Clarence Harding's '69 Chevelle SS396

As car crafters, we've all heard a significant other say "You love that car more than you love me." That's usually just an exaggeration, but sometimes it has a grain of truth--at least it did for Clarence Harding. In 1979, 20-year-old Clarence had saved up some cash to buy his high school sweetheart an engagement ring, but temptation set in when he spotted a newspaper ad for this '69 SS396 Chevelle. We bet you can guess what happened--he put up the $1,300 for the 427-powered A-body, and the high school crush moved on. That proved to be a wise decision, because 22 years later, Clarence is happily married and still has his Chevelle.

Granted, it's hardly the same car he hauled home in 1979. Since he's owned it, his SS396 has seen three different engines, four transmissions, and a couple of paint jobs. It's evolved from a 12-second, 427ci bracket racer into a 502-powered, electronic fuel injected, 10-second thrill ride. In 1994, after a 9-year repose in a chicken coop, the car underwent a frame-off restoration that led to this latest and baddest incarnation. Clarence tore off the Chevelle's body, pulled the chassis completely apart, hit everything with the sandblaster, and coated every component with a tough industrial epoxy (trust us, it still looks fresh today). Polyurethane bushings replaced the rotted rubber biscuits in the rear suspension, and Hotchkis control arms were enlisted for service after the stock rear lowers buckled from the big-block's torque. Global West Del-a-Lum bushings were installed in the front suspension for bind-free operation, and Wilwood discs replaced the stock binders at every corner. The underside of the body was laboriously stripped of rust and undercoating and painted to match the chassis. The original Cortez Silver hue was changed to basic Sikkens White, augmented by a factory black side stripe. The imminent sub-12-second timeslips mandated the installation of a 'cage, but the swing-away sidebars make entry and egress relatively painless. And the motor? How does a 723-horse, Lingenfelter-built 502 grab you? It's fed a steady diet of 100-octane unleaded (oxygen sensors don't like leaded fuel) via ACCEL DFI, so don't believe the deceptively mild idle quality. The simple laptop tunability of the DFI system allows Clarence to detune the motor to stay competitive in the NMCA EFI 11 class. Cold air is ducted into the big-block courtesy of an owner-fabricated system that draws atmosphere from the high-beam headlight housings. A 4L80E four-speed overdrive tranny was originally fitted behind the 502, but the lack of transbrake availability convinced Clarence to bolt up a Coan-built Turbo 400. The factory 12-bolt rear was shelved in favor of a Moser 9-inch fitted with a Detroit Locker and 4.10:1 gears. After some experimentation with airbags, Clarence installed an antiroll bar to straighten out the launch. He's run a best time of 10.367 at 127 mph, which is likely enough to eat most race cars for lunch--you know, the ones that won't idle below 1,500 rpm. And while the competition is sweating bullets because their Lexan windows don't roll down, Clarence can cruise through the pits in the cool confines of an interior equipped with power windows, a tilt wheel, and a Vintage Air A/C system.

And if you're still lamenting the lost love that took second place to the 'Velle, let's settle the decision with a question: Which one would you rather take to your 25th high school reunion? We thought so.