Kenny Ferguson started out in late 1960’s drag racing for about 10 years. He then moved on to building street rods, with his first car being a 1937 Chevy Coupe, which was orange with yellow flames. After that came a couple of 1932 Fords, and 5 different 1933 Fords. But more recently Kenny caught the bug for a muscle car, so when he found a 1966 Chevelle at a swap meet in Georgia, he dove right in. The body was fair, but the car needed a motor and transmission. Next he tackled the suspension work, added tubular A-Arms and big brakes, and finally finished it off with some paint.
At the heart of Kenny’s car is a 383 stroker motor that was built by Jimmy Miller, and is wearing aluminum heads, Sanderson headers, and a serpentine belt system. It rests in a very detailed engine compartment, that certainly has its share of polished and plated parts. But without a doubt the real attention grabber is the Inglese 8-Stack induction system sitting on top of the engine. It lends not only performance but also cool looks, combining retro Weber carburetor aesthetics with high-tech electronic fuel injected flair and smooth running characteristics (and yes, he does have air filters that go on them, they were just removed to make for better pictures). Power is passed rearward thru a 700R4 overdrive automatic transmission, and ultimately to the posi rear end with 3.73:1 gears.
Once the exterior was addressed it was painted a nice blue metallic, and accented by a stripe along the beltline that changes colors depending on the sun angle but is predominately dark purple metallic, with black and vibrant green pinstripes on the top and the bottom to really make it “pop”, all thanks to Tony Ricardo. A set of Billet Specialties rims (18-inch fronts, 20-inch rears) also add to the visual impact of the exterior, and thru the spokes you get a glimpse of the Wilwood big brake kit that was added. Inside you will find a blue vinyl interior that is basically stock looking, except for a few additions. Those include a chrome tilt steering column, 1940 Ford steering wheel, and an assortment of AutoMeter white faced gauges.
Kenny told us building up the ‘66 Chevelle was a great way to stay busy, as he had just retired from Anheuser-Busch after 38 Years. He also wanted to give thanks to the boys at Greens Hot Rods for all of their help. Not one to stay sedentary, now that the Chevelle is up and running Kenny is now working on a 1933 Pontiac 3-Window Coupe. I guess it is a return to the street rod genre once again.....and if all of his past vehicles that we have seen are any indication, it too will be another gorgeous ride when it is done. CN |
