Luke Thompson has had this 1970 Chevelle SS for 15 years.
In 2006, he was searching for a 1966-67 Chevelle. He wanted a first-generation version of one of Chevrolet’s most successful nameplates. The SS, or Super Sport, model was Chevrolet’s entry into the muscle car craze that was whipping the streets of North America into a frenzy in the mid-1960s.
Luke liked the look of the Chevelle built from 1964 until 1968, when Chevrolet changed the body style, making it more sculpted with tapered front fenders and a rounded beltline. The 1970 models were revised yet again with all-new interiors and new sheet metal on the outside that gave the Chevelle that coke-bottle style.
The 1970 Chevelle SS kept cropping up in Luke’s eBay searches. Maybe the universe was trying to tell him something?
1970 Chevelle SS with Luke behind the wheel and his son, Cruz, keeping an eye on his future possession.
Without actually seeing the blue beauty ‘in the flesh’, he geared up his truck and trailer and headed to Pennsylvania.
The 1970 Chevelle SS had been set up as a drag car. Luke left it like that for a year or two but he wanted to make it more of a street car so he replaced the 383 Stroker that had powered the drag car with a high-performance 350 V8 that pushes out between 425 and 450 horsepower.
The fuel cell in the back instead of a regular gas tank means it can only go about 100 kilometres so it’s not been very far from home.
The car had a nitrous oxide setup with an automatic transmission with a trans-brake, helping it go stupid-fast in a straight line. Luke changed the transmission to a four-speed manual.
He has no thoughts about selling his Chevelle SS. His two teenaged sons love it and are obviously vying for ownership.
Luke Thompson’s son Cruz sure doesn’t want his Dad to sell his 1970 Chevelle SS. He’s not old enough to drive it yet but look out…
Luke jokes that there’s lots of room under the hood for GM’s latest crate engine, the biggest it has ever offered – the ZZ632/1000 – that’s a 632 cubic-inch displacement (10.3L) that makes a monstrous 1000 horsepower and 876 lb-ft of torque.
We don’t think he’s really joking though. Good thing he kept the drag slicks.
