By Nick Licata – Images by Chris Shelton
When it comes to muscle cars, some enthusiasts exercise brand loyalty while others claim to stand behind no specific team. Frank Wolf is a self-proclaimed “Ford guy” but even he admits his loyalty begins to blur whenever a Chevelle rolls by. “I was turned onto Chevelles by my buddy Mike in high school,” Frank recalls. “He was an avid car guy who had a couple of them. He had a blown big-block ’69 that I helped him work on back in the day, and that was the beginning of my love for Chevelles.”
Frank’s been carrying that torch ever since. Having dreamed of owning a 1965-67 Chevelle for years, fate finally intervened when a brother of a work friend put his ’65 up for sale. The price? Five grand. “The car was in pretty rough shape,” Frank laughs, “but the price was right and it was something I’d wanted since my high school days.”
Underhood sat a tired 350 small-block that technically ran but lacked any form of inspiration. “It was weak,” Frank admits. “I had no interests in it anyway, as the plan was to take it to Chris Holstrom Concepts (CHC) in Puyallup, Washington, for a full ground-up build.
Frank sat down with CHC’s Cameron Benoit and Troy Green to hash out a direction.
They agreed on a Pro Touring/Street Machine vibe—classic lines, modern bones, and serious performance. But every builder knows, the minute you strip the paint the truth comes out. “After we acid-dipped the body,” Holstrom recalls, “there wasn’t much left of the original sheetmetal. In fact, I’m not sure there was enough material to make a 12-ounce soup can, so we replaced everything except the firewall, roof, and rockers with a combination of N.O.S. and Golden Star sheetmetal.”
With that dose of reality behind them, CHC started the 30-month transformation—the metalwork, fitment, chassis, paint, and final assembly.
Frank wanted the heartbeat of a real-deal muscle car; nothing says “vintage Chevelle” like a rowdy big-block. The team dropped in a 427ci crate engine from Chevrolet Performance. The mill features a cast-iron GM block with a forged rotating assembly with a 10:1.1 compression ratio. The hydraulic roller cam’s specs—0.527/0.544 lift with 224/234 degrees duration at 0.050—give it a deep, lumpy idle every big-block fan dreams about.
A set of aluminum oval-port heads cap the cylinders, breathing through a GM intake manifold and Holley 770-cfm carburetor. Ultimate Headers feed a 2.5-inch stainless exhaust system with Borla Pro XS mufflers. The combination belts out 480 hp and 490 lb-ft of torque—right in the sweet spot for street service. Cooling chores fall to DeWitts aluminum radiator aided by SPAL dual fans, while GM’s HEI ignition and 8mm Taylor wires handle spark duties. The whole thing wears Chevrolet Performance valve covers and a Holley accessory drive system for a clean, cohesive look.
For a steady foundation, Holstrom’s crew dropped the body on a Roadster Shop chassis armed with Wilwood Pro spindles and Roadster Shop control arms paired with Fox coilovers, Hyperco springs, and Roadster Shop sway bar. Steering comes by way of a Unisteer rack-and-pinion setup, ditching the old recirculation-ball vagueness for a more precise feel.
Out back a Roadster Shop four-link suspension system with matching Fox coilovers and Hyperco springs keeps the 9-inch planted. Baer 14-inch rotors and six-piston calipers—matte black with gloss black lettering—sit on all four corners, assisted by a Hydroboost system and Baer Remaster master cylinder for perfectly modulated stopping power.
Rolling stock comes courtesy of Forgeline RS5 wheels—18x9s up front, 19x11s out back—wrapped in Michelin Pilot Sport rubber—225/40R18 and 305/35R19, respectively. The stance is low, the fitment, tight, and the attitude unmistakable.
With the structure solid, it was time to give the Chevelle some serious curb appeal. The bodywork and paint came straight from CHC where the fresh sheetmetal was massaged to perfection and then sprayed in PPG Ford Bordeaux Reserve Red Metallic—a color with deep tone and modern flair that perfectly complements the car’s timeless profile. The stock bumpers were tucked in tight. The grille and taillights retain their original shapes but were subtly refined. Holley RetroBright headlights modernize visibility without spoiling the vintage aesthetic.
