve
need to be removed before you can access this plug. will reduce crankcase
This is why it’s best to install the plug before the pressure, which will
immediately reduce
heads are torqued in place.
the potential for oil
9. leaks. This valve is best
Engines with ton of miles on them often wear a tiny combined with a vapor
groove in the harmonic balancer sleeve from the front separator canister
because the valve flows
seal. Pioneer (among others) makes a sleeve that slips so well that it can more
over the harmonic balancer snout for a simple and easily pull oil out of the
inexpensive fix that should alleviate this minor leak path. engine if the valve cover
is not properly baffled.

When installing intake manifold gaskets, it’s worth 9. When using a

mentioning that RTV will dissolve in the presence of PCV valve, it’s best
to include a vapor
gasoline. A better intake gasket cement for the intake
separator baffle in the
gaskets is to use a sealant called Gasgacinch, which valve cover to prevent
is impervious to gasoline. This also brings up a slightly pulling liquid oil into
less common ailment with small-block Chevys that the valve. Even tall
valve covers need
we’ve seen happen several times. these baffles.
ALL CHEVY PERFORMANCE [40] VOLUME 4 • ISSUE 48 • 2024
ACP TECH

We’ve also been victimized by an oil leak created when the

10. 10. If your engine
intake manifold is not parallel with the intake port face of is using oil but not
the heads. This can cause the bottom of the intake gasket leaking, it might
be pulling oil
to not seal properly because of an insufficient clamp load from the bottom
on the gasket. A simple way to test this is to use four of the intake
lengths of wax string at the corners of the intake ports gasket because
the intake gasket
and bolt on the intake without the gaskets. The string will
sealing surface is
compress differently top to bottom and reveal if the intake not parallel with
and heads are not parallel. the cylinder head.
This test uses
0.100-inch-diam-
This string can be purchased from an online dental supply eter wax string
company called Net32, or Hughes Engines offers a small placed on all four
string kit. This is not a common issue but will lead to high corners of the
intake ports as
oil usage since the intake manifold vacuum can easily pull shown without
oil right out of the lifter valley. We had a small-block pull oil gaskets. Bolt the
only from one side of the intake but it was enough to burn a 11. intake on and then
remove and look
substantial amount of oil in a short time.
at how much the
string is squeezed.
Using a quality RTV along the front and rear china walls If the string is
wider at the top
underneath the intake manifold is another time-honored
than the bottom,
trick. The china walls are so-called because the curved the two surfaces
shape of the vertical walls looks like the Great Wall of may not be paral-
China. Don’t use those flimsy rubber or cork gaskets lel. Repairing this
requires machining
supplied with some gasket kits as they often slip out when the intake man-
installing the intake. A solid ¼-inch bead of RTV along ifold to produce
those surfaces will easily do the trick. parallel planes.

11. There are

Another area of minor leakage can be found around the four multiple small-
center intake manifold boltholes. These intake bolts exit into block valve cover
gaskets on the
the lifter valley and if the intake bolt threads are not coated
market. Among
with a thread sealer, oil will travel up the threads and exit the ones that seem
onto the intake manifold. Again, this is primarily caused to work the best
by internal crankcase pressure so if that billet Wagner PCV are Fel-Pro’s flat
strap-reinforced
valve is used, this probably won’t occur. However, it’s still a cork gaskets and
good idea to treat the threads to mitigate the problem. the blue silicone
versions. The cork

Most stock small-block valve covers and many aftermarket 12. versions are more
affordable but will
versions were stamped from thin sheetmetal and would raise the height
often deflect or bend. Load spreaders were often used to of the valve cover,
which might be a
place more load across a wider area, which will improve
problem with some
the seal, but the best solution might be a stronger, cast- applications.
aluminum valve cover. Fel-Pro offers a nice set of thicker
cork gaskets with a thin sheetmetal shim in the middle that 12. A line of RTV
roughly ¼ inch in
adds strength to the gasket. The best gaskets we’ve seen diameter is usually
are the blue silicone versions from Fel-Pro that include sufficient to seal
load limiters that prevent over-tightening the gasket. These between the china
wall’s front and
gaskets are more expensive but do get the job done.
rear and the intake
manifold. Placing
Implementing any number of these little cures will likely a small dab of RTV
under the little tabs
clean up the mess on your garage floor and keep your
at the bottom cor-
small-block cleaner and happier. If nothing else, it will ner of each intake
amount to more oil remaining in your engine and less kitty gasket will help seal
litter on the floor of your shop. the corners.

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 InTheGarageMedia.com

DESCRIPTION PN SOURCE
Fel-Pro brown rear main, 2 piece, 350 ci 2912 Summit Racing
Fel-Pro brown rear main, 400 ci, 2 piece 2909 Summit Racing
SOURCES
Fel-Pro silicone, rear main, 2 piece, blue, 350 c i2900 Summit Racing
Fel-Pro rubber rear main seal, 2 piece BS11829-1 Summit Racing AUTOMOTIVE RACING PRODUCTS (ARP)
(800) 826-3045
Fel-Pro, silicone rear main seal, gray, 2 piece BS40013 Summit Racing
arp-bolts.com
Fel-Pro one-piece oil pan gasket, 1975-1979 1880 Summit Racing
Fel-Pro one-piece oil pan gasket, 1957-1974 1885 Summit Racing FEDERAL-MOGUL (Fel-Pro)
(248) 354-7700
Fel-Pro one-piece oil pan gasket, 1986-1997 1886 Summit Racing tenneco.com
Fel-Pro steel cork valve cover gasket 1604 Summit Racing
HUGHES ENGINES
Pioneer harmonic balancer sleeve HB4121 Summit Racing
(309) 745-9558
Permatex Ultra Gray, 3 oz 82180 Summit Racing hughesengines.com
Permatex Ultra Black, 3 oz 82194 Summit Racing
M/E WAGNER PERFORMANCE
Edelbrock Gasgacinch 9300 Summit Racing (570) 899-4544
Permatex Thread Sealer 59235 Summit Racing mewagner.com

