A-Body ’72 Chevelle Smokes Up at ‘Hoonigan’s’ Burnyard!
Big-body Chevelle might look tame, but the LS3 crate engine hiding under the hood will tell you otherwise.
It really doesn’t matter what your first car is or what you learn to drive in, you’ll never forget it. William Rhodes, owner of this 1972 Chevy Chevelle, certainly hasn’t forgotten either. That’s because this is his first car and he’s had it since he was a teenager. Talk about dedication!
This A-Body has been in Rhodes’ possession since he was 16 and he has had it as a daily for many years. This includes when he was in high school. I don’t know about you guys, but nobody at my high school had a classic Chevy as a daily. Hell, I didn’t even have a car.
“You know how badass you gotta be in high school rockin’ a Chevelle?” said Zac Mertens, co-host of Hoonigan’s official YouTube channel.
However, this beauty has come a long way from when he initially got it. That might have something to do with the LS3 now living under the hood. Thanks to Hoonigan on YouTube, we get to learn more about this sweet build and how it got to where it is today.
According to Rhodes, once upon a time he was drag racing this Chevelle when it decided to blow up. After it sitting for about a year, he had saved enough to throw an LS3 in the car. However, this isn’t just any LS3, it is a GM Performance LS376/525 crate engine which he bought brand new. That brings this Chevelle up to a respectable 525 HP.
Now, this Chevelle is his “daily fun car,” which somehow still gets 25-26 mpg in the detuned mode. Not to mention, this car has full suspension, working A/C and heat, a cage, and functioning gauges. Typically, most people doing LS swaps likely ignore amenities and other creature features and focus on power-adding. But whether it is a junkyard LS or a crate motor, you really can’t compare this car to your run-of-the-mill swaps. This Chevy even has a carbon fiber trunk with the paint masked to show the exposed carbon.
“It’s my daily fun car–if I want to do a burnout, hit the canyons, or go cross country, I can get in and go,” said Rhodes.
He obviously loves this car. We understand why because when he starts burning some rubber, this car really comes to life.
It may not be the ultimate race car or the most amazing thing you have ever seen, but there has been some time and effort put into it. You don’t see too many ’70s era Chevelle pumped with modern LS savagery–at least not like this one. Certainly not ones that rip smoky donuts in a parking lot.
At the end of the day, that’s really what counts. When you have a car as badass as a Chevelle, might as well put the blood, sweat, and tears into it to make it special. Cheers Mr. Rhodes, we love your car.
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