A very humble, very real geared by the name of Chris Redman sits down with the crew at Summit Racing to talk about his awesome 1966 Chevelle. This is no ‘run of the mill’ restoration, this Chevelle is certainly unique!
Chris loves old muscle cars because, as he puts it, they’re ‘Big Man Approved’ or B.M.A. — which makes sense since he’s 6’5. He likes that old-school muscle car look; with modern creature comforts and the ability to carve corners like their modern counterparts. This is the foundation of his philosophy when it comes to building cars. To achieve his vision he can’t just run to the local dealer and cut a check, he has to look elsewhere.
A few years ago he bought a $200 Chevelle, sight unseen (but who wouldn’t for $200?), for the sake of crafting it into something truly special. The car was a shell; it didn’t even have any glass, much less an engine, transmission, interior, etc. It was a blank canvas, ready for Chris’ modern interpretation of the old school muscle car.
Chris removed the body, boxed the frame for improved rigidity, and brought the suspension into the 21st century. This Chevelle now has front tubular control arms, and a NASCAR-style truck arm rear setup.
Under the hood is a fuel injected 383 stroker small block with a Weiand 250-series blower, forged internals, Trick Flow R-Series heads, and ACCEL DFI fuel injection. Put together, it makes a healthy 500 horsepower on the dyno.
The paint is a color combo from a pewter Tahoe paint option and silver from the modern Camaro’s selection. The red stripe is a color optioned for Chrysler minivans. Inside are Summit Sport seats in vibrant red and gray leather, a custom console, and Auto Meter American Muscle gauges in the dashboard. It also has power windows, a Vintage Air A/C, and Alpine stereo. Chris took a very level headed approach to this (essentially) mocked up from scratch project, well done!
Elizabeth is hardcore horsepower enthusiast with unmatched intensity for making things faster and louder. She wakes up for power and performance and only sleeps to charge up for the next project that’s heading to the track. From autocross to drag racing, Elizabeth is there with you, so stay tuned for her unique perspective on horsepower news, builds, tech info, and installs — with her, it’ll never be boring!