ARP oil pan stud kit, hex head, black oxide 234-190 1Summit Racing
NET32
ARP valve cover stud kit, black, 1.50” length 200-7603 Summit Racing net32.com
Intake manifold wax string kit HUG Waxwire Hughes Engines
SUMMIT RACING
10-gauge blue dental was string 85642 Net32.com (800) 230-3030
M/E Wagner billet, dual flow PCV valve DF-17 mewagner.com summitracing.com
ACP FEATURE

D
ream cars come in all shapes and sizes, but it’s safe to say that Corvettes, especially those built
from 1963 to 1967, rank highly for most Chevy guys. For Arny Gollott, his idea of a dream car
changed over time. He always liked Corvettes, and he owned several nice examples through
the years, but his dream was to own a true “showstopper.” Arny lived in D’Iberville, Mississippi,
spending his life in the shrimp business, and came to know fellow Mississippians Justin and Eli Griffin several
years ago. The Griffin brothers own and operate Twin States Rod Shop in Meridian, Mississippi, and have built
numerous high-end customs, ranging from Tri-Five Chevys to wild custom trucks.

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ARNY GOLLOTT’S 1966 CORVETTE IS A LIFELONG DREAM

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ACP FEATURE

When Arny decided to pull the trigger on a showstopper build, Twin until the body was ready for black paint. Additional block-sanding took
States Rod Shop was the choice, and a 1966 Corvette project made its place after the paint cured, and the flattened material was brought back to
way to the shop. The body was intact but needed some serious work, a mirror-like shine with multiple stages of buffing and polishing.
and the build plan involved a new chassis, engine, and driveline, so the
parts list and the scrap pile grew quickly. As the old parts were stripped The smoked glass came from Auto City Classics and adds a subtle touch
away, new ones came into the shop and Twin States Rod Shop started to the ultra-slick Corvette, but it doesn’t hide the bright red Relicate
chipping away at the project. leather inside. Erin Ruddy of Ruddy Made Interiors in Alton, Missouri,
handled the stitchwork, using Snowden bucket seats and many custom
Arny wanted the car to sit low and options are somewhat limited on C2 panels, including a custom console. The original dash was wrapped
Corvettes for an extremely low ride height. Eli Griffin started cutting until in leather and houses custom-made Classic Instruments gauges with
the body sat over the new Roadster Shop chassis for the perfect stance. the Twin States Rod Shop logo. Finishing touches include a Billet
This required intense fiberglass work in the firewall, floor, and rear floor Specialties steering wheel, Juliano’s seatbelts, and a polished Lokar
sections. While he was at it, he mini-tubbed the car and fabricated custom shifter. Justin Griffin handled the wiring, which consists of an American
rocker panels and a custom tail pan that’s molded into the body. Eli used Autowire harness, which feeds numerous accessories, including the
BASF materials throughout the bodywork process, priming and blocking Vintage Air, JL Audio equipment, and Holley Terminator EFI system.

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Underneath, the Roadster Shop chassis has all the right components for Tri-Power air cleaner were adapted to the LS engine. Coated headers lead
a slammed stance with performance in mind. Tubular control arms and into a custom 3-inch exhaust system complete with MagnaFlow mufflers.
JRi coilovers are a great combo, while rack-and-pinion steering provides An aluminum radiator with dual Spal electric fans keeps the rowdy LS3
a quick ratio for awesome response. Out back, the original independent cool, while a GM 4L65E automatic transmission with a Circle D torque
rear suspension is long gone and a narrowed Currie 9-inch rearend is in its converter puts the power to the ground through 3.70:1 gears. Jackson
place. The Roadster Shop four-link setup is sprung by another pair of JRi Powertrain built the custom driveshaft.
coilovers. The giant Wilwood brakes are visible through the spokes of the
one-off Schott wheels, which measure 18x8.5 inches up front and 19x12 After an extensive three-year build, Arny had the opportunity to see and
inches out back. Redline tires are the perfect tie-in to the red interior. drive his showstopper Corvette for the first time in its finished state.
Unfortunately, Arny died a few months later. Justin and Eli at Twin States
The horsepower department is occupied by a stroked LS3 combination Rod Shop agreed to show the car at various events throughout the year in
from Turn Key Engine Supply. While it started as a standard 6.2L (376ci) Arny’s honor. We first spotted it at the Triple Crown of Rodding in Nashville
displacement, the new bore and stroke setup brings it up to 427 ci. With and it grabbed our attention with its great combination of details and a
a more aggressive camshaft and accompanying valvetrain components, killer stance to tie it all together. Arny was proud of his dream car, although
the 427 LS3 is nearing the 700hp mark. Despite the modern powerplant, he didn’t get to enjoy it for very long. Now it’s up to the Gollott family to
Arny still wanted a vintage look, so old-style finned valve covers and a cherish this certified dream car and continue telling its story.

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TECH
OWNER: Arny Gollott, D’Iberville, Mississippi
VEHICLE: 1966 Chevrolet Corvette

Engine
TYPE: LS3
DISPLACEMENT: 427 ci
COMPRESSION RATIO: 10.7:1
BORE: 4.065 inches
STROKE: 4.125 inches
ROTATING ASSEMBLY: Forged crank, H-beam rods, Mahle pistons
CYLINDER HEADS: GM castings, 260cc intake runners, 2.160/1.590 valves
VALVETRAIN: 0.080-inch wall pushrods, double valvesprings, 1.7:1 rocker arms
CAMSHAFT: Custom grind hydraulic roller with Delphi lifters
IGNITION: Hidden coil packs, Delmo vintage-style plug wires
INTAKE: Holley EFI with Custom Tri-Power air cleaner
ASSEMBLY: Turn Key Engines
EXHAUST: Custom headers and exhaust, 3-inch, MagnaFlow mufflers
ANCILLARIES: Finned Corvette valve covers, Vintage Air Front Runner
OUTPUT: Estimated 700 hp

Drivetrain
TRANSMISSION: GM 4L65E, Circle D torque converter
REAR AXLE: Narrowed 9-inch by Currie, 31-spline axles, 3.70:1 gears

Chassis
FRONT SUSPENSION: Roadster Shop tubular control arms, JRi coilovers
REAR SUSPENSION: Roadster Shop four-link, JRi coilovers
BRAKES: Wilwood 14-inch rotors, six-piston calipers
MASTER CYLINDER: Wilwood

