This Wheelstanding ’65 Chevelle Street Car Runs Mid-9’s On The Motor…And It’s A Wagon!


This Wheelstanding ’65 Chevelle Street Car Runs Mid-9’s On The Motor…And It’s A Wagon!

When I saw Mike Moore’s clean 1965 Chevelle Station Wagon at Fontana during the PSCA race, I couldn’t take my eyes off of it. First off it’s a wagon, and I’m a sucker for long roofs. Second, it did a really great burnout. And finally, it left with about a foot of air under the front tires on it’s way to a 9.70 pass. That was it, I had to find out more! It turns out there is a lot more to this car, and the fact that it is a naturally aspirated small block car and runs mid 9’s at 141 mph is only one reason to drool over it. The other is the fact that it’s so dead simple, but dialed in to perfection. (We have lots more photos of Mike’s 9-second Chevelle Wagon in our gallery. Use the link at the bottom of the page to see them all.)

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Remove the decals and throw a set of steelies on this bad boy and you’d never know it was a 9-second terror.

Nowadays people online or in the magazines try to convince us that a 9-second street car is no big deal. They are dead wrong. It’s a huge deal, especially naturally aspirated, and especially with a small block. Sure there are plenty of big power combos out there, and a lot of guys that can run 9’s in street trim, but the vast majority of guys that claim to have a 10-second car couldn’t run quicker than 11’s if their lives depended on it. Hell, an 11 second street car is still something to have! There are far fewer 9-second street cars than some of us have been led to believe, and the truth is most of those “grew up” to being that quick, just like Mike’s wagon.

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So this end looks a little more serious. Still, with a set of drag radials on it and the ‘chute removed we think we could get a few grudge races going.

When we asked Mike why a wagon, he told us “It’s a classic car, nostalgic!” But there’s more to it than that. Growing up in a family that had cool cars like Buick Skylarks, and other cool ’60s 2-doors, he always hated the “family car” 1969 Kingswood Station Wagon with the wood paneling. He especially hated it when after turning 16 he was told that was the only car he was allowed to drive. We’re sure there were a few fun things that happened in that wagon that ultimately resulted in fond memories for Mike, but you can tell when talking to him that there is some internal conflict going on because one moment he is telling you how much he hated those wagons, and then looks longingly at the ’65 Chevelle wagon featured here. We happen to think wagons in general are cool, but this one in particular turns head wherever it goes.

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That’s one big quarter panel.

The fact that Mike Moore run’s 9’s with a wagon, and one he’s owned for 19 years, is pretty impressive. Built over all 19 of those years, and in it’s 4th or 5th upgrade in power, this car has grown with Mike and his family. Originally equipped with a 283 and Powerglide, the ’65 Chevelle Wagon was purchased from a neighbor in 1995 from a neighbor for $400. What a deal. At the time the 283 didn’t run, the ‘Glide was broken, and once fixed it was dubbed as the kid transport and grocery grabber vehicle. Mike’s wife June, when told that Mike had just bought the car, replied that the wagon was fine because “how much trouble can you get into with an old station wagon?” Then Mike made the decision that would forever change the face of this poor lonely wagon.

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The 421 cubic inch Hot Rod Performance built small block Chevy is full of good parts, but it’s only the vacuum pump and Dominator that really let you in on what’s going on here.

After deciding it needed a GM 350 crate engine, that made a whopping 196 horsepower by the way, along with new paint, wheels, and tires it was cruiser bound. That was probably the worst, or best depending on your perspective, decision Mike ever made. That 196 horse 350 lasted exactly two weeks before Mike was in love with the car, but longing for more power, and swapped in a 500 horse 383. That was 2000 and it ran 13.75 @ 92 mph in the quarter with a 2.40 60ft. A 600 horsepower 406 and Turbo 350 with a 2800 stall converter were next with a 9 inch and 3.73 gears that resulted in 11.40 time slips. An upgrade to a  Turbo 400 with a 3500 stall converter and a trans brake along with new 4.11 gears in the 9 inch soon netted 10.90 ETs. In search of even more power, the current 421 cubic inch small block was up next, along with a built ‘Glide with a 5500 stall converter and 4.88 gears. That was more gear than Mike wanted, so on went taller 9.00/30/15 Mickey Thompson Radial slicks and 4.56 gears in the 9 inch that resulted in a best of 9.62 @ 141 mph, and that’s where it stands today. Oh, and when he’s feeling “sporty” he puts on a set of 275 drag radials and gets it on street car style as well.

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It’s too bad the Brodix intake and Holley Dominator are so big. We’d really love to see this thing run the number with a stock flat hood.

The 421 cubic inch small block features 18 degree Edelbrock Chapman port heads, a cam that engine builder Mark Millhollin at Hot Rod Performance described by holding his hands a foot apart when asked how big it was by car owner Mike. When asked for more specs he drew a big circle in the air in front of him with one finger. Mike just laughed. When we spoke to Mark he filled us in and the 14.5 to 1 compression is thanks to CP pistons swinging on Scat H Beam rods and Scats lightweight forged crank. All of it is housed in a Dart block, and is topped of by a Brodix intake and 1050 Holley Dominator. Oh, and the cam specs are as follows. 284/290 degrees of duration at .050, .760 intake and .720 exhaust lift respectively, all on a 112 degree center. You know, a happy little street cam. When we asked Mike if he would ever spray the thing and take advantage of the 8.50 NHRA Chassis Certification, he replied “I’ve had offers from guys to hook me up with nitrous, turbos, and all kinds of stuff and that just isn’t us. We like to keep it simple, which means naturally aspirated. Awesome.

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The Hotchkis rear arms, QA1s, and HR Parts and Stuff Anti Roll Bar are bolt ins. The bags in the rear springs are going away shortly as the car sits higher now with the 30 inch tall MT’s and Mike’s not sure they are needed. Testing will tell.

