Inaugural Triple Crown of Rodding – Chevy Style
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No Rules!
’69 Camaro Mini-Tub Install
Automatic to Manual
’69 Nova TREMEC
TKX Trans Swap
’69 Camaro Mini-Tub Install
Automatic to Manual
’69 Nova TREMEC
TKX Trans Swap
First Look  Holley Sniper 2 EFI
December 2023
Preview Issue
Make It Yours. Make It Lokar. Modern Performance. Classic Style. Endless Options.
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All Chevy Performance December 2023 cover
On the Cover
Justin Brown’s ’66 Chevy II Nova is an absolute attention-grabber, and with that Weiand 671 blower poking through the hood it’s hard to ignore. We figured it would also grab your attention on the cover of our Dec. ’23 issue. Check out the full feature and cool story starting on page 16. Photo by Wes Allison
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All Chevy Performance ISSN 2767-5068 (print) ISSN 2767-5076 (online) Issue 36 is published monthly by In the Garage Media, 370 E. Orangethorpe Avenue, Placentia, CA 92870-6502. Postage paid at Placentia, CA. POSTMASTER: Send address changes to: All Chevy Performance c/o In the Garage Media, 1350 E. Chapman Ave #6550, Fullerton, CA 92834-6550 or email ITGM at subscription@inthegaragemedia.com. Copyright (c) 2023 IN THE GARAGE MEDIA. Printed in the USA. The All Chevy Performance trademark is a registered trademark of In The Garage Media.
Departments
Features
Justin Brown’s ’66 Chevy II Nova
Ryan and Angel Cashman’s Pro Touring ’69 Camaro
Dan Miller’s ’71 Pro Street Camaro
Michael Fitzgerald’s ’70 Nova SS
Tech
When a Little is Just Enough!
Holley’s Upgraded Sniper 2 Throttle Body EFI
Swapping a TREMEC TKX Five-Speed Manual into a ’69 Nova
Johnson’s Radiator Works Builds an Efficient Copper and Brass Tri-Five Radiator
Events
Chevys Shine at Nashville Superspeedway
Hopped-Up Chevys Dominate the Weekend
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A square portrait photograph of Nick Licata posing for a picture with his arms crossed

 BY NICK LICATA

Five Stars for the Triple Crown
I

’ve been going to car shows for well over 30 years now, and I have to say lately many of these shows have lost their luster and become somewhat uninspiring. Maybe it’s because it’s a case of seeing many of the same cars over and over. Or it’s possible that longtime promoters have become content with doing the same thing at every show. Or maybe it’s just me.

That’s initially what I thought until I learned about a new event planned for September 8-9, 2023 called the Triple Crown of Rodding to be held at the Nashville Superspeedway. Months prior to the event there was a lot of buzz regarding the show as it was rumored the best would be attending—the best builders and the best cars in the country would all be there. What made it even more attractive is that this would be a two-day event as opposed to the three- and sometimes four-day shows. That alone makes it a winner in my book.

So, what is the Triple Crown of Rodding? It’s a brand-new event put on by longtime car builder Bobby Alloway and veteran show promoter Gary Case that includes three main awards broken in two groups: trucks and cars. For the truck group there are three awards for various year breakdown (Truck of Year Up to 72, Truck of Year 73-87, Truck of Year 88-98). The car awards are broken down to Street Machine of the Year, Street Cruiser of the Year, and Street Rod of the Year. How could this not work? Well, it did work, and it worked out great.

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1. Getting Fit
Confirming your wheel specs, including backspacing and offset, to order new or custom wheels can be accomplished in no time with Speedway Motors’ Wheelfit wheel backspacing tool. Simply assemble the wheel fitment calculator tool extensions inside the tire you plan to run and secure the sidewall clamps. Bolt the hub mounting plate to the extensions and you’re ready to mount your tire and take some measurements with their wheel offset measuring tool. It’s that easy.
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Sanders street rods green car

Text & Rendering by Tavis Highlander

'67 Chevrolet Chevelle
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Vehicle Builder: Sanders Street Rods, Enumclaw, Washington
U

tilizing the latest technology along with some good old-fashioned craftsmanship, Sanders Street Rods is transforming a ’67 Chevelle into the ultimate modern cruiser with classic looks. The first elements being handled include tucking in bumpers and fitting all the sheetmetal better than it ever was from the factory. From there the focus shifts to the engine bay where plenty of metalshaping will take place to create a clean look. Color and finishes will create the mood of this car with modern satin black on much of the trim while a vintage-inspired body color maintains the overall balance.