Wheels & Tires

WHEELS: Schott Mod 5 (one-off), 18x8.5 and 19x12
TIRES: Custom redline

Interior
SEATS: Snowden bucket seats, stitched in red leather by Ruddy Made Interiors
(Alton, MO)
STEERING: Billet Specialties wheel, Ididit column
CONSOLE: Custom
SHIFTER: Lokar
INSTRUMENTATION: Classic Instruments with Twin States Rod Shop logos
HVAC: Vintage Air
AUDIO: JL Audio head unit, amplifier, and speakers
WIRING: American Autowire by Justin Griffin

Exterior
PAINT: BASF black by Eli Griffin at Twin States Rod Shop (Meridian, MS)
HOOD: 1966 big-block
BUMPERS: Cut down and tucked, chrome by Chevy Shop
HEADLIGHTS: LED

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1.

1. CPP offers a complete triangu-

lated four-link rear suspension for
1964-1972 GM A-body cars, which
includes bushings and hardware for
easy installation.

ARM WRESTLING REPLACING WEAK AND WORN-OUT REAR

CONTROL ARMS ON AN EARLY CHEVELLE
BY TOMMY LEE BYRD IMAGES BY THE AUTHOR

W
hen it comes to casual cruisers or even daily drivers, it’s Shocks (PN CPP-1007) as an upgrade to our parts store shocks.
easy to overlook certain items, especially if there isn’t any
noticeable damage. The phrase “out of sight, out of mind” We didn’t want to completely remove the rearend housing, so we performed
rings true in many situations as long as performance the install using a floor jack and jack stands in the garage floor. If we wanted
isn’t compromised. In the case of our trusty 1964 Chevelle four-door cruiser, to take the install to the next level, we could’ve disconnected the driveshaft
the rear suspension has been trucking along for 60 years without any real and the flexible brake hose to roll the rearend out into the open. Instead, we
maintenance. The coils were cut many years ago to lower the ride height, swapped one control arm at a time, which made for a very simple install.
and we’ve been pleased with the ride quality and stability on the highway, so
upgrading the suspension never made it very high on the to-do list. Overall, we spent a weekend in the shop and used general hand tools to get
the job done. Now that it’s back on the ground, we noticed a huge difference
A while back, we decided to upgrade the front of the car with tubular front in ride quality, as the new bushings offer smooth and quiet operation. Like
control arms. Classic Performance Products (CPP) manufactures the kit, many of our installs on this 1964 Chevelle, it’s all about practicality, so a
so as we browsed classicperform.com we noticed a few options for rear weekend project that made a noticeable difference is always rewarding.
control arms. Knowing that the bushings were likely toast, we thought it
would be a practical upgrade to toss the stamped steel control arms in Follow along to see how we tackled the CPP triangulated four-link rear
the scrap pile and replace them with tubular units from CPP. We found the suspension install, as the same tactics can be used for any 1964-1972
appropriate kit (PN PT6467RTCA-KB) and added a pair of CPP Nitrogen General Motors A-body car.
ALL CHEVY PERFORMANCE [52] VOLUME 4 • ISSUE 48 • 2024
 InTheGarageMedia.com

2. The bottom side of

2. our 1964 Chevelle is a
3.
little crusty from 60
years of service, but
it’s in great condition.
The rear suspension
has never been up-
graded, so it’s past due
for attention.

3. The first order of

business is to remove
the shocks. These
parts store shocks
have been on the car
for 10-plus years and
have very little action
left in them.

4. With the shocks re-

moved, we can lower the
rearend much further.

4. The limiting factor is the

flexible brake hose, so
5.
we want to keep a jack
under the rearend so
the hose doesn’t have
pressure on it. We also
kept the driveshaft
attached.

5. An impact wrench is
a valuable part of the
disassembly process.
The lower arms are held
in place with long bolts
that pass through the
mount, arm, and bush-
ing sleeve. A ¾-inch
socket and wrench are
used to loosen the bolts.

6. 7.

6. The lower control arms attach to the frame with a single bolt and
nut. You can access the bolt head through a hole in the frame. Again,
the hardware requires a ¾-inch socket and wrench.

7. After the two bolts are removed, the lower control arm is removed.
Our method is to replace one arm at a time, instead of removing all
four arms at the same time.

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ACP TECH
8. The new tubular control arms from CPP offer a much stronger design,
8. utilizing round tubing to replace the original stamped steel arms. The
lower arms feature CPP’s self-lubricating bushings, as well as a built-in
mount for a rear sway bar.

9. We smeared a dab of grease on the mounting brackets to make installation

easier. After we line up the boltholes, the new bolts slide into place easily.

9.

10.

10. Using a ½-inch ratchet with ¾-inch

socket, we snug the new bolts but we
will wait until the car is sitting at ride
height for final tightening.

11. The front mounting location of the

control arm retains the original configu-
ration, with the bolt passing through the 12.
frame. After this side is snugged, we can
repeat the process on the other side to
complete the lower arm swap.

12. The upper control arms are a little

more complicated than the lowers.
Notice the original cam washer, which
allows for rearend alignment and pinion
angle adjustments. The CPP arms are
fully adjustable, eliminating the cam
11. washer design.

13. Busting the crusty hardware loose is

easy work for the impact. All hardware in
the rear control arms feature a pass-through
design with a nut on the other side.

13.

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14. 15.

14. The forward position is a little tougher to reach, so we grabbed a long ex-
tension that could pass through the coil spring, into the control arm pocket.

15. Comparing the original stamped upper control arms to the new CPP arms
shows a drastic difference in strength and performance. Instead of a stand- 16.
ard rubber bushing, the forward mounting point features a greaseable ball
and socket arrangement.

16. Before we install the upper arms, we adjust them to match the originals.
We did this by using the new bolts as guides and adjusted the arms to match.
This will get us in the ballpark, and we can fine-tune it once the car is back on
the ground.

17. By far, the most challenging part of the install was the upper control arm
bushings on the rearend housing. These are pressed in, and have 60 years of
crust, so we knew it would be a big job.

17.

