Shawn Davis from YouTube’s AutotopiaLA always shows some of the most epic custom rides on his channel. But this 1971 Chevrolet Chevelle in his latest video is different. Unlike other restored classics he usually checks out, this one is not a one-off project built as a show car.

This 71′ Chevelle is part of a six-car line-up built by Roger Lee and his team from Ironworks Speed and Kustoms. It’s built from the ground up to be a daily driver – a pre-production model for the “production-line” Chevelles that the restoration and tuning company plans to make going forward.

Lee’s idea is to mass-produce these cars, offering a limited number of custom options for exterior paint, interior trim, and mechanical configurations each customer can pick. This 1971 Chevy Chevelle is the first of these prototypes, and it’s downright impressive on all fronts.

A Stock 650-HP Supercharged LT4 V8 Powers This 1971 Chevelle

Lee and Ironworks have made a bunch of really cool custom cars in the past. Each had its unique style, mechanical setup, and interior layout, among other things. But as he says, he now wants to build cars that he can make over and over again – a setup that he can mass produce in low numbers.

The idea is to offer his customers a set number of options and not go crazy with the modifications. So, each Chevelle would have the same interior design, but you can pick from six color options. There are a handful of exterior shades on offer, along with a few wheel choices.

Lee says that by putting a leash on creativity, he would be able to focus more on building nice cars. The 1971 Chevelle that Davis checks out in the video is a great example. From the outside, it looks like any other second-gen Chevelle. But underneath that gorgeous coke-bottle style exterior body is an entirely modern car. Ironworks has completely redone all the mechanical components. They have tuned every part to make this Chevelle perfect for the road. As Lee says, this is not a show car. It’s meant to be driven.

General Motors LT4 Small Block V8: Specs

(Technical specifications of LT4 small block V8 sourced from Chevrolet)

Under the hood, it gets the Camaro ZL1’s 6.2-liter LT4 V8. Ironworks has kept the engine in stock configuration, which means it is cranking out 650 hp and 650 lb-ft of peak torque. Lee says that a bunch of upgrades, such as a bigger blower, among other things, will be available.

The motor hooks up to a 10-speed automatic but customers will be able to pick a 6-speed manual. The LT4 offers a big jump in power compared to the stock V8 that Chevy used to provide in the second-gen Chevelle. To handle all that extra power, there is a modern rear end with 370 gearing.

This 1971 Chevy Chevelle Is Built To Be The Perfect Daily Driver

This Chevelle rides on a modern Speedtech chassis. It has independent front and rear suspension with upgraded JRI shocks and dampers. Ironworks has done a lot of testing to ensure that the car rides nicely on the street – Davis experiences this firsthand when he takes it out for a spin on the bumpy roads of Bakersfield, California.

Ironworks has sourced most of the mechanical components on this Chevelle from GM. But they have tuned it to their own setup to deliver the perfect daily driver. You’ll see in the video that the LT4 behaves nicely on the street with regular inputs but roars into life with a slight tap on the gas pedal.

What also makes this 1971 Chevelle sound epic is its custom exhaust system. Ironworks has given it mid-length headers, a full-length exhaust with lots of straight pipe sections, and Magnaflow mufflers with resonators. Lee says that the team has built the entire setup in-house. This Chevy rides on custom wheels with 19-inch rims at the front and 20-inch at the rear. Stopping power comes from 14-inch Wilwood brakes with 6-piston calipers.

This Chevy Chevelle Gets A Stock Exterior With A Bespoke Interior

From the outside, this Chevelle looks stock. All the trim and other parts are the same as the original car that rolled out of the Chevy plant in 1971. Davis says that if someone were to see this parked on the street, they’d probably think that this is a nicely restored example of the muscle car. They would probably have no clue that underneath, it’s an entirely new car.

Though there is no change on the exterior of this Chevelle, Ironworks has completely redone the interior with modern bits. Lee says this particular car was in really good shape. So they didn’t have to put in a lot of work. But they still replaced all the floor panels from the firewall to the trunk.

The cabin comes with a custom dashboard with carbon fiber panels. Lee and his team have also made a bespoke gauge cluster that fits nicely with the stock dashboard layout. All the gauges are modern, and there is even a heads-up display in this 1971 Chevelle. Lee’s idea was to make this car into a great daily driver. As a result, it comes with tons of features that you’ll find on modern vehicles.

Modern Amenities On This 1971 Chevelle Restomod

• Cupholders
• Air Conditioning
• Powered Front Seats
• Heated and Cooled Seats

Though the exterior of this Chevelle remains stock, Ironworks has added a bunch of custom parts on the inside. The door panels, the center console, and the steering wheel are bespoke to this Chevelle. The craziest thing about this build is that the automatic versions will be offered with 3D-printed paddle shifters on the steering wheel.

This Decked Out 1971 Chevy Chevelle Restomod Isn’t Cheap

Pricing

(Pricing data provided by Classic.com and J.D. Power)

This custom build isn’t cheap. Lee says even with this 1971 Chevelle being in pretty good condition, with only 18,000 miles on the clock, it costs roughly in the ballpark of $475,000 to $500,000. It has approximately $160,000 to $175,000 worth of new parts on it.

He adds that the reason why this particular 1971 Chevelle conversion costs so much is because it is loaded with all the options. As seen on Flickr, a regular Ironworks build on a similar Chevelle with fewer options should fall between $375,000 and $400,000.

This amount is still pretty outrageous. But if you can afford it, we’d say it sounds like a decent deal. If you can’t and still want to get your hands on a Chevelle, we’d suggest you start looking one up on auction platforms. According to Classis.com, second-gen Chevy Chevelles average around $72,252 in the collector market.

Source: Classic.com / Chevrolet, J.D. Power, Flickr