It doesn’t take much for us to swoon over a 1970 Chevy Chevelle, but we were particularly gobsmacked by this slate blue Bowtie that we came across at the Tremec booth at the 2024 SEMA Show.
The car belongs to Spencer and Sawyer Campbell.
Spencer’s the dad here, and he’s been a bona fide gearhead since getting in the saddle of a Go-Kart as a pre-teen. Sawyer’s the son, and he’s quickly followed in his pop’s footsteps after taking a few High School shop classes.
“I started bugging him, asking what we should build,” Spencer explains. “Sawyer came home from school one day and said ‘I want to do a ’70 Chevelle.'”
“That car was never on my radar,” he laughs. “But I’ve fallen in love with it.”
Spencer searched and found an old Chevelle project that had stalled early during the Covid pandemic. With Sawyer alongside, the duo started asked for help transforming the GM A-body into something truly unique.
Inspiration came from the glory days of Trans Am racing during the 1960s and you’ll see little nods to that era all throughout the car—like the roll cage, single mirror, and the wheels.
Dom Tucci Design took the lead on the car’s overall look, while Resurgence Automotive managed the project from fabrication to paint-and-body—and Spencer and Sawyer were elbow-deep in the Chevelle throughout the whole thing.
“We did a lot of design work at the beginning,” Spencer says, as he describes the build process. “We refined it as the project went along, but we didn’t change much.”
In addition to the laser-straight bodylines, the Chevelle now carries a 427 iron block LS3 equipped with a ProCharger supercharger. And it’s backed by a Tremec T-56 Manual Transmission.
“I wanted a lot of horsepower,” Spencer chuckles. “I don’t know if I wanted 800 horsepower, but I wanted a fun car that I could still pick my girls up from school with.”
After the SEMA show, Spencer says he plans to show the car while the paint is still new and shiny, then the Chevelle will go to work. “It’s going to be a driver,” he reports. “It’s not going to be a show piece, we’re going to drive it.”
Our conversation then turned to his future plans with other cars, including a vintage 1977 Stepside truck and a 1987 K5 Blazer.
But as for the Chevelle, its fate is certain.
“I’m keeping it,” Spencer smiles. “This one’s staying in the family.”
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We’ll give you a deeper breakdown of some of the key parts below and you can check out the full specs on its profile at CarBuffNetwork.com.
1970 Chevy Chevelle Pro Touring Build Fast Facts
Engine & Driveline
- BluePrint Engines Pro Series Chevy LS 427 Crate Engine
- Holley Terminator X MAX Engine Management System
- Holley EFI Systems Wiring Harness
- Aeromotive Dual Phantom Fuel System
- ProCharger P-1SC-1 Stage II Supercharger System
- Tremec T-56 Manual Transmission
- Quicktime Bellhousing
- GM 12-Bolt Rear End with Yukon Gear Overhaul Kit
- Yukon Gear Ring & Pinion Set (3.73)
- Eaton Detroit Truetrac Differential
Exhaust
- Doug’s Headers Stainless Steel Headers
- JBA Performance Exhaust System
- Patriot Electric Exhaust Cutouts
- Design Engineering Heat Shields
Steering & Suspension
- ididit Retrofit Floor Shift Steering Column
- Borgeson Universal Street & Performance Series Steering Box
- Summit Racing GM Type II Power Steering Pump & Reservoir
- UMI Performance Suspension Handling Package
- Bilstein AS2 Series Coilover Shocks (front)
- Bilstein SMX Series Shocks (rear)
Wheels, Tires & Brakes
- Baer Brakes SS4+ Disc Brake System
- Baer Brakes Remaster Master Cylinder
- Lokar Emergency Brake System
- Pyramid Optimized Design OG/Mesh Wheels
- Mickey Thompson Street Comp Tires (255/40/19 front, 305/35/20 rear)
Body & Exterior
- AMD – Auto Metal Direct Hood, Body Panels, Grille & Bumpers
- AMD Replacement Window Glass
- Ringbrothers Billet Air Frame Hood Hinges
- United Pacific Headlight Assemblies
- United Pacific Taillight Assemblies
- United Pacific GT Racing Bullet-Style Mirrors
Interior
- Auto Custom Carpet Custom-Fit Carpet Kit
- DEI Boom Mat Acoustic Insulation
- Restoparts Glove Box Door
- Classic Instruments Moal Bomber Series Gauge Set
- Recaro Expert M Seats
- Simpson Camlock Driver Restraint System
- Vintage Air Gen-V SureFit Systems Evaporator Kit
- Clayton Machine Muscle Car Pedal Assembly
I just love SEMA! The coolest car is the one that got the most money spent on it, because that’s what makes the advertisers happy and that is all that matters anymore. Please do a round-up of all the cars at this year’s show with airbrushed fake rust on carbon fiber, now that’s what I call hot rodding!