18.

19.

18. While it’s much easier to reach the bushing if the rearend housing is out of the car, it’s
possible to do the job with the rearend installed. We start by taking a drill and going around
the outer area of the rubber bushing.

19. After the drill chews through most of the rubber, we take pliers to pull the steel sleeve out
of the bushing. This leaves behind a steel shell that is pressed into the cast iron ears on the
rearend housing.

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20. 21.

20. We used a punch with a blunt end to collapse the un-

flanged end of the bushing shell. Then, the same punch is
22.
used to drive the shell out of the housing. A mini sledgeham-
mer is the perfect tool for the job, but it still requires some
finesse if you’re working underneath the car.

21. 1965-1972 Chevelles use the same type of bushings,

which is what’s included in the CPP kit. Since our example is
a 1964, we discovered that the first-year Chevelle featured
smaller bushings.

22. We ordered a set of CH36488 bushings from OPGI, which

are the one-year-only 1964 A-body bushings. We stuck them
in the freezer overnight to contract the steel shell for easy
installation.

23.

23. With the bushings still

frosty cold, we seated the
25.
shell in the rearend housing.
It’s important to get it start-
ed straight before you start
hammering.

24. Using a large socket that

24. fits on the flanged area of the
bushing shell, we once again
use the mini sledgehammer to
carefully drive the bushing into
the housing. Once the beveled
part of the shell reaches the
rearend housing, it’s good to go.

25. Now, we can install the

new CPP upper control arms.
We start by seating the front
part of the arm in its pocket
and pushing the bolt through.
Then, we can do the same for
the rearend housing attach-
ment point.

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26. After both upper

26. arms are bolted in, we
27.
can tighten the nuts to
lock down the adjust-
ments. This would be
a good time to adjust
the pinion angle if your
combination needs
some fine-tuning.

27. The only bushing

that requires grease is
the upper control arm
in the forward position.
We squeezed some
grease into the fitting
and then brought the
car down to ride height
for final tightening.

28. Finally, we
wrapped up the rear
suspension refresh
28. with a set of CPP
Nitrogen Shocks.
These shocks are an
affordable option and
are significantly better
than what you can get
at the parts store.

29. The difference in SOURCES

ride quality is noticea-
ble after installing the CLASSIC PERFORMANCE PRODUCTS
CPP triangulated four- (866) 517-0273
link rear suspension. classicperform.com
We’re confident that
the stronger design is
ORIGINAL PARTS GROUP INC.
overkill for our lowkey
(800) 243-8355
cruiser, but we know the
opgi.com
new arms and bushings
will last a long time.

29.

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ACP FEATURE

BY SCOTTY LACHENAUER IMAGES BY THE AUTHOR

BIG-BLOCK
MANIFESTO

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 InTheGarageMedia.com

T
he late 1930s produced
some of the greatest
automotive designs that
have stood the test of
time. One in particular grabbed the
attention of a young Bob Martin
and wouldn’t let him look away. “I
always loved the Willys hot rods that
I read about in Hot Rod and Car Craft
magazines growing up and figured
one day I would have one of my
own,” Bob states.

BOB & STELLA

MARTIN’S
RAD 1939
CHEVY DELUXE
GASSER

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ACP FEATURE

Bob was a young gun hot rodder from the start, so staying out of the car searching the Web when this particular 1939 popped up on his computer
hobby was not an option. “I grew up surrounded by the hot rod scene. My screen. Intrigued at what he saw, the gasser seemed to check all his
dad raced a lightweight 1963 Ford Galaxie when I was a kid, and my mom boxes of what he was looking for in his next hot rod.
worked for the NHRA. Needless to say, my life revolved around cars and
racing,” Bob continues. The build was done right, starting with a 1939 Master DeLuxe for the
straight-axle conversion. To get the stance he wanted, the builders
At the age of 16 Bob scored his first car: a used and slightly abused 1961 boxed the frame, and then used a 1950s Chevy truck axle along with
Corvette. It was a car that had seen plenty of time at the track and was stock leaf springs, Monroe shocks, and 4-inch blocks to get the nose up
now retired from its day job. “It was a former quarter-miler. I bought in the air. Out back, the original leaf springs are joined by a Panhard bar
the Corvette on the cheap and then built it up into a daily driver. Yeah, I and a set of Monroe shocks. A set of 5½-foot-long ladder bars help give
admit, it was a pretty cool car for a high school kid.” this Chevy some traction and a Ford 9-inch rear stuffed with 4.10 gears
gets the power to the pavement.
Flash-forward 44 years and Bob is now on the prowl for that ever-elusive
Willys hot rod, the same car that filled his hot rod dreams as a kid. “At
that time, I already owned three classic rides but still wanted a built
up 1939-1941 Willys to call my own,” Bob mentions. “Every example I
liked was out of my price range.” Bob did however love the gasser-style
rides that came up in his online searches. In the winter of 2023, he was

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The body was in amazing condition. It was apparent that the rear This Chevy “409” barn burner actually starts out with a 348 block, which
wheelwells had been radiused to help give it the look of an old racer. The has been punched and stroked out to 434 ci. A 4-inch stroker Eagle
rest of the body looks stock except for the custom-made bumper out back. crank, stock rods, and Ross pistons make up the mill’s rotating assembly.
The bodywork is flawless, and the lines are clean. Finally, the hot rod was An Isky cam gets the valves jumpin’ and spark is provided by a Mallory
basted in a serving of PPG Metallic Gold paint for that old-school look. distributor. The cylinders are topped with a set of original 409 heads
that have been warmed over. To give this Bowtie the fuel it craves, an
The period-perfect look was brought to the interior, where a set of Dodge Offenhauser crossram intake has been fitted with a pair of Holley 600-
van seats have been recovered in white and black vinyl with gold piping. cfm carbs with velocity stacks for more than ample fuel delivery. Custom
The same design was continued on the door panels for continuity. A Moon fenderwell headers, 2½-inch exhaust, and Flowmaster mufflers get rid of
steering wheel twists a reversed Corvair steering box, and a Hurst shifter the spent gases in a hurry. Credit for this Chevy’s powerplant build goes
gets this ride through the gears. Stewart-Warner gauges keep an eye on to the Coleman Brothers out of Linthicum, Maryland.
the vitals and a custom rollbar adds additional safety to this raucous roller.
A BorgWarner T-10 four-speed drives a Ford 9-inch out back, stuffed with
4.10 gears and spinning Moser 31-spline axles. ET vintage 15x10 wheels
out back are shod with Hurst pie crust slicks for that gasser look we all
love. Up front, 15-inch Rocket Racing wheels wrapped in BFGoodrich
blackwalls help keep this gasser pointed in the right direction. Brakes
are drum all around pushed by an early GM dual bowl master.

