We don't want to sound like Dom here, but old cars are all about "family." And this 1964 Chevrolet Chevelle is a garage built restomod that a man put together for his wife over several months. Screw the flowers; every lady should get one of these!
The Chevelle was the recent star of an AutotopiaLA walkaround and showcase. It's not the most desirable model year, and its spec might even offend the purists, but it's like a modern hot rod put together using what's available.
As the story goes, builder Jason put this together to stop the wife from driving his own muscle car. We get it; it sucks when somebody messes with your seat, plus it's a good excuse to spend money on another vehicle.
The engine is, for us, one of the most interesting parts of the build. Instead of using an expensive crate motor that looked like it belonged in this era of car, he just dropped in a modern 5.3-liter V8 out of a Chevy Tahoe SUV. These things have decent power and a cheap to buy, helping him stay on budget.
The small-block was then machined out to a 5.7-liter. Fitted with new cams and pistons, it's now making about the same power as your average pony, 450 hp. Even though the shifter looks old, the Tahoe engine has kept its automatic transmission. The exhaust setup is just perfect, only loud when you get on the gas.
We absolutely love how nonchalantly the builder mentions that the Chevelle still has drum brakes in the back, even though the front uses the Wilwood brake booster for the ventilated and drilled discs. The suspension has been nicely upgraded, though corners were cut there too.
The exterior looks fresh, even though the 64 Chevelle was "covered in Bondo from head to toe" when he got it. All the trim is in good condition, while the color is one of way too many Chevy silver shades, Watkins Glen Gray, borrowed from the C7 Corvette.
Mihnea's favorite cars have already been built, the so-called modern classics from the '80s and '90s. He also loves local car culture from all over the world, so don't be surprised to see him getting excited about weird Japanese imports, low-rider VWs out of Germany, replicas from Russia or LS swaps down in Florida. Full profile
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