"Dreamchaser" Finally got me a 72 Chevelle

[Sebambam]

Hey guys long time no see/hear

i am back here to report about my recent purchase and NEW PROJECT

i was always a fan of the 70-72 Chevelles but as a younger guy i was not able to afford one...
With that said i ventured out in the GM A- Body worked and got a 68 BUICK GS (Skylark)
that i had for years now and formed it into a really cool Street car
short specs on that :
Buick 350 with a Mark burton twin turbo Kit, controlled by Holley Sniper/hyperspark
good tubular rear suspension, th400, Weld draglites (15x10/15x7) converted to DOG DISH wheels (cant se the weld style)
its a great car i really like it


BUT the truth is i always wanted a chevelle and NOW I FOUND ONE, obviously in 2024 it is even more expensive than back then but i am also older and more established so i pulled the trigger.
ITS A FULL ON PROJECT
and i am good with that, because i can build it as i want it
i have to fix body panels , Body & paint , good handling Suspension and a good drive train ( i have one)
i plan on putting a fresh cammed NA LS2 in it with a Nissan CD009 6-speed ( i have this parts already) with Hydraulic clutch.
i am very familiar with the LS platform and i am most likely use the Holley terminator platform for engine management.

goal is a RELIABLE NA street car that i could put on a road race course ( yes i know its a chevelle and big and heavy ) WITH AC ( getting older and this TX heat is no joke)
a no headache car.

I have turbo LS cars and i love them but i want the simplicity of NA and if i can get around 450-500max whp with the Chevelle i believe this will be enough, otherwise you challenge the handling even more.
Suspension wise i will look into : fully adjustable coilovers of course , tubular control arms and needed sway bars, i will probably piece it together for my needs.
which leads me to the question is there a Panhard bar setup or watts links Bolt Ons for chevelles ( are those needed?)

I will beef up my existing 10 bolt with C Clip delete and Spool or a Posi (depends on what makes more sense)

I will go as far ass my Budget carries me , i will not spend thousands on not needed parts or brand names just to have it...

it will be a pricey adventure for my Budget , you guys might laugh about the budget part but im sure i can put it together how i want it with what i have ( btw that's hot rodding )

here she is



wish me luck lol

[Shipwreck]

Good luck with it, looking forward to seeing the finished product!

[Sebambam]

Transmission choice ???

I have a AR5. AND A CD001 both will be capable to manage the Na power,
Which one would be your choice.
FABBOT offers straight bolt on adapters with hydraulic clutch for both.

[TitanFox]

Looks like a solid project should be fun, Good luck with the build.

[Sebambam]

well now is the Drivetrain conflict

i have a

-cammed LS2 (all new Bottom end)
with ported 799 heads and nice sheet metal intake + a cd009 Trans ( 6 speed)
i would Holley Term X or ACES Jackpot this NA LS
*Very reliable and great power ,but to be honest in the meantime boring i think.

Or

-468 Gen 4 BIG BLOCK ALL NEW roller setup with a strong Howards cam , nice ALU top end , that i could pair with a
Super T10 ( 4speed) or for convenience OR with a TH400 ( i have sitting around and that will hold the torque)
i would EFI this Big Block
* a 5 or 6 speed manual that could hold the BBC torque is to much $$$ for me to justify the BBC then , so i would only go with what i have or the mentioned T10( since they are stout behind BBCs)

i know 2 very different approaches, i love both, the LS is the reliability KING, the Big Block is just THE engine in a CHEVELLE.

with all the parts that i have in the shop
the BBC is the more pricey approach.
I still need a Super T10 ( 700-1000) and the EFI Sniper with Hyper spark Dizzy for full control (2.5K)

for the LS i only need the Engine management and the CD009 adapter/clutch setup ( around 3K)

decissions , decissions

[craulston]

I just had a friend with this same decision on a 70 Chevelle. He decided to go LT4!
its hard to go wrong with an LS\LT power plant but I know there is much love for the Big Block.

[ryeguy2006a]

While not as exotic as EFI, my suggestion would be to run the 468 BBC, save the EFI for down the road, buy a nice carb and spend the coin on a T56 Magnum. While strong, I've heard that the CD009 gear ratios leave a lot to be desired.