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After checking out all the Chevy’s vitals, Bob was ready to pull
the trigger, but decided he should check it out in person first. “My
wife, Stella, and I had purchased a new trailer, but it wasn’t going
to be delivered for a couple months. She agreed if the car was still
available, we could go look at it, Bob confirms. “Turns out it was,
so our maiden voyage with the new trailer and the dogs in tow was
1,000 miles round trip.” Once he saw it in person Bob couldn’t hold
back, and a deal was made. Luckily the couple was ready and able
to bring their prize home with them on the spot.

Since then, Bob has made a few upgrades to his new ride. “After
bringing the Chevy back to New Jersey, it’s gotten a bigger gas tank,
a new speedometer, and a gas gauge,” Bob says. “After driving it
now for almost two years, Bob has had some interesting experiences
with the hopped-up Chevy. “I had never driven a gasser before, so
my first time out was interesting, to say the least. I went over my
first bump and the front wheel started shaking. I had thought the
front end was going to fall off. I immediately realized it didn’t have
a stabilizer for the steering bar,” Bob continues. “The car is not for
the faint of heart and while it goes straight, turning is a whole other
story. I’ve done hundred-mile trips with it to various events and the
car runs like a champ. I think she’ll be staying in the collection for a
long time. The car is a blast to drive and gets attention for sure. Our
collection is complete … for now.”
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ACP FEATURE InTheGarageMedia.com

TECH
OWNER: Bob & Stella Martin, Liberty, New Jersey
VEHICLE: 1939 Chevy Master DeLuxe

Engine
TYPE: Big-block Chevy
DISPLACEMENT: 434 ci
BORE: 4.155
STROKE: 4.000
CYLINDER HEADS: OEM heads ported
ROTATING ASSEMBLY: Eagle stroker crank, stock rods, Ross pistons
CAMSHAFT: Isky
INDUCTION: Offenhauser 2x4 intake with a pair of Holley 600-cfm carbs
EXHAUST: Custom headers, 2½ pipe, Flowmaster mufflers
ASSEMBLY: Coleman Brothers
VALVE COVERS: Offenhauser
OUTPUT (at crank): 475 hp

Drivetrain
TRANSMISSION: BorgWarner Super T-10
REAR AXLE: Ford 9-inch rear, Moser 31-spline axles, and 4:10 gears

Chassis
FRONT SUSPENSION: Early 1950s Chevy truck axle with 4-inch blocks and stock spindles
REAR SUSPENSION: 1939 Chevy leaf springs with a Panhard bar and 65-inch ladder bars
BRAKES: GM dual bowl master with drum brakes front and rear

Wheels & Tires

WHEELS: Rocket Racing Team Gasser ET 15x4.5 front, ET 15x10 vintage slots rear
TIRES: Coker BFGoodrich 6.70-15 front, Hurst pie crust slicks 31x10.50R15 rear

Interior
UPHOLSTERY: Vinyl
INSTALLATION: Connors Upholstery Workz (Pasadena, MD)
SEATS: Front Dodge van
STEERING: Moon wheel
SHIFTER: Hurst
DASH: Custom
INSTRUMENTATION: Stewart-Warner
ENTERTAINMENT: Loud exhaust
ROLLBAR: Custom

Exterior
BODYWORK AND PAINT: Chris Barrett (Pasadena, MD)
PAINT: PPG Metallic Gold
FRONT BUMPER: None
REAR BUMPER: Custom tube
GRAPHICS: Southpaw Graphics (Hanover, MD)

ALL CHEVY PERFORMANCE [68] VOLUME 4 • ISSUE 48 • 2024

ACP TECH BY BARRY KLUCZYK IMAGES BY THE AUTHOR

T
here’s nothing like original sheetmetal on a vintage car, but with the rear quarter-window or gaps at the surrounding window rubber
original glass is a different story. Scratches, pitting, hazing, that can create the sort of annoying wind noise that sends a spouse to a
and more can detract from an otherwise-strong appearance. dating app after about 15 minutes on the highway.

That was the dilemma Mark Stielow faced with his latest Camaro project, “Installing the glass is the easy part—it’s nailing the adjustments that
so he had Sled Alley replace all its glass, including the door windows. really take time and attention to detail,” Matt Gurjack of Sled Alley says.
Dropping in the new windshield and rear window were straightforward “Seemingly small adjustments can make a big difference and you’ve got
enough, but the intricacies of the door windows are what prompted us to to make sure everything is spot-on and fits tightly against the seals if you
following along and take notes. don’t want those wind leaks.”

If you’ve never attempted it, replacing the door glass on a vintage Chevy All the glass for this project came in a package from Heartbeat City.
can seem easy enough at first but can quickly turn into a maddening Stielow specified the Soft Ray–style green-tinted glass of the RPO
exercise. Fine adjustments must be made to the fore/after positioning, A01 option for 1969, which included subtle yet noticeable green
along with the front-to-rear tilt, in order to position the glass correctly tinting on the door windows, quarter-windows, and rear window as
and frame it properly in the door opening. well as the windshield. There was also an A02 option that included
tint only on the windshield, while entirely non-tinted glass was
It is particularly challenging on A-bodies, F-bodies, and other models standard. Just less than half of all 1969 Camaros were ordered with
with frameless door windows. Getting it wrong can lead to interference the A01 all-tinted glass.
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 InTheGarageMedia.com

1. 1. Work on Mark Stielow’s 2.

latest Camaro is near-
ing the finish line. The
powertrain, chassis, and
suspension work are done.
Assembly of the interior
comes next, but before
the door panels are hung
the door glass needs to be
installed and adjusted.

