by Clifford Joseph Harris Jr, better known to the world as T.I. or Tip, has been in the rap game for a really long time. As such, his ideal car is not necessarily a new Rolls-Royce, but something which has withstood the test of time. Check out the latest addition to his collection is a 1972 Chevrolet Chevelle SS with very particular mods.
T.I. is a long-time fan of old American muscle cars. More than a decade ago, he was cruising the streets of Atlanta in a red Chevelle. However, that’s not the same car, since it was a convertible, and this is a hardtop.
The footage we bring you is an exclusive shoot by Whip Addict on location at Certified Whips, the shop which created this monster for T.I. Just hours after the YouTube video was posted, the rapper confirmed his accusation on Instagram, though that footage isn’t as crisp or relevant.
In any case, according to our source, this 1972 Chevelle was bought a few years ago and it used to be black with white stripes, presumably the stock Chevy design. The shop then painted on this shade of Matte Army Green to give it a unique look. Obviously, the color won’t appeal to purists, but we can’t say it’s been ruined either.
We especially like the gloss black hood cowl with thin red pinstriping, which is very modern. A lot of details have been modified in the restomod style, but the biggest one of all has to be the chrome delete. Every shiny piece of metal has been blacked out like on a modern car: mirrors, window trim, handles, and especially the bumpers.
Chevelle on billet 24s?
Like any good restomod, this car appears to have upgraded suspension from UMI Performance and sports a nice set of powered disc brakes. Presumably, powered steering is also involved, and is that an air conditioning pump we see under the hood?
Of course, this wouldn’t be fit for a legendary rapper like T.I. without some big wheels. These used to be billet, meaning they’re quite expensive to make, and have been painted black to match the rest of the Chevelle. As for the size, they appear to be 24s on all corners.
The red pinstriping carries inside, where the 1972 Chevelle sports great red leather, an excellent red headliner, and a new steering wheel. But the best feature of all is the engine, an LS3. Normally, this 6.2-liter makes 430 horsepower, but the intake and exhaust are pretty aggressive, so we don’t know how far it’s been modified.
The LS3 is a popular choice for restomod projects because it brings the convenience of a modern fuel-injected V8 to your favorite muscle car. Despite having much large displacement, an original 1972 Chevelle SS would only have made 270 horsepower.
