Drive Staff October 12, 2022 All Feature Vehicles
MICHAEL CUTHBERTSON
1967 Chevrolet Chevelle
Orange County, California
When Michael got our cover car, the Chevelle (top right), he had never before wrenched on a vehicle. For someone with so little experience, he put together a beautiful project. He started with a completely original ride and was able to pick up a 355 motor and turbo 350 tranny to replace the stock 283 and powerglide. As he says, “This was put into the car so I could enjoy and have something more reliable to drive.”
Then the car was sprayed with black primer until he could afford to paint it properly. Next the brake and suspension were upgraded from the original stock manual drums to four-wheel power discs.
Michael powder coated the dash, cleaned up the stock wiring harness, and he made the panel for the Auto Meter gauges; he also added Vintage Air.
When the time came for paint, he took the car apart and dropped it off at Mark Hunter’s at Hunter Paint and Body. The motor went to Mark Rapp at Rapp Racing for a refresh. Several parts were sent out for powder coating as well, such as bumper brackets and gas tank. Michael told us, “I…wanted to do something different. All of the exterior trim, centers of the wheels, radiator, shroud, valve covers, and headers were ceramic coated by Code 510 in charcoal ceramic coating.” After paint, it took about six weeks to reassemble the car. Michael’s son, Chris, who now wants a classic car of his own, was there to help.
Michael took the car to Pfaff for a chassis dyno, and blew the 200-4R tranny. Fortunately, he’d always wanted a five-speed, so he purchased the conversion kit with a TKO 600 tranny from Hurst driveleline conversions. Thanks go to Keith Black for guidance and help with the new tranny conversion.
Then to really set off the interior, he went to his friend Larry Ashley, at TMI interiors, who was looking for a Chevelle to take to SEMA. It was the perfect opportunity to show off the new Sport XR interior from TMI. That’s how Michael got the black and gray with gray suede headliner accents inside.
Since it was going to the big show, SSBC provided new brakes, UMI and Viking the suspension, Flowmaster the 3-inch exhaust with 40 series mufflers, Optima hooked them up with a yellow top battery and Clayton Machine Works provided new pedal covers and shifter. After reassembling the car from paint and doing a tranny conversion, Michael had only about a week to put the new suspension, brakes, exhaust and other new accessories on the car for SEMA.
GARTH HAMMONDS
1970 Chevy Camaro RS
Corona, California
Garth Hammonds has worked for TMI for a few years now so you would expect he’d have a cool vehicle like a ’70 Camaro with a worthy interior. Having a father who’s an auto painter, he was raised around custom cars and has developed a clearly defined vision. There’s an array of mods on the vehicle. First, he had the car dropped and added the 1993 Honda Civic door handles, he removed the front marker lights and he installed door poppers. The cowl induction hood is by Dynacorn and paint is Mini Cooper Thunder Blue by Johnny’s Auto Color and Body Works.
The wheels are Union Forged custom three-piece aluminum Lagunas, 18×8 front and 18×9.5 rear, wrapped in Continental DW tires. Suspension is handled Viking Performance coil-overs with UMI control arms.
The engine is a Chevy 305 V-8. Garth told DRIVE! that he’s still working on the engine compartment. Other mods include a Flowmaster American Thunder dual exhaust kit, K&N air cleaner, Pro Forged steering linkage assembly and tie rods and Doug Thorley headers. But what really sets off this Camaro, complementing everything else that has breathed life into this car is the new interior. The full package consists of Sport XR seat upholstery, Sport XR door panels, suede headliner and Sport XR full-length center console, all by TMI.
LARRY ASHLEY
2005 Ford Mustang GT
Riverside, California
Larry Ashley’s Mustang wears a wrap by Gatorwraps that accentuates the lines of the car. Add to that the Trufiber A61 carbon fiber hood and CXT1 front bumper, the carbon fiber LG104KR front lip as well as the LG109 side skirt splitters, and you have one aggressive-looking vehicle. The exterior’s finished off nicely with the Vossen CV7 20x9s in front and 20×11 rear with Conti Sport Contacts (255/35/20 and 285/30/20), plus Spyder lighting projector headlights and Euro-style taillights.
TMI’s Sport XR seat upholstery and foam, brushed aluminum door panel inserts on top of suede door inserts and suede headliner fill out the interior. Late Model Restoration supplied all of chrome pieces in the interior and under the hood.
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