2. The quarter-windows
have already been installed
at this stage, but more
importantly, so have the
door rubbers. Because the
3. glass seals against them
4.
when the doors are closed,
having them in place prior to
installing the door glass is
the only way to ensure they
fit and seal properly.

3. Sled Alley went to Heart-

beat City for the glass, opting
for the green-tinted versions
that match the A01 tint op-
tion from 1969. The glass and
hardware are the same for
1968 and 1969 Camaros.

4. Holes at the bottom of the

glass are for the roller guide-
plates and the studs that
5. hold the door’s regulator 6.
roller channel in place.

5. Fortunately, the original

hardware for the glass was
still in good condition and
was transferred to the new
windows after cleaning.
Photos taken during disas-
sembly provided a guide for
the proper orientation of the
parts when installing them
on the new glass.

6. After the roller guideplates

are installed, they’re greased to
provide low-friction movement.

7. 7. Door hardware, including

8.
the roller, rubber stops, and
other elements are readily
available from restoration
parts suppliers, and it’s a
good idea to replace the
originals, even if these small
pieces appear in good con-
dition, as they get hard and
brittle over time.

8. Before the glass is slipped

into the door, some tape is
laid on the bare edge of the
inner door panels to prevent
scratching.

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9. Also, before the glass is

9 installed, the window regulator
10.
should be lowered so the track
is visible and accessible.

10. In goes the window. It takes

some finessing to get the rollers
of the guideplate into the gap
between in the inner and outer
doorskins, but the easiest way is
to tip the front of the glass down
into the gap and get the front
roller into the guide channel.

11. With the front loosely in

place, the rear corner drops
down through the gap to find
its home in the regulator’s

11. channel.
12.
12. Next, the glass is bolted to
the regulator.

13. To keep the glass from

rubbing and scratching against
the inner doorskin, new slides
are installed. They’ll be
adjusted, too, but they simply
need to keep the glass off the
doorskin at first.

14. At the rear of the door, the

stop that limits the travel of
the glass is installed and left
loose for adjustment.

13. 15.

14.

15. Before getting too far into the adjustments, it’s worth a quick primer of the door’s various adjustment
locations and functions. The “A” positions adjust the fore/aft position of the glass. The “B” positions adjust the
front/rear tilt of the glass. The “C” positions move the glass in/out in relation to the glass against the door seals.

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ACP TECH InTheGarageMedia.com

16. The initial installation

16. showed the window’s
17.
position was pretty far off.
It needs to be repositioned
forward to fit properly in the
door opening.

17. This bar, along with the

corresponding adjustment
point at the front of the
glass enables the window to
move forward to position it
squarely in the door opening.

18. That’s better. The win-

dow is positioned correctly
within the door opening.

18. 19. But! The glass doesn’t 19.

quite come up and seal
against the rubber at the
front. The gap here would
not only promote water
intrusion but it would also
create a heck of a wind noise.

20. Adjustments with the

tilt positions and the stop
limiters helped get the
front of the glass into the
proper position. It’s a lot
of small, give-and-take
adjustments at this stage
to get the glass just right.

20.

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ACP TECH InTheGarageMedia.com

21. Zeroing in on the final adjustments, the

corners are checked to ensure the glass is posi-
21. 22.
tioned evenly as it rests against the seal. Here,
it starts to stray too far inward at the bottom,
prompting another slight adjustment.

The glass and hardware are the

same for 1968 and 1969 Camaros,
while the 1967 models have their
own glass of course because of the
doors’ vent windows. Fortunately,
the door hardware for all is readily
22. After about an hour of finessing, the glass has been
available. While the glass is 23. adjusted and positioned properly and all the fasteners are
also relatively easy to find, Matt tightened for the final time.
Gurjack says the quality of the
23. Fresh glass and fresh seals should make for a quieter
glass from Heartbeat City, which driving experience. The project isn’t difficult, but absolutely
comes from manufacturer PMK requires time, patience, and a good eye for detail.
Diamond Glass, is his preference.

“It’s very good and we’ve never had

any problems fitting it,” he says.

Overall, this is a project that

virtually any enthusiast could
tackle and expect excellent results,
as long as the time is taken to
sweat the adjustment details. Sled
Alley has worked on more early
Camaros than TikTok has videos of
people opening Amazon packages,
so they’re able to fly through 24. 24. Curiously, in a car that maintains an otherwise-strict ad-
here to the factory appearance, later G-body outside mirrors
the installation and adjustments
seem out of place, but Mark Stielow insists on them for his
quickly, but a first-timer should cars because the mirror glass doesn’t jostle around on the
be able to do each door’s glass racetrack like first-gen mirrors.
installation and adjustments in
25. Sled Alley’s Matt Gurjack finds the replacement aftermar-
less than two hours. ket mirror glass for the second-gen mirrors don’t typically fit
the housings. They’re typically too large, so he rubs the edges
That makes it a good, DIY project for a on sandpaper until the fit is just right.

weekend afternoon—and compared to

26. The result is a perfect fit and a wobble-free mirror on the track.
settling for cleaned-up but scratched
or hazed original windows, the results 25. 26.
couldn’t be clearer.

SOURCES
HEARTBEAT CITY CAMARO
(586) 226-8811
heartbeatcitycamaro.com

SLED ALLEY HOT RODS

(586) 630-0171
sledalley.com

ALL CHEVY PERFORMANCE [76] VOLUME 4 • ISSUE 48 • 2024

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BY SCOTTY LACHENAUER IMAGES BY THE AUTHOR