Inside, Stitches Custom Upholstery of Poulsbo, Washington, handled the all-leather interior. The stock bucket seats were re-foamed and wrapped in Bowen Foam & Fabrics leather, while the square-weave black carpet maintains the period vibe. A 15-inch Lecarra steering wheel sits on an Ididit tilt column, and the ’66 Chevelle console plays perfectly with the classic scene.
Instrumentation comes courtesy of Dakota Digital RTS gauges, powered by an American Autowire Classic Update kit. A Vintage Air SureFit HVAC system hides neatly behind the dash, controlled through the stock panel. Tunes pump through a RetroSound head unit and Morel speakers, all wired up by Foss Audio in Puyallup. The overall feel is factory plus—comfortable, clean, and loaded with subtle modern touches that don’t betray the Chevelle’s heritage.
“The most challenging part of starting the project was deciding on what direction to take,” Frank admits. “I finally settled on a car with subtle custom nuances while keeping the Chevelle’s classic look. The crew at CHC did exactly that. It came out just how I had envisioned—it looks incredible and the big-block has just a ton of power and sounds angry when I slam the gas pedal. It’s the perfect muscle car that carries the ’60s vibe I was after while handling like a modern car. There’s not one thing I’d change—it’s perfect.”
From its deep, metallic glow to the way it plants hard in the corners, Frank Wolf’s 1965 Chevelle is the product vision and extraordinary craftsmanship. It’s proof that even a self-professed Ford guy can fall head over heels for a Bowtie when it’s done right.
Check out this story in our digital edition here.
TECH CHECK
Owners: Frank and Vava Wolf, Lucas, Texas
Vehicle: 1965 Chevy Chevelle
Engine
Type: Chevy big-block
Displacement: 427 ci
Block: Cast iron
Compression Ratio: 10.1:1
Bore: 4.25 inches
Stroke: 3.75 inches
Builder: GM
Machine Work: GM
Rotating Assembly: Forged steel crankshaft, forged steel connecting rods, forged aluminum pistons
Camshaft: Hydraulic roller, 0.527/0.544 lift 224/234 degrees duration at 0.050
Cylinder Heads: Aluminum oval port
Induction: GM intake manifold, Holley 770-cfm carburetor
Exhaust: Ultimate Headers, 2.5-inch stainless exhaust, Borla Pro XS mufflers
Valve Covers: Chevrolet Performance
Accessory Drive: Holley
Ancillaries: SPAL dual fans, 8mm Taylor wires, GM HEI ignition, DeWitts aluminum radiator
Output: 480 hp at 6,000 rpm, 490 lb-ft at 3,800 rpm
Drivetrain
Transmission: TH400
Driveshaft: D&D Driveline (Port Orchard, WA)
Rear Axle: Ford 9-inch, Eaton Truetrac differential, 3.50 gears, 31-spline axles
Chassis
Chassis: Roadster Shop
Front Suspension: Wilwood Pro spindles, Roadster Shop control arms, Fox coilover adjustable shocks, Hyperco springs, Roadster Shop sway bar, Unisteer rack-and-pinion steering
Rear Suspension: Roadster Shop four-link suspension system, Fox coilover shocks, Hyperco springs, Roadster shop control arms
Brakes: Baer 14-inch rotors, six-piston calipers front and rear, matte black finish with gloss black lettering, Hydroboost, Baer Remaster master cylinder
Wheels & Tires
Wheels: Forgeline, RS5; 18×9 front, 19×11 rear
Tires: Michelin Pilot Super Sport; 255/40R18 front, 305/35R19 rear
Interior
Upholstery: Leather
Installation: Stitches Custom Upholstery (Poulsbo, WA)
Seats: Stock bucket, Bowen Foam & Fabrics leather
Seatbelts: Stock
Carpet: Black, square-weave
Steering: Ididit tilt column, 15-inch Lecarra steering wheel
Shifter: 1966 Chevelle Shiftworks conversion kit
Dash: Stock
Console: 1966 Chevelle
Instrumentation: Dakota Digital RTX gauges
Wiring: American Autowire Classic Update kit
HVAC: Vintage Air SureFit
Control Panel: Stock
Entertainment System: RetroSound head unit, Morel speakers
Installation: Foss Audio, (Puyallup, WA)
Exterior
Bodywork and Paint: Chris Holstrom Concepts (Puyallup)
Paint: PPG Ford Bordeaux Reserve Red Metallic
Grille: Stock
Bumpers: Stock, tucked
Headlights: Holley RetroBright
Taillights: Stock, modified
