Chevrolet ‘Hellvelle’ Is a Pristine Classic Malibu with Hellcat Power

Classic Chevrolet muscle car features a supercharged 6.2-liter Hellcat Hemi and the Dodge ZF transmission.

The supercharged 6.2-liter Hemi V8 from the Dodge Hellcat cars has become one of the most popular options for anyone looking to swap to a modern engine with big power. At first, people were buying the drivetrain out of a totaled car, but in seeing the aftermarket interest in the supercharged Hemi, Mopar introduced the Hellcrate Hemi crate engine.

Since the Hellcrate came to market, we have seen a huge number of project cars powered by the Hellcat Hemi, including just about every variety of classic Mopar. We have seen scores of A-, B- and E-bodies powered by the supercharged Hemi along with some trucks, but more recently, the 6.2-liter Hemi has been employed to provide big power for owners of non-Mopar vehicles. We have previously seen a Buick Grand National with the Hellcat Hemi and a Ford Mustang with a Demon drivetrain, but today, we bring you a look at the best looking non-Mopar classic muscle car to pack Hellcat power.

We had previously seen this 197XXXXX Chevrolet Malibu on social media, but while attending the Modern Street Hemi Shootout HEMI’nsanity at Lapeer International Dragway, we got to see this slick Chevy in person. We also had a chance to speak with Greg Bundy, who is the father of Chad Bundy, the owner of this Malibu. Greg provided the full details on this Moparized classic Chevy, including what plans they have for the future.

Chevelle with Hellcat Power

As mentioned above, this car is owned by Chad Bundy. His father, Greg Bundy, has one of the nastiest modern Dodge Challenger drag cars I’ve ever seen, packing a big turbo Hemi to run in the deep 8s. Greg also owns and operates Professional Auto Collision in Flint and Burton, Michigan, so he played a key role in the frame-off restoration process with his son when Chad was 15. Back then, the car was transformed into a SS model, powered by a 496-cubic inch big block Chevy with a 150-shot of nitrous oxide, making this one amazing driver for a high school kid.

Fast forward to 2020, when Greg is driving his Jeep Trackhawk with Hellcat power. Chad got to drive the supercharged Jeep as well as Greg’s Challenger. Seeing the monster power and the ease of upgrading, Chad decided to make the jump to Mopar power.

They acquired a Hellcrate engine and the 8-speed automatic transmission from Sound German Automotive that is connected to all factory-built Hellcat cars. The crate engine was unmodified for the initial installation, but there are some upgrades needed to make it work in the classic Chevy. Most notably, Ernie at Motofab made custom stainless steel headers and a full exhaust system, along with providing a custom power rack-and-pinion steering system.

In addition to the supercharged Dodge engine, just about everything under the hood of this 1971 Chevy muscle car came from the engine bay of a 2017 Challenger Hellcat, including the cooling module, the air conditioning system, supercharger radiator, coolant circulation pump and the other key engine-related engine bay components.

Finally, this classic Chevy muscle car has QA1 Pro Touring control arms, one-off front knuckles and spindles, Afco double adjustable front coil-overs and a Moser M9 rear differential. A set of Mickey Thompson ET Street drag radials put the power to the ground and from the outside, the only indication of Mopar power is the Hellcat badge on the front fenders.

Hellvelle Hits the Track

This past weekend, Chad Bundy headed to Lapeer International Dragway for the Modern Street Hemi Shootout HEMI’nsanity event. The MSHS events are open to all vehicles with modern Hemi power, including Chevrolet products, and after seeing the build online, I was excited to see it in action. Although they were dealing with some fuel system issues, the Hellvelle ran in the high-11-second range on a day where both temperature and humidity were both in the 90s.

Below, we have a pair of videos showing the Hellvelle in action at the MSHS Lapeer event. Check out how this classic Chevy jumps up out of the hole with Mopar power. Once they get the fueling issues straightened out, this custom Malibu is going to get quicker, but they have bigger plans for this car. This winter, they plan to add aftermarket pulleys for extra boost, along with a new camshaft, at which point it will get a whole lot quicker.

In the meantime, it is a solid high-11-second street car, showcasing classic Chevrolet design with modern Mopar power.

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Patrick Rall

"Before I was old enough to walk, my dad was taking me to various types of racing events, from local drag racing to the Daytona 500," says Patrick Rall, a lifetime automotive expert, diehard Dodge fan, and respected auto journalist for over 10 years. "He owned a repair shop and had a variety of performance cars when I was young, but by the time I was 16, he was ready to build me my first drag car – a 1983 Dodge Mirada that ran low 12s. I spent 10 years traveling around the country, racing with my dad by my side. While we live in different areas of the country, my dad still drag races at 80 years old in the car that he built when I was 16 while I race other vehicles, including my 2017 Dodge Challenger SRT Hellcat and my 1972 Dodge Demon 340.

"Although I went to college for accounting, my time in my dad’s shop growing up allowed me the knowledge to spend time working as a mechanic before getting my accounting degree, at which point I worked in the office of a dealership group. While I was working in the accounting world, I continued racing and taking pictures of cars at the track. Over time, I began showing off those pictures online and that led to my writing.

"Ten years ago, I left the accounting world to become a full-time automotive writer and I am living proof that if you love what you do, you will never “work” a day in your life," adds Rall, who has clocked in time as an auto mechanic, longtime drag racer and now automotive journalist who contributes to nearly a dozen popular auto websites dedicated to fellow enthusiasts.

"I love covering the automotive industry and everything involved with the job. I was fortunate to turn my love of the automotive world into a hobby that led to an exciting career, with my past of working as a mechanic and as an accountant in the automotive world provides me with a unique perspective of the industry.

"My experience drag racing for more than 20 years coupled with a newfound interest in road racing over the past decade allows me to push performance cars to their limit, while my role as a horse stable manager gives me vast experience towing and hauling with all of the newest trucks on the market today.

"Being based on Detroit," says Rall, "I never miss the North American International Auto Show, the Woodward Dream Cruise and Roadkill Nights, along with spending plenty of time raising hell on Detroit's Woodward Avenue with the best muscle car crowd in the world.

Rall can be contacted at QuickMirada@Yahoo.com

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