ALL CHEVY PERFORMANCE [78] VOLUME 4 • ISSUE 48 • 2024

 InTheGarageMedia.com

I
magine the surprise Camaro enthusiast Carl Melendez experienced also be built with some serious muscle to back it up. “I started this
when his longtime friend called him out of the blue in need of project before Pro Touring was a thing. I purchased everything I could
some help. His good buddy was ready to pop the question to his from Detroit Speed back then and did it all myself in my garage. It had
girlfriend and needed to unload some things of value to purchase suspension upgrades, big wheels, and an LT1 setup from a 1994 Corvette.
that all-important piece of jewelry. This “ring sale” included, among other I drove the crap out of it with that setup,” Carl states.
things, a clean 1969 Camaro project. Carl always loved the styling of the
vintage F-body and figured by purchasing the car he’d be helping out a But like all good things, the thought of making it even better haunted Carl
good friend while parking a cool Camaro in the garage. over the years. Finally, one day he decided that the Camaro was going
to go through another metamorphosis, figuring that the car could be so
Although the car was just a roller, the shell was in good shape, making a great much more than it already was. “I brought it into the garage and took it
start for the project; that was nearly 30 years ago. Once in Carl’s hands, the apart,” Carl says. “Not long after, I realized that I just didn’t have the time
wheels started turning and ideas began to flow. Soon, parts were showing up to do it all myself, so it sat for a while.”
at the Melendez garage, ready to transform this unassuming Camaro into a
modern-day muscle ride brimming with top-notch speed shop goodies. That hibernation period ended in 2019 when Carl finally decided to
get some help. He took it to his friends at Main Street Classics in
Now, Carl wasn’t going to settle for just any rebuild of his Camaro. He Lindenhurst, New York, to take over the project and create his vision of
wanted his new ride to not only look the part of a modern runner but what he thought a modern Pro Tourer should be.

CARL MELENDEZ’S
PRO TOURING
1969 CAMARO

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ACP FEATURE

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 InTheGarageMedia.com

To build the car that Carl was after, MSC started with a Roadster Shop chassis,
using their 1967-1969 Camaro/Firebird SPEC kit. The setup cradles the Camaro
body comfortably, and contours to the stock floors so no modifications are
needed. It also gets the car down to a 7.25-inch ride height, to give it that low
center of gravity.

From there, Main Street worked with the included rack-and-pinion steering setup
and handily fine-tuned the Camaro’s suspension with the installed tubular control
arms and Penske coilover shocks. Out back, it was more of the same, with the
coilovers working along with Roadster Shop’s parallel four-bar setup. A beefy Ford
9-inch was incorporated and stuffed with 3.73 gears and 31-spline axles.

“I decided right away that I needed a modern drivetrain in the Camaro, so an LSA from
a 2014 ZL1 Camaro was extracted and delivered to Main Street for its inclusion in the
project. The supercharged 6.2L is good for 553 hp and 551 lb-ft of tire-twisting torque
right out of the box. The installation of the big powerplant was painless thanks to the
Camaro’s modern chassis. Along with this monster mill, the guys added the matching
6L90E six-speed automatic transmission to get the ride through the gears.

With the Camaro’s sheetmetal in reasonably good shape, the bodywork process
went relatively smoothly, but Carl also wanted a few custom touches, including
the addition of heat exchanger vents on the hood, installing a rear wing from
Kindig It Design, shaving the bumpers, fabbing in a set of Ringbrothers door
handles, adding mini-tubs, and finally a front splitter from Anvil Auto. They also
did the rear tail panel and bezels in satin black and removed reverse lights. After
the body mods, Main Street laid down a brilliant layer of Kaiser Metallic—a one-
year-only color from Acura.
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ACP FEATURE

Of course, we couldn’t finish off this tale without talking about that stunning interior on the
Camaro. “The typical interior colors just weren’t going to cut it this time. So, I rang up Gillin
Auto Interiors in Florida, New York. I also went up there twice just to pick out the color that
was going to accent this Camaro.” Carl confirms. “There was nothing safe about it and I
wanted it to really pop, so we chose Amon Blue, a Lamborghini color for the interior.”

Gillin took it from there, building a totally one-off cockpit using Relicate leather for the
upholstery. They performed their magic on a pair of Recaro LX seats up front and modified
an original rear seat to fit between the mini-tubs out back. A custom console by Gillin
sits between the buckets and houses a ZL1 shifter. Like the other pertinent parts, it’s also
wrapped in Relicate. Door panels were sourced from Fessler and a Sparc Industries wheel
mounted on an Ididit column keeps the Camaro pointed in the right direction.

A set of Forgeline FF3C wheels, 18x9.5 front and 18x12 out back, are wrapped in Continental
ExtremeContact Force tires, 275/45R18 and 335/30R18 respectively. Braking power comes
from a set of Baer brakes consisting of six-piston calipers with 13-inch rotors at the corners.

Once finished, Carl was ecstatic about the one-off Camaro he had envisioned. “After
owning this car for close to 30 years, the guys at Main Street Classics took my vision and
made it a reality,” Carl excitedly says. “Then the guys at Gillin Auto Interiors knocked it out
of the park with their attention to detail, delivering me a car like no other.”
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 InTheGarageMedia.com

TECH
FRONT BRAKES: Baer six-piston calipers, 13-inch rotors
OWNER: Carl Melendez, Dix Hills, New York REAR BRAKES: Baer six-piston calipers, 13-inch rotors
VEHICLE: 1969 Camaro HEADERS: Stainless by Roadster Shop
MUFFLERS: Stainless Bro’s
Engine TIPS: Stainless
TYPE: LSA
DISPLACEMENT: 376 ci Interior
BORE: 4.065 SEATS: Recaro LX
STROKE: 3.622 WHEEL: Sparc Industries
COMPRESSION RATIO: 9.1:1 COLUMN: Ididit
CRANK: Stock forged steel GAUGES: MoTec 12-inch Digital Display
RODS: Stock steel powdered metal CARPET: Relicate supplied the carpet and hides for interior
PISTONS: Stock cast aluminum alloy SHIFTER: Stock ZL1 shifter
CAM: Stock hydraulic PEDALS: Lokar
VALVETRAIN: Stock hydraulic roller lifters, die-cast roller fulcrum rockers, stainless ACCESSORIES: Custom console
steel solid stem valves Interior designed and built by Gillin Interiors (Florida, NY)
HEADS: Stock aluminum rectangle port
INTAKE: Stock cast aluminum Wheels & Tires
INDUCTION: 87mm throttle body, 59-pound fuel injectors WHEELS: Forgeline FF3C wheels 18x9.5 front 18x12 rear
SUPERCHARGER: 1.9L Supercharger TIRES: Continental ExtremeContact Force 275/40R18 front 335/30R18 rear
DRIVE SYSTEM: CVF
RADIATOR: BeCool with Dual Spal Fans Exterior
OUTPUT: 553 hp, 551 lb-ft of torque GRILLE: Factory-style RS
HOOD: Stock hood with heat exchanger vents from 1969 Camaro Skunkworks
Drivetrain BUMPERS: Stock with shaved hardware
TRANS: 6L90E PAINT: Acura Kaiser Metallic
DRIVESHAFT: Aluminum driveshaft from Drive Shaft Shop DOOR HANDLES: Ringbrothers
HEADLIGHTS: Morimoto LED
Chassis TAILLIGHTS: Marquez Design LED
REAR DIFFERENTIAL: Ford 9-inch, 3.73 gears, Strange 31-spline axles REAR SPOILER: Kindig It Design
STEERING: Roadster Shop rack-and-pinion CUSTOM METAL WORK: Main Street Classics (Lindenhurst, NY)
FRONT SUSPENSION: Tubular control, arms, Penske coilovers
REAR SUSPENSION: Four-link rear suspension Penske coilovers
ACP EVENT BY NICK LICATA IMAGES BY THE AUTHOR