Underhood lives a turbo Texas Speed LS7 backed by a Bowler 4L80E. Big power backed by big reliability should make for a fun ride that’s also dependable. Sanders will create many CNC parts in-house so that everything is up to snuff for the high-horsepower hauler.

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BY NICK LICATAPhotography by Wes Allison
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Justin Brown’s ’66 Chevy II Nova
BY NICK LICATAPhotography by Wes Allison
J

ustin Brown has been into cars since he can remember. The wrenching aspect started with his first car given to him by his mom. It needed some work, so Justin dove in, got dirty, busted some knuckles, and figured things out. Sure, there were mistakes, but that introduction led the Cypress, California, Army vet to a career as an auto mechanic, and over 20 years later he’s still at it.

So, how did the Nova come about? “One night I was watching Street Outlaws and saw JJ Da Boss turn a barn find Chevy II into a badass drag car and that was it. That’s going to be my next build.” Justin says. “I’ve always been a fan of ’60s Chevys, and I had a ’67 C10 before building the Nova.”

white ’66 Chevy II Nova
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 Detroit Speed’s mini-tub kit (PN 040401DS)
Camaro Mini-Tubs
When a Little is Just Enough!
By Eric Geisert Photography by The Author
W

e’ve all seen the cars at the local cruise spots making a statement with the blowers sticking through the hoods and rear tires as wide as they are tall stuffed between the quarter-panels. But, if you think that look is overkill, there is another way to get performance from your ride without going overboard.

If you need up to a 12-inch tire out back but your ’69 Camaro still has its factory wheelwells for those extra-skinny ’60s-era tires, you’re in luck because installing a pair of mini-tubs will solve your problem. Detroit Speed manufactures several styles of mini-tubs for those owners who want to retain a near-stock appearance but add a little more tire out back.

Made in the USA using 18-gauge steel, the kit Detroit Speed offers includes two stamped tubs that are 2.75 inches wider than stock, look like the factory wheeltubs, come with a set of steel fill plates, a set of paper templates to help lay out the cut lines, and a 23-page(!) instruction booklet to explain how to do the work (they also have an installation video on their website).

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BY NICK LICATA Photography by John Jackson
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Ryan and Angel Cashman’s Pro Touring ’69 Camaro
T

ime and time again we read or write a story where we dig back into the owner’s childhood and speak on how that person got into hot rods and muscle cars by building models and playing with Hot Wheels diecast toy cars as a kid. Well, this time we are going to forego that story, but for the record, that’s exactly how things panned out with Ryan Cashman. His story is no different than most, and that’s a good thing because his early exposure to pint-sized hot rods built the foundation that helped create this amazing Pro Touring ’69 Camaro. Unfortunately, this build is not all his. This gem belongs to his wife, Angel.

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A Better Sniper
Holley’s Upgraded Sniper 2 Throttle Body EFI

By Jeff Smith
Photography BY THE AUTHOR
and Courtesy of Holley Performance

O

ne of the benefits of electronic engine control is that designers keep coming up with ways to make it better. As good as Holley’s original Sniper throttle body EFI has proved to be, the engineers from Bowling Green, Kentucky, couldn’t resist improving it with the Sniper 2. This is much more than just a superficial face-lift, and it will require most of this story just to outline all the changes, so let’s get cracking.

According to our Holley sources, the software is largely the same as the original Sniper except for the addition of the wireless Bluetooth connection and new transmission control–both of which we will detail in a moment. More importantly, the new ECU has been updated to be more robust in filtering out radio frequency interference (RFI), which can be a great benefit to resist electrical noise that is common with CD high-voltage ignition systems.

The throttle body has been completely redesigned to make it easier to install while also upgrading its functionality. For the basic system that will not control ignition, the main power harness only requires five connections to the vehicle for power, ground, switched ignition, fuel pump, and rpm. One additional upgrade is the throttle position sensor (TPS) is now integrated into the throttle body itself instead of bolted to the exterior. In addition, the throttle body has been redesigned to eliminate the outside fuel distribution hoses in favor of a cast-in fuel distribution channel.

