Exceeding Expectations with a Modernized 1966 Chevelle by American Legends Hot Rods
What do you do when you have an automotive itch that needs to be scratched? While this affliction doesn’t require medical care, it does need attention. For Dana Wappler, that meant after a year or so enjoying a tubbed, big-block ’70 Chevelle that he purchased as a completed car, it was time to tackle a ground-up project.
“A few thousand miles into my ’70, I got the itch to build a car with the custom modifications I want and decided to commission a build,” Dana says.
That decision led Dana to Tony Arme at American Legends Hot Rods, where there just happened to be a stalled project collecting dust in the back of the shop – a 1966 Chevelle. Dana talked with Tony about his ideas and, working with a rendering from Sean Smith, the heavily modified hardtop came to life.
The car already had a boxed and reinforced frame, so they kept that in place and set it up with Ridetech coil-over front and rear suspensions as well as 14-inch Wilwood disc brakes on all four corners. Custom Avant Garde wheels (19×9 in front, 20×11 in rear) are wrapped in Toyo 245/35/19 and 315/30/20 tires.
Stuffing the 700-horsepower, twin-turbo Chevrolet Performance LSX376 V8 under the hood required multiple hand-built components (headers and exhaust system, for example) as well as a smoothed firewall and inner fenders. Clayton Machine valve covers and a Concept One accessory drive aided the engine detailing, while a 4L75E transmission was bolted up behind.
The crew at American Legends left nothing untouched or unmodified on the 1966 Chevelle body. Modifications included shaved drip rails, molded A pillars, flush-mount front and rear glass, a smoothed cowl, shaved door handles, and custom tucked bumpers. There’s also a custom billet grille and hood vents, a custom carbon fiber front spoiler, a raised trunk floor to hide the fuel tank, and shaved moldings and exterior trim. The custom taillight panel assembly was scratch built, including 3D-printed lights and a custom emblem. The custom-mixed Phoenix Red paint was applied by James Evans.
Inside, a modified dash houses Dakota Digital HDX gauges. Custom Glide seats were covered in leather by Stitched Envy Interiors and a Sparc wheel sits on an Ididit column. The A/C comes from Vintage Air, Clayton Machine produced the pedals, and there’s a Lokar shifter in the custom console.
With work barely complete, Dans’s 1966 Chevelle – appropriately named Phoenix – debuted at the 2024 SEMA Show. Did it satisfy Dana’s project car itch?
“I’m embarking on another build,” he says. “You’ll have to wait for next year to see for yourself.”
Photos by Damon Lee
