By Scotty Lachenauer – Images by the Author
If you want to build a ride of the highest level you need three things going for you, as far as owner/builder Keith Seaman is concerned: “You got to have taste, talent, and plenty of money. With modern parts, you’re looking at $100K easily. It’s an expensive hobby that’s not for everyone.”
Keith’s been at the game for a long time, adding mega muscle to his street cars since he was a teen. When you see one of his rides, you know instantly it was born and bred at his shop, KMS Kustoms in Ronkonkoma, New York, situated smack dab in the middle of Chevy country.
The Long Island native started way young, procuring his first Chevelle at age 15. He built it up, drove the snot out of it, and then let it go when he needed some capital to move on in life; start a business, buy a house, raise a family.
When Keith sold that Chevelle, he made a deal with the new owner and his family that he would get first chance at the car if it ever went up for sale. Sadly, the next owner died. Since the family knew how much that car meant to Keith, they gave him the opportunity to get it back. With his OG Chevelle once again in his possession, Keith couldn’t be happier.
The story of this 1970 Chevelle goes back to the 1980s. “I bought this Chevelle when I was in high school. It was my first car. It’s an original LS5 454, four-speed car and it blew my mind from the start,” Keith states. “My dad and I would work on the car, busting knuckles in the driveway together.” But that wasn’t all that was going on in the Seaman household. “We obtained engine parts and pieces and brought them into the dining room and set them up on our table. Mom wasn’t too happy about that.”
But that didn’t deter the young gun from getting it done. The Chevelle was ready for Keith when he got his license the following year, and it was there throughout his formative years. It was also his prized steed when breaking into the auto customization business in the late ’80s. After blowing the original engine, a 468 was built for the beast and a complete restoration was done on the car. It was his daily ride, his experimental mule, and a car used to refine his skills and learn the tricks of the trade. It served him well till the day he passed it on.
With the car back in his possession, Keth felt it was time to build the Chevelle right. He tore down his new/old Chevelle and realized it was still in reasonably good shape for a car that’s lived locally on the Island. Keith stripped the body down to bare metal then prepared it for one of his award-winning paintjobs, spraying the car in a custom blend based off a modern BMW color.
The frame was stripped, stiffened up, and then powdercoated before a host of suspension goodies were installed. TRZ Motorsports supplied the upper and lower tubular control arms, billet ball joints, and billet aluminum spindles up front. Afco supplied the front and rear shocks and custom front antiroll bar.
A Transmission Specialties TH400 with a Circle D Specialties billet converter ensures proper gear shifting and sends power to a TRZ-fabricated 9-inch housing built with a Strange Billet third member stuffed with 3.55 gears and 40-spline gun-drilled axles. Out back, Hoosier drag slicks ride on 15×13 RC Component wheels, while 17×4 RC Comp wheels shod in Mickey Thompson 27.5×4-17 rubber lead the OG onward.
The interior is street/strip ready from the get-go. Kirkey seats keep the occupants’ snug, while Dakota Digital gauges track the vitals. An M&M shifter gets this ride through the gears and an RBZ billet steering wheel keeps this Chevy pointed in the right direction. Local fabrication legend Nick Weber built the custom chromoly rollcage and Smithtown Auto Upholstery in Smithtown, New York, took care of the seat skins, carpet, headliner, dash, and door panels.
All this leads to the main event: the powerplant. At its core is a Dart M block built with a rotating assembly featuring 12:1 Diamond pistons, a Callies crank, and Oliver rods. Brodix BB-3 heads top the cylinders, while an Edelbrock Big Victor intake and a Mark Sullens 1,050-cfm, E85 conversion carburetor deliver the fuel this beast demands. All machinework was handled by Merkel Racing Engines of Hauppauge, New York. The result is a 598ci monster that makes 900 hp in street trim and ramps up to around 1,500 hp with nitrous.
A Meziere Enterprises water pump and a Ron Davis aluminum radiator keep it all cool while custom 2.25-inch stainless steel headers expel spent gases through a 4-inch aluminum exhaust system and a set of Borla mufflers. A Clear View Filtration assembly lets the owner check the oil for any issues that arise.
Other necessities include the Strange Wave rotors with Strange four-piston Evolution calipers at the corners. Keith also installed a pair of fans to help keep the TH400 cool under all conditions. Custom tucked front and rear color-matched bumpers give this ride a sleek look. The hood was also a custom design that Keith built from three separate hoods, and the front spoiler is from GlassTek. Modern lighting and a variety of custom aesthetic details give this Chevelle a fresh, contemporary appearance.
“After a hectic six-month thrash consisting of a complete frame-off restoration, the OG brings me back to the first time I fell in love with it 36 years ago,” Keith confirms. “Today, this Chevelle is better than ever.”
Check out this story in our digital edition here.
Tech Check
Owner: Keith Seaman, Ronkonkoma, New York
Model: 1970 Chevelle SS
Engine
Type: Dart M big-block
Displacement: 598 ci
Compression Ratio: 12:1:1
Bore: 4.600 inches
Stroke: 4.500 inches
Builder: Merkel Racing Engines
Machine Work: Merkel Racing Engines
Rotating Assembly: Diamond 12:1 pistons, Callies Crank, Oliver rods
Valvetrain: Jesel solid lifter, steel shaft rocker arms
Camshaft: Comp Cams
Heads: Brodix BB-3
Induction: Edelbrock Big Victor intake, 1,050-cfm Mark Sullens E85 conversion carb
Exhaust: Custom 2.25-inch stainless steel headers, 4-inch aluminum exhaust, Borla mufflers
Ignition: MSD
Wiring: Custom with Speedwire harness and control board
Valve Covers: Brodix
Ancillaries: Nitrous, Menziere water pump, Clear View filtration system, Moroso thermostat housing, PRP Billet throttle bracket
Power Adder: Nitrous Outlet nitrous system
Output: 900 hp (N/A) 1,500 hp (nitrous)
Drivetrain
Transmission: Transmission Specialties TH400
Torque Converter: Circle D Specialties billet converter
Shifter: M&M
Driveshaft: East Coast Driveline aluminum driveshaft
Rear Axle: TRZ Motorsports 9-inch steel housing, Strange billet third member, 3.55 gears, Strange 40-spline axles
Chassis
Front Suspension: TRZ Motorsports tubular upper and lower control arms, Afco shocks, TRZ Motorports billet aluminum spindles, antiroll bar, billet ball joints, manual rack-and-pinion
Rear Suspension: TRZ Motorsports tubular upper and lower control arms, Afco shocks
Brakes: Strange Evolution four-piston calipers, Strange Wave rotors, Wilwood master cylinder
Frame: Original with frame stiffening kit
Wheels and Tires
Wheels: RC Component 17×4 front, 15×13 rear
Tires: Mickey Thompson 27.5x4R17 front, Hoosier Drag slicks 29x12R15 rear
Interior
Upholstery: Stock
Installation: Smithtown Auto Upholstery (Smithtown, NY)
Front Seats: Kirkey
Harness: Crow Safety Gear five-point
Rollcage: Chromoly by Nick Weber
Gauges: Dakota Digital
Dash: KMS
Steering Wheel: RBZ
Wiring: Custom
HVAC: None
Exterior
Bodywork and Paint: KMS
Paint: Custom Blend
Bumpers: Originals shaved and tucked
Hood: KMS custom
Front Spoiler: Glasstek
Trim: Factory painted matte gray
Grille: Original modified
Headlights: Dapper LED
Taillights: DIGI-TAILS LED
