While not as iconic as the Corvette or the Camaro, the Chevelle is one of the great nameplates of the golden muscle car era. Mostly because it got a bunch of awesome V8 engines during the second generation (1968-1972).
I’m obviously talking about the ridiculous 454-cubic-inch (7.4-liter) LS6 that delivered a whopping 450 horsepower and 500 pound-feet (678 Nm) of torque, as well as the 427-cubic-inch (7.0-liter) big-block rated at 425 horses. But not all Chevelles were powerful muscle cars.
The midsize was also offered with inline-six mills and small-block V8s. And not surprisingly, most of these Chevelles that aren’t particularly powerful or rare ended up in junkyards. Luckily enough though, some were transformed into restomods. Like this 1970 example here in light blue.
Sure, the fact that it rides on massive 24-inch wheels may upset the muscle car crowd, but hey, a 1970 Chevelle with a donk stance is much better than one that’s rotting away in someone’s backyard. And if you ignore the wheels, this Chevy looks the part and it’s otherwise stock on the outside.
But don’t let the “350” badges on the front fenders fool you. The original 350-cubic-inch (5.7-liter) V8 is no longer under the hood. It has been replaced by a modern crate engine of the LS variety.
There’s no info as to what powerplant we’re looking at, but it might just be an LS3. That’s the 6.2-liter V8 that Chevrolet initially offered in the C6-generation Corvette. And it’s good for a solid 430 horsepower and 425 pound-feet (576 Nm) of torque right off the Chevrolet Performance Parts shelf.
That’s a big upgrade over the old 350, which came with up to 300 horsepower in 1970.