Mike also enlisted the help of Guy Tripp, the owner of SoCal Diesel. With about a week of time into his own half-ported cylinder head, he turned it over to Guy, who used a CNC machine to port the cylinder heads faster than Mike ever could, while also upgrading them with new valves and springs. Although Mike wanted to have a show-grade machine, he also wanted it to be fast, so the performance parts didn't stop there. The engine was upgraded with Carrillo connecting rods, and the stock pistons were modified by SoCal Diesel.
With a stout long-block, Mike turned his attention toward supplying plenty of fuel and air. The stock turbocharger was ditched for twin Garrett GT-38R turbos set up in parallel, or one turbo per bank. The turbos feed into two Bell intercoolers and are driven by custom headers courtesy of Bassani. The intake manifold is also a one-off 16-runner piece that was TIG-welded by Fast Eddie's Race Cars. On the fuel side, a PPE Dual Fueler is mounted in front of the engine via a custom accessory drive that uses a big-block Chevy crank pulley. Tuning is provided by an off-the-shelf PPE programmer, which Mike keeps on the highest setting.
With this much power on tap, the drivetrain had to be up to the task, so the Allison transmission was fitted with a Stage 5 upgrade kit from PPE, along with a custom converter from ATS. The rearend was a custom-built Ford 9-inch by Fast Eddie's Race Cars, which houses a 3.25 gear ratio and a Detroit Locker.
During our photo shoot, Mike surprised us by how hard he drove his one-of-one creation. He didn't slow down for corners or potholes, and he floored it as much as he could on the way to our pre-arranged photo shoot location. Even though Mike's creation carries a six-figure price tag, he's built it as a genuine driver. In fact, as the weather clears up, Mike is planning on taking the Chevelle to the local dragstrip, where he'll be shooting for mid 9s in the quarter-mile.
 The rear tires are made by...  The rear tires are made by Mickey Thompson and measure a mammoth 33x22x20, and are complemented by a set of 16-inch Wilwood disc brakes. |  Twin coated Garrett turbochargers...  Twin coated Garrett turbochargers provide plenty of air, while Wiggins clamps are used to keep all the connections secure under high boost pressures. |  Underneath the car lies a...  Underneath the car lies a trick 3-inch dual exhaust by Bassani, which was somehow snaked up and over the custom rear axle and suspension built by Fast Eddie's Race Cars. |
 The rollcage extends through...  The rollcage extends through to the trunk, where more custom work is visible. The fuel tank, wheel tubs, and mounts for twin batteries are all custom. |  Mike estimates he has almost...  Mike estimates he has almost 6 months worth of labor into the dash alone. It's actually built from two separate Chevelle dashes, and the entire assembly has been cut, moved, welded, and strengthened. We especially dig the '60s-style diesel gauges. |  Recaro seats that are modified...  Recaro seats that are modified (of course) with custom SS badging keep the driver and passenger comfortable, while the custom rollcage keeps them safe. |