Modifying a dream car (Part 2)
An advantage to using the Chevelle is that in the late sixties many of them came with a big block motor. My reasoning is probably not exactly what you might think. The big block engine is too expensive to build for my budget plan and drinks too much gas in general. They do have great resale value, though, if you get one in a Chevelle and decide to pull it out. The point here is that there's lots of room in the engine bay including a fairly tall hoodline. That's important for ease of working on your motor, for heat dissipation and for a small supercharger on top without the thing sticking out the hood. If you have a big block Chevy engine a small block will bolt right up to the crossmember so it's easy as pie to swap one for the other. You can even use a transmission designed for a bigblock on a small block. It's kind of standard in drag racing cars to use the turbo 400 transmission from a big block on a small block engine because they are so strong. For a handling car a standard transmission is preferred, though.
We've got our chassis in shape with a rollcage intact. After we put on all new suspension bushings etc, preferably the polygraphite type and things with a full kit, we are still not quite through with the chassis. We need heavy duty brakes. Big wheels and tires. These are all tough choices with lots of pro's and con's. I'm leaning toward just getting a full aftermarket brake kit from someone like Bear and just be done with it rather than trying to cobble something together. There are so many choices for tires and wheels that I recommend you do your research. Remember that wide tires have a bigger contact patch and therefore more traction. The tire is the only part of the car that actually touches the road. Where it gets complicated is how is that tire gonna do on rainy and or icy roads and how long will it last. Softer tires stick to the road better but they also wear out faster.
Here we'll get into the specifics of my personal pick for a good touring car. I've made this choice based on it's suitable characteristics. A big point is the small block Chevy. It's generally cheaper to build one up and the aftermarket is set up for them. Getting a Chevelle that already has a standard transmission and any original motor is an ideal platform for this kind of build.
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