Nickey Performance

Nickey Performance is a muscle car dealer, builder and tuning shop at 6927 N Alpine Road in Loves Park, Illinois, near Rockford. It sells classic and collector cars, accepts consignment cars, builds custom "Nickey Super Camaros," and runs a dyno. The business trades on the name of Nickey Chevrolet, the Chicago dealership that became famous for factory-dealer muscle cars in the 1960s.

The Nickey name

The original Nickey Chevrolet opened in Chicago in 1925. According to Wikipedia, it was founded by brothers E.J. and Jack Stephani, changed hands in 1973 and became Keystone Chevrolet, while a related speed shop operated under the Nickey name until 1977. The Nickey Performance website says the dealership was "the largest hi-performance parts shop in the world" and that its crew was the first to put a 427 engine in a 1967 Camaro, a claim the company repeats on its history page.

The Loves Park company is a modern business that carries that name forward rather than the original dealership itself. Wikipedia says Stefano Bimbi acquired the legal rights and trademarks to the Nickey brand in 2002, and the Better Business Bureau lists him as president of Nickey Performance. Sources give different dates for when the current company started, so this profile does not state a founding year.

How the business works

Nickey Performance mixes several lines of work. It sells classic muscle cars and other collector vehicles from its own stock, takes a limited number of cars on consignment, builds new Nickey Camaros in three performance stages, offers appraisals, and does dyno tuning. The company says the vast majority of its work is on Camaros of every generation. It also operates a NicKey Registry, a record of original Nickey-built cars that owners can submit for documentation.

What Nickey Performance sells

The stock is American and leans toward Mopar, Pontiac, Oldsmobile and Chevrolet performance cars. At the time of writing, the site listed ten vehicles, including a 1971 Plymouth 'Cuda 440 Six Pack, a 1970 Oldsmobile W-30 four-speed, a 1971 Oldsmobile Cutlass, a 1979 Pontiac Trans Am SE, a 1955 Pontiac Chieftain and a 1983 Chevrolet K20 Silverado 4x4. A few late-model cars, such as a Mercedes-Benz SL55 AMG and a Range Rover, were also listed, so not everything on the site is classic. The sold archive on its website covers a wide mix of years and makes, from prewar cars to modern ones. Browse our page of more classic cars in Illinois for other dealers and sellers in the state.

Consigning with Nickey Performance

The company says it accepts "a curated number of consignment cars" at its 25,000 square foot Loves Park showroom. Terms and the number of cars it will take are not published, and the site asks owners to call or email for details. If you are weighing this route, our guide to selling a classic on consignment explains typical fees and what to put in the agreement.

Buying and other services

For buyers, Nickey Performance's finance page names J.J. Best Banc and Co. as its lending partner for collector cars, and says loans are subject to approval and that a 10 percent down payment may be required. Its services page also lists insurance and full appraisals, which can be done at the shop or, by arrangement, at shows and auctions, and dyno tuning on a Dynojet 224xLC. For any purchase, ask for the VIN, title status and documentation, and arrange an independent inspection if you cannot examine the car yourself.

Reputation

The Better Business Bureau lists Nickey Performance as not accredited, with an A+ rating and no complaints closed in the past three years. We did not find a review platform listing with enough reviews to quote a rating. As with any dealer, judge the business on the specific car and its paperwork.

Visiting Nickey Performance

The showroom is at 6927 N Alpine Road, Loves Park, Illinois 61111. The company says visits are by appointment, and asks buyers to call ahead so the right car can be uncovered and warmed up. Its phone number is 630-377-1222 and its email is [email protected]. The website lists two different weekday opening times, so confirm hours by phone.