Ed Vannoy’s ’66 Nova

Powering the Chevy II is a...        read full caption Powering the Chevy II is a Street and Performance– supplied ZZ3 350 engine with a polished TPI unit. A Be Cool aluminum radiator keeps the engine cool while a Vintage Air unit keeps the interior cool. The firewall is smoothed thanks to a hidden under-dash wiper unit from DSE.

Paul made the main dash section...        read full caption Paul made the main dash section from a single piece and incorporated a set of Auto Meter carbon-fiber gauges. The tilt steering column is an ididit piece, and the steering wheel is from Budnik. Shannon Walters covered the interior in black leather.

To improve stopping, DSE...        read full caption To improve stopping, DSE added four-wheel disc brakes from Baer. For better looks and handling, a set of Budnik Fat Lip Famosas wrapped with BFGoodrich TA radials have been added.

The color-keyed undercarriage...        read full caption The color-keyed undercarriage features a 12- bolt rear end, Borla exhaust, Eaton springs, and a Jet Hot– coated driveshaft.

Chevy IIs have that cool look hot rodders love. When Ed Vannoy found this bright yellow ’66 the decision to buy it was easy to make. The smooth-as-glass sheetmetal, brilliant chrome, and flawless condition caught his eye. But after driving the ’66 just a few short miles Ed longed for some 21st century technology. So he contacted Kyle Tucker at Detroit Speed and Engineering (DSE) to blend the Chevy II’s outward appearance with cutting-edge performance.

Detroit Speed and Engineering began by disassembling the vehicle, while carefully preserving the show-quality finish. To improve the handling dynamics of the Deuce, DSE’s Scott Dilloway and Paul Morgan began by modifying the existing Fat Man front coilover suspension geometry. The crew added a pair of third-generation F-body front spindles activated by a GM power rack-and-pinion system including a DSE power-steering pump and reservoir. DSE mini-tubbed the rear by two inches to accommodate monstrous rear tires. To do this required relocating the rear shocks and modifying the rear framerails.

Because this Deuce is motivated by a very capable ZZ3 350 fed via a Street and Performance EFI unit, going fast is easy. So to improve the Chevy’s whoa capability, the guys at DSE installed a full set of Baer 12-inch rotors, which are slotted, cross-drilled, and squeezed by polished calipers. To transmit the ZZ3’s power, the Chevy uses a Muncie four-speed that spins 3.08 gears housed in a DTS narrowed Chevrolet 12-bolt rearend. For reliability, the housing is fitted with Torino outer wheel bearings and Moser axles.

To update the instrument cluster, Paul carefully removed the windshield and fabricated a completely new instrument panel containing a full set of Auto Meter gauges. Shannon Walters wrapped the seats with comfortable black leather, and Paul and Scott fabricated a new console to house the Hurst shifter. Building a ’66 Chevy II that looks classic and blends plenty of today’s best engineering into the package is not easy. But when you have a team like DSE on your side, the hard work pays big dividends.