Underneath, the car is surprisingly simple. The GM A-body stock rear triangulated 4-link is a great design, and thanks to Hotchkis arms and stiffeners, HR Parts and Stuff Anti-roll bar, and QA1 shocks it just works. The Currie built 9 inch has 4.56 gears, in our opinion the greatest gear ratio ever, and is bullet proof insurance when making this much power and moving this much weight. Up front stock lower arms, Moroso Trick Springs, and Fatman Fabrications tubular upper arms are again dead simple but work to get the weight where it needs to be at the hit. The result? 1.38 60 foot times at the drags with the wheels up.

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Stock lower control arms, Fatman Fabrication uppers, and Moroso Trick Springs wrapped around another set of QA1s is all there is to the front suspension. Simple works.

Backing up the 421 cubic inch small block screamer is a Mike’s Transmission’s built ‘Glide and Hughes 5500 stall converter.

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The bottom is as clean as the top, and the Mike’s Transmission’s built ‘Glide is fed power through a Hughes 5500 stall converter.

The only weight savings comes from the rear seat removal, lightweight race buckets up front, and a glass cowl hood that was needed to clear the big intake and Dominator carb. The big long roof weighs in at 3500 lbs, so not as heavy as some people might think, but not nearly as light as most people’s race cars.

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You can put a lot of beer in here.

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The interior is not fancy, but well laid out and clean. We especially like the chute handle. Find that in most wagons!

Inside you’ll also find a gaggle of AutoMeter gauges to keep an eye on all the important stuff. A Hurst Quarter Stick is responsible for gear changes, and Simpson belts and net keep Mike firmly planted in the seat when the wheels leave the starting line. After all, the safety stuff is important to Mike since the car is a family affair. Both of his kids, Tina and Taylor Moore, learned math skills working on this car at a young age. In fact, the entire Moore family is involved in this racing venture. Mike’s wife June is right there with him at each race, as are Stephanie, Blake and Susan. When doing their jobs as esteemed members of the U.S. Air Force, Tina and Taylor are still there in spirit, although the hot rods they play with are a bit faster than dad’s wagon.

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We’d drive it. Wouldn’t you?

We see a lot of cars at a lot of different levels of build quality and performance each week, but it’s cars like Mike Moore’s ’65 Chevelle Wagon that make us smile. The pride and joy that everyone in his pit had, the kind words that came from other racers about the car, Mike, and crew, along with the genuine fun that they have running this car is what hot rodding and racing is all about. We spend most of our time sitting around bench racing about our cars, and very little actual time driving them. Maybe that’s because, like Mike, we’re all so sick with this stuff and have so much fun, that we wouldn’t survive it if the balance was the other way around. Good going Mike, we love this thing and can’t wait to hang out again next time.

Mike would like to thank a lot of people for helping him with the wagon over the years. His wife June and family are of course at the top of the list, because together Mike says that “This car is the most fun thing we have ever done as a family.” He also wants to thank Mark and Jennifer Millhollin and the rest of the Hot Rod Performance crew, Mike Steward at Mike’s Transmissions, Kari Radeke at Simpson, Mel Roth and the PSCA Crew, Tony “Big Worm” Smith at Big Worm Racing, Chad McGee, aka Shirtless Chad, with CM Racing, Vic and Greg at Best Buy Tires, Paul and Debbie at HR Parts and Stuff, Doug Moore and Monty Majeski, Fletcher and the band Pennywise, Rudy Rush, and all the folks that stop by his pit to see the wagon and say hello.

button” text=”CLICK HERE TO SEE EVEN MORE PHOTOS OF MIKE’S 9-second WAGON”


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10 thoughts on “This Wheelstanding ’65 Chevelle Street Car Runs Mid-9’s On The Motor…And It’s A Wagon!

  1. GuitrarSlinger

    The one thing most people do not realize and that Volvo proved so well [ in the ETC ] is that wagons are more aerodynamically efficient than sedans or coupes . Its always surprised me .. especially in light of the breaks the NHRA used to give wagons that more didn’t show up in the ranks of Stock , SS .. the Gas classes and even Pro Stock and Funny Car .

    Honestly the manufactures [ involved in SS PS GS and FC ] missed out on a great marketing opportunity .

    1. GuitarSlinger

      When Brian ? Seriously ! I followed FC since way back in the day [ as in when FunnyCars were really Funny ( looking ) Cars ] and have no recollection what so ever of a FC Wagon . Several Stock Class wagons for certain . A SS or two . Heck if memory serves me correct there was even a dragging wagon that held a record or two . But no FCs

      I’m not doubting you in the least Brian . But damn I’d sure like to know .. as well as despite them failing a story on FC wagons would make for one hell of a good read . Hint Hint 😉

      1. Sam Strube

        The Wonder Wagon was the most famous funny car wagon that failed… but then there were several others. Google Wagon Funny Car and you will see some.

  2. Piston Pete

    Even if you don’t care for wagons, (I do), this car is so sweet and slick that it draws you in. I bet Mike and June get compliments constantly. Plenty spendy I’m thinking, but all in the right places. Great job!

    1. GuitarSlinger

      Yup ! Its kind of hard not to love a Mommy Wagon that kicks some serious ___ and looks like this . Heck ! If I still had the connections I swear go the Scandihoovian route : stuffing a V8 as well as upgraded tranny/suspension into a Volvo 240 Wagon . Watching all those SSs Z28s Hellcats SRTs C7s and EuroSnobs crying in their soup as I blow right on by them alone would be worth the price of entry

    1. Loyd Edwards

      He buys his gas at the distillery…. xD 180 proof when running that kind of compression. hehee…

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