Tim King and TMI Products Inc. Build 1966 Chevelle for SEMA 2012

Dec 12, 2012

Tim Kin decided to go with a K&N XStream air filter assmebly on his 1966 Chevelle SEMA Show vehicle

At fifteen years of age Tim King purchased a 1966 Chevelle, with intentions of eventually building the car to what he considered perfection. While employed by True Connections, he slowly and methodically purchased parts for the future project, storing them until the time was right to embark upon the build. Well, the owner recently tackled the challenge, and at the endeavor's end, showed up at SEMA 2012 with the epitome of a classic muscle car.

After executing the needed sheet metal work, the General Motors Sales Rep for TMI Products, depended on the company to provide his ride with a flawless paint job and stitch up the interior. With these two chores behind him, King tackled the remainder of the project by himself, using the parts he had been accumulating throughout the years.

Many 2012 SEMA attendees stopped to admire the Grey 1966 Chevelle owned by Tim King

Back in the muscle car era, one could rest assured that those admiring a fella's hot rod would eventually ask to look under the hood. With that in mind, King spent his fair share of time building a high-performance engine.

Tearing his 454 big block engine down, King bored the cylinders sixty-thousandths over stock specifications, and went with 9:1 compression pistons. Eager to enhance his performance even more, and likely anticipating a lope, he chose to install a Voodoo cam.

Attaching an Edelbrock intake atop the engine, he bolted on a Holley 750 double-pumper carburetor to ensure an ample flow of air and fuel reached the cylinders.

An air bag supesnion give this 1966 Chevelle a great stance worthy of 2012 SEMA recognition

Prior to attaching the valve cover pans he opted to replace the stock rocker arms with something that would lend to better performance and less wear, and cinched down the Roller rockers with confidence.

Acutely aware that performance would suffer if restriction was not addressed, he bolted Doug Thorley Headers to the heads. Eager to guarantee an optimal exhaust flow, he installed a Flowmaster 3-inch exhaust kit.

Tim King most certainly did a great job on this 1966 Chevelle displayed at the 2012 SEMA Show

Planning to head off any cooling problems at the pass, the car owner chose Maradyne dual cooling fans. To provide even a cooler environment for the engine to perform at its peak, he also inserted a radiator cover by Undercover innovations.

After stretching Taylor Spiral wound wires from the distributor cap to the plugs, he focused on providing his engine with the best filtering system on the market, that in mind, he turned to K&N products to ensure optimal air flow, while keeping the internal components of his engine contaminant free.

"I used the K&N filter and air filter lid,"recalled King. "I wanted to ensure the engine could breathe! The first time I used K&N was on my quad, when I was just a few years old”.

This 1966 Chevelle packs plenty of power with a well built 454 cubic inch motor

With the engine build behind him, Tim King centered his attention to the remaining components of the drive train. Pulling a T-56 six-speed transmission from a 1999 Camaro, he secured it to the back of his newly built 454. After installing a Hurst Nitro-Stick II shifter, he knew it was important to make one more modification to handle the rigors when the rubber met the road. It only made sense to add a 12-bolt posi (positive traction) rear end to the recipe for speed and performance.

While under the rig, King began his quest to provide a suspension that could complement the the drivetrain's modifications. He went with a SC&C Stage II kit, with adjustable upper control arms and one-half inch taller ball joints for the front end, and a poly kit from UMI performance in the back. As a finishing touch underneath the car, he opted to install custom air bags by Bio Kustumz.

Updating his brake system with four wheel slotted and drilled disc brakes from SSBC, he chose 19/20"NewGen Descendant Rims, Nitto 555 tires.

With the mechanical aspect of the car completed, Tim King began to contemplate esthetics. Adding to the quality workmanship of the Full Sport-R Series interior provided by TMI products, the car owner secured an Eddie Motorsports steering wheel to the column, and added a Dakota Digital VHX gauge package to the dash.
 

With the help of many sponsors and friends Tim King was able to finish this sweet 1966 Cehvelle in time for SEMA 2012

Although TMI Products has been building innovative interiors for SEMA cars for more than twenty years, this was Tim King's first personal build. Referring to the inspiration of the project, King said, "We wanted the interior to pop. That's why we went with white."When asked which modification earned the most attention, he continued, "The air bags. Getting that stance low is what draws people in.”

Although such a project was demanding and consumed an astronomical amount of time, at the build's end, Tim King walked away not only with an impressive vehicle, but a sense of satisfaction unsurpassed. When asked what it took complete such a venture, his answer was short and to the point. "This was my first year,"explained King. "It took a lot of energy drinks and long nights.”

Other similar SEMA show vehciles can be found in these related articles:
Hellcat Camaro
SEMA Show Cars K&N Display

Find K&N products for your vehicle using the K&N application search then use the K&N dealer search to find a K&N dealer in your part of the world.

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