1970 Chevrolet Chevelle Restomod with 640-HP LS Swap Has Badass Written All Over It

This black-painted Chevelle SS may look somewhat plain on the outside, but it's a full-fledged restomod of the old-school variety. Look close enough and you'll spot quite a few modern features, including a bespoke, aluminum-built spoiler underneath the front bumper. It also rides on a set of modern multi-spoke wheels, measuring 19 inches in the front and 20 inches in the rear. Yes, that's larger than any stock Chevelle wheels offered back in the day.

The interior also seems to be stock, but again, pay attention to the details and you'll notice a few upgrades. The stock front seats have been replaced with buckets for proper lateral support, while the dashboard now incorporates bespoke gauges. The steering wheel is also of the modern variety, but it retains the old-school "SS" badge. What's more, the center console hides aftermarket controls for the gearbox's manual mode.

Another cool thing about the interior is that it retains the original red upholstery. Black paint with a red interior was a popular choice back in the day, so this Chevelle is as old-school as they get as far as looks go.

But things become a lot more interesting under the hood. This Chevelle was purchased without an engine, so we don't know what was under the hood when it left the factory. SS models were usually fitted with the 396-cubic-inch (6.5-liter) or the 454-cubic-inch (7.4-liter) V8, so this Chevelle probably came with the former. I'm assuming that because SS 454 cars are scarce and are rarely separated from their numbers-matching engines. On the flip side, it does have "454" badges on the rear bumper and fenders, so it's all a mystery.

But none of that matters because this Chevelle now draws juice from a more modern V8. The mill in question is a 427-cubic-inch (7.0-liter) LS, most likely sourced from the current lineup of Chevrolet Performance crate engines. The LS427 is rated by GM at 570 horsepower, but this V8 has been upgraded and it now pumps out 640 horses. But the really impressive part is that all that oomph is not aided by forced induction, so we're looking at good ol' naturally aspirated power.

Since an old transmission wouldn't cope with all that oomph, the original gearbox was replaced by a modern six-speed automatic. Of course, a restomod also needs extra stopping power, so the Chevelle now relies on Wilwood disc brakes at all four corners.

An aftermarket exhaust of the x-pipe variety enables the LS to roar like a proper big-block V8 should at all speeds, but the 427 really comes to life when the gas pedal hits the floor. And it actually sounds like a racing V8. This Chevelle's exhaust note is very close to the Greenwood Corvettes that used to terrorize racing tracks in the 1970s. At least to my years. Hit the play button below and check it out for yourself.