If you went to your regional weekend car show, what would be the most popular mid-size muscle car you'd see there? You might probably answer, Chevelle, and there's a reason for it. The Chevelle was one of Chevrolet's most popular vehicles, and it was one of the best-selling cars of all time. To this day, it is still a model sought after by collectors & hot rodders.
Brief History of the 66 Chevelle
In 1966, Chevrolet relaunched its Super Sport Chevelle as the performance muscle car to have. The 66 model year saw various improvements to the Chevelle, the most notable of which was a complete restyle to take the form of the Coke-bottle body style that was popular at the time.
That year, the SS became its own model. The Z16 package, as well as the 283 and 327 in the SS trim levels, were omitted, however, the 396 persisted with a power output ranging between 325 to 375 horses.
From Father to Son
Today, we’re taking a look at Griffin Steinfeld’s 1966 Chevelle SS.
How the LS Swap came about
The story of the LS swap on this particular car began a few months ago when Steinfeld dropped a valve on the old school small block and ended up destroying the engine.
He says that he had an LS engine lying around in his garage and he along with his pals managed to swap the old small block for the LS. They managed this feat in just five days which is outstanding for a homemade effort.
According to Griffin, the Chevelle retains its bone-stock chassis from 1966, which is kept in check by a Holley Dominator EFI system that also controls the 4L80-E automatic transmission. Can you believe that it is still rocking power windows and power steering?
The structural rigidity is improved thanks to the addition of a roll cage. The Viking Performance double adjustable shocks at both ends with stock geometry and Currie rear axle significantly boost the straight-line grunt on the asphalt.
A Holley Lo-Ram EFI intake manifold along with a touchscreen display in the center of the MCD7 carbon fiber dash and two Evo 2 Sparco Racing seats finish off the cockpit. Griffin also admired the guys at Holley and how they’re always there to support should they have a problem with any of the parts.
This Chevelle is outfitted with Mickey Thompson drag radials on the rear with skinnier tires upfront. The twin-turbo LS-powered V-8 that lies under the hood provides some ballistic performance. It can spit flames through the exhaust in the hood.
To sum it up
This one-of-a-kind Chevelle is insanely fun on the drag strip and we’re glad to see the excitement is shared between father and son. This exceptional and uncommon Chevelle has to be one of the quickest and most coveted Chevelle SS out there. The Chevelle still continues to be regarded as one of the forerunners today just as it had helped pave the path for future muscle cars over five decades ago.
Check out Griffin Steinfeld's 66 Chevelle below.