[Sebambam]

I Had my success with LS and i love them the lil LS2 i have will have plenty of power
However a Big Block is a Big Block...
and i see the trend of Big blocks coming back, a lot of guys who went LS going back to EFI Big blocks and i have to admit i was SURE i use the LS2 , and now i am on the BBC train again ahahah..

[Sebambam]

update:

LS2 it is, i sold the BBC!
i ordered a TKX trans Kit for the chevelle
and a bunch of other parts.
like the
VIKING Coilover kit
tubular front Control arm kit
rear adjustable arms.
Front BAER brake kit
etc.

im gathering more parts and figuring out of i source out the body work

[csouth]

update:

LS2 it is, i sold the BBC!
i ordered a TKX trans Kit for the chevelle
and a bunch of other parts.
like the
VIKING Coilover kit
tubular front Control arm kit
rear adjustable arms.
Front BAER brake kit
etc.

im gathering more parts and figuring out of i source out the body work

Nice start on the project! I honestly would stay away from the ACES, its very young. I always prefer something with lots of support either vendor or community and from what I read there is not a lot. My 2 choices would be first Haltech and second Holley.
Haltech is supposed to be marketed at the Terminator and it has more inputs available. I would check them out if you haven't make the purchase yet.

[Sebambam]

i have build 2 cars withe the ACES JACKPOT and it works well for NA cars,
the tuning SW is not as "common" however it does what it should do if you know what parameters to tweak.
the system Wizard is VERY RICH , you basically have to lower the Fuel table 20% right away.

i agree that it still has challenges with power adders, i have seen successful power adder tunes and people who run it, however its not as "complete" as the Holley here.

more and more people have success with it , especially the JACKPOT LS Standalone system.
Some people still struggle with there TBI EFI Killshot, while with this builds the "former" carbed engine can be the restriction for success, its basically the same as the people complain about the SNIPER not working correctly.
( i have a good working Sniper+ Hyperspark setup on one of my cars)

here is a good community :
https://www.facebook.com/groups/1317778902120170

the Support is decent, they are a smaller company but they have certified tuners in the meantime and a couple of them really know what they doing.

i guess the most misleading with this systems is the term "self tuning" which is absolutly wrong! the Wizard and the "learn" will put you in the ball park but will not get you a clean tune , all tunes have to be touched by a tuner ( or yourself if you know what you doing)
I also have budgeted this costs for the ACES... its the same there.

[Sebambam]

Well guys, life gets in the way ...sad but true...

So basically 1 year later i am finally able to get after it

I started with replacing the quarter panels.
i am not sure yet if i bodywork and paint it myself, this will be based if i find a reliable paint and body guy in my area ( Dallas TX) for a reasonable price.
Most of the guys are ridiculous expensive and the work is not guaranteed to be up to my standards.
So i rely consider to do it myself, then at least i control my own failures and i can fix them lol.

I took the body of the Frame to work on the body ,
Firewall , panels etc.


And the Frame actually looks really good.
i have all Viking Suspension parts , tubular control Arms, and adjustable rear arms. as well


the LS2 has gotten a "old school" look treatment , so i can maintain the right looks.

[Sebambam]

Alot has happend

Frame rebuild with modern suspension upgrades
Viking Coil overs, BAER Disc brakes all around, Tubular Control Arms

8.2 Rear end rebuild and performance upgrades with QUICK PERFORMANCE POSI, Axles and supporting parts.

Body work from metal work ( new quarters , Rust fixes ,
Complete Stripping down of the old laquer paint, Epoxy Sealing and multiply layers of 2k Primer with endless hours of Blocking.

DIY Paint job , which came out very nice in my opinion.

Body back on frame and LS /TKX drive train installation.
Incl. Trans tunnel Mods.

[JJ 86]

Nice work. What size are the wheels and tires?

[ryeguy2006a]

Looks great! Love the color choice.

[all4sho]

very nice!!

[Sebambam]

Nice work. What size are the wheels and tires?

Hey Thoose are ESR Wheels with custom Bolt pattern bore. Fairly cheap
18x9.5 front 18x10.5 back