I am a lurker by nature. I have been lurking around this site and occasionally posting for some time now. I have always thought of keeping everything close to the vest with my build, but quite frankly, the guys at Best of Show are doing such a RAD job that I had to post some update pics. Right now the car is at Elegance Auto Interior as they try to wrap things up (pun intended) and I hope to be driving this thing no later than January 1 2013, which happens to be my birthday.
Having owned 2 first gen Camaros, a 3rd gen and a 4th gen - The Chevelle was not my first choice. But after starting a family and realizing the need for a midsized car and a back seat, I quickly gravitated towards this body style. I bought it in December of 2008 from the original owners family. I drove it home from LA to San Diego - it was all original except for the target master 350 in place of the 327. It is an original Malibu with a gauge pack and knee knocker tach. After various planning stages and concept deliberations, I set off on this rebuild in May of 2009. My wife and I decided to grow our family after it's purchase and went from one son to three... hence the delay. However, I finally convinced her to let me finish the car this year - so I got a vasectomy and dropped the car off at Best of Show a week later!
I added a few pics of the build as it progressed from a very dry but original clunker to what I have today. Like I said, the countdown is on and we are at the home stretch. Enjoy!
Engine and assembly pics. The L92 short block was sourced by Tom Nelson are Nelson Racing Engines. I bought some used LS3 Heads and sent them to West Coast for a CNC port and valve job. We added a cam and the Fast intake - it subsequently made a hair over 600hp. Pretty stoked!
The car is now starting to come together - engine and trans are now in (T56) and the Kore 3 brakes (thanks Matt A) are now hung and looking SANO!
Got the treatment at Redline Gauge works. They modified the original gauges with VDO internals. The tach remains stock in appearance but see the redline at almost 8000 RPM. Restored the original steering wheel to tie in with the stock look of the dash.
This is cool...
so the guys at best of Show went into a mad thrash to make an earlier than expected appointment with the interior shop. So last week, they tied up all the loose ends so we could drive the car into the interior shop. Unfortunately, one of my headers needed modifying so they couldn't kick the car over in time. They gave it to me to take to the exhaust shop, where the header and the whole system would be completed and installed. Dick at BOS told me "it should start" so give it a try - this was last SUNDAY! So, I did as I was told and kicked it over - it had a basic bench tune on the Holley and all fluids were filled.
Brian Hobaugh SCCA National Tour June 2014
First Hemi 'Cuda Convertible Ever Built
Short clips: Goodguys Pleasanton autocross and pit videos
1966 Chevelle - Project Complete!
Nonetheless, it is a stellar car. I like it. 
Post the interior pics once it's done. 
Linear Mode
