Street Machine Files – Mark Handel’s 1965 Chev

IT didn’t take 23-year-old Mark Handel as long to construct his ’65 Chevy SS couple, only 3 years in fact. Big block power was the order of the day for Mark, the 427 rat has been overbored slightly to displace 435 cubes and, like Horsman’s mouse, reads like a who’s who in the speed industry.

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IT didn’t take 23-year-old Mark Handel as long to construct his ’65 Chevy SS couple, only 3 years in fact. Big block power was the order of the day for Mark, the 427 rat has been overbored slightly to displace 435 cubes and, like Horsman’s mouse, reads like a who’s who in the speed industry.

Starting with the valve gear TRW moly pushrods, General Kinetics lifters and an Isky camshaft are activated by a standard crank, and TRW pistons with single moly TRW rings. The heads have been ported, polished and ‘o’ ringed and, according to Mark, compression is around 9.5 to 1. A Weiand intake manifold supports the 6.71 that runs five percent under using an Isky blower drive and a three inch Gilmer belt.

The huffer has double pinned rotors, steel gears and Weiland end plates. A Holley fuel pump sends the racing gas to a pair of 600 cfm carbs of the same make. The ignition is Mallory with a reduced mechanical advance. The headers are hand fabricated and dump the spent exhaust into a pair of Thrush Turbo mufflers.

Backing up the big block is a B&M equipped Turbo-Hydro 400 that relies on the original ’65 shifter. The front suspension has Lovell springs and heavy duty shocks while the rear end has been lowered 1 inch but remains original. The diff is a 12 bolt equipped with 3.55s and 10 inch Indy wheels together with BFG T/A radials keep it on the road. Ansen Sprints and Yokohamas are used at the front as too are Holden disc brakes.

Keeping it all in the family, Mark chose GM-H Maderia Red for final colour and this was applied after the body was prepared and the necessary mods carried out on the bonnet. The interior is finished in red velvet capably done by Clifford Powell.

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