The Battle of the’ Vettes
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- čas přidán 1. 03. 2022
- Steve Magnante’s Cadillac 500 V8 powered “Bad Seed” Chevy Chevette was one of HOT ROD Magazine’s craziest project cars. In this rare show segment from the year 2000, watch as the “Bad Seed” challenges Corvette royalty in “The Battle of the’ Vettes”!
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Remember reading the article in the day and it still comes up in conversations with my car buddies. It’s old school hot rodding, the way I was raised, keep it simple ! Big engine even in a somewhat stock form and a light car.
"light" (old school spelling...)
Cmon, Freiberger teased us with tails of you sneaking the Bad Seed out for street races.... Please expand on that some for us..
I remember watching this with my dad on tv. It took me a minute to find it here. Your a rockstar Steve we love you dude!
This is how Steve M. became a hero and legend to thousands of gearheads. This car and the Wilshire Shaker. These were the best days of Hot Rod Magazine. Thanks for the great memories Steve.
I had that edition. Loved that 500 Caddy powered Chevette project.
Those were the best years of hotrod magazine
I remember when this first aired. This is easily the most memorable Vette ever!
As someone who has a deep connection with the Chevette I loved watching this. My dad owned the first one in Kansas City and I have had 3 of them.
Lol, my favorite Hot Rod article. I've been collecting 500CID Cadillacs ever since, but never have found the time to actually build a car with one of them.
@@kurtlamprecht93 Even today, that's a pretty lame question.
@@kurtlamprecht93 lol, well you're obviously even more ignorant than I had previously assumed.
I can remember this build I remember reading about it in math class in high school, lol.. this build is seriously what got me into building hot rods this is what started my obsession, was this car
I read that bad seed chevette issue so many times when that came out. Loved it.
Thanks for preserving the original 4:3 aspect ratio of the original video.
I wrote Hotrod magazine about putting a bigger (more streetable) engine in my 80 Chevette.
Steve wrote me back talking about a 4.3 V6 on the power tour . That guy advised me about the hooker headers 3.8 swap kit. I installed the kit and engine. It fit very tight.
Had the TH350 and a 8" rear axle.
I had it a few years, even drove it to the Bonneville saltflats and sold it.
It's running around Northern Utah somewhere.
Thanks Steve for that mag ya sent. 👍
Steve cracks me up with his style of humor, LMAO!
I've always loved that car. I'd say I might still have that copy of hot rod around the house somewhere.
I remember watching this on tv. I was telling my son about this the other day. Thanks for putting it out .
So cool Brother Steve! Can't wait to see the '62 'REMcharger Sleeper' in action!
The cheap thrills dart and the bad seed are 2 cars that had a huge impact on me as a young man.
I’m positive that both of these cars were responsible for me building a small block Vega wagon as my first real project car.
The first time I heard of a Steve Magnante was in this article of the caddy chevette, only that in my memory it was in car craft but now I see, thanks for uploading this Steve.
Dad had a '76 Cadillac Sedan Deville. 500CID. Car weighed as much as a motorhome probably. At 120 MPH it was like sitting on the couch at home.
Ha Steve I do believe I still have that Hot Rod magazine... All you needed was my 1991 C4 ZR-1 Corvette. Thanks for the blast from the past! :)
I was in high school auto shop when I read this story. I was hooked!
I had one back in the day that I was gonna put a 350 in. Got most of the job done and my granny found out what I did to her car. My ass is still sore from that whooping.
😂😂
there was a 500 Caddy powered Chevette running the local street races back in the 90s here in Toms River, NJ.
This is the car that got me into hot rodding my dad was so excited to show me that issue of hot rod magazine I read that article front to back in amazement
This is my favorite hot rod magazine car, ever. I have no idea why. This car was the epitome of what hot rod magazine used to be about. Work with what you have and what you can find.
And when it was built, 11's was an impressive number.
I would love to have this Chevette today! I would drive (and race) it with pride.
One of the best ones yet Steve. Thank you.
This is the spirit of the original hot rods- take an entirely undesirable car, and stick a big luxury v8 in it for maximum performance. Forget driving around in your ego, your vette was the king of the hot rods!
You mean a light and attractive car, with a drivetrain that is "undesirable" for performance use.
Picking an "undesirable car' is in no way the "spirit of hot rodding". Rat rodding, maybe...
Chevettes were some of my favorite cars. They were not undesirable and were better appointed than other economy cars. Also comfy.
