'68 Camaro, '69 Camaro & '00 Corvette
Dennis & Julie Hughes
White Hall, MD
ls1 Hat Trick
The Hughes seem to be overrun with LS engines, but they didn't have much else to say than what you're about to read. Going on the premise that you can never get too much of a good thing, "We have three LS1-powered cars," says Dennis. "My wife's ride is the stock 2000 Vette and sometimes she even lets me drive it, but never when I'm alone. My cars are more to the point." Yeah, Denny plays the loud pedal in a '68 Camaro with a 4L60E overdrive transmission and 2.73:1 gears (1.91:1 final). Corvette Monterey Red paint and Corvette rims complete the picture. "My Hugger Orange '69 runs a stroked LS1 (373 ci) that makes 370 hp at the tires. It's backed by Turbo 400 transmission, and steep, 4.56:1 gears." If it were us, we'd keep the cogs and replace the 1:1 automatic with something a bit more flexible, like an overdrive automatic or manual box.
'66 Chevelle SS
David Mauldin
Glendale, AZ
The Ultimate Sleeper
"I am 60 and with help from my best friend, Dave Bell, a 66-year-old street rodder, we built this authentic 138 car in my garage. We took the body off, put POR-15 on the frame, installed new bushings, and brake and fuel lines. We rewired with a Ron Francis bundle, installed an OPG interior kit and put up the mandatory Vintage Air HVAC." Its 496-incher has a Scat 4340 crank, Manley H-beams, and 10:1 JE pistons. A Comp Cams XR280R mechanical roller and Endurex lifters are followed by Crane Gold roller rockers on the ported and polished Edelbrock Performer RPM XT heads. Induction is an Edelbrock Performer RPM intake with an SMI 850-cfm Holley. Ancillary systems are an MSD Digital 6-Plus, Performance Distributors custom HEI distributor and 140-amp alternator, a Stewart water pump, and a Milodon pan. Unburned hydrocarbon is extracted by coated Hooker Super Comps to a Torque Tech 3-inch system and Flowmaster 40 mufflers. A Ron Davis aluminum radiator thumbs its nose at Ol' Sol. The dyno revealed 624 hp at 6,400 rpm and more than 500 lb-ft from 2,400-5,800 rpm. Torque is transferred to the D&D Performance Tremec six-speed backed by a Moser 9-inch with 33-spline axles, 4.10 gears, and Metco control arms. Driveshaft Enterprises made the geezers a unit with 1350 U-joints. The pair put SSBC 11-inch discs all around and covered them with Torq-Thrust D wheels, 15x7 (BFG T/A 235/60) and 15x10 (Nitto 275/60 drag radials).
'67 Chevelle SS
Leslie Woolington
Sturgis, SC
Straight From The Heart
Now here's a story we can really get behind. Better get out the Kleenex. It's got nothing to do with horsepower or the performance. It's about people with big hearts and streak of generosity that is seemingly without limits. We are the same age as the current owner. We bought our '67 Malibu new but instead of keeping it for today we sold it in the '60s to someone who became the victim of Grand Theft Auto. Leslie's story: "My husband and I recently had the privilege of restoring a '67 Chevelle for a dear friend and wondered if you would be interested in doing an article. I know that you must get a million requests like this, so what makes this SS 396 special? Well, the owner, Richard Watkins, bought it new on Feb 14, 1967. He courted his wife in this car. It was their daily driver for years. His son drove it and raced it some in high school; then it sat for 15 years. But on Feb 14, 2009, exactly 42 years after the fact, we began the restoration of this car that has been such a big part of the Watkins' family life. Now at 67, Richard Watkins is cruising again like he did in his 20s!" And undoubtedly he's happily burning rubber and slamming gears when the cops aren't looking, just like he did back in the day.