Its platform entered the production phase in 1962 and many enthusiasts would classify the Chevy II and Nova as second in overall popularity only to the Camaro. This sassy little econo-box has long been embraced by gearheads from coast to coast. Lately, the sought-after model has even captured the attention of some well-known aftermarket chassis parts manufacturers. Guys have always wanted a way to trash those OE shock towers, make it easier to install headers, and upgrade the front end, though no options were available until recently. However, the decidedly different Chevy II we're showing you here takes the word aftermarket to a whole new level. It could easily be the "Poster Child" for the future of our musclecar marketplace, thanks to Kevin King and the project team at Year One. It's all aftermarket-from top to bottom, from bumper to bumper, from stem to stern. The design and fabrication is the brainchild of ProMax/Vennom and this wild '67 Deuce is now available from the restoration and modification specialists at Year One.
Just like this progressive Georgia-based Company has done many times in the past, it's selected a desirable musclecar and completed a wild build-up. High-profile project cars are done partly as a marketing promotion and partly to demonstrate (to its legions of faithful customers) that it's a company made of, and driven by, genuine hot rodding enthusiasts. As far as the promotion end of things goes, we're proud to partner with Kevin and Year One and proud to have the opportunity to adorn our pages with the splash of class that's clearly demonstrated in this aggressive project. Like many appealing street machines before it, this one gets inspiration from the drag strip-from those daring doorslammers we call Pro Mods. Body modifications include several styling practices from its Pro Mod cousins, such as the rake of the windshield, its slightly chopped top, a longer cowl-induction hood (which makes the OE cowl/wiper panel unnecessary) and some selective pinching and slicing, here and there.
Kevin King's Year One Deuce sits rakishly on a mild steel custom chassis with a 109-inch wheelbase--a foundation which is still plenty stout for the occasional trip to the strip. Available in three packaged phases to suit customer desires, this ProMax chassis uses an A-arm front suspension with Flaming River's manual rack-and-pinion steering and QA1 Proma Star coilovers fitted with 450-pound springs. The back end is comprised of a triangulated, fully adjustable 4-link, which locates a Fab 9 housing fitted with a 4.10:1 gearset and Auburn Pro Posi unit. Once again, QA1 Proma Star coilovers are employed with a 175-pound spring rate. Colorado Custom was chosen to dress the corners using 17x7 and 18x10 "Gunnison" wheels from its Superior Series. Kevin decided to colorcoat the wheel centers with a tasteful contrast, which mirrors the coating on several of the car's underhood accessories. Nitto 555 rubber wraps those Gunnisons giving it appearance and grip in sizes 225/40ZR17 and 305/45ZR18 respectively.
With a project like this needing plenty of power to back up its appealing attitude, we find a ZZ572 from GM Performance Parts providing the grunt, as well as the pipe music. It's stuffed with all the best GM internals like the forged steel crank and rods, along with a stout cam profile. The compression ratio comes in at 9.6:1, well within the comfort zone since Kevin intends to drive it far (and hard) during this season and beyond. Things get interesting up above the 118cc aluminum rectangular-port heads, though. A custom intake from Hogan represents the heart of the induction system, which employs a Cobra throttle body from AccuFab and a prototype Gen-7 EFI featuring coil-per-cylinder ignition, all from DFI. Engine detailing is second to none with a custom-fabricated air box assembly pulling fresh air from the cowl-induction hood. Granted, we've seen cowl induction for a while, but these guys have taken advantage of directing virtually all the usable air via a slick "funnel" scoop, which channels the blast right into the air box.
The Deuce platform will accept any type of transmission, from a PowerGlide all the way to a 6-speed stick. However, Kevin selected a TCI 4L80E, which uses a 2800-3800-stall TCI converter and a Hurst Quarter Stick. The car's main body is constructed in one piece with proper reinforcing, and it's gelcoat smooth for those who are interested in building a "street rod quality" street machine, such as Kevin's. While we're at it, you should know that the body's profile has been dropped over 7 inches in front and almost 3 inches in the rear. Also, the side profile has been angled 4 inches, with much modified rockers for additional rake. Keeping style in mind, the vent glass assemblies have been deleted lending even more visual appeal to this tried and true performer.
During the planning stages of the project, Kevin was in contact with the producers of the hit TV show Rides and a film crew followed the progress for about six months. First aired as a one-hour show in mid January of this year, it's very likely that you'll be able to catch the episode's re-airing if you haven't seen it already. Similar to the ladies in our lives, cosmetics are paramount in order to make a proper first impression. As such, Lee's Collision Center in Loganville, Georgia, handled the body and paint chores finishing things off with Kevin's choice of PPG Aztec Gold with Titanium Brown trim. Though it's a subtle color, this stormer packs plenty of sting when it strikes.
Inside, the creativity of Year One's project team comes into play as several one-off pieces were custom crafted in-house including the dash, door panels, gauge enclosure, subwoofer housing, amp displays and rear interior panels. While Auto Meter supplied the gauges and Vintage Air sent the cooling comfort, Glide Engineering handled the seating requirements. However, the task of stitching and trimming the interior was performed by Henderson's Upholstery, located in Sugar Hill, Georgia.
This creature zone is also outfitted with an Alpine DVA 7996 AM/FM/CD/DVD player, which includes an Alpine Surround Sound PXAH 701 with DTS Pro Logic. That's all driven by Kicker amps, combining an SX 700.4 4-channel, SX 400.2 2-channel, with an SX 1250.1 Mono subwoofer. An array of Kicker speakers includes the SS56.2 Component Center, two pair of SS 65.2 front and rears, two S12L7 subwoofers, with channel and component speakers. Also included is a GVision 12-inch LCD Monitor and an AlumaPro capacitor with wiring, interconnects, fuse blocks, and connectors from StreetWires. If you outfit your cruiser with this level of electronics, we hope you've got a qualified co-pilot to engineer its operation.
While Kevin's Deuce is a decidedly high-tech machine, part of that is by desire and part by design. And though it was built to be driven, its purpose is also intended to demonstrate the abilities of the project team at Year One. However, this revolutionary musclecar is available to be assembled with whatever level of technical innovation (or lack thereof) as its new owner's imagination can conjure. Year One is well equipped to guide you through the process and has the inventory needed to see your Deuce project go from the assembly stage all the way to "grins on the Boulevard."