“I bought this car because it was so badass, I couldn’t pass it up,” says Brian Almas. That’s a bold statement to start an email, but also, honest. Brian also told us that he’s all about driving his A-body and enjoys going to the local cruise night and car shows with his car club, Surf City Classics. In fact, we caught up to him and his car while he was at the Original Parts Group annual Chevy show this year.
A quick look under the hood reveals a tire-frying crate engine from Edelbrock. The Edelbrock/Pat Musi-built 555-inch big-block started life as a 454 block and was filled with a 4.250-inch stroke crankshaft, forged pistons and one of Edelbrock’s Rolling Thunder Hydraulic camshafts. It has a street-friendly 10.0:1 compression ratio.
Up top, we find a pair of Edelbrock’s E-CNC cylinder heads, a Victor Jr. intake manifold, and an 800cfm Thunder Series carburetor. According to Edelbrock, there is 676 horsepower on tap, and that gives Brian the ability to turn the rear tires into asphalt crayons at will.
Driving is a big part of enjoying a classic hot rod, and it’s tough to beat a car with a manual stick poking through the floor. In Brian’s Chevelle, that stick is connected to a TREMEC TKO 600. Behind that, is a 3.73-geared 12-bolt rearend.
The interior is mostly stock, but the daily cruises benefit from a Retro Sound stereo aided by a 1,000-watt Rockford/Fosgate amp and Pioneer and Rockford/Fosgate speakers. Brian also makes sure the interior is as cool as possible with the help of a Vintage Air A/C unit.
“Another reason I bought a Chevelle, is because Original Parts Group sells anything I would need, and they are just down the street from me,” affirms Brian. “My son, dad, and I all cruise together whenever we can, and that makes three generations of Almas riding around together to have a good time. Brian finished by relaying to us the car is not for sale, as it’s part of the family. We completely understand.