Summary

Multiple award-winner built in 2003 by Rad Rides By Troy; has been referred to as one of the most iconic street machines ever built. Powered by a streetable twin-turbo 406ci engine putting out over 1,000hp, mated to a 4L80E automatic transmission.

Details

This custom 1962 Chevrolet Biscayne nicknamed 'Chicayne' was rebuilt in 2003 by Rad Rides By Troy. What started out as a relatively mundane Biscayne ended up being a milestone project for Rad Rides that has been referred to as one of the most iconic street machines ever built. A number of features made it stand out amongst its contemporaries, including a streetable twin-turbo small-block engine putting out over 1,000hp, a hidden roll cage, a suede interior, carbon-fiber components, one-off 19- and 22-inch wheels, and the prototype of what would ultimately become Billet Specialties' Tru-Trac accessory drive. Other features of the build included quality fabrication, subtle body modifications, excellent paint and tasteful graphics. This car's twin-turbo 406ci Dart iron engine is mated to a 4L80E automatic transmission. 'Chicayne' is equipped with a special prototype serpentine pulley system machined by Billet Specialties, a Griffin radiator and a stainless 321 titanium exhaust. It has a one-off-design 3-link rear suspension, with the two lower arms boxed for strength and utilizing OEM bushings from a 1965 Chevrolet for better control. The lower arm also has a mounting point built into it for the air-ride suspension. The front suspension is also a new design based on the stock crossbar mounting system. Finished in PPG Medium Cypress up top and Olive on the bottom, this coupe's body modifications include flush-mounted front and rear bumpers, as well as OEM turn signals that double as air intakes for the turbos. The doors have had the vent windows removed and all new glass tracking was made to allow for one­-piece glass. The doors are remotely operated from the outside, with Billet Specialties handles opening them from the inside. The radiator and air intake cover, along with the sculpted inner fenders, are aluminum. The grille, bumpers, headlight bezels and taillight trim were all rechromed. The interior is finished in Olive, Sage and Beige buffalo suede. The seats are a modified OEM bench; both the front and rear have a carbon-fiber console with the bench seat sculptured around them. The front console houses the Kenwood tuner, inner air conditioning outlets, a cell phone deck and harness control levers. Each seat has a 4-point harness. The chromoly roll cage was designed to make the car legal at the strip and add rigidity to the chassis. The rear center bar pivots to allow entry to the rear seats - a design used to allow the vehicle to transport four people at once. The dash is an overlay cluster of staggered depths and sizes of 10 AutoMeter gauges. The lower dash houses the vacuum gauge, fuel gauge and Vintage Air controls. The left front kick panel houses the cooling fan relays and the TCI 4L80E control module. The car's audio/visual system starts with a Kenwood KVT911 source unit with built-in DVD player and touchscreen display. Two Diamond Audio amplifiers supply sound to a set of 5-inch Diamond Audio component speakers in the front kick panels, another 5-inch component set in the rear deck and two 10-inch Diamond Audio subwoofers in a sealed box enclosure. The entire car is treated with Dynamat sound-deadening material. The trunk bay on the left side uses a Painless 4 circuit relay fuse panel to operate the main fuel pump, secondary fuel pump and the Aeromotive fuel pressure sending unit control module. The car rides on Billet Specialties 'Chicayne' wheels wrapped in Nitto Extreme tires. 'Chicayne' was featured in numerous publications, both during construction and after completion. The car also won Goodguys 2003 Street Machine of the Year, 2002 SEMA GM's Design Award and 2002 Mothers Shine Award. It participated in three cross-country road tours and has appeared in numerous TV programs over the years. 'Chicayne' set a new standard for how a street machine should be built and how it should function - a standard that has held up over the two decades since its debut.