1970 Chevy Chevelle Spells CHAOS, It Has 750 HP and a Manual Transmission

Aggressive styling, a wide, intimidating stance, and signature stripes, the 1970 Chevrolet Chevelle came with big-block V8 engines. Customers could go for the base SS 396 with 350 horsepower, the SS 454 with 360 horsepower, and the crown jewel, the LS6, with a high-lift solid lifter camshaft, high-compression pistons, and a heavy-duty Holley 4-barrel carburetor, factory-rated at 450 horsepower.

Still not enough for the one who owns this Chevelle. So he brought his car to a Southern California-based custom shop, Backyard Specialties. Now, his license plate spells "CHAOS," and that’s just what the car is right now. Junior is the man responsible for the makeover.

What he got into the shop was a car that looked "decent." But "decent" doesn't tell half the story. It was finished in red and rode on black-finished wheels. Now, everything has changed. Instead of fixing, he chose to replace. Fixing would have probably been more expensive.

Under the hood, he craned a crate engine, a low-compression 376 (6.2-liter) LSX from the General Motors Performance Parts catalog. He needed something that he could pair with a supercharger, and that 376 was the winner. So, he went for a Kong Performance supercharger. A Wegener serpentine kit is part of the plan. 

Right now, the V8 pumps out 750 horsepower to the wheel. Junior wasn't even expecting to squeeze that much from the setup, but that’s how much he got when he dynoed the car. A six-speed Tremec T56 manual transmission supplied by American Powertrain puts the power down through the rear wheels in pure muscle car fashion.

A Jesse UC Performance exhaust with Black Widow mufflers roars out all the drama of the V8 from under the hood. The brutal street machine sits on a 9-inch rear end.

The Backyard Specialties experts were originally planning to retain the factory chassis. But when the owner told them about how he liked to drive, being into drifting and everything, Junior decided to go for a SpeedTech Extreme Torque chassis for improved rigidity and handling. It just handles the modern type of power better.

Black over red sounds like the perfect combo and makes the car look like a predator. It rides on Kompression wheels finished in silver, measuring 20 x 10 inches up front and 20 x 12.5 inches out back, with red-painted brake calipers. Manual brakes provide the stopping power. 

Junior asked the owner if he wanted anything special about the bodywork. He had already added the Kindigit door handles and asked for the bumpers to be tucked in to properly fit the car. RingBrothers mirrors were mounted on the sides, and an Ironworks chin spoiler appeared at the front.

Backyard Specialties doesn't do interiors, so they shipped the Chevelle SS to California Upholstery to do the job. They wrapped the seats, transplanted into the Chevelle from a Hyundai Veloster, and the door panels in red leather. The team sort of threw caution to the wind by ditching the headrests. They just didn't look good on board the Chevelle, so off they went. A Sparco steering wheel sits in front of the Dakota Digital gauges.

The rearview mirror integrates a screen for the rearview camera. Vintage Air air conditioning, power windows, and a new audio system with Bluetooth connectivity are now on board. For all these, they ended up putting a dual-battery setup in the back.

Despite all the modern touches, the owner wanted to keep the Chevy Chevelle vibe, with its pure American muscle attitude. And it looks like Backyard Specialties nailed it. 

Shawn of Autotopia LA takes the car for a spin. He likes the driving position and says they nailed it with the brakes. Besides, it feels like it never runs out of power. It’s been a long road, but everything turned out all right. Now he’s making efforts to get it off his mind. “I don’t want to fall in love with someone else’s car,” he says.

The suspension filters the road imperfections and makes it a comfortable cruiser when the driver wants it to behave, but it can act up and suddenly turn into a predator in the hands of someone who wants it to eat the road ahead. A lead foot on the throttle is all it takes for the Chevelle to show its second personality. Or is that personality number 1?

It does burnouts, leaving traces of rubber on the pavement and a trail of smoke behind, as it violently launches like a land rocket, giving the driver the feeling that he has everything under control.