The Rolling Stones once said “you can’t always get what you want,” but Bryan Bartlow disagrees. Bryan wanted a car that could be driven on the street without any issues, and still make some solid rips at the track. Well, Bryan’s 1969 Chevelle can do that, plus it also happens to check the show car box and has the trophies to prove it.
When Bryan was in high school, he ran around with a pack of guys who were always working on their cars. They built cars that could be driven on the street and make passes at the track. This group of friends also did their fair share of street racing back in the day as well.
“Being around those guys is what really got me interested in cars. My dad and uncle also worked on cars, so it was just something I spent time around. Now, I never had anything fast to go street racing with the guys, but I still hung out with them and had a great time,” Bryan says.
During the summer between his junior and senior year of high school, Bryan found this Chevelle while surfing the classified ads in his local newspaper. The Chevelle became Bryan’s daily driver while he attended school. When Bryan went off to Rankin Technical College to earn an HVAC degree, the Chevelle was parked so he could start really working on it.
“When I graduated from college, I started a frame-off restoration of the car. I was living at home still, so I was able to really put a lot of effort into the build. The goal was always to build something that I could drive on the street and take to the track. I never intended on the car to turn out as nice as it did, but that happens when you start investing a lot of time into a build,” Bryan explains.
Bryan and his uncle did all of the bodywork on the car. It was a learning experience for Bryan, and it turned out much better than he expected. The car was finished in 1993 when Bryan painted it and it was time to get it on the road. The first engine Bryan stuffed into the Chevelle was a rowdy 406 cubic-inch small-block Chevy. On pump gas, the Chevelle ran 11.60s with Bryan driving it to the track and back home. At the time, that was an impressive feat for a pump-gas small-block combo.
While the 406 small-block was pretty stout when it was built, the engine couldn’t hold a candle to what modern LS-based engines are capable of in street cars. Bryan was paying attention to what these new engines were doing and decided it was time for a change. He wanted to build a combo that would be a beast at the track, but still be tame enough to drive on dinner dates with his wife.
“The small-block was fun, but it was a solid-roller engine and it required a lot of maintenance. I wanted something that was going to be less work, and would make more horsepower. That’s what got me interested in doing the LS swap with some boost. It totally changed the car. Now I can drive the Chevelle pretty much anywhere and not have to worry about having any real issues,” Bryan states.
To make his LS dreams come true, Bryan went with the tried-and-true 5.3 LS engine as his powerplant of choice. Bryan pulled the engine apart, cleaned up the cylinders with a ball hone, and checked all the bearing clearances. The engine was then reassembled with the OEM rotating assembly and a Melling oil pump. The OEM cylinder heads received a valve job from Precision Machine before they were reassembled.
Since Bryan is still learning the tricks of the LS world, he opted to keep things simple for air and fuel delivery. The OEM truck intake manifold was used to top off the engine. To fuel the engine, Bryan added a Walbro 525 fuel pump that works with a Holley fuel pressure regulator. The engine is controlled by a Holley Dominator ECU that Bryan tunes himself.
Pumping boost into the engine is a single BorgWarner turbo that works with a CX Racing intercooler. Bryan has built the turbo system around a pair of OEM truck manifolds. You wouldn’t know the Chevelle is packing a turbo since Bryan built a full four-inch exhaust that’s capped off by a single Magnaflow muffler.
The transmission that Bryan selected was heavily influenced by the street-driving goals he had for the Chevelle. A 4L80E was the best choice since it can handle a lot of horsepower and has overdrive. Bryan found a base transmission that he went through and prepared himself. A TCI torque converter was bolted up in between the engine and transmission.
Under the rear of the Chevelle, you’ll find the OEM 12-bolt rearend that’s been upgraded with 3.55 gears and Moser Engineering axles. The rear suspension bits consist of aftermarket control arms, Viking double-adjustable shocks, Hotchkis springs, and a custom anti-rollbar. Up front, Bryan added Speedway Motors tubular control arms and Viking adjustable coilover shocks.
The Chevelle rolls on 4.5-inch-wide WELD Pro Star wheels on the front, and 9-inch-wide Pro Star wheels on the rear. For maximum traction, the rear wheels are wrapped in Mickey Thompson Pro Bracket Radial tires. Inside the Chevelle, Bryan has kept things simple. The original interior is now surrounded by a custom roll bar. Bryan monitors the Chevelle’s engine thanks to a Holley EFI 7-inch digital dash.
Right now, Bryan is still working on learning how to get the Chevelle down the track. The car has run a best of 10.53 at 129 mph. Bryan believes the car will easily bust into the nine-second zone once he’s able to get a handle on putting the power down to the surface of the track.
“I work on cars for a hobby, I’ve never done this professionally in any way. I’ve enjoyed learning the different skills it takes to build a car like this and get it rolling down the road. It’s always been a school of hard knocks for me and I also try to learn as much as I can from other people. The final product has made it worth it for me and I’m proud of the car,” Bryan says.
When Bryan first started building his Chevelle, he had no idea the car would turn out the way it did. A lot of work has gone into the car, and he’s thankful for the help he’s received to get the project over the finish line.
“I really need to thank my brother Rick, my mom, my dad, and my wife for all of their support. This has been a multi-year affair, and without them, I don’t think I could have gotten it done. It’s great that my wife and I get to enjoy the car now and drive it as much as we do,” Bryan states.
Bryan Bartlow’s Chevelle is the perfect street/strip car and he loves putting miles on it anytime the opportunity presents itself. It goes to show that when you mix the right parts together, you can build a car that does everything you want.
