When we were asked to be at the Royal Purple booth here at SEMA yesterday for the unveiling of a new car from Ring Brothers, we were most certainly excited, but we had no idea just how bad ass this Chevelle was going to be. And lets be clear here, we are early A-body fans, and have specifically built more than one 1966 Chevelle, so there was some hesitancy to see this thing for fear that the iconic front end, or some other key feature would be customized so much as to make us not like it. It still needed to have the heart and soul of a Chevelle as far as we were concerned.
Luckily, it does. But what about that paint color? I have to say, on paper, or by description, this doesn’t work. Who in their right mind would paint a car this color? I stood and talked with the Ring Brothers about that very subject immediately following the unveiling, and told them the very same thing. But what I told them, and I’ll tell you too, is that somehow it DOES work on this car. “I would never have believed it if you called and talked to me about it on the phone” I told Jim Ring just after the car was unveiled. “I know Chad, I was so nervous. Do you really like it? I was so worried that the new owner Chris, who’s never even seen a photo of the car, wouldn’t like it.” “We’ve had some people come in the shop and see it and ask what the hell we were thinking.”
It may be polarizing, but I like it. I think they did a great job, and we’d love to show you our own photos of it, but since everyone else also thinks they did a great job there is zero room to get photos of the thing right now. Instead we’ll let you take a look at all the ones we got from Jim and Mike, and let them tell us all about the Specs.
Study the photos, there is plenty to get lost in here.
Photos and Text by Ring Brothers
DESERT WARFARE: RINGBROTHERS UNVEIL “RECOIL” 1966 CHEVELLE FOR SEMA BATTLE OF THE BUILDERS
Mike and Jim Ring never bring a knife to a gunfight, so they brought a 980 horsepower cruise missile constructed out of aircraft-grade alloys and composites and covered in paint befitting a war machine. Named “Recoil,” the ’66 Chevelle made its official debut in the Royal Purple booth at the 2014 SEMA Show in Las Vegas, surrounded by some of the rarest, coolest and most powerful custom vehicles ever assembled.
“Recoil” is a departure for Ringbrothers, who usually build track-ready street cars – as it is really a street capable track car, complete with a modern art meets fighter jet cockpit and a driver data center complete with power and speed test data.
“Recoil” gets its muscle from a Whipple-supercharged Wegner Motorsports LS7 engine that outputs an astounding 980 horsepower. Special one-off fuel rail covers were precisely constructed for the Whipple supercharger to exactly match the design of the blower’s case. A Holley Fuel Injection System with an Aeromotive fuel cell and pump were installed to keep the 91 Octane fuel feeding monster powerplant. Flowmaster mufflers enhance the roar of the engine while Royal Purple XPR Extreme Performance Racing Oil keeps the engine running at its maximum potential. Power from the massive LS7 is harnessed by a Tremec T56 Magnum transmission reworked by Bowler and filled with Royal Purple Synchromax Manual Transmission Fluid to keep the transmission working at its peak efficiency. Finally, a Dynotech driveshaft sends the nearly 1,000 horses to the John’s Industries Ford 35 Spline nine-inch rear end.
Getting the Chevelle in motion are the brand new three-piece forged wheels called “Recoil,” a new model in the Ringbrothers wheel series from HRE that also made their debut at the SEMA Show. Measuring 19×9 and 20×13, these custom rollers and are shod with 275/35/19 tires up front and massive 345/30/20 tires in the back.
The interior of the Chevelle is completely race-ready and is designed with form over function in mind. The entire interior was fabricated by hand from sheet metal and several interior pieces, including the floor, door panels and seats, were meticulously hydro-dipped to match the carbon fiber found throughout the car. Five point racing harnesses keep you firmly planted in the the custom crafted seats while a Racepak gauge cluster in a custom Ringbrothers billet housing displays all of the information the driver needs to go fast while keeping tabs on the car’s vital signs.
“Recoil” is finished in a custom BASF Glasurit 90-Line Waterborne paint color named “Sand Storm,” and is adorned with custom, hand-laid carbon fiber panels and trim pieces that show off the highly detailed fit and finish Ringbrothers is known for, including the bumpers, mirrors, hood, trunk and inner fenders. The carbon fiber cloth used on the parts for “Recoil” is from the Mirage® line of materials that are custom designed by Composite Envisions. The material is woven in a 2×2 Twill style which is the most popular weave style among automotive enthusiasts in the U.S. This material is a hybrid of high strength, aerospace grade carbon fiber and a beautiful pure silver plated copper wire. Adding the wire to the carbon fiber provides the ability to retain the high strength that carbon fiber is known for while also giving a high end cosmetic appeal that creates an exclusive part while saving time and money with no post finishing required such as painting. The unique combination provides a very exclusive, ultra-high end cosmetic part with strength characteristics that far exceed aluminum and steel parts while providing a significant weight savings.
For more information on the “Recoil” Chevelle and other Ringbrothers billet parts, visit www.ringbrothers.com or stay connected with the team on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram and Google+.
