Twin-Turbo 1966 Chevy Chevelle Built For The Road, Not A Trailer

A neglected 1966 Chevy Chevelle — lying in wait — called to Dana Wappler. Roughly two and a half years later, it’s beyond a garage-resto. It’s beyond beautiful. It’s autorama quality and he’s believe it or not, he’s already got another project in progress. More on that — and its massive big block energy — later. For now, this is how Dana’s neck-breakin’ 700-rwhp ’66 twin-turbo Chevelle’s second life came to fruition.

“I’ve always loved Chevelles and I got a call from a friend telling me about an abandoned project,” recalled Dana. “The guy really wanted out, so I was able to scoop it up pretty cheap and from there it turned into what we have got today. It is pretty close to the original design, but as all builds do, it took some twists and turns along the way.”

Horsepower vs. Cruiser

Rising from the ashes that its first six decades had left this Chevelle in, Dana’s one-off was given the name Phoenix. To start, the ’66 was resurrected with a Chevrolet Performance LSX376-B8 crate engine upgraded with Texas Speed ported heads. Chosen for its structural rigidity, the heavy-duty, cast-iron LSX V8 was topped with a custom twin-turbo setup.  

“I think you learn something every time you have a project car,” said Dana. “In this instance, I did really well when I bought into the car which allowed me to take the project a little farther.”

Built for boost, the 376 cubic-inch small-block packs 9:1 forged pistons to withstand rising cylinder pressure. The custom Comp Turbo CT3X units feature triplex ceramic ball bearings to spool faster and billet compressor wheels to move the serious air required when four-digit horsepower is on the table.

When we got done with the initial build, I felt really good,” Dana said. “It tracked dead straight. I’m on the highway, two fingers on the wheel and it just goes. As far as resto-mods go, this thing is planted. The suspension is setup really well, even at higher speeds — it tracks straight and still pulls hard.

“I was really happy with the car, so I talked to the builder, brought it back down to the tuners and turned the boost up,” Dana said. “Currently we are at 12psi boost, making 650 whp. The car is capable of almost double that, but the way I am driving it — it is my cruiser — it’s just not necessary at the moment.”

TiAL Sport wastegates regulate boost, while matching blow-off valves relieve excess charge pressure. Keeping the twin-turbo intake temps in check, dual air-to-water intercoolers draw from a three-gallon trunk-mounted tank, while a front heat exchanger sheds the accumulated heat. 

“The tuner said that motor and setup – if I switch to E – it’s probably 1,100 horsepower — not for how I drive this car, I just don’t need it,” said Dana. “But it’s a fun number to kick around.”

The engine is outfitted with a modified Edelbrock cross-ram intake, while dual drive-by-wire throttle bodies split the airflow. Engine management is calibrated through HP Tuners, and MSD coils and wires bring the spark. For that show-ready finish, the bowtie block was completed with a Concept One eight-rib accessory drive. 

“The first pull we did (on the dyno) was 725 whp and 760 torque,” said Dana. “I thought I’m going to destroy the trans I have on this thing, if I actually run it like that all the time, so we detuned the car.”

Pulling The Pin At 800 Horsepower

The Chevelle’s exhaust exits through Hedman headers into an American Legends designed three-inch system. Power is routed through a Chevrolet Performance 4L75E automatic transmission and a custom driveshaft. Above it all, an SS hood conceals the powerplant.

“One of the items I picked up was a built trans,” said Dana. “I have a lot more fun rowing through gears. I am not mad that it is automatic, but it is my limiting factor as far as power goes. That’s why I have it set at 650 whp right now. Because I will grenade that thing if I was going to try and run 800. I would probably and still may at some point do a trans swap and put it back to a three-pedal car.”

The original ’66 was boxed, back-halved, and narrowed around a Currie Enterprises nine-inch rear-end. F-body spindles and Flaming River rack-and-pinion steering upgrade the front suspension, and Ridetech coilovers work all four corners. 

“When we got done with the initial build, I felt really good,” Dana said. “It tracked dead straight. I’m on the highway, two fingers on the wheel and it just goes. As far as resto-mods go, this thing is planted. The suspension is setup really well, even at higher speeds — it tracks straight and still pulls hard. I’ve got it set up pretty stiff.”

