Car Features

Words: Tommy Parry

Whenever a car is as much an inherited heirloom as it is a fun way to spend the weekend, the owner is apt to take extra special care of it. This is the case with Mike’s Formula, which was bought by his father for his mother 46 years ago. Other than a few changes in rims and interior touches, the car remained a stock Formula 400 until recently.

Over the decades, Mike dreamed of things he would do if the car became his. Once inheritance day came, he started by establishing a basic aim: to retain something with sentimental value and bring it up to modern standards so that it can be enjoyed and driven. As simple as that sounded, he had big dreams for this beauty, so he wisely brought in the big guns. With the help of Mike Staveski at LexiJ / RMR Dreamcars doing most of the building, he could relax - somewhat - knowing the car was in good hands.

The first major hurdle - and one of the biggest challenges with which he dealt - was deciding on the parts to use. To narrow down the list of potential parts, “I looked for tried-and-true options such as DSE, GM Performance, TMI, and Dakota Digital who are leaders in the resto mod/pro touring scene,” he explained. After plenty of deliberation, he came up with a list of upgrades which were enough to make anyone with a drop of motor oil in their veins salivate.

Cosmetic changes included deleted marker lights, Kindig flush-mount door handles and Fessler’s glass kit. The engine, an LS 376/480, would provide enough reliable power, and the Detroit Speed Engineering subframe and Quadralink would improve agility.

Quickly, the shaved body was painted and taking shape. Mike went ahead and installed the DSE suspension, the Wilwood brakes and the LS. A coat of OEM Brewster Green and a set of custom Boze wheels - complete with his dad’s signature on the center cap - helped establish a link to the past. Additionally, measuring 18x10” and 19x12” and wrapped in Hankook Ventus V12 tires, the new footwork would offer enough stick to hang with modern muscle cars.

Inside, he began mocking up the interior. After coating both sides of the floor with Raptor Coating, he positioned the TMI leather buckets, which added a touch of modernity without changing the original aesthetic much.

There’s a lot left with this incredible build, and if you’d like to keep tabs on its progress, you can visit Mike's thread here.