Gas Monkey Garage, the Sinister Chevelle & Why In-House Waterjet Cutting Matters
See how Gas Monkey Garage used in-house WAZER waterjet cutting to hit tight SEMA deadlines and keep their custom builds moving without delay.
When you’re building for SEMA, there is no “we’ll get to it next week.”
The 1970 Chevelle known internally at Gas Monkey Garage as the Sinister Chevelle wasn’t a long-term restoration. It was a compressed, high-pressure build with a hard deadline and zero tolerance for delays. Major systems were being finalized while other sections of the car were already painted, assembled, and trimmed. Every fabrication decision had to move fast — and work the first time.
In that kind of environment, waiting on outsourced parts isn’t just inconvenient. It’s risky.
Why In-House Cutting Changed the Timeline
Late in the build, small but critical components still needed to be fabricated. Custom brackets, mounts, and flanges weren’t optional upgrades — they were required because nothing off-the-shelf fit a one-off chassis and evolving exhaust layout.
Even a small delay from an outside vendor could stall multiple downstream tasks.
This is where a desktop waterjet like the WAZER Pro became part of the production workflow, not just a shop accessory.
Instead of sending files out and waiting days, the team could:
- Design in CAD
- Export to cut software
- Cut the part immediately
- Clean, test fit, and move forward the same afternoon
Momentum stayed intact.
The Exhaust Mount: A Deadline-Driven Fabrication
One clear example was the custom exhaust mount for the Sinister Chevelle.
This wasn’t a decorative piece — it had to precisely locate and support the exhaust relative to the chassis and body. The geometry was dictated by the car itself, not by catalog dimensions. It had to be fully custom.
Designed in CAD and cut in-house, the part required only minimal cleanup before test fit. It landed exactly where it needed to — and most importantly, it didn’t interrupt the build schedule.
Under SEMA-level pressure, that kind of turnaround isn’t just helpful. It’s essential.
Parallel Project: The Ferrari 6×6 Flange
At the same time, Gas Monkey Garage was also working on a Ferrari 6×6 build — another heavily customized, time-sensitive project.
A custom intake and throttle body flange needed to be cut from thick aluminum. The solution? Cut it in-house.
With waterjet capability, they were able to produce half-inch aluminum components cleanly and precisely, without excessive post-processing. No waiting. No compromises.
Why Waterjet Over Other Methods?
For both builds, the choice came down to precision and time:
- Manual fabrication would require more fitting and rework.
- Plasma cutting could struggle with fine detail and edge finish.
- Outsourced machining would be accurate — but slow.
A waterjet provides cold cutting, tight tolerances, and clean edges across metals, composites, and more — without introducing heat distortion.
In deadline-driven environments, that flexibility becomes a strategic advantage.
Bringing That Capability Into Your Shop
At MatterHackers, we offer both the WAZER and the WAZER Pro for teams that need precision metal cutting without outsourcing delays.
Whether you're:
- Fabricating custom brackets and mounts
- Producing production-ready metal parts
- Supporting automotive, aerospace, R&D, or prototyping workflows
- Or building under intense deadlines
In-house waterjet capability can turn fabrication from a bottleneck into a competitive edge.
The WAZER delivers professional waterjet cutting in a compact footprint. The WAZER Pro expands capacity and performance for higher throughput environments.
If your builds can’t afford to wait, it may be time to bring cutting in-house.
Explore the WAZER and WAZER Pro at MatterHackers and equip your shop with the precision, speed, and control your projects demand.