Built To Eat Miles

The chassis rolls on Avant Garde F420 carbon barrel three-piece wheels. The 19×9.5s and 20x11s are wrapped in Toyo R888R rubber — 265/25/19 fronts and 323/30/20 rears.  

“It is an off-the-shelf wheel,” Dana added. “It just has a custom center insert piece with a little phoenix on it — for the car — just subtle. It’s a street tire, but they’re aggressive.”

Stopping power comes from a 14-inch Wilwood brake system all the way around. 

Horsepower is a given, but hundreds of miles across state lines demand a little more finesse. So, Stitched Envy road-ready’d the cockpit in black leather and Alcantara. The interior is anchored by Glide Engineering seats and a custom-wrapped Sparc Industries Flux steering wheel. 

“I’ve got AC — it blows cold,” Dana said. “I debated on this, but I do have a secondary screen for all my audio. I’ve got subs in the car. I can listen to music on a long ride, and I can throw my maps up on there.”

Modernized instrumentation from Dakota Digital keeps the vitals front and center. The shifter from Lokar and pedals from Clayton Machine round out the business end of the cabin.

“I do a lot of car cruises and stuff, so we pick off-the-wall routes,” said Dana. “I want the windy roads and canyon cruises, so we will program in different routes and see how sharp that corner is before you get there on roads you haven’t driven. I don’t feel like I am lacking anything and I will do 500 miles straight – no problem.”

New Chevelle With OG Character

Finding the right mix of preservation and modification can be tricky, but leaning into the old school vibe meant knowing where to cut and where not to. Nailing the Chevelle’s hand-fab metalwork was Body by James at Relic Works, which was also responsible for the BASF custom paint that the Chevelle is dressed in. A custom-crafted billet grille visually announces the ’66’s entrance and modified factory bumpers bookend the car.

“There is something to me about Chevelles, like ‘66 to ’70, that screams American muscle,” Dana explained. “I am still a sucker for Camaros, and I appreciate a lot of other cars. There is just something about (a Chevelle) to me that is so iconic.

“It was really important that we kept the original body lines. So, when you get to the rear quarter on the car, you’ll notice the endcap of the car usually comes on all flush, but this is all one piece and its actually been lengthened. There is about another 3 ½- to four-inches longer, but it follows all the original body lines of the hip of the car. It just makes it more dramatic.”

The design was envisioned by Sean Smith and built by Tony Arme of American Legends Hotrods in Phoenix, Ariz. Dana took the build journey with Smith and Arme, but since completion, his journeys with the Chevelle have taken to the asphalt.

“My joy is sharing it with friends, family and driving it,” said Dana. “A lot of cars at this level get trailer-queened but I love seeing these cars get back on the road.”

Just after SEMA, Dana fired Phoenix up and hit the highway, logging an 800-mile round trip from Phoenix to Southern California. Dana then drove it to Hot August Nights in Reno and just recently ran the Chevelle from Arizona to the ‘Bu on the coast of California. 

“I’ve done autocross in the car,” Dana said. “I’ve done laps around National Speedway and Dallas Speedway. I’ve also got to do drag pulls — for fun. I beat the piss out of it and had a really good time. It puts up with it pretty well. I think I’ve tapped 125 on the highway, just cruisin’. It is still a classic; so, you’re never going to get rid of that visceral driving experience, but that’s part of what I love.”

Project Obsession

For most, a completed build and rubber to the road is the finish line. For Dana, a project done only feeds the fire. And while his ’66 Chevelle delivered most everything he hoped for, it didn’t quell the burn for more. And now, his next project has already gone way past smoldering embers. 

The next one is already in final buff, but it started with the Herculean-horsepower Chevrolet Performance ZZ632 big-block. As a monster 10.4-liter 632 cubic-inch beast of a V8, the Big Block King is General Motors’ largest and most powerful naturally-aspirated crate. Fueled by 93-octane pump gas – no turbo or supercharger necessary – this can deliver 1,004 horsepower and 876 lb-ft of torque and it’s the crux of Dana’s future.