Friggin’ awesome! 🙌🏼🙌🏼
I don't miss video tapes. This was fun.
That was whacky. Thanks for bringing it into the new Millennium.
I still have that magazine. Definitely inspirational for me, along with Monte1Go, and the Budget Beater A. I still use it as the "go-to" for evidence that a 302 isn't gonna break that 8" rear. Not everyone needs a 9".
Depends on whether you have an automatic or a manual transmission.
Weight breaks rear ends
@@CarsandCats No, shock.
I remember this!!! Damn I'm getting old. I never saw a big block Chevette in the wild but I did come across a small block chevy powered one in a Pennsylvania junkyard about 15 years ago. I was with a buddy looking for pick up parts & just glanced at the damaged front end walking by & glory be... A small block with a 750 holly was looking back! I thoroughly examined it & was convinced I could fix it...my buddy threatened to kick my ass if I didn't walk away & forget about it!! It didn't have any frame or suspension mods I could detect which is why it was probably there, it probably got real squirrelly & he lost it & crashed. I also found a small block powered Volvo 740 wagon once too but it was still alive & razing hell!
One of my favorite project cars/articles ever. I didn't realize there was video of it. Where is the car now? This ranks up there with Caddy-Hack and 'Vette-Hack. Hot Rod was getting kind of boring back then with car budgets way out of reach for the regular guys. With these super cool, high performing, and low buck projects you took us back to our roots and planted the seeds for the RoadKill family of shows. Well done!
i'm glad you dug that out so others that weren't around back then could see what you did, it was a real hoot watching you build everyone up to see a vette then you pull in a chevette......it was too funny.....
Remember a magazine i read, it had a Corvette Stingray, factory 454 he had put a 6/71 supercharger on it two four barrels, he said anywhere any gear it would Smoke the tires!!
I remeber reading the article to front and back..I thought it was so cool jamming that caddy motor in.
I remember the article. My uncle use to get all kinds of car mags. Funny how you progressed.
Appreciate your vids alot for nostalgia sake
Lmao glad to see it actually run on the strip instead of seeing stills in the magazine 😁. It's been the chatter for Chevettes for 22 years now! I just posted the link over at Chevette Owners on Facebook for everyone over there to see.
That is the first Chevette I have ever seen that had the steering column in there straight.
Man, I sure loved Bad Seed back when you built it, and I still love seeing it today! What great times it was....
Lots of great memories here this inspired me to build a similar car with a 283 small block I was only 16 and did it all including the price of the car for 1500 bucks and a lot of late nights lol good stuff 👍
I remember calling the parts store and they always asked 500ci or 1.4 liter motor?
I remember that episode steve wow a throwback indeed ....✌😆🙏
We're all pulling for you Steve. Hope to see you soon
My all time favorite car, and favorite person from the hotrod staff...ill never forget the day me and my late father watched that episode....your the man Steve thanks from being the awesome person you are
Worth the wait Steve, way to go for the win. I remember you referencing the "nobody cares" somewhere before but can't remember it.
Thanks for the video, never knew about it but still have the magazine. The Chevette was sold in UK and Europe same car but different front end treatment, they also sold it with a 2.3 engine. Vauxhall HSR Chevette was sold in limited numbers and was very successful in rallying, and is highly prized car today.
All Hail the Bad Seed! Greatest magazine project car ever.
Look forward to these videos
Specific details , history, tech ….
Real capacity and mastery of all things “ hot rods”
Just great -
That
Ls6 …
Steve I remember talking to you about this car at a Putnam Connecticut car show years ago. You had your altered wheelbase Dodge at the show.
Such an awesome way to go fast
The Bad Seed was a death trap. I loved it.
I remember watching that episode on the speed channel back in the day
Love seening some old Magz content!! This is rad
Love this old stuff Steve keep it coming!!
If I only had pics. We did a Pontiac T100 with a buiick nailhead in the late 90s. Chain steering wheel thrush finned side pipes. And a craftsman universal swivel for the steering joint. This pile made roadkill look hi budget. The thing was a frigging death trap by all descriptions. But man the 4 months of fun we had b4 it went up in flames on a roadside in gnesen twp. Epic!
That Chevette was my introduction to Steve Mags
I mentioned the bad seed Chevelle not to long ago I am 40 now and remember seeing it when I was younger. Steve has been one of my idols for most of my life I mean if you're a car guy the guy just oozes cool. If you get to read this Steve thank you for setting me on a path of grease and dirt under my fingernails and having a smell better than any smellum water I smell of old used automotive fluids . Again thanks for everything you do . If you keep doing it then I'll keep watching it
THE GREATEST CAR OF ALL TIME!!!! I wonder what became of it?
