Product Spotlight: Dynamat Xtreme Bulk Pack
January 16, 2026
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THE AUTO BUILDER
Featured
High Performance Rebuild
The small-block Chevy has enjoyed a long, happy life. Sure, the current LS1/LS6 version is quite far removed from the original, but thousands upon thousands of little mouse motors continue to provide the sole means of motivation to everything from stationary irrigation pumps to Le Mans-winning C5R Corvettes. Naturally, this list also includes all manner of boulevard bruisers, street stompers and resto rockets. Heck, we’ve even seen little Chevys under the hood of “Brand X” machinery. The continued popularity of the small-block Chevy is not surprising. Take a look at the combination of power potential and parts availability and multiply that by the cost quotient, and you have the makings of a real success story. Add to this equation the millions of project motors just sitting around junkyards throughout the world, and it is easy to see why enthusiasts continue to embrace the mighty mouse motor as the performance powerplant of choice.
Grumpy’s Toy
Jim Batson from Deltona, Florida, is a retired Navy man and a veteran’s employment representative for the state of Florida. New to the truck scene at age 57, this is his first custom, and he did most of the work himself, learning as he went. Inspiration for the project came after seeing a friend’s custom truck. He liked the looks and, since friends told him that trucks were easier for the first-time builder, he jumped in with both feet, deciding it would make the perfect retirement project. The undertaking began in April 1999 and wasn’t completed until March 2005. Looking back, Jim confesses to having some second thoughts about that ease-of-construction notion, and he tells us that somehow along the way he picked up the nickname Grumpy!
Spotlighter
EARLY-IMPALA LS2 SWAP
The Second Time Around Is Better Equipped to Be Even More Fun
Low in its architecture and functionally beautiful, the LS2 engine is an ideal replacement for a previous generation of Chevy powerplants. It offers good
performance, greatly improved economy and plenty of support from an industry leaders.
Author
Stephen K. Anderson
Photography Courtesy of Street & Performance
A New Era for Classic Chevys
We know time is passing when Chevys that were hot-rodded years ago are being rebuilt yet again. Modified longer than they were stock, cars such as Tom Stott’s ’66 Impala are being brought back to better fit the times with alternate drivetrains with amazing capability and style designed from the start to attract new generations of enthusiasts.
Leading the Charge: Street & Performance
Stott works for Street & Performance, a long-established leader in new-generation electronic-controlled powerplants and related hardware. In addition to its array of late-model engines and representative engine installation kits, S&P is a virtual superstore of the latest and coolest components. S&P designs and manufactures a wide range of specialized products for many generations of cars—many in-house—and it also provides all the cool polished billet accessories to finish off those projects.
The Enthusiast’s Drive
Stott is, and always has been, a car enthusiast, and while his ’66 Impala hadn’t lost its appeal, it was in need of an update. Already fit with a Tuned Port Injected 350 Chevy engine, which had done its duty for some time, Stott decided that a new-generation LS2 was in order, extricated from a crashed and burned GTO. It was fortunate that Stott knew the capability of the company he works for, and understands the products Street & Performance builds to tackle just such a modern drivetrain swap. Thus, along with his friend Guy, he had no qualms about tackling this upgrade, and he was able to manage this modernization with virtually no hassles.
The Engine Swap: Out with the Old, In with the New
The previously faithful engine was first yanked out, and then the surrounding engine compartment was detailed and readied for the changes to come. Fortunately, the LS2 engine requires a bit less room than its predecessor, and with the tips utilized here, it all came off without a hitch—in fact, in only a matter of hours. The engine fired up with the first twist of the key—no starter buttons here—and the trans found all the right gears, making Stott feel mighty good about tackling his revitalized ’66 Impala in the first place. Now there’s one more old Chevy that is well equipped for another generation of rodding fun.
EDITOR’S NOTE
Street & Performance, Inc. sadly closed its doors back in 2016, but have no worries. Whether you’re hunting for parts for your LS swap or you’re starting from scratch and need the complete package, the experts at Gandrud Performance Parts have you covered with top-notch gear and killer service.
ARTICLE SOURCES
Street & Performance - CLOSED
1 Hot Rod Ln.
Mena, AR 71953
479/394-5711