ROUND W
hen car show promoters dive into the second time running a highly successful
inaugural event it’s typically done better, having learned valuable lessons from
the first year. Well, when car show promoters Bobby Alloway and Gary Case made
plans for round two of the Triple Crown of Rodding presented by PPG held at the
Nashville Superspeedway in Lebanon, Tennessee, September 6-7, 2024, they gathered extensive
feedback from attendees, vendors, and participants, and used that information to ensure their
second event would run smoother, better, and hopefully much bigger than the first.

There was no doubt that the second Triple Crown event would be much larger than the first, as early
vender and participant registration was up substantially from the previous year. Case and Alloway
realized they had their hands full and would need to accommodate more cars, more vendors, and way
more people. Early preparation ensured Triple Crown troops were ready to pull off another successful
event; and they did exactly that.

The two-day event was open to all hot rods, street rods, street machines, classics, and customs
up to 1972, and American-made trucks up to 1998. The 2024 Triple Crown brought in a car count
of approximately 3,200—up nearly double from the 1,700 registered the previous year—and by all
accounts the crowd attendance was up threefold from last year with over 20,000 people passing
through the gates, proving that once word gets around about a well-run car show it’s sure to attract
hard-core enthusiasts as well as the casual fan of “cool old cars.”
ALL CHEVY PERFORMANCE [84] VOLUME 4 • ISSUE 48 • 2024
 InTheGarageMedia.com

CHEVY MUSCLE
CARS FROM THE
SECOND ANNUAL
TRIPLE CROWN
OF RODDING

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ACP EVENT InTheGarageMedia.com

Some minor changes made to the layout of the event

helped guarantee vendors, participants, and showgoers
enjoyed an excellent car show experience. And once again
many heavy hitters in the hot rod industry, including Chip
Foose, Phil and Jeremy Gerber (Roadster Shop), Kyle
Tucker (Detroit Speed), Jonathan Goolsby, Mike and Jim
Ring (Ringbrothers), Dave Kindig, Troy Trepanier, Alan
Johnson, Jimmy and Will Posy (Big Oak Garage), and
many others were on hand either showing their latest
automotive creations or participating in the Celebrity Meet
& Greet (3:00-4:00 p.m. on Friday and Saturday), offering
fans the opportunity to meet their favorite hot rod builders
and television personalities.

This year’s event unveiled a new interactive feature called

“Share the Ride,” giving attendees the chance to jump into
the passenger seat of a high-performance truck or muscle
car driven by a professional driver. Those brave enough to
strap in enjoyed an exhilarating, high-speed ride as they
navigated an autocross course, which included a high-
banked section of the Nashville Superspeedway. The huge
smiles on the faces of those stepping out of the cars were
impossible to miss.
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ACP EVENT InTheGarageMedia.com

Just as last year, there were over 40 stunning-looking awards created by various
aftermarket companies being given out in recognition of the best hot rod and truck
builds. The awesome Triple Crown of Rodding trophies, along with a Gibson Les Paul SG
II guitar went to the Best Street Rod, Best Street Machine, and Best Street Cruiser. On the
truck side, the Triple Crown awards and guitars went to: Best Truck up to 72, Best Truck
73-87, and Best Truck 88-98. For the complete list of awards and of Best Car winners, go
to modernrodding.com, and for Best Truck winners, go to classictruckperformance.com.

ALL CHEVY PERFORMANCE [88] VOLUME 4 • ISSUE 48 • 2024

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The event also included a 50/50 raffle with half the prize money going to
one lucky winner and the other half going to the Gary Sinise Foundation,
which honors America’s defenders, veterans, first responders, and their
families. In a separate raffle a 2023 Chevy Silverado pickup and a BluePrint
LS engine were up for grabs. Prior to announcing the raffle winners, in an
unrehearsed moment, Chip Foose joined hosts Kevin Oste, Tim Strange,
and our own Brian Brennan on stage for an impromptu auction offering the
highest bidder the opportunity to have Foose do a drawing of his or her car
on site. This immediately got the hands up for a wild round of bidding. This
act sparked a wave of generosity, with other companies and hot rodders
donating to the Gary Sinise Foundation. As of this writing, the event has
raised over $70,000, showcasing the hot rod community’s philanthropic
spirit in supporting disabled veterans and those in need.

As is the case with most any classic car show, there’s never a shortage
of fantastic Chevy muscle cars on hand, so All Chevy Performance was
there to share with our readers images of the best Chevy muscle cars
and hot rods we saw at the event, while at the same time supporting
the best outdoor classic car show in the country.

The Triple Crown of Rodding’s sophomore year was successful beyond most
everyone’s expectations as Gary Case and Bobby Alloway know cars, know
people, and certainly know what it takes to put on an outstanding car show.

To learn more about the 2025 Triple Crown of Rodding, go to

triplecrownofrodding.com. We’ll see you there.

ALL CHEVY PERFORMANCE [90] VOLUME 4 • ISSUE 48 • 2024