Plan II

Jim Forbes is an engineer, and it shows.

- Brandan Gillogly

He’s competed with his 1962 Chevy II in two consecutive HOT ROD Drag Weeks and our first two Drag Weekend events, and we find a new, interesting bit of fabrication in the homebuilt time capsule each time we see it. On top of that, the Chevy II has won its class multiple times while being home built using ingenuity rather than a big budget.

The nose-high stance, tube axle, and rearend moved 8 inches forward all pin the Chevy II squarely as a mid-1960s-style altered-wheelbase. Jim carefully picked the rest of the components to reflect that era. The 6-71 blower that peeks through the hood was cast in 1961 and the cylinder heads are legit Chevrolet L88 aluminum castings complete with the Winters foundry snowflake. Despite the collectability of such parts and the price they might demand from a numbers-matching purist assembling their faultless fiberglass mid-year, Jim was patient and scooped up a pair of heads that had previously been ported—which tends to scare most buyers away.