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BY Scotty Lachenauer Photography by THE AUTHOR
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Dan Miller’s Pro Street ’71 Camaro
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The first time I saw this ’71 RS Camaro for sale, it just caught my eye. I checked it out and unfortunately the owner and I couldn’t agree on a price, so I had to walk away. I thought that was the end of the story, but luckily, we would meet again a few months later,” Dan Miller states.

Being a Chevy guy through and through, Dan has several other toys to keep him happy. “I have a sweet ’67 RS SS Camaro that I’ve owned for the past 15 years. It’s an L35 396 big-block car that I enjoy driving,” Dan mentions. “I also have an ’81 Z28 I’ve owned since high school, I have a super-rare Rally Green Metallic ’20 ZL1 1LE, and I have a ZL1 convertible in Wild Cherry Tintcoat. As you can tell, I’m a Bowtie fan—have been ever since I was a kid.”

3/4ths driver side view of Dan Miller’s black Pro Street ’71 Camaro with white dual racing stripes
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shifting gears of a '69 Nova
SYOG (SHIFT YOUR OWN GEARS) WITH SST
Swapping a TREMEC TKX Five-Speed Manual into a ’69 NOVA
By Taylor Kempkes Photography by The Author
I

n our minds, the joy of owning a classic muscle car is 50 percent style and 50 percent experience. There is nothing quite like the visual presence of a late-’60s or early-’70s GM muscle car—whether that be Chevelle, Nova, Camaro, or the like. There’s also nothing quite like driving one of these cars. It’s something about that raw power of a pushrod V-8 and questionable handling characteristics that pushes the engagement well beyond most other driving experiences. If there is one thing that can take that driving experience to the next level, it’s shifting your own gears.

There’s been a lot of “save the stick” talk over the past decade or so in regards to new vehicles. If you’ve driven modern cars lately, you can understand why. For an automotive enthusiast, you need that added driver engagement because the smooth, quiet ride and brisk acceleration of modern cars gets boring quick. A recent Internet meme contends that comparing Tesla 0-to-60 times to other “real” performance cars is akin to comparing a microwave to a barbecue grill—yeah it might cook faster but when was the last time someone asked for a microwave burger? So, if throwing a manual transmission into a modern appliance on four wheels can actually make it fun to drive, just think how a stick would feel in a ’60s muscle car!

Obviously, we’re not the first ones to figure this out. There’s a reason factory four-speed cars tend to be so dang expensive. Rather than try to find a reasonably priced Nova SS with a stick (do those even exist?), we’ll just make our own. While we’re at it, we might as well add an overdrive gear, too.

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Row of Bel-Airs with opened hoods
The Inaugural Triple Crown of Rodding
Chevys Shine at Nashville Superspeedway
By Nick Licata Photography BY THE AUTHOR
W

hen car show promoters drum up the idea of putting on a new event, car builders, vendors, and enthusiasts might wonder what will make this new show different from any other. Well, it takes a couple of experienced and well-respected industry guys like Bobby Alloway and Gary Case, along with an all-star cast, to pull it off just right, and that’s exactly what happened at the inaugural Triple Crown of Rodding presented by PPG at Nashville Superspeedway in Lebanon, Tennessee, September 8th and 9th.

To many folks in and around the hot rod industry, Alloway might be known more for building award-winning hot rods and muscle cars than being a car show promoter, but having ran Shades of the Past from 1981-2022, working on the inaugural Triple Crown of Rodding as a “side hustle” in 2023 fared well for the Tennessee native. With the help of Case, who has a long history of promoting numerous successful automotive-related events, the duo knocked this one out of the park, or in this case out of the speedway, with just shy of 1,700 cars populating Nashville Superspeedway’s infield. Yes, we’ve been to shows that included many more cars, but the unmatched quality of the rides at the Triple Crown made it a most enjoyable two days soaking in some of the best hot rods, customs, street rods, muscle cars, and trucks in the country.

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MAKE IT COOL
1. Johnson’s Radiator Works builds highly efficient Tri-Five radiators using traditional materials.
MAKE IT COOL
Johnson’s Radiator Works Builds an Efficient Copper and Brass Tri-Five Radiator
By TOMMY LEE BYRD Photography by The Author
W

hen it comes to cooling a Tri-Five Chevy, the options are all over the map. Stock radiators typically need repairs, and they’re usually not efficient enough to cool most high-performance engines. For the past 20 years or so, it has been popular to swap the original copper and brass radiator for an aluminum unit. While aluminum radiators are physically lighter and do a good job of cooling, there is no replacement for a tried-and-true copper and brass radiator when it comes to durability and longevity.

