With the new era of electric cars being right around the corner we already begin to miss the good old American iron with high displacement V8s and sexy muscle car appearance.
Our today’s feature is dedicated to one of the most iconic muscle cars of the late 60-s – a 1966 Chevy Chevelle, owned, restored, and modified by a life-long enthusiast Fran Bertagni, from Fountain Valley, CA. This project started off as a sad old Malibu with no character, which evolved into a stylish pro-touring muscle car throughout the next decade.
The Big Bertha
The original goal of the owner was to make it reliable enough to drive daily and look awesome while doing it. He decided to go against the grain and get it painted in a stealthy-looking matte—grey color completed by @hillviewcustoms, which looks exceptionally well with blacked-out bumpers, wheels, and other trim.
“The original goal of the owner was to make it reliable enough to drive daily and look awesome while doing it”
“- I don’t really care what others think of her as some don’t like her style, but on the same token I do get enjoyment from those who agree with it.”
Wheels
The car sits low on a set of period-correct Ridler 650-Series staggered wheels sized 17×7 up front and 18×9.5 on the back. They are wrapped in Toyo R888 performance tires sized 215/45R17 and 275/40 respectively.
“The car sits low on a set of period-correct Ridler 650-Series staggered wheels sized 17×7 up front and 18×9.5 on the back”
Brakes
A set of Wilwood big brakes with contrasting red color can be seen through the spokes. They were installed to improve the stopping power and cope with other performance upgrades.
Performance
Speaking of performance, the “BigBertha” (this is how this Chevelle is called by its loving owner) has got plenty of upgrades under the hood which include the GM Performance crate engine (SBC 350 – 5.7L small block with 350cui displacement)
COMP cam Thumpr series performance camshaft, Flotek aluminum heads, 700r4 Trans and a 2 row Champion radiator.
“Speaking of performance, the “BigBertha” has got plenty of upgrades under the hood!”
List of Modifications
Performance
- GM Performance SBC 350 crate engine
- COMP cam Thumpr series camshaft
- Flotek aluminum heads
- 700r4 transmission
- 2-row Champion radiator
- Wilwood brake system
Suspension
- Custom lowered performance suspension based on Original Parts Group Inc. and Jamco Parts
Wheels
- Ridler 650 series wheels (17×7 front, 18×9.5 rear)
- Toyo R888 performance tires (215/45 front, 275/40 rear)
Exterior
- Custom matte grey paint by Hillview Customs
- Blacked-out bumpers
- Blacked-out trim
- Lowered stance
Conclusion
Raw numbers tell the story: suspension takes the crown with a perfect 10 for its track-ready setup, while the burly crate motor and brake upgrades push performance to a solid 8. The menacing matte paint job and blacked-out aesthetics land a mid-pack 5 in the exterior department. Looking at Big Bertha’s build sheet, it’s clear that function led the form here.
| Parts Category | Difficulty Rating* |
|---|---|
| Suspension Mods: | 10/10 |
| Performance Mods: | 8/10 |
| Exterior Mods: | 5/10 |
* Based on our build difficulty evaluation system ⓘ
This ’66 Chevelle represents everything right about the pro-touring movement: taking Detroit iron and making it handle like a modern performance car while keeping its muscle car soul intact. And in that respect, Big Bertha nails the brief.
Watch the progress and find out more about this Chevy Chevelle project by visiting the Instagram profile of the car @6ig6ertha!
Photography by @wishuwerehair
Stay tuned for more project reviews on Specs&Mods.com – Follow us on social media, and share this write-up if you enjoyed reading it!
Leave a Reply