When Kevin Koykka set out to build his 1967 Chevelle, it was going to be an all-out race car. You know, tubbed out, narrowed rear, monster tire, rollcage-the whole nine. The car was originally Grenada Gold with a 327. Kevin had plans to install a 700-horse killer from a previous project, but as time wore on, he took the body off the frame and realized that the car was too clean to chop up for racing. Plans had changed.
Kevin and his wife, Colleen, reside in Cedar Brook, New Jersey. Kevin is employed as a police officer in the Township of Runnemede. One day, while working on the car, Kevin's father started talking about how he raced his Chevelle back in the '60s. You know, back in the day when you walked to school, barefoot, in the snow, 10 miles away, uphill in both directions. Well, one thing led to another and his father talked him into the old school sleeper look.
After deciding the fate of his project, Kevin called local bodyman and painter, John Truman, to give him a hand with the Chevelle. The original gold paint and vinyl top were stripped and all necessary bodywork was performed. Kevin then decided on R-M Diamont's Burnt Cherry paint. It was a basecoat-clearcoat combination, and it came out flawless. All chrome was re-done at C&M Chrome Plating in Atco, New Jersey.
The next order of business was the powerplant and drivetrain. Kevin was after some serious horses with street driving in mind. After a considerable amount of debate, Kevin decided on a GM Performance Parts ZZ 502 long-block-not only for the power, but the streetable attributes, too. The 502 came with a pump gas-friendly 9.7:1-compression. Kevin then added an Edelbrock dual-quad aluminum intake manifold with a pair of Edelbrock Performer 600-cfm carburetors. Fuel is fed via an Aeromotive electronic fuel pump. Oil containment duties are handled by a Milodon seven-quart oil pan.
Waste gases pass through Hooker 2 1/8-Super Comp long-tube headers into 3-inch exhaust, polished off with Dynomax mufflers. Coolant temperature is kept in check with a Be Cool four-row aluminum radiator and an Edelbrock water pump. MSD Ignition was called on to light the fire. Kevin estimates power output at 530 hp and 580 lb-ft of torque. The first time at a local track outing, Kevin was surprised when his timeslip read 11.94 at 112 mph. This was achieved with the aid of Mickey Thompson DOT radials.
Backing the robust 502 is a Transmission Specialties Turbo 400 transmission with Ultra Bell, and a 3500-stall converter. Gearshifts are made via the stock shifter. A custom heavy-duty 3-inch driveshaft was also employed to handle frequent shock treatments. Out back a Currie Enterprises 9-inch rear was installed, complete with 4.10 gears and a Detroit Locker differential. The rear is held in place by Currie's adjustable tubular control arms. The rear also contains stocks springs with Air Lift airbags and Edelbrock shocks. Rear brakes are Stainless Steel Brake Corporation's 11-inch drums.
The front suspension contains stock A-arms, with big-block springs and Edelbrock shocks. No two-footing the brake pedal here. This baby has power brakes with 11-inch rotors courtesy of SSBC. Body roll is kept in check via a heavy-duty sway bar with polyurethane bushings throughout.
For the interior, Kevin kept it simple and clean. It contains stock seats and door panels, wrapped in black vinyl-back then, the factory did pretty well. Instrumentation is stock with Auto Meter gauges added for additional peace of mind. An Audiosound head unit and speakers handle the tunes.
Aiding in the old school look are Coker Redline radial tires, wrapped around 15x7-inch Chevy steel wheels. Kevin hit the jackpot when he found a clean set of dog dish hubbies.
When time allows, Kevin travels to the occasional car show. This undercover beast has won its fair share of trophies, including "Best Paint" and "Best Chevelle." Kevin informed us that his next mission is to upgrade the cylinder heads and camshaft. Could low 11s be next?