By Scotty Lachenauer – Images by the Author
It turns out 1971 was a good year for young hot rodder Paul Tholey. The fresh-faced mechanic from Willow Grove, Pennsylvania, was on the lookout for a new ride, and luckily the stars aligned. This 1967 Chevy II practically fell into his lap.
You see, the local parties were a mecca for good times and going fast, with muscle car freaks always ready to talk shop. Paul was in the right place at the right time when he overheard a Harley guy complaining about his Chevy locking up between shifts. Sensing an opportunity, Paul reached out and worked his magic to secure a deal for the needy car. As they say, the rest is history.
The Butternut Yellow Chevy II—known as the “Deuce”—had already seen plenty of action in its brief four years. The original 327 was long gone, replaced with a similar engine. While the paint and vinyl top remained in great shape, the engine bay told a different story. Signs of major work included notched shock towers—a clear indication that something much bigger had once lived under the hood. “The Harley guy told me the first owner put a big-block L88 in it. The inner fenderwells were also cut for the headers. A gold-colored barrel with the Hurst stamping was the line-lock already installed,” Paul recalls. The car still had its original Muncie four-speed but now sported a 12-bolt rear stuffed with 4.88 gears.
The interior revealed even more Day Two add-ons. A blue-line Super Sun Tach with its vibrant orange redline indicator and Stewart-Warner 2 5/8-inch gauges helped keep track of the vitals. The original bench seat interior was the perfect choice for this lowkey sleeper, offering a striking contrast to the serious hardware Chevy had packed into the Deuce.
Once Paul inspected the car, he took it out for a spin and confirmed what he already knew: this car was a keeper. His previous earth-shaker, a black 1957 Chevy, had sold quickly, leaving room for his new favorite ride. Paul wasted no time pulling the 327, swapping it for an LT-1 that had been replaced under a warranty claim at his shop. The 350 had already received some work from Scott Creighton at Shaw’s Speed Shop, where the block was machined and balanced. A fresh set of Hooker fenderwell headers ensured the spent gases exited efficiently.
This setup gave the compact Chevy instant street cred. To help make ends meet and provide a side hustle, Paul brought in used cars for his wife, Eileen, to drive. He upgraded them along the way for quick resale. Once a car left the household, Eileen would take the Nova for daily driving duties, often relying on just First and Fourth gears to get around town. “We won’t say which made more money for us—street racing or flipping cars. There are hundreds of stories and strong memories of people fondly seeing our small-block Deuce stay ahead of big-block cars, Cobra Jet Mustangs, and blown Corvettes during lunchtime drags and late-night street races,” Paul says.
Over the years, the little Yellow Beast evolved. One major upgrade came thanks to Hurst Performance, based nearby in Warminster, Pennsylvania. When Paul considered installing an automatic, his buddy Warren Hallowell at Hurst came through with a brand-new Autostick II—a part Warren “accidentally” brought home in a lunchbox, one piece at a time. Paired with a TH350 transmission, this combination became the ultimate street racing setup and served the car well for years.
The Nova remained a force on the streets for the next five decades, leaving a lasting impression wherever it went. In the 1980s, 16-year-old Andy Starr started tagging along with Paul and the Deuce, forming a friendship that would endure. Years later, Starr built the crossram-topped small-block that would propel the car into the future. Known for his expertise, Starr runs Starr Performance Tuning and Consulting in Horsham, Pennsylvania, helping speed freaks, muscle car addicts, and quarter-mile racers with tuning, consulting, and Hilborn EFI setups.
Through the decades, the Deuce continued to prove its worth. In the 1990s, plenty of 5.0L Mustangs tried to tangle with Paul’s machine—and lost. “I heard plenty of kids say their old man told them not to race the Deuce for money because they’d lose,” Paul laughs. The car was the perfect blend of lowkey looks and big power.
After years of street dominance, the 350 mill eventually needed a refresh. Paul reached out to the original owner, Bob Moody, for some inspiration. Moody revealed that after he trashed the original 327, a 302ci crate engine had briefly occupied the engine bay. With this knowledge, Paul chose the next powerplant.
Once again, Starr was called in to bring the Deuce back to life. A 1968 CE block served as the foundation for the new build. Inspired by Bill Jenkins’ fondness for 291 Fuelie heads, Starr performed bowl work to get them just right. Knowing today’s pump gas isn’t what it used to be, compression was adjusted accordingly. Paul stuck with his trusty fenderwell headers, which offered easy access to plugs and wires, and topped off the build with an Edelbrock crossram intake. Two Holley 660 carburetors ensured the engine had all the juice it needed.
Starr tuned the Deuce to 504 hp at Lorenzo’s Fast Flow Dyno in Penndel, Pennsylvania. The build combined old-school charm with modern technology, spanning decades of Paul’s quest for speed and incorporating key elements from past configurations.
Paul has lived an incredible life with his beloved Deuce. Known as the guy always willing to help with a car build, Paul has passed his love for hot rodding down to his family. The Tholeys are a tight-knit group, with wife Eileen and their three kids all building cars together: son Paul’s 1965 Chevelle, daughter Eileen’s 1969 Camaro, and daughter Monica’s 1969 Nova.
The “Diehard Deuce” is an extension of who Paul is—a committed enthusiast, racer, tuner, and friend to the local car scene. Over the years, he’s stayed true to his roots, balancing old-school street smarts with modern trends. It’s a legacy built on speed, craftsmanship, and community—an enduring testament to a life spent chasing horsepower.
Check out this story in our digital edition here.
TECH CHECK
Owner: Paul Tholey
Vehicle: 1967 Chevy II
Engine
Type: Small-block Chevy
Displacement: 302 ci
Block: 1968 CE casting 3959512 large journal
Compression Ratio: 10.3:1
Bore: 4.00 inches
Stroke: 3.00 inches
Cylinder Heads: 291 casting double hump
Rotating Assembly: Billet Winberg crank, Diamond forged pistons, Carrillo rods
Valvetrain: Crower solid roller lifters, Crower shaft rockers
Camshaft: Bullet solid roller (0.645 lift, 257/263 deg. duration at 0.050)
Induction: Edelbrock STR-10 cross ram
Fuel Delivery: Twin Holley 660-cfm carbs, RobbMc Performance Mechanical fuel pump
Ignition: MSD
Exhaust: 1971 Vintage Hooker fenderwell headers, owner-built exhaust, and GM Corvair Turbo mufflers
Output: 504 hp
Drivetrain
Transmission: TH350
Torque Converter: 3,500 stall
Rear Axle: GM 12-bolt, 4.88 Zoom Gears, GM posi, Moser axles
Suspension
Front Suspension: Stock GM with ball joint spacers and helper springs, NMW subframe connectors
Rear Suspension: Owner-built traction bars on stock leaf springs, Air Lift bag for tuning
Brakes: Stock four-wheel drum brakes
Wheels & Tires
Wheels: Cragar S/S 15×4 front, 15×6 rear
Tires: Michelin XZX 165-R15 front, Hurst Nostalgic Pie Crust 7-inch slicks rear
Interior
Material: Black vinyl
Gauges: Sun Super tach and Stewart-Warner vacuum, water, and oil pressure
Shifter: Hurst Autostick II
Entertainment System: Nope
Exterior
Bodywork and Paint: GM
Paint: Butternut Yellow
Original GM installed Black Vinyl Top
