The Holley LS Fest brings out a who’s who in the LS world; from industry leaders, to engine builders and tuners, drift freaks and muscle car aficionados. Fact of the matter is, if it’s LS-powered or LS-related, it’s there. LS Fest is also the point of no return for some; as they are forever convinced that implementing the modern powerplant into their vintage muscle car is the perfect marriage of performance, reliability and efficiency — with timeless good looks.
Often on the fence about making the conversion, or simply seeing what all of the fuss is about they end up ordering all of the parts needed to making the swap a reality on the return trip home. One such individual who is a fairly recent LS convert is T.J. Johnson. We briefly met T.J. while on our way to shoot another car, and we gave him a lift in the GM EFI golf cart while at the event. Funny enough, he was on his way to meet the Holley crew to shoot this video — headband/mullet wig combo and all (you can score them on Amazon for $10).
The reason for the Holley feature was fairly easy to figure out, because not only was it a beautiful LS-swapped Chevelle, obviously, but it packed a truckload of Holley’s products that made the swap much easier and more powerful. Starting with the engine itself, the LS in question is actually a 417-cubic inch LS3 stroker that is equipped with a Brian Tooley Racing camshaft, Edelbrock aluminum carb-style intake and Trick Flow 245 heads.
Fueling the 417 comes by way of a Holley Dominator EFI fuel system; featuring a 450 LPH pump, Holley injectors, Earl’s fuel lines and Holley fuel rails. A Holley oil pan is attached to the underside of the block, while T.J. has decided to add a NOS nitrous kit, including the solenoids to the combination. Holley LS motor mounts secure the block in place, and the cooling system has been upgraded with a Frostbite radiator and Earl’s transmission and oil coolers. A 2-speed Powerglide backs the LS3, with a Ford 9-inch rearend out back.
Some of the other interesting highlights of T.J.’s Chevelle includes the cowl hood, roll bar and Weld Racing wheels. An overall stellar build, we hope to see T.J. and his Chevelle back at the event for 2017!
Rick Seitz is the owner and founder of AutoCentric Media, the parent company to Timeless Muscle Magazine, and has a true love and passion for all vehicles. When he isn’t tuning, testing, or competing with the magazine’s current crop of project vehicles, he’s busy tinkering and planning the next round modifications for his own cars.