Vehicle: Ringbrothers 1966 Chevrolet Chevelle “Recoil”
Theme: Refined race car – race interior; show car exterior
Drivetrain
Engine: Wegner Motorsports Inc. LS7 980 hp RHS Block and Head
Forced Induction: Whipple twin-screw supercharger
Meziere Intercooler Pump
Engine Oil: Royal Purple XPR Extreme Performance Racing Oil
Engine Oil Weight: 5W30
Engine Extras: Holley Fuel Injection System
Transmission: Custom Tremec by Bowler
Transmission Oil: Royal Purple Synchromax Manual Transmission Fluid
Rear End Manufacturer: John’s Industries
Rear End Type: 35 Spline 9” Ford
Drive Shaft: Dynotech
Differential Oil: Royal Purple Max Gear
Differential Oil Weight: 70W90 SAE
Additional Details: MAXFILM® Multipurpose Synthetic Lubricant
Steering
Type: Rack and Pinion
Manufacturer: Ford
Steering Column: Ididit
Power Steering Fluid: Royal Purple – Max-EZ Power Steering Fluid
Interior
Seats: Custom by Ringbrothers
Upholstery: Upholstery Unlimited
Gauges: Classic Instruments Boost Gauge, Racepak gauge cluster
A/C System: Vintage Air
Stereo System
Head Unit: Pioneer
Speakers: Kicker
Amplifier: Kicker
Wheels and Tires
Wheel Manufacturer/Model: HRE/Ringbrothers Recoil
Front Wheel Size: 19×9.5
Rear Wheel Size: 20×13
Tire Manufacturer/Model: Michelin Pilot Super Sport
Front Tire Size: 275/35/19
Rear Tire Size: 345/30/20
Exterior
Paint Manufacturer: BASF Glasurit Waterborne
Paint Color: Sand Storm
Paint Booth: Global Finishing Solutions Ringbrothers Performer Booth
Tail light lens: AM Hot Rod Glass
Carbon fiber material from Composite Envisions
Carbon fiber parts by Gemini Racing
Fuel
Fuel Type: 91 Octane
Fuel Pump: Aeromotive
Fuel Tank/Cell: Aeromotive
Fuel Management: Aeromotive
Fluids: Royal Purple Max-Clean Fuel System Cleaner & Stabilizer
Brakes
Front Manufacturer: Baer
Front Caliper Specs: 6R 6-Piston
Rear Manufacturer: Baer
Rear Caliper Specs: 6R 6-Piston
Electrical
Battery Location: Trunk
Battery Manufacturer: OPTIMA
Exhaust
Header Manufacturer: Flowmaster
Header Details: Customized by Ringbrothers
Exhaust Manufacturer: Flowmaster Stainless
Cooling
Radiator: AFCO
Fans: SPAL
Fluids: Royal Purple – Purple Ice Radiator Coolant Additive
Chassis
Chassis: Roadster Shop Custom
Suspension
Front Suspension Manufacturer: Roadster Shop
Front Suspension Type: C5 Corvette Independent
Rear Suspension Manufacturer: Roadster Shop
Rear Suspension Type: 4-Link
Shock Manufacturer: AFCO
Sway Bars: Roadster Shop
Sponsors
Corporate Sponsors
Royal Purple
BASF/Glasurit
Flowmaster/Hurst/B&M
Product Sponsors
Aeromotive
AFCO
AM Hot Rod Glass
ARP Automotive Racing Products
Baer Brakes
Bowler Transmission
Composite Envisions
Dynamat
Dynotech Driveshafts
Gemini Racing
GFS – Global Finishing Solutions
Heat Shield Products
Holley
HRE Wheels
John’s Industries
Meziere
Miller Welding
MSD
OPTIMA Battery
Racepack
Vintage Air
Wegner Motorsports Inc.
Great clean custom work. and then it got painted Ford tractor grey … a bright red car will look great next to this back ground
I’m really digging the color. It goes well with the theme of the car. Oh, and those wheels!
Unbelievable build. Nice work, guys!
The car’s beautifully done.
Horn rings on the wheels? That’s outa left field.
Don’t get me wrong, the workmanship on this is just amazing. I mean blow your mind “how did they do that” amazing. I just can’t get used to this kind of treatment on a muscle car…too eurocar or something to me. My preference is more of a classic street machine look with some chrome here and there.
Cool car that I have crazy respect for as far as the amount of work done, just not my cup of tea.
Don’t get me wrong, this car is awesome in person!
As usual, Ring Bros put together another top level build. There are always great details in the build and I enjoy looking over the car at all their custom one off work. But, for me, there are many things I wouldn’t like in my own car. And, non adjustable seats that don’t look the slightest bit comfortable in a permanent ghetto recline? Um, no.
I lost my taste for the RingBrothers after that first Mustang they built because the got successively more and more overwrought. But this, this one isn’t bad
Great workmanship, but butt ugly. The wheels are horrible and look like cheap knock offs from wheel emporium. The interior is more about being cool than about reality.
I get why builders are build the cars the way they are now but seriously they are getting to be boring. The bomber seat thing was cool ten years ago and now they are in everything and the look out of place. The front end looks like a cross between a charger and a horse. The whole package isn’t what I’d like to see and I imagine I’m not alone. It’s gray which is every other car out there in the world next to white. Oh well follow the trend. Twenty years from now this will be pastel colored prostreet……..
Here I thought that someone finally built a car for SEMA that can be street driven. Then I saw the seats. Those things can’t be comfortable.
Too much, over stylized! I’d take a stock 396 SS over this car any day.
Nice car- interesting details. The things you can do when the sky is the limit.
Thankfully not just another red Chevelle!
Much better than many of their efforts – a huge step up from the butchery they did on last year’s Pantera (they managed to take a clean and iconic 70’s design and turn it into a 90’s era kit car looking cliché bundle of gitchy-goo add ons).
I got used to the color pretty quickly and kinda like it. The overall effort is pretty understated considering the number of modifications. The seats are rather goofball but I can understand they are trying to make a statement. Some statements are best left “unstated”.
The wheels could be cool – the rear is cool, but the front offset causes the “hoop” to overwhelm the view. Pulling the hoop back two inches would have made all the difference.
The cosmetics of this build are great but what really makes the statement about is the engineering and detail. Im not a Chevrolet fan but all I can say is bravo to a great Chevelle. Well done Ring Brothers.
many nice details and excellent craftsmanship, just WAY too busy for me
Great post thanx the valid information