Enthusiastic about upgrading the car, Rich began gathering N.O.S. body panels—fenders, doorskins, bumpers, trim, and the like with the intention of getting the Elco looking fresh. At the same time, Rich had the idea to build the car in Pro Touring style well before the moniker existed. “I was looking for a way to run 17-inch wheels and sticky tires, and I wanted the car to corner well—not just do straight-line stuff, but there weren’t many options back then, and the wheels I did find were out of my price range.”

About the same time, the big-block developed a rod knock, so it was parted out for some scratch to help fund building a potent small-block to motivate the hauler. Rich armed it with Brodix Aluminum heads and a host of other high-performance bits to stay in line with his idea of building a unique (for the time) muscle car. Today, that engine still sits on an engine stand, but that’s a story for another time.

Rich held onto the car along with numerous boxes of N.O.S. sheetmetal and shuffled it all from carports to neighbors’ garages and rental homes before he was able buy a house in 1997 where the parts sat in the garage and the car on jackstands until 2009. At that point, Rich was able to get it to a local shop with the intention of installing a cantilever suspension and an LS engine. Apparently the Elco was low on that shop’s priority list, so it sat with very little progress until 2018 when it was rescued by Gary George of Gary’s Rods and Restorations in Watsonville, California. “Thankfully Gary took pity on my project,” Richard reveals. “I explained my vision to Gary, and with his suggestions we devised a plan to get the car where it is today.

Spent fuel escapes via a pair of Stainless Works headers and Gary’s custom-fabricated 3-inch stainless exhaust, while a set of Borla mufflers allow the 550hp LS to announce an aggressive tone coinciding with the car’s powerful appearance.

A TREMEC Magnum six-speed transmission is backed by a McLeod twin-disc clutch and provides Rich the opportunity to shift on his terms—not a pre-determined rpm range offered by an automatic. The ensemble enables tactful launches, high-rpm gear changes, and excellent street manners while sending power to a Strange Engineering Fab9 rearend via the South Bay Driveline driveshaft.

Race Line wheels are wrapped in asphalt-gripping Michelin Pilot Sport rubber, which puts the high-end suspension system to task. A set of Baer brakes offer excellent performance braking to bring this beast down from speed forthwith.

The interior’s period-correct looks include a stock dash fitted with stock-appearing, high-tech Dakota Digital gauges. Digging in further reveals a collection of custom 3-D–printed bits designed with classic GM style combined with modern overtones. The floors are foamed and contoured to hide the lower rollbar supports for a more continuous flow. DJ Designs is responsible for modifying the Procar by Scat seat frames then stitched on the black leather upholstery, which jives perfectly with the Black Daytona carpet. Paying attention to detail, Danny at DJ’s employed magnetic panels voiding the use of screws for a clean appearance. The Vintage Air A/C system keeps Rich cool on those hot summer days.