This 1962 Chevy II was built as a Pro-Touring machine by RPM Hot Rods for repeat customer Gerry Kerna. Nicknamed “The Runt” by builder/designer Curt Ukasik, the Chevy II began life as a little white 6 cylinder car with red interior and hubcaps. In October of 2009 it traveled from Missouri to RPM’s shop in western Pennsylvania.

As the car was dismantled the body was found to be quite solid. This was most important since all else would be upgraded. The Runt now sits on a Roadster Shop chassis and is equipped with a full roll cage, a Thomson Racing LS7 427 ci engine and a Bowler/Tremec 6 speed transmission. Although the build emphasized performance and drivability, some cool body mods were also applied. It features tucked and smoothed bumpers, stretched front wheel well openings and a sheet metal spoiler, to name a few.

In July of 2011 the Runt was ready to be driven hard at autocross, road course and brake challenge events. It debuted at the Good Guys show in Columbus Ohio. From there it participated in the Heidt’s Performance Car Challenge, Chicago Good Guys, Holley LSFest, Indianapolis Good Guys, Hot Rod Drag Week and SEMA 2011 in Las Vegas. The Chevy II was one of 50 cars invited to the Optima Ultimate Street Car Challenge in Pahrump, Nevada where it finished 12th overall. It has been featured in Chevy Hi Performance and Super Chevy magazines. The Runt has received various awards including the Good Guys 2011 Muscle Machine of the Year.  

OWNER Kerna, Cranberry Township, PA
BUILDER RPM Hot Rods, Warrendale, PA 

Body Work
PAINT - Sikkens Base/Clear, Red Allure Pearl, Sunset Bronze, Mica Jon Harrison, Area 51 Autoworx, West Newton, PA
MODIFICATIONS - Stretched Front Wheel Well Openings, Tucked and Smoothed Bumpers, Sheet Metal Spoiler, Engine Bay, Firewall, Floors, Lower Front Valance and Wheel Tubs  

Chassis 
FRAME - 10 Gauge Fully Boxed Fabricated Frame Rails The Roadster Shop, Mundelein, IL REAREND/RATIO Currie 9 Plus Nodular Ford / 3.70:1
FRONT SUSPENSION - Heidts Modified Pro-G Crossmember
REAR SUSPENSION - Parallel 4 Link with Panhard Bar SWAY BARS Speedway Engineering Nextel Cup
ROLL CAGE - Full Chromoly Cage - Jeff Lutz of Lutz Race Cars, Evans City, PA
BRAKES Front – Wilwood 13 Inch Rotors with 6 Piston Calipers, Rear – Wilwood 12 Inch Rotors with 4 Piston Calipers Brake Cooling by Forced Air under Power with Electric Fans
WHEELS Billet Specialties “Throttle” Front – 18 x 9 Inch Rear – 18 x 12 Inch
TIRES BF Goodrich g-Force KDW Front – 255/35/18 Rear – 335/30/18

Engine 
MAKE GM Based 427 ci LS7, 650 hp - Thomson Racing, Wixom, MI
RADIATOR Custom Built PRC
COOLING Setrab Coolers for Transmission, Differential and Power Steering with Weldon Heavy Oil Electric Pumps for Circulation
HEADERS Sanderson Headers modified by RPM
EXHAUST Flowmaster 50 Series Mufflers with 3 Inch Custom Exhaust, Coated by Prism High Temp Coatings
FUEL TANK Customer Built Aluminum by RPM, VaporWorx Fuel System