Romance, Italy inspire this ‘Bella’
Italy is known the world over for producing some of the finest four-wheeled creations to ever grace our planet’s asphalt stretches, hailing from such sacred places as Modena or Sant’Agata Bolognese.
However, despite several impressionable getaways with his wife Joey to Italy’s magical waterfront shores, when it came time for Thom Miller to find himself a new play vehicle, he stuck to his big-block roots, choosing to go the all-American route.
However, Miller has not entirely forgotten those enchanted memories of the picturesque peninsula. He chose to bestow his 1968 Camaro SS with the Italian name “Bella” (or beautiful one) — summarizing his emotions of the breathtaking Roman countryside and his heart-fluttering satisfaction with the beauty of his completed classic car.
Whereas the finest sports cars overseas rely on twelve cylinders, the Edgebrook resident knew there’s no substitute for eight big ones in Detroit’s classic cars. So in true ‘More Power!’ fashion, he tossed the original 350, opting for a much larger 572 crate motor.
Knowing a project like this would be more than he could handle, Thom chose to enlist the musclecar maestros at Hot Rod Auto in Schiller Park to help iron out the details in his dream cruiser.
“I knew I wanted the 572 to go in the car and at the same time I really loved the look of the classic hood with those Trans Am-styled vents. The problem is they both wouldn’t fit, but I wasn’t about to lose either,’ Thom says.
After some head scratching, the shop had come up with a solution — one that would allow them to retain the retro factory hood, while still providing enough room for the colossal V-8 powerhouse. It took some cutting, massaging and modifying but when the smoke cleared, the chromed behemoth was shoehorned in, resulting in an engine bay that looks factory fresh.
An added bonus was the once decorative vents were made functional — something Chevrolet never offered. The 620-horsepower-punishment is handled by a truck-sourced gearbox, bolted in by Elk Grove-based DRC Transmissions.
With this much power, going fast would be a really bad idea unless you can stop, so drilled and slotted Wilwood discs were mounted at each corner, covered by carefully selected Foose Nitrous wheels.
“It took two years for me to find just the right style, but I’m glad I waited because these are just what I wanted.”
Once the powertrain and suspension were deemed ‘perfecto!’, the entire vehicle received a Micah Red paint job complete with twin Millennium Silver stripes. The car was then wheeled down to Rolling Meadows for Moody’s Upholstery to stitch in the two-tone Corinthian leather interior.
Of course, all this world-class work deserves to be admired and Thom makes sure ‘Bella’ is presented at numerous judged events, pitting it against some of the finest classic steel in the Chicago area. Despite the stiff competition, he’s walked away from major shows with twenty different trophies earned since the Camaro’s completion in 2005.
Two accolades that stand out for Thom were received at recent World of Wheels shows: “Bella” snagged the Best Overall Street category in 2008 and followed up with the Mighty Muscle award in ’09.
While Thom may not travel twisty country lanes winding through cypress trees and roadside trattorias like those seen on faraway family vacations, what he does have stateside is a classic American style executed in flawless detail and craftsmanship.
While the couple’s next trans-Atlantic visit may seem far off, a simple cruise with “Bella” to the nearest local vineyard, or ice cream stand, and their fanciful emotions are stirred.