Green With Envy

Ron Porter’s 1962 Chevy II Packs the Punch of a Turbocharged LS Engine.

- Tommy Lee Byrd

Ron Porter has been around fast cars for as long as most car guys have been alive. He has turned many wrenches, painted many panels, and driven many drag cars over the years but decided to build a street car a few years ago. In an attempt to build something practical to drive on the street, he started searching for a potential candidate when a co-worker sold him a 1962 Chevy II that he had been holding onto for 20 years. After striking a deal, Ron knew this would be an excellent project and wanted his son Trevor to be a part of it. Two years and thousands of dollars later, the father and son build is one of the slickest Chevys in the Southeast, and certainly the fastest street car in Ron’s hometown of Rossville, Georgia. Ron and Trevor received lots of help from friends like Steven Crouse, Harold Crouse, Jacob Branham, and Jonathan Gudel along the way.

With the goal of driving the car to local car shows and cruise nights, Ron went away from his drag racing roots and opted for a more street-friendly combination. The car was in fair condition when he got it but needed typical rust repair and a full suspension overhaul. Rather than rely on stock equipment to keep his Chevy II glued to the pavement, Ron called up the folks at Total Cost Involved (TCI) and ordered a truckload of suspension parts. He went with a TCI front suspension kit, which is a complete subframe, outfitted with tubular control arms, a 1-inch sway bar, and a rack-and-pinion steering system. Ron upgraded to a set of billet coilovers on all four corners.