A custom Chevy Chevelle SS is the subject of new video uploaded to the AutotopiaLA channel on YouTube – but unlike many of its other featured vehicles, this Chevelle SS puts an emphasis on style over performance.
Our reason for saying that lies with this car’s oversized 22-inch wheels. Whereas many muscle car owners prefer to have more tire sidewall and less rim, the owner of this car, who goes by Bearclaw, prefers to have big wheels with low-profile tires. More sidewall can provide additional grip from a launch, but it seems Bearclaw isn’t overly concerned with traction.
That doesn’t mean the owner doesn’t care about performance, though. Under the hood of this white-and-black Chevy Chevelle SS is a twin-turbocharged General Motors 5.3L V8 engine, which produces somewhere between 800 and 900 horsepower. Power is sent to the rather large rear wheels through a TH350 three-speed automatic transmission and a Ford nine-inch rear end with 3.73 gears, a Positraction differential and 31-spline axles. A set of vented Classic Performance disc brakes help bring this ridiculously powerful package to a stop.
Inside, this custom Chevelle features a set of reupholstered modern-day bucket seats, Dakota Digital gauges, an aftermarket woodgrain wheel and an aftermarket center console. The only major exterior mods, apart from the oversized wheels, white paint and matte black rally stripes, are a set of aftermarket LED halo headlamps and some black-painted trim pieces.
Check out the video below to learn a little bit more about this custom twin-turbo Chevy Chevelle SS and to see it perform some acceleration runs and burnouts on the streets of Los Angeles.
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Comments
Not sure what the builder was thinking when he put that otherwise good-looking car on those awful 22″ wheels. With all that ground clearance, he should have also installed some 31×10.50 mudder tires. If he was going for the “Donk” look, he pretty much accomplished it.
Seriously, when is all this ‘large-diameter- wheels- on classic-muscle cars’ nonsense going to go away? Put that car on, at most, 17s with tires with some actual sidewall, and get the car down closer to the ground where it belongs.
Those wheels are absolutely awful. Anyone who puts 20+ inch wheels on a classic car has zero taste. Personally I would choose wheels as close to factory-appearance or at least era-accurate as possible.
Thank Chip Foose for the rubber band tire and huge rims.I agree those look stupid.A bad cartoon.U like wheel wells full of black sidewall on classic cars.
That car is hideous! I agree wholeheartedly with all above comments. Awful looking Chevelle in every way! Fooses fingerprints are all over those ridiculous looking wheels & tires.
Didn’t it sound like it would start misfiring at high rpms ?