Call it whatever you want; nostalgia or getting stuck in the past, but classic cars have a timeless appeal. There are two types of classic car owners – those that like to preserve history in its originality and those that love to get the best of both worlds (old and new automotive technology). The car in question today is owned by the latter.
Ask any American motorhead, and they’ll tell you the is an icon in American muscle car history. It’s more than 40 years since the last Chevelle rolled out of the production plant, but the classic ripper still enjoys a lot of prevalence in the vintage automotive circles and custom motorsports segments.
Shawn of AutotopiaLA YouTube channel recently featured a 1,004 hp (1,018 ps) all-motor 1969 Chevrolet Chevelle by Colorado-based Mile High Muscle.
Most modern car enthusiasts wouldn’t understand the intricacies of old automotive technology. While it’s the foundation of performance today, it’s considered outdated, complex, and slow compared to current standards.
Mile High Muscle has built this ’69 Chevelle to appeal to performance old-timers while also exciting the current crop of petrol heads. Simply put – It’s a classic Chevy muscle car made up of the old and new, all wrapped up in one badass ripper.
The Colorado-based custom car makers retained all the original chrome and body lines of the classic 1969 Chevy Chevelle. They also upgraded it with a modern drivetrain, chassis, and braking system.
Like most classic custom cars, this classic 1969 Chevrolet Chevelle by Mile High Muscle has an interesting backstory.
According to Jared Gastineau of Mile High Muscle, about seven years ago, his business partner bought the ’69 Chevelle off of eBay. It broke down in front of the dealership where Gastineau was working – and he was asked to work on it.
“We pulled the car in. Long story short, we opened up Pandora’s box. It left the dealership; we started doing car shows. He saw what little bit of traction it was gaining, and he just said, hey, what about opening your own shop,” Gastineau revealed.
Seven years later, the duo has expanded their business to a 10,000 sqft property, a.k.a. Mile High Muscle, in Colorado – thanks to the ’69 Chevelle.
That’s not all. Gastineau and his business partner decided to go big on the ’69 Chevelle. They included a new chassis from Speedtech Performance and later, General Motors offered to put an engine in their car – the ZZ632/1000 big-block V8 crate engine.
To remind you, the Chevrolet ZZ632/1000 big-block V8 is one of the newer monster engines by GM. The ‘632’ refers to the crate engine’s cubic-inch displacement (10.3 liters), while ‘1000’ is the horsepower it makes (accurately 1,004 hp/1,018 ps) with a warranty.
Believe it or not. This naturally aspirated engine is capable of 1,004 hp (1,018 ps) and 876 lb-ft (1,187 Nm) of torque at 5,600 RPM. It doesn’t come cheap; a unit goes for $37,758.
According to Chevrolet’s dyno chart of the ZZ632/1000, it provides about 600 hp (608 [ps) at 3,000 RPM while torque sits above the 350 lb-ft (474 Nm) mark.
“What is really cool is it is an oversized LS. It really has an LS-style-looking intake manifold, but it’s big. It’s very big.” Gastineau explained about the Chevrolet ZZ632/1000.
To harness all the power from the big-block V8, Gastineau and his team installed a 5-speed Tremec TKO 600 transmission on the ’69 Chevelle. They are also running a Dutchman 9-inch rear end and a 35-Spline axle.
Are you curious how this classic badass racer rips on the open road? We recommend watching the video below for the ride-along session.