It had engine trouble of some kind, wiped lifter or lost oil pressure come to mind but I can’t remember for sure. It sat in a yard where a mower threw a rock and broke a window. I think it was sold after that. when hot rod had their big anniversary car show thing, I don’t remember exactly what it was, I remember it being there.
This was my era of Hot Rods and Magazines. Couldn’t wait to get the newest one and what crazy car was next.
We all remember that issue from Hot Rod ,Steve, the crazy doctor!!
Absolutely love this!l Keep them coming!! Reminds me of my childhood watching this as a kid. Have this exact issue of magazine on my work bench.
I totally remember that issue. Project Bad Seed!! 500cid caddy into Chevette. 500 was yanked from an Eldorado but not before some fwd burnouts and the writer mentioned that the Eldorado was so ugly it was making local property plummet in value, or something to that effect. It was over 20 years ago so my memory is a bit fuzzy.
Steve Maggs is a god
Thank you! I absolutely love this channel, the variety of content, and this excellent trip down memory lane.
Steve, you're an animal! How is that fire-trap not an 8-second car?
I remember watching this as a kid, awesome video
I cannot remember the last time I saw a chevette. Let alone one running on the street.
I remember reading about this car when I was a teenager, thanks for uploading the clip!
I remember reading all about this build when it was done. Very cool!
You’re one of a kind, Steve. That was awesome.
I would prefer that to almost any Corvette.
I still have that magazine!
You remarked about the Ford Pinto 8" rear end, all V6 pinto's and V6 AND V8 Mustang II's came with the Ford 8" rear end with 28 spline axle's. The standard Ford 9" rear end used the identical 28 spline axle's and they DO interchange. 31 spline 9" rear axle's were Ford super high performance only. The Ford 8" rear will do the job in MOST cases. The Ford 8" rear is a "mini" 9" Ford rear. I hate to say this, but the strength of a Ford 8" rear is equivalent to a Chevrolet 12 bolt rear. Dave...
I remember that issue of Hot Rod magazine,they put a Cadillac 500 V8 in a Chevette, should've done that with my I had.
That was great! I never saw this episode, but I did have the magazine and remember the car. My buddy swapped one of these 500ci Caddy engines into a Chevy C20 pickup and it would smoke the skinny 8 inch wide tires for blocks. It would tow anything!
Doing a lot with a little will always be way more impressive than a little with a lot.
You must have worked with Marlan Davis. I was severely pissed when the current editor (the idiot who ruined an engine by letting carb parts drop into the intake, and not checking for missing/lost parts before starting said engine). Then we learned that Marlan had passed, a great,sorrow for many Hot Rod fans. RIP Marlan.
Steve is the original "Road Kill" thrasher @ Hot Rod......Miss the days of magazines on the news stand I know they are still there but, not a lot of content to them.....Such a shame!
Love the 90s graphics on the video!
I remember the magazine,,that video was silly,,great stuff
Greatest project car OF ALL TIME!
Wasn't this the car that David tried to fire you over? Specifically your street racing of this car?
That was a good one Steve good work
This is spectacular.
"You can do this at home for under 3000 bucks!" Oh man those days are long gone. Have a hard time finding a solid chevette for under 2 grand lol
I remember reading the article on the chevett and thought wow what would that be like to drive on the street
That was awesome!!
I remember this like yesterday.... I always wanted to build a Gremlin with a Hopper up 401 after I saw this car..
I remember this issue. I had an 87 Chevette that I annoyed my friends with by calling it a "vette". My friends used to squat lift the back end up in the air while I floored it. When they dropped it, it would just chirp the tires. That poor car took a lot of punishment without breaking.
That was fun!
Lov your Vids .. a True Car Guy !!
Thanks Steve
This cover definitely made a big impression on 12 year old me! Kudos to you for driving it, what a death trap!
Hi 👋 Steve ..I enjoy my 1980 Chevrolet Chevett 👍
I remember this build all to well i was just outta high school and still talk about it to this day amongst iron clad gear heads gotta love the fact that a 501 caddy pre like 71 only weighs 90 pounds more than a sbc
I need to be able to like this video twice.
Steve, You started a generation of anti billet dirty garage built punk rock hot rods with this car. get well soon we all love ya!