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Chevelle SS “War Machine” Swaps M134 Minigun for LS3 Power and Stealth Looks

There have been countless war machines created around the world, but we’re just going with the fictional James Rupert “Rhodey” Rhodes’ superhero armor reference just because we’re such huge Marvel fans. And now we also have its automotive counterpart to showcase, a 1972 Chevrolet Chevelle SS that’s riding so menacingly low and loud we instantly fell for it.
1972 Chevrolet Chevelle SS restomod 53 photos
Photo: AutotopiaLA/YouTube
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YouTube channel AutotopiaLA is back with another custom build – this time it’s not a dove-looking Ford Mustang, nor a quicker than life Chevy truck. Instead, we’re dealing with a very gray (with purple and blue flakes to make it look even darker at night) 1972 Chevy Chevelle SS that’s gone through major transformations over the years.

The latest – a new rear wing that was tastefully created from scratch by the same artist that developed the signature War Machine emblems on the entire car – was completed just prior to filming, so clearly the build just keeps better and better.

According to Shawn, the host, he’s been looking forward to seeing and taking a ride (from the 6:30 mark) in the Chevelle SS for quite some time, though he did have enough patience to uncover some of its secrets first.

For example, the owner says the 1972 Chevelle is the only model year he will ever buy for this car due to a certain sentimental value. Hint – it involves him being a kid, his uncle and his ride that got smoked by a ‘72 Chevelle...

We also find out the story behind the “War Machine” nickname for both the car and the owner’s social media persona – it's mostly an homage to his working dad and has nothing to do with actual war.

On the other hand, the ‘72 Chevelle SS could easily engage in any street skirmish with its newly developed technical credentials. These include the powerful 6.2-liter LS3 engine from under the hood, which was lifted from a 2013 Chevrolet Camaro together with its matching six-speed stick shifter.

Asked about the power credentials, the owner is a bit more restrained than AutotopiaLA’s own description in the video’s title, as the Chevelle SS was doing around 450 hp on the dyno before recently getting a new rear end – with estimates now in the 520 – 530 hp ballpark.

The actual pony count doesn’t really matter because the car has a special license plate - “YUR2SLW” - that has been used for every vehicle the owner had for the past 20 years or so. And even if something might be faster than this gray Chevelle SS (with the paint lifted from a 2015 Silverado!), from the 6:30 mark nothing really matters as we embark on a journey of sheer acoustic pleasure.

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About the author: Aurel Niculescu
Aurel Niculescu profile photo

Aurel has aimed high all his life (literally, at 16 he was flying gliders all by himself) so in 2006 he switched careers and got hired as a writer at his favorite magazine. Since then, his work has been published both by print and online outlets, most recently right here, on autoevolution.
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