15k: Wheelie Fun: 1970 Chevelle 454

Imagine lining up all the vehicles immortalized on the pages of Daily Turismo for a 1/4 mile race. Historians would call it the largest gathering of Volvos outside of a Swedish junkyard (listen carefully and you'll hear the sound of half of the DT community booking flights to Sweden) while NHRA enthusiasts would rate the competition as tepid, at best. Until this Mist Green behemoth thundered across the finish line in 9 seconds. Find this 1970 Chevelle 454 Super Fast LS6 bored 496 for $14,500 reserve not met.  Words and tip from DT commenter & contributor  slowcarSLOW-MPGlol. 

The 454 Chevelle, available only in 1970 models, is becoming a Hemi 'Cuda for collectors. It's not unusual to see them change hands for six figures, while Chevelles of lesser worth fetch anything from $20k-$60k. This one is an imposter, originally equipped with the 396 that was ditched for a 454. Bored and stroked, this all-motor monster now makes 736 horsepower.

You never really get used to this car's imposing size, especially from the back. Seeing its oversized haunches surpass the garage's width isn't a perspective illusion - it truly may not fit in there.

The seller says it isn't a butchered-up project. That's believable until you peek inside. Those gauges aren't right, and the mess of wires is worrisome, but it's the cage that reveals why it hasn't been street driven in 25 years: only a contortionist can get in it. Just kidding. (EIC Vince: Only a suicidal midget contortionist who doesn't mind dying from head-to-pipe impact or electrical fire would get inside.)

Realistically, this Chevelle was probably meant to be a track-only car until the last track on Long Island closed. So, like a frumpy spinster, only 15 passes have been made on it since 1989. This car isn't an investment. That doesn't make it a bad buy though, because it captures the spirit of the muscle car wars perfectly. Free from the burden of matching numbers and pedigree, this Chevelle has taken on a new purpose. It has become a straight-line rocket with a trick rear-end ready for smokey tributes to the good old days, if you can crawl through the titling process and the scaffolding blocking the driver's seat.



 See a faster car for this price? Email us at tips@dailyturismo.com
Another big thanks to DT commenter & contributor  slowcarSLOW-MPGlol for writing another feature.