“In 1990 I came across this Chevelle for sale in the Special Interest, a local paper with automotive ads I picked up at my neighborhood convenience store. At this point I had a 1970 Nova, but the 1969 Chevelle was my favorite of all muscle cars, and the one in the ad was exactly what I was looking for. I didn’t have the money for the asking price, so I called the number in the ad and asked the owner, Mike Nagle, to see if he’d be willing to make a trade for my Nova straight across. Turns out he wanted more of a drag car, which my Nova was, and I wanted a car more suitable for the street, which his Chevelle was. So, my good buddy Don Coady and I brought the Nova to Mike’s house so he could check it out and I could see the Chevelle in person. At the time, Don and I looked a bit rough around the edges so Mike’s wife, having an infant daughter, was not happy about us gruff-looking guys coming by the house to see the car, so she told Mike ‘don’t let them in the house.’ That in itself is a running joke we still laugh about today, but to her defense, we didn’t really make a good first impression.

So, we ended up trading cars, but what I didn’t know then was how that exchange would be the beginning of a lifelong friendship, as Mike and I have been close friends ever since.

An interesting part of the story is that while at the convenience store, I only had a dollar in my pocket, so I had to make the decision to buy a lottery ticket or the paper. The New York Lottery theme at the time was ‘A Dollar and a Dream,’ which almost convinced me to buy the lottery ticket, but luckily, I bought the paper instead. Although I didn’t play the New York lottery, I did hit the friendship lottery, which to me is worth way more than any cash prize.”

When Eddie got the car, it was black, and he drove it that way for years, but he eventually wanted to bring it back to its original gold hue. Today Eddie is the owner of Eddie G’s Muscle Car Garage in Holbrook, New York, so a few years ago, with the help of Eddie G’s paint guru Joe Mercuri, they doused the car in PPG Olympic Gold. Before spraying the fresh paint, the body was prepped to perfection, mini-tubs were added, and the rear fenders widened 2 inches to accommodate the massive rear rubber Eddie had planned to employ. It’s an excellent display of sheetmetal acrobatics that does nothing to disrupt the Chevelle’s original appeal and everything to give it a more-aggressive attitude. A fiberglass Motion Stinger hood was added for some East Coast muscle car vibe and Paul’s Chrome out of Evans City, Pennsylvania, brought the trim pieces back to a brilliant shine.

Under the Stinger is a 540ci Merlin big-block with a 4.50-inch bore and a 4.250-inch stroked Scat crankshaft. JE pistons hang from a set of Scat H-beam connecting rods capped by Merlin aluminum heads, and a Comp solid roller camshaft ensures proper engine synchronization. A 1,050-cfm Holley Dominator carburetor sits on top of an Edelbrock 454-R Victor intake manifold ensuring the 746hp mill receives the appropriate amount of swill even in high-rpm situations.

The big-block operates with a straightforward, no-frills approach, featuring polished sheetmetal Merlin valve covers and a March accessory drive system for a touch of visual appeal, but Eddie focused on the engine’s brute strength over appearance. An MSD 7AL lights the fire and a set of Kooks 2 1/8-inch headers and 4-inch stainless exhaust release spent fuel to a pair of Kooks mufflers, giving the Chevelle a deep, throaty growl while at idle and a loud, ornery roar in the upper-rpm range.

FB Transmissions in Bay Shore, New York, built the stout Turbo 400 transmission with a manual valvebody paring it to a Transmission Specialties 4,500-stall converter. A bulletproof Moser 12-bolt rearend equipped with 4:10 gears and 35-spline axles contributes to the neck-snapping launches.

The suspension retains most of the stock underpinnings while upgraded with heavy-duty springs, QA1 shocks, and modified control arms up front. At the rear, Global West control arms, Lakewood shocks, Moroso Trick Springs, and an air suspension out back come together to give the Chevelle its classic, almost-exaggerated, 1970s muscle car rake.

Contributing to the car’s vintage vibe even further, Eddie dialed in a set of fully polished Radir Tri-Ribb wheels on all four corners sheathed in the appropriate Mickey Thompson rubber: Front Runner 26×6 R15 tires up front and a pair of ET Street 315/60R15 out back.

Step inside, and you’ll find a mostly stock interior featuring black PUI upholstery to maintain the Chevelle’s classic feel. The original dash houses the stock AM radio and climate controls along with the factory horseshoe shifter. A trio of vintage Sun gauges strapped to the steering column, along with a line lock button mounted to the stock steering wheel reveal the Chevelle’s true racing intentions.

“Back in the day muscle cars may have gotten us in a little trouble, but today it’s muscle cars that keep us out of trouble and are the bond that holds our friendship together,” Eddie confesses. “We lost Don to cancer a few years ago, and every time I fire up the Chevelle, it sparks years of great memories and all the fun times he and I shared. Having owned this car for over 35 years, it has also given me great memories with my wife and kids. We had some fun times going to car shows and cruise nights in this car and watching them grow up with this Chevelle makes this car extra special.

“I’m thankful that Mike and I are still very close friends, and the fact that I still have the car that fueled our friendship is priceless. It all started with a dollar and a dream.”