Many years ago, Vernon Walker and the folks at Walker Radiator Works in Memphis, Tennessee, developed trick internal components that allowed brass and copper radiators to outperform most radiators on the market. Walker was known mostly for street rod radiators but later got into the ’50s and ’60s applications, including the Tri-Five Chevy. Shorter fins allow for more tubes to increase capacity, while louvers in each fin create air direction changes for much better cooling capability.

When Walker closed its doors, hot rod builder Alan Johnson bought the entire operation, including all the machinery, patterns, and notes that dated back for decades of design and production. The name wasn’t part of the purchase, so he renamed it Johnson’s Radiator Works and moved the machinery to a facility near his hot rod shop in Gadsden, Alabama.

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Street Shaker Revisited
Michael Fitzgerald Injects New Life Into This ’70 Nova SS
BY Chuck VranasPhotography by THE AUTHOR
T

he only thing better than owning one of the most badass muscle cars in the ’70s is being able to buy it back decades later and give it new life with the latest go-fast goods. For Michael Fitzgerald of Rochester, Massachusetts, the dream became reality, evidenced by the absolutely stunning second coming of his original ’70 Nova SS laid out across our pages.

Purchased as a junior while at Braintree High School in 1973, the car embodied everything a young teen could have hoped for, with it being a nasty big-block powered, factory four-speed model that was ripe for performance upgrades. So much so that it ran open headers on a regular basis around town, spun 4.56 gears, and made the scene both on the street, at an abandoned airstrip, and at New England Dragway. It was also his first car used while dating his yet-to-be wife Mary—the one who introduced him to street racing, hopping-up a driveline, going to the drive-in, and even hanging out at the local burger spots. Unfortunately, the car was sold in 1976, however Michael made the pledge to his mom and Mary that he would later find it and buy it back.

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Close-up portrait photograph perspective of a black vintage Chevy vehicle with painted orange flames on it parked outside in front while there are other cars next to it nearby the entrance of the Exposition Center building at the NAPA Auto Parts Syracuse Nationals in Syracuse, New York
23rd Annual NAPA Auto Parts Syracuse Nationals
Hopped-up Chevys Dominate the Weekend
By Chuck Vranas Photography BY THE AUTHOR
T

here’s no better thrill than planning a road trip in your high-performance Chevy that will take you across the highways and byways of America, leading you to a large national event packed with like-minded car owners. From packing the trunk with your trip bits to rolling out of your driveway and topping off the tank with premium fuel, it’s the complete driving experience that makes it all come full circle. Regardless of whether your Bowtie is running the latest speed equipment to fuel a big-block, small-block, or LS, it’s all a blast, especially when setting a course to one of the biggest performance automotive fests in the Northeast, the 23rd Annual NAPA Auto Parts Syracuse Nationals in Syracuse, New York.

Arriving at the event you’ll find the expansive footprint of the New Your State Fairgrounds covering a massive 360 acres packed with an endless array of neat vintage buildings accented by perfectly paved roads for cruising and a wide assortment of state-fair-style eateries to check out when the call to refuel hits. As the event unfolds around you for the three-day get-together, the visually stunning grouping of muscle cars, classic trucks, hot rods, customs, and restos leaves you awestruck, thanks to plenty of vibrant candy colors fused with decadent chrome laid out across the venue. It’s all complemented by a vast array of both indoor and outdoor vendors showcasing plenty of industry-leading performance parts for your ride, select builders displaying their latest creations, and live music on multiple stages.

Throughout the busy weekend there was plenty of cool stuff to check out, starting with the nominees for the Designer Dozen Awards, sponsored by Pfaff Designs and Pilot Transportation, where a select team of well-known automotive celebrity judges canvass the grounds to assemble 100 vehicles to compete for one of the very desirable awards (which has now been increased to 16 picks to cover even more build styles). There was also plenty of competition for the coveted Tucci Hot Rods Style & Design awards.

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Thanks for reading our December 2023 preview issue!