For the first year of the second-generation Chevelle, one of the most exciting powerplants was the 396 big-block V8 of the Super Sport. This particular car features 327 badges, which translate to a small-block V8 with 325 ponies and 360 pound-feet (488 Nm) from a displacement of 5.4 liters.
Save for the Diamond Back Custom Redline tires, Forgeline RS5 three-piece wheels, and Baer six-piston brake calipers with 14-inch brake rotors, the vinyl-top muscle car looks like a very tasteful restomod with period-correct oily bits at first glance. But as you already know from the headline, Roadster Shop was tasked with swapping the powertrain for a direct-injected V8 mill.
Currently utilized by General Motors in the Chevrolet Camaro ZL1 and Cadillac CT5-V Blackwing, the LT4 differs from the free-breathing LT1 because of a 1.75-liter supercharger. Rated at 650 horsepower and 650 pound-feet (881 Nm) of torque from 3,600 revolutions per minute, the motor alone costs $15,000, excluding the wet-sump accessory drive kit. Instead of a torque-converter automatic such as the 8Lxx or 10Lxx Hydra-Matic transmissions, Roadster Shop and the owner decided on a double-overdrive manual in the form of the Tremec T-56 Magnum, a.k.a. TR-6060 in OEM guise.
As you would expect from such a serious makeover, the original frame had to be discarded for a brand-new Roadster Shop SPEC chassis that starts at $10,995, excluding options. Independent front suspension with heavy-duty upper and lower control arms, a Strange 9.0-inch rear housing with 31-spline axles, custom-valved Fox shock absorbers, power rack-and-pinion steering, and a 3.0-inch exhaust system are only a few of the highlights.
Augmented with a Detroit Truetrac helical-gear differential and 3:70 gearing, the one-off Chevelle also hides a Wilwood brake booster under the hood. Stainless steel brake lines, a front sway bar, stainless steel fuel tank, Sparco harnesses, and Recaro bucket seats round off this sweet build.
After a 1:43 scale model of a Ferrari 250 GTO sparked Mircea's interest for cars when he was a kid, an early internship at Top Gear sealed his career path. He's most interested in muscle cars and American trucks, but he takes a passing interest in quirky kei cars as well. Full profile
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