When Leonard Coetzee first laid eyes on his 1970 Chevrolet Chevelle, he knew he’d found a diamond in the rough. Purchased from Brad Hall in September 2012, the A-body bruiser already came with a Lumina LS1, headers, and a fresh exhaust. At first glance, the plan seemed simple: spray, assemble, and hit the streets. But any seasoned gearhead knows there’s no such thing as a quick project.
Brad had acquired the Chevelle from Ray Exton with dreams of building a street beast, but cash flow issues saw those ambitions passed to Leonard. His only regret? Letting go of his beloved ’57 Chevy truck to fund the deal—though a new project has since softened the blow.
The Chevelle’s transformation began at a panel shop familiar to Leonard, having previously handled his ’33 Coupe. Eight months of watching the car gather dust pushed Leonard over the edge, and the car was towed to Panel & Paint Shop in Durban. The body was stripped from the chassis and shipped to Speedway Auto for a full overhaul. Greg Talbott and Brad Lightning rebuilt the suspension using fresh components, new bushes, and upgraded brakes, setting the stage for a muscle car worthy of its name.
“They messed with my head,” Leonard jokes. “To do justice to a Chevelle SS, it had to have a big block. How much could it cost?” The LS1 was sold to Mike Egan, making way for a 454 big block from Rocket 88. The cost? Astronomical—but Leonard insists the sound when fired up was worth every cent. Every component was balanced before assembly, squeezing out every last pony—up to 50hp more, by his estimate. Speedway Auto powder-coated the chassis and suspension, while a big block sway-bar kit stiffened the frame to keep the car planted. Ceramic-coated Flowtech headers routed through a modified Powerflow exhaust completed the growl, turning heads wherever the Chevelle roamed.
Leonard’s Chevelle is rare; only three 1970 Chevelles are known to roam South Africa. While it isn’t a numbers-matching SS, it was built to be driven—not parked. The original green interior was replaced with a custom black leather setup by Seelan Pillay at Custom Auto Care, featuring Dakota Digital gauges and a horseshoe shifter with a reproduced centre console. The cowl-induction hood and double-hump profile scream muscle from every angle, yet the build wasn’t without challenges. A local transmission shop butchered the Turbo 400 rebuild—twice. Mark 1 Auto stepped in, adding a shift kit and restoring crisp, purposeful shifts. Leonard is already eyeing a 4L80E swap for overdrive, paired with an LSD to eliminate one-tyre fires.
Durban heat made air conditioning essential. Steve from Cool Ideas tucked the plumbing neatly away, while a Champion double-fan radiator keeps the big block cool under pressure. Future tweaks include darker SS stripes and wider rear rubber to perfect the stance. With less than 1,000km on the clock, this 650hp Chevelle hasn’t even seen a dyno yet—but the seat-of-the-pants metric doesn’t lie. Rolling on staggered Coys wheels wrapped in Vredestein rubber—20-inch rear and 18-inch front—the SSplendour is a street brawler with attitude to spare.
Credit Roll:
Greg Talbott & Brad Lightning (Speedway Auto – suspension, engine build)
Gordon & Dane Thomson (Panel & Paint Shop – bodywork, respray, assembly)
Willie Van Rensburg (Ace Looms – rewiring)
Seelan Pillay (Custom Auto Care – interior)
Brandon Robertson & Brad Lightning (Parts, advice, late-night brainstorms)
