By Scotty Lachenauer – Images by the Author
When Thomas Sozzi inherited his 1970 Chevelle SS, a car his father had modified and raced frequently back in the ’90s, he had no immediate plans for it. “Given my young age at the time, the Chevy sat idle in a garage for over 20 years until I had the means to restore it the way my dad would have wanted,” Thomas says. “My fondest memories with him were always at the racetrack or when he was working on his cars in the garage.”
His dad, Tommy, raced the car at nearby Raceway Park in Englishtown, New Jersey, as young Thomas would tag along to watch his dad in his element, either racing or working as a crew chief for a Pro Street team that he was part owner. Sadly, the elder Sozzi died when Thomas was just 10 years old, so this Chevelle means more to him now than ever, as it’s a cherished possession that helped form an unbreakable bond between father and son.
Once Thomas had the time and the means, he sought out a shop that could help him get the Chevelle back on the road. “My goal for the project was to restore it back to a street car but with some OEM features,” Thomas says. “So, I started researching restoration shops and came across proprietors Jesse Barratt and Jeff Manzella over at Blue Sky Performance and Restoration in Andover, New Jersey. Immediately after our introductory phone call, I knew they were the ones I wanted to work with. They understood how important this project was not only to me, but also to my mother and siblings as well.”
To get things rolling, Thomas discussed the project with Barratt and Manzella, laying out his preferences for the ride. He relayed to the guys that he wanted a modern crate engine and an automatic transmission. He also wanted to remove the rollcage, upgrade the interior, and install all of the modern amenities like a Vintage Air HVAC system and digital gauges, all done while preserving as much of the original look of the car as possible. It was also important to keep the original color scheme his dad raced with, so a freshen-up with a new coat of paint was on the list.
When the Chevelle rolled into Blue Sky, Barratt and Manzella were impressed with what they saw. For a dormant drag car, it was really nice. It did show some age here and there but overall it was rust-free. It did however have some previous repairs to the floor that needed to be addressed. They replaced the entire floorpan and custom-fabricated a raised transmission tunnel to compensate for the new drivetrain and the Roadster Shop SPEC chassis. The body also received a flat steel hood that replaced the cowl induction unit Tommy raced with. From there Barratt and the crew cleaned up some imperfections with the body and prepped it for paint.
With the body in paint, the crew turned their attention to the Chevelle’s new Roadster Shop SPEC chassis. Fox RS SV fixed-valve coilovers anchor each corner, while a power rack-and-pinion and Wilwood Pro Spindles deliver a modern feel up front. Out back, a parallel four-bar suspension and a Ford 9-inch packed with a Truetrac, 3.70 gears, and 31-spline axles create a bulletproof rearend.
Stopping power is provided by Baer 13-inch rotors and six-piston calipers up front, while 11-inch rotors and six-piston calipers reside out back. For that bling factor, Thomas went with Forgeline JO3C wheels with custom center caps shod in Continental rubber.
Barratt sprayed the Chevelle in a custom-blended Axalta XP basecoat to match the blue that was previously on the Chevelle, accented with gray stripes and finished in ChromaPremier clear. All the trim was restored or bought fresh and Blue Sky went with stock replacement bumpers from Auto Metal Direct.
To power the Chevelle, Thomas ordered up a BluePrint Engines GM LS Compatible 376ci Pro Series crate engine, which was painted, and dressed in ’70s-style accoutrement. With 530 hp out of the box, it was tweaked for optimum performance putting out over 430 hp to the rear wheels. The 10.7:1 compression engine was built up with BluePrint aluminum cylinder heads, hydraulic roller cam, and nodular iron crank. From there the crew added a Lokar LS Classics induction setup and GM ignition. A set of Ultimate headers and custom 3-inch exhaust topped with FP Performance mufflers provide the LS-style mill with an aggressive growl.
For the interior, the guys decided to go all-out and called Chris McClintock at Bux Customs in Pottstown, Pennsylvania, for one of his outstanding custom cockpits. Sparco front seats were used, and the stock rear seat was recovered. A custom console was laid out between the buckets and a custom dash was added to the mix. The interior was wrapped in black leather for an edgy, street-ready look. A Lokar shifter handles gear changes, Dakota Digital RTX gauges monitor the vitals, and a Flaming River tilt column paired with a Sparc Industries steering wheel keeps the Chevelle pointed in the right direction.
“The vision for the car stayed true from the beginning throughout the entire build,” Barratt confirms. “The goal was to build an OEM-plus styled car that adds modern amenities but visually remains as timeless as a ’70 Chevelle will ever be.
“When I first saw the build complete and heard the engine fire up in person after so many years removed from the choppy muscle car idling of the engine, it was definitely an emotional experience and brought back so many memories,” Thomas says. “I hope to one day to pass the car down to my future children and grandchildren. The number one thing that my father taught me as a young child was his work ethic. I honor him and the sacrifices that he made for us growing up through the Chevelle. I cannot thank Manzella and Barratt enough for helping me bring it all to life.”
Check out this story in our digital edition here.
Tech Check
Owner: Thomas Sozzi, New York, New York
Vehicle: 1970 Chevelle SS
Engine
Type: BluePrint Engines LS Compatible 376ci Pro Series
Displacement: 376 ci (6.2L)
Compression Ratio: 10.7:1
Bore: 4.0662 inches
Stroke: 3.622 inches
Cylinder Heads: BluePrint Engines LS Compatible LS3 aluminum heads
Rotating Assembly: Nodular Iron crank, Hypereutectic pistons, 6.125-inch connecting rods.
Valvetrain: Stock GM
Camshaft: Hydraulic Roller Cam
Induction: Lokar LS Classics
Ignition: GM coils
Exhaust: Ultimate headers, 3-inch stainless exhaust, FP Performance Mufflers
Output: 430 rwhp
Drivetrain
Transmission: 4L60E
Rear Axle: Ford 9-inch housing, Detroit Truetrac differential, 3.70 gears, 31-spline axles
Chassis
Chassis: Roadster Shop SPEC
Front Suspension: Fox RS SV coilovers, Wilwood Pro spindles, power rack-and-pinion steering
Rear Suspension: Fox RS SV coilovers, parallel four-bar rear suspension
Brakes: Baer 13-inch rotors, six-piston calipers front, 11-inch rotors, six-piston calipers rear
Wheels
Wheels: Forgeline JO3C 18×9.5 front, 19×12 rear
Tires: Continental 275/40R18 front 355/30R19 rear
Interior
Upholstery: Black leather
Installation: Bux Customs (Pottstown, PA)
Door Panels: Custom
Seats: Sparco GT front seats, stock rear seat
Steering: Flaming River tilt column, SPARC Industries steering wheel
Shifter: Lokar
Dash: Custom
Instrumentation: Dakota Digital RTX
Audio: Kicker components
HVAC: Vintage Air
Exterior
Bodywork and Paint: Blue Sky Performance and Restoration (Andover, NJ)
Paint: Axalta XP Custom Blue Basecoat, gray stripes, Chroma Premier clear coat
Hood: Stock
Grille: Stock
Bumpers: AMD
Headlights: LED
Taillights: LED
