74 SUPER CHEVY SEPTEMBER^2019would expect. He felt that by fusing
classic visual elements with that of a
slammed stance in laying the rockers on
the ground, the car would be a standout
in any crowd. For Andy, having owned
Pro Street cars and gassers it was a
fresh approach to a very special car and
without wasting any time the project
was moved to Lerner’s shop.
Seeing that it would need a ground-
grazing stance, Lerner got started
by fabricating a custom boxed frame
from 2x4-inch steel complete with
custom crossmembers. Out back, a
Moser Engineering 9-inch Ford rear
was packed with 3.50 gears spinning
31-spline axles. It was suspended in
place by a custom four-link combined
with Evolution series ’bags from Slam
Specialties managed by their e-Level
ride height control along with Jegs
double-adjustable coilover shocks and
Panhard bar. For razor-sharp handling,
Speedway Motors tubular control
arms were deftly matched to Wilwood
Engineering 2-inch dropped spindles
combined with more Evolution series
’bags and Jegs double-adjustable
coilover shocks linked to power rack-
and-pinion steering and sway bar. The
entire frame and related components
were then sent off to Steve Wisooker
at Custom Performance Coating in
Beltsville, Maryland, to powdercoat
everything in satin black. When
it’s time to drop anchor, a Wilwood
Engineering dual master pushes fluid
through stainless lines to matching
14-inch cross-drilled and slotted rotors
wearing four-piston calipers at each
corner. Linking it all to the street are a
set of custom-painted 20-inch Center
Line California Series Smoothie
wheels with custom caps wearing
Bridgestone rubber.To make sure there was plenty of
power to match the car’s newfound
handling, Andy contacted Chevrolet
Performance for one of their potent
ZZ502 Deluxe big-block V-8 crate
engines. Straight from the factory, it’s
packed with the best go-fast goods
in their parts bin, starting with a
cast-iron block with four-bolt main
caps. Inside, a forged steel crank links
to matching rods wearing forged
aluminum pistons getting a bump
from a hydraulic roller cam. Plenty of
power comes from a pair of aluminum
oval port heads while an aluminum
intake wears a FAST EZ-EFI 2.0 fuel-
injection system delivering the final
punch. An MSD Pro-Billet ignition
lights the fire while spent gasses dump
through a custom 3-inch steel ceramic-
coated exhaust with a crossover pipe
to Flowmaster Super 40 mufflers.
Edelbrock finned-aluminum valve
covers with matching air cleaner and
a March Performance serpentine belt
system add plenty of allure under
the hood. To move the goods, a TCI
Automotive 700-R4 trans meets a
custom driveshaft from Inland Empire
Driveline to complete the final link.
Taking on the assignment of
bringing the deteriorated body back
to life was a job for a truly dedicated
craftsman. When Lerner reviewed
what was left after the shell had been
blasted clean there really wasn’t much
left. The memories, however, ran deep
for Andy, this being his first car and
the fact that his dad gave it to him.
Starting with just the cowl and dash,
Lerner fabricated a custom one-piece,
fully welded floor and trunk floor as a
base to mount the cowl to. He followed
by contacting Real Deal Steel for all
the panels to begin the reconstruction.There’s nothing better than working
with freshly struck steel, including
quarters, doors, rockers, and front
end sheetmetal. Wanting the car to
reflect a perfectly restored exterior, all
factory trim, bumpers, and adornments
were ordered from Danchuk and
test-fitted into place. Once the body
was final prepped and gapped it was
time to lay down the color. To add
just the right amount of allure, Andy
selected a custom-blended burgundy
and black urethane combination from
Restoration Shop. Lerner filled his
spray gun with just the right amount
of gloss and laid down a mile-deep vibe,
bringing the car to life.
To bring just the right amount of
glamour to the interior, Danny Haley
of DHL Interiors in Riva, Maryland,
laid out a classic design with a modern
twist. Starting with the factory dash,
he wrapped it in Indian River-toned
leather and filled it with a custom pod,
accented by factory trim, featuring
dials from Classic Instruments to
monitor the vitals. A steering wheel
from American Retro mounts to an
ididit tilt column to navigate the miles
while shifts move through a Lokar
unit, cool breezes are from Vintage
Air, and tunes flow from RetroSound.
He then fabricated a flowing custom
console, side panels, and rear seating
accented by Procar Pro-90 Lowback
front seats, which he artfully wrapped
in matching leather accented by
custom trim and wheat-tone square-
weave carpet. Seeing the car in person
lets you truly appreciate the three-year
build. It’s a testament to the vision of
both the owner and builder in creating
something that is truly unique with a
stance and attitude separating it from
the rest.SLAMMED TO PERFECTION
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